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OT: I agree with some people here that the "girlfriend" part seems a bit condescending. I also think it was not meant that way. User IanCal here suggested some

OT: I agree with some people here that the "girlfriend" part seems a bit condescending. I also think it was not meant that way. User IanCal here suggested some helpful tips to avoid that vibe, I think he is correct. But to those attacking OP for this tiny bit of "un-PC-ness" in the title: Just stop. Go on with your day and don't read this if you don't like his style, or offer helpful feedback like IanCal. I'll wager that this constant bombardment of PC enforcement created the sentiment that allowed Donald Trump to say the stupidest things in the world and feel like a breath of fresh air just because he didn't care about being PC.

Hasz 10y ago
Says English is his second language -- maybe the connotation is different, and he didn't mean to be condescending in the slightest. Kind of like ELI5 -- not actually a five year old, but literally taken, it would sound fairly strange.
charlieflowers 10y ago
Sigh. Please. Just use Occam's razor here. The simplest explanation is that his girlfriend is non-technical. Therefore, the explanation will be simple and approachable to non-experts. He could have had a long title that said that, or he could have expressed it much more succinctly as he did. You have to actively read more into it to find a way to be offended by it.
jonahrd 10y ago
A problem like sexism is so wide-spread and deep-rooted in the software industry that it's imperative to _not_ just ignore every "one-off" occurrence, but instead to point it out. A criticism of the choice of language used in this article is a very valid criticism to make, and doesn't invalidate the usefulness of the article as a whole. It might just help the author understand how he can improve his future writings!
- tbrownaw 10y ago
  If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him. --Cardinal Richelieu Persecuting people for not stripping personal accounts of details that happen to match forbidden stereotypes seems rather oppressive. And like something that will tend to de-legitimize the cause you're using to justify said persecution.

Hasz 10y ago

Says English is his second language -- maybe the connotation is different, and he didn't mean to be condescending in the slightest. Kind of like ELI5 -- not actually a five year old, but literally taken, it would sound fairly strange.

charlieflowers 10y ago

Sigh. Please. Just use Occam's razor here. The simplest explanation is that his girlfriend is non-technical. Therefore, the explanation will be simple and approachable to non-experts. He could have had a long title that said that, or he could have expressed it much more succinctly as he did. You have to actively read more into it to find a way to be offended by it.

jonahrd 10y ago

A problem like sexism is so wide-spread and deep-rooted in the software industry that it's imperative to _not_ just ignore every "one-off" occurrence, but instead to point it out. A criticism of the choice of language used in this article is a very valid criticism to make, and doesn't invalidate the usefulness of the article as a whole. It might just help the author understand how he can improve his future writings!

tbrownaw 10y ago
If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him. --Cardinal Richelieu Persecuting people for not stripping personal accounts of details that happen to match forbidden stereotypes seems rather oppressive. And like something that will tend to de-legitimize the cause you're using to justify said persecution.