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This isn't the way to do it. I'd be really offended if someone explicitly added me to the speaking roster just because of my genitals, just as much as I'd be an

by Crake 13y ago

This isn't the way to do it. I'd be really offended if someone explicitly added me to the speaking roster just because of my genitals, just as much as I'd be annoyed if they explicitly denied me because of them.

tunesmith 13y ago
While I don't know many of the particulars, I believe that one possible good example is Etsy. Etsy started a deliberate effort to employ more female engineers, and they did it by hiring junior female engineers and training them. They don't call it a quota, but it certainly fits the loose definition - they wanted more females, and so they hired junior female engineers when they could have hired more senior male engineers. I'm sure that at some point, a team of theirs was considered at full capacity and some male resume was passed over that might have otherwise been considered. But it's really, really hard to argue that they did something offensive there. They created more engineering talent, got some good press out of it, and I wouldn't be surprised if it had some sort of small effect in making programming a more viable-seeming career choice for women.
- claudius 13y ago
  They choose their engineers based on their gender, hence acted sexist. I find that offensive and will take it into account when having to decide whether to do business with them.
tunesmith 13y ago
BTW, I'd also point out that if you got rejected because of your genitals, you probably wouldn't know it. They'd probably have plenty of other defensible reasons they could hang their hat on, even if your genitals did have something to do with it. And you'd be left with a disquieting suspicion that is probably correct, and no way to prove it. Which is very similar what institutional sexism is - except that women deal with it to a much greater degree than men.
- Crake 13y ago
  I'm already intimately familiar with institutional discrimination, thank you. Please be more cautious in assuming things about people on the internet.

by Crake 13y ago

tunesmith 13y ago

While I don't know many of the particulars, I believe that one possible good example is Etsy. Etsy started a deliberate effort to employ more female engineers, and they did it by hiring junior female engineers and training them. They don't call it a quota, but it certainly fits the loose definition - they wanted more females, and so they hired junior female engineers when they could have hired more senior male engineers. I'm sure that at some point, a team of theirs was considered at full capacity and some male resume was passed over that might have otherwise been considered. But it's really, really hard to argue that they did something offensive there. They created more engineering talent, got some good press out of it, and I wouldn't be surprised if it had some sort of small effect in making programming a more viable-seeming career choice for women.

claudius 13y ago
They choose their engineers based on their gender, hence acted sexist. I find that offensive and will take it into account when having to decide whether to do business with them.

tunesmith 13y ago

BTW, I'd also point out that if you got rejected because of your genitals, you probably wouldn't know it. They'd probably have plenty of other defensible reasons they could hang their hat on, even if your genitals did have something to do with it. And you'd be left with a disquieting suspicion that is probably correct, and no way to prove it. Which is very similar what institutional sexism is - except that women deal with it to a much greater degree than men.

Crake 13y ago
I'm already intimately familiar with institutional discrimination, thank you. Please be more cautious in assuming things about people on the internet.