5 ms·

I don't really understand why the author of the article is worried about the CEO not being a woman... Seriously, who cares? It's not going to look good for who

I don't really understand why the author of the article is worried about the CEO not being a woman... Seriously, who cares? It's not going to look good for who ever takes over and there are a lot less woman candidates. Uber will be lucky if it makes it to 2019 IMO. Would give them 6 months, but half the valley invested in them.

AJRF 9y ago
Kara Swisher writes "Ew" in news articles. Her work is devoid of substance and just pushes an agenda that is populist and will get her likes from the largest group of people on Twitter
- n72 9y ago
  Yup, this doesn't contain any quotes from well placed sources or anything like that nor delivers any new information about, say, Meg Whitman's candidacy. Totally devoid of merit.
- malandrew 9y ago
  There is no better evidence of her bias against Travis and Uber than how she conducted herself in her interview with Adam Lashinsky. Here's the full transcript: https://www.recode.net/2017/7/16/15980006/transcript-journalist-author-adam-lashinsky-book-uber-wild-ride-live-onstage-recode-decode https://www.recode.net/2017/7/16/15980006/transcript-journal... She isn't a journalist. She's an activist pushing an agenda, facts-be-damned. Long gone are the day's of Walter Cronkite's "And that's the way it is."
  - theseatoms 9y ago
    This is a much broader trend in contemporary media. The line between news and editorial has been all but erased.
    - malandrew 9y ago
      Yes, I agree. However, it's one thing to occasionally give an opinion in the course of practicing journalism and something entirely different to steer the conversation towards the message you're trying to push. Kara wasn't even subtle about it this interview. Her bias was not just showing, but on full display for all to see. It's really unfortunate because the individuals in the general population don't really get the facts and an opportunity to each come to slightly different conclusions. It's journalist malpractice to tell people what to think, since that's not journalism. That's propaganda.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
johnrichardson 9y ago
Agreed. I wish they would just state the facts, and avoid the SJW nonsense. I don't care about the author's thoughts on identity politics - I just want the substance of the story.
- mlloyd 9y ago
  Calling out the prime goal of remedying a toxic sexist culture in an article that is being written because of said company's toxic sexist culture isn't identity politics nor SJW, it's reality.
  - johnrichardson 9y ago
    Here's reality: kowtowing to leftist media pressure in the name of making a company more 'sensitive and diverse' (i.e., hiring people for any reason other than their competence, such as their addition to 'diversity'), will kill it. Full stop. Ridesharing is quickly turning into a low margin, commodified business, and the more time Uber wastes with this nonsense, the more of an edge its competitors will gain on it.
    - malandrew 9y ago
      Unfortunately, your observation applies to all American companies. Diversity can contribute value in many contexts, but diversity for the sake of diversity is a distraction. Homogeneity can also contribute in many contexts as well. Homogeneity and diversity exist on a spectrum and the right balance between those two depends on what you're optimizing for. There is no silver bullet. That all said, the only diversity that really matters is diversity of knowledge, experiences, opinions and thoughts. Not all experiences, opinions and thoughts are relevant to the task at hand. Diversity of identity is generally a poor proxy for the type of diversity that has utility.
n72 9y ago
I guess you just must have been momentarily distracted when you reached the part in the article in which she explicitly states why: "While gender of a leader should not matter to dispatching such appalling behaviors, the symbolism over the appointment of a female CEO at Silicon Valley’s most toxic-bro startup is unquestionable."
- DoofusOfDeath 9y ago
  That quote seems to have some sexist elements itself.
  - mlloyd 9y ago
    It doesn't when this entire drama is due to the company's sexist and toxic culture.
    - atom-morgan 9y ago
      sexism + sexism != sexism?
    - humanrebar 9y ago
      The sexist part is the implication that every man is "bro" somehow... that only a female CEO could count as a symbolic change in leadership.
      - dieterrams 9y ago
        That isn't being implied. And an "unquestionable" symbolism is not the same as "the only possible" symbolism.
        humanrebar 9y ago
        The only unquestionable symbolism would be hiring a female CEO?
        9y ago
harryh 9y ago
I will bet you any amount of money that you care to wager that Uber "makes it to 2019."
furioussloth 9y ago
Your criticism of company is one thing but thinking that they are not lasting longer than 6 months is a complete oversight on your part of how dominant they are in market or how many new markets they are trying to enter. No one cares about their management troubles outside silicon valley and rightly so. Consumers care about product and convenience . I agree with the part that they should aim for competent candidate not female candidate but thinking they are not making it into 2019 is just laughable.

