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Why must Hacker News become one more internet hotspot for gender wars articles? I can understand upvoting Science, cause that's kinda maybe slightly related to

Why must Hacker News become one more internet hotspot for gender wars articles? I can understand upvoting Science, cause that's kinda maybe slightly related to Tech and Software. But...can't we just have one news site that doesn't cross into social/political areas? If anyone can point me to an alternative to HN that focuses more on software and tech with the same general quality, would be much appreciated.

ilyanep 12y ago
I'll start of with something I think we agree on: I don't think this article belongs on HN. The woman and her PSA have nothing to do with Tech / Software / Hackers and it is a little bit too generic interest for the site. That being said, in general, Hackers are people and the Software/Tech industry is made of people. Some of those people are women, and some of them spend much of their professional lives being harassed. Some of those people then try to relate their harassment and are told that "that isn't harassment" or "oh it's just a few bad apples" when they are systemic things that people want to ignore. We can't continue to live in our own little world of only technology and inventions and hooray VCs, free from "social / political areas" and hope the problems go away. You or I might not be sexist, but lots of people in the industry that we work in or otherwise care about are. So in a lot of cases, the issues are inseparable. Wanting to ignore them is an extension of one of those things that makes people hate Silicon Valley and the Tech Industry in general. So, I would implore you to reconsider your stance on these kind of articles in general (though maybe not this one in particular) on this site, continue looking at them, and keep an open mind around the discussions. Once again, pointing out that there are issues is not a condemnation of all men or the whole industry, but the issues are systemic and ever-present.
rsingel 12y ago
There's no such thing as news that doesn't involve social or political issues. There is news that doesn't challenge implicit assumptions -- but that doesn't make it non-political.
- foolrush 12y ago
  And further... There is no software or algorithm that isn't sociological, political, or otherwise ideological.
  - cylinder714 12y ago
    Could you expand on that thought more?

ilyanep 12y ago

I'll start of with something I think we agree on: I don't think this article belongs on HN. The woman and her PSA have nothing to do with Tech / Software / Hackers and it is a little bit too generic interest for the site. That being said, in general, Hackers are people and the Software/Tech industry is made of people. Some of those people are women, and some of them spend much of their professional lives being harassed. Some of those people then try to relate their harassment and are told that "that isn't harassment" or "oh it's just a few bad apples" when they are systemic things that people want to ignore. We can't continue to live in our own little world of only technology and inventions and hooray VCs, free from "social / political areas" and hope the problems go away. You or I might not be sexist, but lots of people in the industry that we work in or otherwise care about are. So in a lot of cases, the issues are inseparable. Wanting to ignore them is an extension of one of those things that makes people hate Silicon Valley and the Tech Industry in general. So, I would implore you to reconsider your stance on these kind of articles in general (though maybe not this one in particular) on this site, continue looking at them, and keep an open mind around the discussions. Once again, pointing out that there are issues is not a condemnation of all men or the whole industry, but the issues are systemic and ever-present.

rsingel 12y ago

There's no such thing as news that doesn't involve social or political issues. There is news that doesn't challenge implicit assumptions -- but that doesn't make it non-political.

foolrush 12y ago
And further... There is no software or algorithm that isn't sociological, political, or otherwise ideological.
- cylinder714 12y ago
  Could you expand on that thought more?