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I realize this is just a startup, and many things that wouldn't fly at a large company are considered fun, however, the founders should really think twice about

I realize this is just a startup, and many things that wouldn't fly at a large company are considered fun, however, the founders should really think twice about even having a TWSS bot. They are basically providing documented proof in writing of a hostile work environment. Sure, this employee handled it well and had a little fun with it, but there are many more litigious employees that will take your company to the cleaners with just a couple printed chat logs. The fact that she's complained about it and her concerns were shrugged by male employees and supervisors makes it even more egregious. This kind of story makes ambulance chasers salivate...

mseebach 15y ago
It bears mentioning that the TWSS bot itself is probably meant ironically - it's satirizing the fact that some people almost mechanically tags on TWSS to anything remotely relevant by actually doing it mechanically. https://github.com/bvandenbos/twss https://github.com/bvandenbos/twss
- AkThhhpppt 15y ago
  http://fuckyeahdisingenuousliberal.tumblr.com/post/18025532850 http://fuckyeahdisingenuousliberal.tumblr.com/post/180255328... *Yes, people are so sick of "but I'm being ironic" there's Tumblr memes about it.
  - mseebach 15y ago
    "People" are so tired of "i'm being ironic" that they made a tumbler full of "ironic" racism and sexism. Gotcha. I disagree with the assertion in the linked blog post that it's not possible to satirize -isms - in fact, I firmly believe it's necessary to expose the utter ridiculousness of these beliefs. Which, incidentally, is what the OP did with her anti-bot.
    - AkThhhpppt 15y ago
      Yes, but satire has to be done well to work (see unalone's "We want" comment for an example). Auto-responding "that's what she says" isn't.
      - mseebach 15y ago
        Agreed. But the blog post in the tumbler post you linked does not like satire: As hipster racism has become more widespread, it’s also crept into more general society. Racist content appears in films and television shows, disguised as “satire,” it’s on the cover of major magazines, it’s in the pages of respectable newspapers. While explicit racism is viewed as socially unacceptable, racism disguised as irony or satire is evidently perfectly acceptable, especially if it comes from middle class white people with trust funds. In fact, it's an awful article. Full of conjecture, strawmen and self-righteousness. As for the bot, the ironic part is the creation and publication of it, not in the actual functionality. Sexism aside, I can't comprehend why someone would want zero-value-added noise added to a professional communications channel (I don't consider banter and joking zero value in this regard). Especially since this invited further noise, and now they're locked in: it's going to be hard to go and say "enough fun for now" and turn both bots of now without appearing sexist.
        smsm42 15y ago
        I kind of wondered why this bot survived the first day. I think it's moderately funny first 2-3 times (not hilarious, but slightly entertaining due to the irony) but after that it gets stale exponentially fast. I must admit I never really encountered a person that actually used a TWSS joke, though I can see how it can be funny used once. Repeated joke is just annoyance (at best). Repeated irony is revolting. The (first) bot should have died on day 2, and that should be it.
- fusiongyro 15y ago
  It was meant ironically but offended anyway, and they didn't fix it when she complained. "We were being ironic!" is a lousy defense when all they had to do was turn it off when she asked.

mseebach 15y ago

It bears mentioning that the TWSS bot itself is probably meant ironically - it's satirizing the fact that some people almost mechanically tags on TWSS to anything remotely relevant by actually doing it mechanically. https://github.com/bvandenbos/twss https://github.com/bvandenbos/twss

AkThhhpppt 15y ago
http://fuckyeahdisingenuousliberal.tumblr.com/post/18025532850 http://fuckyeahdisingenuousliberal.tumblr.com/post/180255328... *Yes, people are so sick of "but I'm being ironic" there's Tumblr memes about it.
- mseebach 15y ago
  "People" are so tired of "i'm being ironic" that they made a tumbler full of "ironic" racism and sexism. Gotcha. I disagree with the assertion in the linked blog post that it's not possible to satirize -isms - in fact, I firmly believe it's necessary to expose the utter ridiculousness of these beliefs. Which, incidentally, is what the OP did with her anti-bot.
  - AkThhhpppt 15y ago
    Yes, but satire has to be done well to work (see unalone's "We want" comment for an example). Auto-responding "that's what she says" isn't.
    - mseebach 15y ago
      Agreed. But the blog post in the tumbler post you linked does not like satire: As hipster racism has become more widespread, it’s also crept into more general society. Racist content appears in films and television shows, disguised as “satire,” it’s on the cover of major magazines, it’s in the pages of respectable newspapers. While explicit racism is viewed as socially unacceptable, racism disguised as irony or satire is evidently perfectly acceptable, especially if it comes from middle class white people with trust funds. In fact, it's an awful article. Full of conjecture, strawmen and self-righteousness. As for the bot, the ironic part is the creation and publication of it, not in the actual functionality. Sexism aside, I can't comprehend why someone would want zero-value-added noise added to a professional communications channel (I don't consider banter and joking zero value in this regard). Especially since this invited further noise, and now they're locked in: it's going to be hard to go and say "enough fun for now" and turn both bots of now without appearing sexist.
      - smsm42 15y ago
        I kind of wondered why this bot survived the first day. I think it's moderately funny first 2-3 times (not hilarious, but slightly entertaining due to the irony) but after that it gets stale exponentially fast. I must admit I never really encountered a person that actually used a TWSS joke, though I can see how it can be funny used once. Repeated joke is just annoyance (at best). Repeated irony is revolting. The (first) bot should have died on day 2, and that should be it.
fusiongyro 15y ago
It was meant ironically but offended anyway, and they didn't fix it when she complained. "We were being ironic!" is a lousy defense when all they had to do was turn it off when she asked.