4 ms·

No need for stereotypes. The article deserves to be up voted because it is remarkably thorough and well written.

mistercow 14y ago
I agree that it deserves to be upvoted for those reasons. I just don't think that's necessarily the primary reason it has been upvoted. Examining the "would this be ranked this high if it were about penis hacking instead?" question is productive because it addresses that.
- rjknight 14y ago
  It probably would be (assuming the ban on penis-related article titles could be circumvented). This is actually a seriously good article of the kind that frequently get upvoted and I don't think this case has much to do with gender.
  - jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
    It has everything to do with gender, a man hacking a fleshlight would get none or almost none upvotes, I bet it would even get flagged by a few. Its a predictable fantasy of the average reader of HN, the equivalent of a photo of a pretty woman doing charity with a cat in reddit. Is not only the fact that she is a woman, is the surrounding context of a sexual stimulation device that provoque so many upvotes. Personally I would downvote this if I could, I don't like my tech articles biased by hormones.
    - ErrantX 14y ago
      Reading the threads on this page the comments appear genuinely interested in this tech, and related themes. Asking intelligent questions Etc. In fact, the only awkward thread, which seems a little sexist is this one... Food for thought.
      - jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
        I like yor attempt at emotional manipulation, labeling as "awkward" people trying to have a civilized discussion about a strong bias and doble-standard; also calling it sexist when if anything we are asking for gender neutrality wish is the opposite of sexism for all I care.
        ErrantX 14y ago
        "I don't like my tech articles biased by hormones"; is the most sexist thing I've read in this thread.
        jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
        We have completly different definitions for that word then. For example If a boss needs to hire a good secretary for one of his employees; and assign him the task of finding one and then tells him "Don't let your hormones decide for you" is pretty clear what he means; that sexual attraction and gender should be irrelevant in the selection proccess and he should focus in practical skills a secretary should have. And there is nothing sexist about that; because sexism is discrimination based on gender and this is an enforcement for the lack of that kind of discrimination.
        duzins 14y ago
        Do men still have to be told not to let their hormones affect their choice of hires? I didn't realize that was still a thing. Also, why does it have to be a secretary? Are they 100% female now? If he was looking for an engineer, would he need to be told not to let his hormones decide?
        jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
        They don't "have" to be told; but its sometimes a healthy reminder... and it was just an example. The majority of secretaries are female (not all); and is no secret that sometimes people hire based on looks instead of actual skills.
- Karunamon 14y ago
  >I just don't think that's necessarily the primary reason it has been upvoted. So do you always assume bad faith on the part of others or..?
  - jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
    Being biologically biased is not "bad faith", is just a well known human trait.
    - flyinRyan 14y ago
      This seems to imply it can't be fixed (if it can, why do you assume the worst now?). If it is something that can't be fixed, what's the point of your bringing it up?
      - jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
        Biologically biased doesn't mean it can be changed; for example we are biologically biased to be polygamous just like most mammals; but we are socially configured to be monogamous so most of us are.
        flyinRyan 14y ago
        So how do you know that the majority of people who voted this article up aren't already there? I have to be honest, your post strikes me as karma fishing.
        jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
        How do I know the most upvoted article of the year holds that position because the sexual nature of its content? What a tought question.
        flyinRyan 14y ago
        You don't know. Period. It could be. Isn't it also remotely possible that this was a hardware hack and a pretty inventive and effective one?
- Tichy 14y ago
  Almost everyday several articles that have nothing to do with women are voted up a lot on HN. I think that answers your question. You could perhaps ask if there would be a penalty for penis content, but that is a different question.

I agree that it deserves to be upvoted for those reasons. I just don't think that's necessarily the primary reason it has been upvoted. Examining the "would this be ranked this high if it were about penis hacking instead?" question is productive because it addresses that.

rjknight 14y ago
It probably would be (assuming the ban on penis-related article titles could be circumvented). This is actually a seriously good article of the kind that frequently get upvoted and I don't think this case has much to do with gender.
- jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
  It has everything to do with gender, a man hacking a fleshlight would get none or almost none upvotes, I bet it would even get flagged by a few. Its a predictable fantasy of the average reader of HN, the equivalent of a photo of a pretty woman doing charity with a cat in reddit. Is not only the fact that she is a woman, is the surrounding context of a sexual stimulation device that provoque so many upvotes. Personally I would downvote this if I could, I don't like my tech articles biased by hormones.
  - ErrantX 14y ago
    Reading the threads on this page the comments appear genuinely interested in this tech, and related themes. Asking intelligent questions Etc. In fact, the only awkward thread, which seems a little sexist is this one... Food for thought.
    - jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
      I like yor attempt at emotional manipulation, labeling as "awkward" people trying to have a civilized discussion about a strong bias and doble-standard; also calling it sexist when if anything we are asking for gender neutrality wish is the opposite of sexism for all I care.
      - ErrantX 14y ago
        "I don't like my tech articles biased by hormones"; is the most sexist thing I've read in this thread.
        jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
        We have completly different definitions for that word then. For example If a boss needs to hire a good secretary for one of his employees; and assign him the task of finding one and then tells him "Don't let your hormones decide for you" is pretty clear what he means; that sexual attraction and gender should be irrelevant in the selection proccess and he should focus in practical skills a secretary should have. And there is nothing sexist about that; because sexism is discrimination based on gender and this is an enforcement for the lack of that kind of discrimination.
        duzins 14y ago
        Do men still have to be told not to let their hormones affect their choice of hires? I didn't realize that was still a thing. Also, why does it have to be a secretary? Are they 100% female now? If he was looking for an engineer, would he need to be told not to let his hormones decide?
        jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
        They don't "have" to be told; but its sometimes a healthy reminder... and it was just an example. The majority of secretaries are female (not all); and is no secret that sometimes people hire based on looks instead of actual skills.
Karunamon 14y ago
>I just don't think that's necessarily the primary reason it has been upvoted. So do you always assume bad faith on the part of others or..?
- jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
  Being biologically biased is not "bad faith", is just a well known human trait.
  - flyinRyan 14y ago
    This seems to imply it can't be fixed (if it can, why do you assume the worst now?). If it is something that can't be fixed, what's the point of your bringing it up?
    - jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
      Biologically biased doesn't mean it can be changed; for example we are biologically biased to be polygamous just like most mammals; but we are socially configured to be monogamous so most of us are.
      - flyinRyan 14y ago
        So how do you know that the majority of people who voted this article up aren't already there? I have to be honest, your post strikes me as karma fishing.
        jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
        How do I know the most upvoted article of the year holds that position because the sexual nature of its content? What a tought question.
        flyinRyan 14y ago
        You don't know. Period. It could be. Isn't it also remotely possible that this was a hardware hack and a pretty inventive and effective one?
Tichy 14y ago
Almost everyday several articles that have nothing to do with women are voted up a lot on HN. I think that answers your question. You could perhaps ask if there would be a penalty for penis content, but that is a different question.