So strange to see this popping up on Hacker News. I always thought of it as a sort of obscure Canadian tradition (even many people within Canada have no idea wh

So strange to see this popping up on Hacker News. I always thought of it as a sort of obscure Canadian tradition (even many people within Canada have no idea what my ring represents, and ask me about it occasionally). The ring is a great tradition, it brings engineers together with a sense of obligation and identity; however, in the effort of full disclosure, non-Canadian HNers should be aware that some people decide not to be ringed on ethical grounds, citing possible sexist and elitist connotations in the traditional and the ritual itself.