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But, even in a January interview with ReadWrite about how progressive the company had become, she noted some lingering issues: “I recently got an email from a m

But, even in a January interview with ReadWrite about how progressive the company had become, she noted some lingering issues: “I recently got an email from a middle manager that began, ‘So Julie, how are the women at GitHub?’ I said, ‘You should ask them’.” Umm, maybe I'm misinformed, but from what I've read Horvath was a bit of a evangelist for women in tech at GitHub. So why is it problematic to assume she might have her finger on the pulse with regard to GitHub's female employees? Also, if you've "been harassed by 'leadership' at GitHub for two years" why not stand up for yourself and put the jerks in their place, or talk to a lawyer? Why take to Twitter like a child and post a spate of accusations?

tesseractive 13y ago
Being an evangelist for women at a company is actually not the same thing as having the right to speak for all of them any more than a "developer evangelist" has a right to speak for all the developers.
- mikejholly 13y ago
  I didn't mention anything about speaking for them. And wouldn't a developer evangelist have an opinion on developer culture within the company?
  - scintill76 13y ago
    Exactly. One thing, in her defense, is that the email sounds a little flippant (at least the one-sentence quote we get secondhand!) I'll give the emailer the benefit of the doubt and assume it was meant as an insensitively playful but well-intentioned query. When she's positioned herself as an advocate for women in the company, why would she get so offended when someone asks how that's going? Maybe she's upset about getting the "special treatment" of being asked after specifically -- well then, she already does "special treatment" of her own by starting Passion Projects, "Talks From Incredible Women In Tech." "You should ask them." In a perfect world, sure, but is she seriously saying Mr. Middle Manager should walk around the cubes asking, "So, Jane, how do you feel as a woman at the company?" She probably meant that management should listen in general (to all employees.) Well then, is she playing "I know some specific things that are suboptimal, but I want you find them yourself"? What if they are already improving things they know of, and they just wanted her input on anything they're missing? So she spits back some quip to make them feel bad, nobody wins, and they won't ask again.

tesseractive 13y ago

Being an evangelist for women at a company is actually not the same thing as having the right to speak for all of them any more than a "developer evangelist" has a right to speak for all the developers.

mikejholly 13y ago
I didn't mention anything about speaking for them. And wouldn't a developer evangelist have an opinion on developer culture within the company?
- scintill76 13y ago
  Exactly. One thing, in her defense, is that the email sounds a little flippant (at least the one-sentence quote we get secondhand!) I'll give the emailer the benefit of the doubt and assume it was meant as an insensitively playful but well-intentioned query. When she's positioned herself as an advocate for women in the company, why would she get so offended when someone asks how that's going? Maybe she's upset about getting the "special treatment" of being asked after specifically -- well then, she already does "special treatment" of her own by starting Passion Projects, "Talks From Incredible Women In Tech." "You should ask them." In a perfect world, sure, but is she seriously saying Mr. Middle Manager should walk around the cubes asking, "So, Jane, how do you feel as a woman at the company?" She probably meant that management should listen in general (to all employees.) Well then, is she playing "I know some specific things that are suboptimal, but I want you find them yourself"? What if they are already improving things they know of, and they just wanted her input on anything they're missing? So she spits back some quip to make them feel bad, nobody wins, and they won't ask again.