Donglegate! The unfortunate progeny of Elevatorgate.

[Coito ergo sum]

I missed this one -- about 2 weeks ago there was a tech convention and a dirty joke was told.... internet drama and firings ensued!

Apparently, a woman overheard a couple or few men telling jokes about "big" dongles and "forking" things --- http://butyoureagirl.com/14015/forking- ... nferences/

I think this lady did it all wrong -- in her article she says --

I decided to do things differently this time and didn’t say anything to them directly.

But, the policy states --

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

https://us.pycon.org/2013/about/code-of-conduct/

So, if someone is offended by "big dongle" jokes or jokes using the word "fork" as a double entendre, then I would think the policy implies that the offended one ought to ask them to stop it, and then if they don't, the matter should be reported.


http://karlaporter.com/social-media/the ... donglegate

http://www.skepticink.com/justinvacula/ ... tly-wrong/

One of the dongle-discussing gentlemen was fired from his job. His reaction was thus:

I really did not mean to offend anyone and I really do regret the comment and how it made Adria feel. She had every right to report me to staff, and I defend her position. However, there is another side to this story. While I did make a big dongle joke about a fictional piece hardware that identified as male, no sexual jokes were made about forking. My friends and I had decided forking someone’s repo is a new form of flattery (the highest form being implementation) and we were excited about one of the presenters projects; a friend said “I would fork that guys repo” The sexual context was applied by Adria, and not us.

My second comment is this, Adria has an audience and is a successful person of the media. Just check out her web page linked in her twitter account, her hard work and social activism speaks for itself. With that great power and reach comes responsibility. As a result of the picture she took I was let go from my job today. Which sucks because I have 3 kids and I really liked that job.

She gave me no warning, she smiled while she snapped the pic and sealed my fate. Let this serve as a message to everyone, our actions and words, big or small, can have a serious impact.

So, at a conference, a woman heard guys make mildly innuendo-laden jokes, and then instead of asking them to cool it, she snapped a photo, tweeted it publicly, got one guy fired, and then I guess late on SHE got fired.

Way to go!

Oh, look - PZMyers thinks that if women hear something they don't like at a conference, it is appropriate to immediately snap photos and declare the alleged offender a harasser publicly --- http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/ ... tly-right/

[klr]

So, would it now be wrong to use terms like "male" and "female" for plugs and connectors?

[klr]

Ooooh, I see PJ's blog has got a makeover.

[Sean Hayden]

What's the lesson she would like men to take away from this?

[Jason]

"Welcome to the new 18th century!"
..

"Bitches!"

[SteveB]

TF made a vid about it too. It's all meh to me.

[Coito ergo sum]

What's the lesson she would like men to take away from this?

Obviously - jokes using sexual innuendo or double entendres are not permitted when women are around.

In other words - you can't say "that" in mixed company. Way to go, feminists! Score one for 1950's cultural norms where women are placed on pedestals and considered too fragile for blue humor.

[Pappa]

That whole story'd fucking crazy.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/21/a-dong ... f-control/

[SteveB]

What's the lesson she would like men to take away from this?

No sexual innuendo evar! Better yet, just don't talk at all, less you risk offending someone.

[klr]

What's the lesson she would like men to take away from this?

No sexual innuendo evar! Better yet, just don't talk at all, less you risk offending someone.

And don't think of sitting there with your legs crossed and arms folded. That's threatening behaviour man ... I mean ... er.

[Jason]

Women can talk. Men stfu or you'll be tweeted, fired, and dropped in the desert with only a liter of oil.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

So, would it now be wrong to use terms like "male" and "female" for plugs and connectors?

They will all be LGBT-EIEIO plugs in the future.

[SteveB]

So, would it now be wrong to use terms like "male" and "female" for plugs and connectors?

They will all be LGBT-EIEIO plugs in the future.

No, we'll have gender fluid plugs in the future. Where each plug is plugging, being plugged and somehow doing neither at the same time. It will be glorious!

[Robert_S]

Yep.

It's a travesty. I've heard there are cons where things actually are horrible, like at Defcon where those infamous cards were developed:

Like the man who drunkenly tried to lick my shoulder tattoo. Like the man who grabbed my hips while I was waiting for a drink at the EFF party. Like the man who tried to get me to show him my tits so he could punch a hole in a card that, when filled, would net him a favor from one of the official security staff (I do not have words for how slimy it is that the official security staff were in charge of what was essentially a competition to get women to show their boobs). Or lastly, the man who, without prompting, interrupted my conversation and asked me if I’d like to come back to his room for a “private pillowfight party.” “You know,” he said. “Just a bunch of girls having a pillowfight…. fun!” When I asked him how many men would be standing around in a circle recording this event, he quickly assured me that “no one would be taking video! I swear!” I’m pretty sure this is the point where my lovely partner Morgan asked him if he thought propositions like his had anything to do with contributing to women not feeling welcome at Defcon. This was a very difficult concept for this poor soul to wrap his head around.

http://singlevoice.net/2012/07/12/sexis ... at-defcon/




Now, who lost that guy his job? Was it the fault of the woman tweeting the incident, or was it the shitty people at the company the man worked for?

Yet the company that REALLY overreacted isn't getting the blame. The woman is. Another outdated cultural relic, along with being too easily offended.

[Coito ergo sum]

Richards is someone who is easily offended in order to turn those offenses into big public dramas, according to tech conference organizer Amanda Blum.
Blum told the story of how Richards grew upset that the word "porn" was used in a joking manner in a conference session write-up. Richards was a speaker at the same conference. Richards used the reference to the word porn to publicaly rail against the conference organizers on her podcast and during her speaking session, Blum says.
On the other hand, Richards isn't above making a public sexual-innuendo joke herself. On March 14, while attending the same PyCon conference where she complained about dongle jokes, she tweeted this:

Dave Hall @skwashd
I made it to US and A. I've received my traditional TSA welcoming - having my nuts fondled.
Adria Richards @adriarichards

@skwashd you should put something in your pants next time...like a bunch of socks inside one...large...sock. TSA agent faint

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/exclusiv ... z2PF25byNR