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I agree, but there is a time and a place for these discussions, and there are better ways of handling it than calling him out in his own comments. If you wanted

by jdn 13y ago

I agree, but there is a time and a place for these discussions, and there are better ways of handling it than calling him out in his own comments. If you wanted to address perceived casual sexism through turns of phrases such as these, a better angle would be to collect examples from such blog posts and author a new post with the purpose of discussing this use of language. I don't think the gender equality in the industry is worsening, as you say. It certainly has worsened in recent years, but the strong movement in support of women in CS is gaining traction. My opinion on it may be jaded by the "white male privelege", but to me it seems the balance is starting to be reinstated slightly. Numbers of females joining the department each year has been increasing since I entered the degree, and recent statistics released actually showed there is now more women than men in the post-graduate CS degrees. Whether this is the case everywhere, I don't know (and doubt), but it's certainly a start.

SwellJoe 13y ago
I think that would also be a useful approach. But, I've been involved in activist circles lately, and something I've learned in that is that calling behavior out when it happens can prevent resentments and problems from growing; and, having that culture of calling people on their shit can allow someone who may have walked away to feel empowered to speak up when they feel uncomfortable with something someone has said. Again, I'm not sure I understand the nuances of why someone felt uncomfortable with this particular piece of language; but if I assume good intentions, all it costs me is a moment of my time to think about it and try to understand. And maybe, by taking that time and showing a little respect for that view, I'll help someone feel welcome into this community I've been a part of for so long. I think it's probably worth the trouble...and, in the end, I'm pretty sure I'm a better person than I was a couple years ago before I got involved in this kind of activism. I don't know how to convince others to stop being reactionary, and instead simply think about what's being said. Anti-oppression training might be cool at tech conferences, but I suspect it'd be the least attended track.
- jdn 13y ago
  "having that culture of calling people on their shit can allow someone who may have walked away to feel empowered to speak up when they feel uncomfortable with something someone has said." I certainly appreciate that perspective on it; it is empowering to the victims. However, as in this case, it can also alienate those they are calling if it was not genuine sexism. There are cases where similar language is used in a sexist fashion, and it would be a bit of a stretch to call this one of them, so in this case it only caused an adverse reaction. I guess there is a careful balancing act to empowerment. "I don't know how to convince others to stop being reactionary" If it helps, your views have helped me consider my reaction to this. I understand and empathise with why he reacted how he did, but my reaction to his post was probably a step further into inappropriate. Thank you.

by jdn 13y ago

SwellJoe 13y ago

I think that would also be a useful approach. But, I've been involved in activist circles lately, and something I've learned in that is that calling behavior out when it happens can prevent resentments and problems from growing; and, having that culture of calling people on their shit can allow someone who may have walked away to feel empowered to speak up when they feel uncomfortable with something someone has said. Again, I'm not sure I understand the nuances of why someone felt uncomfortable with this particular piece of language; but if I assume good intentions, all it costs me is a moment of my time to think about it and try to understand. And maybe, by taking that time and showing a little respect for that view, I'll help someone feel welcome into this community I've been a part of for so long. I think it's probably worth the trouble...and, in the end, I'm pretty sure I'm a better person than I was a couple years ago before I got involved in this kind of activism. I don't know how to convince others to stop being reactionary, and instead simply think about what's being said. Anti-oppression training might be cool at tech conferences, but I suspect it'd be the least attended track.

jdn 13y ago
"having that culture of calling people on their shit can allow someone who may have walked away to feel empowered to speak up when they feel uncomfortable with something someone has said." I certainly appreciate that perspective on it; it is empowering to the victims. However, as in this case, it can also alienate those they are calling if it was not genuine sexism. There are cases where similar language is used in a sexist fashion, and it would be a bit of a stretch to call this one of them, so in this case it only caused an adverse reaction. I guess there is a careful balancing act to empowerment. "I don't know how to convince others to stop being reactionary" If it helps, your views have helped me consider my reaction to this. I understand and empathise with why he reacted how he did, but my reaction to his post was probably a step further into inappropriate. Thank you.