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I don't know the current usage, but historically this seems off. When these terms arose, they referred to programmers who relied on cliques, marketing and hype

by naxvb 4y ago

I don't know the current usage, but historically this seems off. When these terms arose, they referred to programmers who relied on cliques, marketing and hype as opposed to great software engineering. The "move fast and break things" types who shout down opposition because they always outnumber the diligent quiet types. Who have their memes, foosball, beanbags, etc. Who were successful in SV because they didn't give a damn. Who then used DEI as a shield to progress politically. Who then set up crypto schemes under the "effective altruism" flag. So no, gender or masculinity is not central to the term. Complete lack of morals and deception is.

blahblah1234567 4y ago
why is the term "bro" instead of "hoe"? Isn't "whore" more demonstrative of lack of morals, compared to "brother"? It's a silly conversation-- Clearly "tech bro" is misandrist. It enviously discounts men for success in technology, often while simultaneously expecting something from said men (such as emotional or financial support, again, while simultaneously insulting them... yeah, not productive).
- mnqw 4y ago
  It is indeed a silly conversation, because you apply nitpicking and tangents to a term that refers to a culturally comprehensive concept that the reader is supposed to understand in context. The term "bro" refers to the clique aspect, same as "fraternity" or "sorority". It could have been "tech sis", but the majority of tech bros were male, certainly at the time the term was coined.
- helgie 4y ago
  Simpler answer that doesn’t require weird psychoanalysis: bro is used because of the perception (possibly reality?) of the ratio of men to women in tech.
- lm28469 4y ago
  > why is the term "bro" instead of "hoe"? Because the vast majority of programmers are men, hence we use men related adjectives/words. These things describe stereotypes, there is no "tech hoe" stereotype as far as I can tell https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126823/worldwide-developer-gender/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126823/worldwide-develo... Same reason why in France we say "infirmieres" (feminine) to say nurse although the neutral should be "infirmiers" (masculine): because 85%+ nurses are women > Clearly "tech bro" is misandrist. Yet no one ever complained about it ever American reading way to much into these gender stuff should be an Olympic sport
  - zeroonetwothree 4y ago
    Pretty sure people complain about it in every single HN thread that uses the term
    - lm28469 4y ago
      > in every single HN thread Can we find a smaller and more biased sample ?

by naxvb 4y ago

blahblah1234567 4y ago

why is the term "bro" instead of "hoe"? Isn't "whore" more demonstrative of lack of morals, compared to "brother"? It's a silly conversation-- Clearly "tech bro" is misandrist. It enviously discounts men for success in technology, often while simultaneously expecting something from said men (such as emotional or financial support, again, while simultaneously insulting them... yeah, not productive).

mnqw 4y ago
It is indeed a silly conversation, because you apply nitpicking and tangents to a term that refers to a culturally comprehensive concept that the reader is supposed to understand in context. The term "bro" refers to the clique aspect, same as "fraternity" or "sorority". It could have been "tech sis", but the majority of tech bros were male, certainly at the time the term was coined.
helgie 4y ago
Simpler answer that doesn’t require weird psychoanalysis: bro is used because of the perception (possibly reality?) of the ratio of men to women in tech.
lm28469 4y ago
> why is the term "bro" instead of "hoe"? Because the vast majority of programmers are men, hence we use men related adjectives/words. These things describe stereotypes, there is no "tech hoe" stereotype as far as I can tell https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126823/worldwide-developer-gender/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126823/worldwide-develo... Same reason why in France we say "infirmieres" (feminine) to say nurse although the neutral should be "infirmiers" (masculine): because 85%+ nurses are women > Clearly "tech bro" is misandrist. Yet no one ever complained about it ever American reading way to much into these gender stuff should be an Olympic sport
- zeroonetwothree 4y ago
  Pretty sure people complain about it in every single HN thread that uses the term
  - lm28469 4y ago
    > in every single HN thread Can we find a smaller and more biased sample ?