AJRF 9y ago

Kara Swisher writes "Ew" in news articles. Her work is devoid of substance and just pushes an agenda that is populist and will get her likes from the largest group of people on Twitter

n72 9y ago
Yup, this doesn't contain any quotes from well placed sources or anything like that nor delivers any new information about, say, Meg Whitman's candidacy. Totally devoid of merit.
malandrew 9y ago
There is no better evidence of her bias against Travis and Uber than how she conducted herself in her interview with Adam Lashinsky. Here's the full transcript: https://www.recode.net/2017/7/16/15980006/transcript-journalist-author-adam-lashinsky-book-uber-wild-ride-live-onstage-recode-decode https://www.recode.net/2017/7/16/15980006/transcript-journal... She isn't a journalist. She's an activist pushing an agenda, facts-be-damned. Long gone are the day's of Walter Cronkite's "And that's the way it is."
- theseatoms 9y ago
  This is a much broader trend in contemporary media. The line between news and editorial has been all but erased.
  - malandrew 9y ago
    Yes, I agree. However, it's one thing to occasionally give an opinion in the course of practicing journalism and something entirely different to steer the conversation towards the message you're trying to push. Kara wasn't even subtle about it this interview. Her bias was not just showing, but on full display for all to see. It's really unfortunate because the individuals in the general population don't really get the facts and an opportunity to each come to slightly different conclusions. It's journalist malpractice to tell people what to think, since that's not journalism. That's propaganda.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

johnrichardson 9y ago

Agreed. I wish they would just state the facts, and avoid the SJW nonsense. I don't care about the author's thoughts on identity politics - I just want the substance of the story.

mlloyd 9y ago
Calling out the prime goal of remedying a toxic sexist culture in an article that is being written because of said company's toxic sexist culture isn't identity politics nor SJW, it's reality.
- johnrichardson 9y ago
  Here's reality: kowtowing to leftist media pressure in the name of making a company more 'sensitive and diverse' (i.e., hiring people for any reason other than their competence, such as their addition to 'diversity'), will kill it. Full stop. Ridesharing is quickly turning into a low margin, commodified business, and the more time Uber wastes with this nonsense, the more of an edge its competitors will gain on it.
  - malandrew 9y ago
    Unfortunately, your observation applies to all American companies. Diversity can contribute value in many contexts, but diversity for the sake of diversity is a distraction. Homogeneity can also contribute in many contexts as well. Homogeneity and diversity exist on a spectrum and the right balance between those two depends on what you're optimizing for. There is no silver bullet. That all said, the only diversity that really matters is diversity of knowledge, experiences, opinions and thoughts. Not all experiences, opinions and thoughts are relevant to the task at hand. Diversity of identity is generally a poor proxy for the type of diversity that has utility.

n72 9y ago

I guess you just must have been momentarily distracted when you reached the part in the article in which she explicitly states why: "While gender of a leader should not matter to dispatching such appalling behaviors, the symbolism over the appointment of a female CEO at Silicon Valley’s most toxic-bro startup is unquestionable."

DoofusOfDeath 9y ago
That quote seems to have some sexist elements itself.
- mlloyd 9y ago
  It doesn't when this entire drama is due to the company's sexist and toxic culture.
  - atom-morgan 9y ago
    sexism + sexism != sexism?
  - humanrebar 9y ago
    The sexist part is the implication that every man is "bro" somehow... that only a female CEO could count as a symbolic change in leadership.
    - dieterrams 9y ago
      That isn't being implied. And an "unquestionable" symbolism is not the same as "the only possible" symbolism.
      - humanrebar 9y ago
        The only unquestionable symbolism would be hiring a female CEO?
        9y ago

harryh 9y ago

I will bet you any amount of money that you care to wager that Uber "makes it to 2019."

furioussloth 9y ago

Your criticism of company is one thing but thinking that they are not lasting longer than 6 months is a complete oversight on your part of how dominant they are in market or how many new markets they are trying to enter. No one cares about their management troubles outside silicon valley and rightly so. Consumers care about product and convenience . I agree with the part that they should aim for competent candidate not female candidate but thinking they are not making it into 2019 is just laughable.