4 ms·

Ask HN: What's up with the trend of calling the Tech industry "sexist".

10 points by Jugurtha 13y ago

It seems everyone thinks blaming the Tech industry practices for the lack of women is "fair game". One ex Dropbox employee even went as far as saying that the lack of social life of people working there discourages women from joining (huh ? You work in Tech, expect hackers, nerds, and geeks. You go to jail, expect criminals. How's that hard to understand? Let's not even talk about: It's none of your business what they do after work). It is trendy, apparently, to blame the Tech industry. How evil are those hackers. Such nerds and socially inept making it hard for women. But I recently watched a fabulous music video of Miley Cyrus -Jolene-. It was a beautiful song, great notes and lyrics with a 60's, 70's vibe. I discovered that, it is, indeed, a 70's piece originally. But watching the music video, all her musicians were males. And it got me thinking: Wait a minute, I don't see that many women musicians. By musicians, I mean people who play instruments (guitar, drum, base, keyboard, etc).. The band itself, not the lead singer. It got me thinking: Why isn't the music industry getting as bad a rap as the Tech industry is? I'm not hearing or reading mean tweets about how there are mostly male producers, male bands, etc.. I mean, what are the top 10 women rock bands who made History? And how come nobody is going on a rant about how evil and misogynistic and industry it is.. My question is: Why. Why everyone is almost exclusively only talking about "tech".. I already know the answer. And can't voice it because it became such a crime to step back, think it through and say something logical, because then I'd be called all names: You are not allowed to think, you're only allowed to react, the same way everyone does, and just condemn and show outrage, to belong and fit in. If not, you are racist and misogynistic and homophobic and a bigot.

0x420 13y ago
Plenty of people have criticized the music industry for the things you're citing, you just haven't been exposed to them, presumably because you follow more tech news than you do music industry news. All industries should be subject to those kinds of criticisms if it is warranted; some are better at handling it than others.
- Jugurtha 13y ago
  You're right, I'm not that exposed to it.. I just see criticism towards the tech industry mainly because it's all over, all the time, and this may be my mind being selective. I wrote an answer[0] to an article GE shared on LinkedIn about the situation of women in the Oil and Gas industry. They wanted to make it easier, and my thoughts were that: Some things are hard and you can't make them easier. My analogy was that, if you can't stand blood, don't blame "Surgery" for being the way it is and being filled with blood. To each his calling, abilities, etc. Nothing is for everyone. [0]http://mydamnthesis.tumblr.com/post/82126504664/women-in-the-oil-and-gas-industry http://mydamnthesis.tumblr.com/post/82126504664/women-in-the...
loumf 13y ago
One thing to consider: does the success of newcomers depend at all on the current power structures and wealth holders? If it does, then some part of the success of new people is dependent on the power holders tastes and biases, conscious or unconscious.
tptacek 13y ago
So, to sum this up, you feel like the music industry is at least as sexist as the technology industry, and therefore the heat should be off the technology industry.
- Jugurtha 13y ago
  Not just that, but can be said this way: I I'm a guy and I approach a 100 women, and not a single one of them wants to get intimate with me.. Will I blame these 100 women and find flaws in them, or will I see it for what it is (cognitive dissonance) and ask myself what I'm lacking or at least. To sum it up: If stuff isn't working for you in a lot of industries, maybe there's a reason other than all those industries conspiring against you. Can be said for hiring too, most guys I know complained about posting hundreds of CV's all over the place and finding no jobs, and I put only one CV, in the company I was interested in, and got a job offer (and all those guys said this company only hires you if you know someone). The least one can do is not to take himself out of the responsibility equation, blaming others for all his misery. Verbose answer. I don't blame the Illuminati or Area 51 for it. I can't say more in less. It's me :)
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
  - tptacek 13y ago
    I see. So, in addition to the fact that you believe the music industry to be at least as sexist as the technology industry, and thus the exclusive priority of efforts to eliminate sexism (if any such efforts are needed), but also you've heard of guys sending out 100 resumes and getting only 1 bite, and therefore concerns about sexism must be overblown.
    - GregorStocks 13y ago
      You seem to be overlooking the most important part, which is that the OP is very smart.
      - 13y ago
Zigurd 13y ago
The tech industry was male dominated up through the 1980s. Very few women graduated from technology oriented universities. It's not difficult to discern the roots of sexism, and the lingering effects in tech in general, and computing, specifically. I don't know what music industry commentary you are looking at but sexism in hip hop is pretty widely commented on. What's the analogy you are going for? How might it excuse sexism in tech? I'm not getting it.
deleted 13y ago
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10 points by Jugurtha 13y ago

0x420 13y ago

Plenty of people have criticized the music industry for the things you're citing, you just haven't been exposed to them, presumably because you follow more tech news than you do music industry news. All industries should be subject to those kinds of criticisms if it is warranted; some are better at handling it than others.

Jugurtha 13y ago
You're right, I'm not that exposed to it.. I just see criticism towards the tech industry mainly because it's all over, all the time, and this may be my mind being selective. I wrote an answer[0] to an article GE shared on LinkedIn about the situation of women in the Oil and Gas industry. They wanted to make it easier, and my thoughts were that: Some things are hard and you can't make them easier. My analogy was that, if you can't stand blood, don't blame "Surgery" for being the way it is and being filled with blood. To each his calling, abilities, etc. Nothing is for everyone. [0]http://mydamnthesis.tumblr.com/post/82126504664/women-in-the-oil-and-gas-industry http://mydamnthesis.tumblr.com/post/82126504664/women-in-the...

loumf 13y ago

One thing to consider: does the success of newcomers depend at all on the current power structures and wealth holders? If it does, then some part of the success of new people is dependent on the power holders tastes and biases, conscious or unconscious.

tptacek 13y ago

So, to sum this up, you feel like the music industry is at least as sexist as the technology industry, and therefore the heat should be off the technology industry.

Jugurtha 13y ago
Not just that, but can be said this way: I I'm a guy and I approach a 100 women, and not a single one of them wants to get intimate with me.. Will I blame these 100 women and find flaws in them, or will I see it for what it is (cognitive dissonance) and ask myself what I'm lacking or at least. To sum it up: If stuff isn't working for you in a lot of industries, maybe there's a reason other than all those industries conspiring against you. Can be said for hiring too, most guys I know complained about posting hundreds of CV's all over the place and finding no jobs, and I put only one CV, in the company I was interested in, and got a job offer (and all those guys said this company only hires you if you know someone). The least one can do is not to take himself out of the responsibility equation, blaming others for all his misery. Verbose answer. I don't blame the Illuminati or Area 51 for it. I can't say more in less. It's me :)
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- tptacek 13y ago
  I see. So, in addition to the fact that you believe the music industry to be at least as sexist as the technology industry, and thus the exclusive priority of efforts to eliminate sexism (if any such efforts are needed), but also you've heard of guys sending out 100 resumes and getting only 1 bite, and therefore concerns about sexism must be overblown.
  - GregorStocks 13y ago
    You seem to be overlooking the most important part, which is that the OP is very smart.
    - 13y ago

Zigurd 13y ago

The tech industry was male dominated up through the 1980s. Very few women graduated from technology oriented universities. It's not difficult to discern the roots of sexism, and the lingering effects in tech in general, and computing, specifically. I don't know what music industry commentary you are looking at but sexism in hip hop is pretty widely commented on. What's the analogy you are going for? How might it excuse sexism in tech? I'm not getting it.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]