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Amy, i think you're off base here. You (and many others) are making an assertion about the intent of the list. Why do you assume that this is guilt tripping?

Amy, i think you're off base here. You (and many others) are making an assertion about the intent of the list. Why do you assume that this is guilt tripping? Are they calling out this behavior to blame someone? Why isn't the assumption simply that they want particular behavior to cease, regardless of what the cause is? So i want one of two things for people accusing this of being a pointless exercise in flagellation. 1) If there are valid issues in the list that should be addressed (and i would assert that there are), how should the information be communicated in a way that doesn't raise hackles (but still gets the point across). 2) If you don't think that the contents of this list should be raise, how does one raise and preserve awareness of the gender disparity in the programming world, and that there are problems that arise because of it (at least with some segment of our community)? Additionally, there are other sardonic lists of things particular programmers hate (that questionably characterize their subject matter). Why is this one causing everyone to get their mad on?

ahoyhere 17y ago
Assuming we agree that the list is factual or at least objective (I don't), and that there are valid issues in the list (I don't think so), and we agree that there is a problematic gender disparity that should have "awareness raised" (and I don't agree at all), which do you think is more effective... * laying it out as List Of Privileges People With Penises Have And Don't Realize They Have, and posting it on "news" sites dominated by young men, or... * keeping the list to yourself, and doing something about it? Everything I know about being powerful, and being effective, says "For the love of god, take door #2." Weak people lay out all their cards and say, "Fix it for me" and "Let's have a discussion." Strong people work behind the scenes and fix things so nobody even knew they were broken to begin with. The bonus of the "strong and silent" choice is that it doesn't lead to these stupid kind of tail-chasing, bitchy, whiny, finger-pointy, divisive "discussions." It just creates... change. Also, to say that the tech industry is a community - it is to laugh.

ahoyhere 17y ago

Assuming we agree that the list is factual or at least objective (I don't), and that there are valid issues in the list (I don't think so), and we agree that there is a problematic gender disparity that should have "awareness raised" (and I don't agree at all), which do you think is more effective... * laying it out as List Of Privileges People With Penises Have And Don't Realize They Have, and posting it on "news" sites dominated by young men, or... * keeping the list to yourself, and doing something about it? Everything I know about being powerful, and being effective, says "For the love of god, take door #2." Weak people lay out all their cards and say, "Fix it for me" and "Let's have a discussion." Strong people work behind the scenes and fix things so nobody even knew they were broken to begin with. The bonus of the "strong and silent" choice is that it doesn't lead to these stupid kind of tail-chasing, bitchy, whiny, finger-pointy, divisive "discussions." It just creates... change. Also, to say that the tech industry is a community - it is to laugh.