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A Painful Decision

Posted by Scott_Ruecker on · 6 comments
A Fresh Cup; By Mike Gunderloy 		Mail this story
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There has been some discussion in recent days in the Rails community about appropriate conference presentations, whether women feel welcome in the Rails community, and related issues....But unfortunately for me, in parallel to the public discussion there have been private ones. I can't reveal details without breaking confidences, but suffice it to say that a significant number of Rails core contributors - with leadership (if that's the right word) from DHH - apparently feel that being unwelcoming and "edgy" is not just acceptable, but laudable. The difference between their opinions and mine is so severe that I cannot in good conscience remain a public spokesman for Rails. So, effective immediately, I'm resigning my position with the Rails Activists.

[I commend you for why you are doing it Mike, speaks to your character fortitude. - Scott]

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Comments (6)

Steven_Rosenber ·
Not the best taste, and certainly not the best way to put the project in the best possible light, but unless there's a lot more going on, it just doesn't seem to be that big of deal.

I wouldn't do it, but I was expecting something much worse before I saw it.

Thinking a little more about it, I grant that this is pretty similar to those offensive ads in a certain Linux publication (can't remember which one).

You certainly limit the size of your audience with that kind of thing, and you piss off a lot of people.

A little education for those who created the presentation ought to go a long way.

But would I quit a project over it? I'd look for more of a pattern before I went that way.
tuxchick ·
Um Steven. If you can't tell the difference between what is appropriate for a drunken frat-boy party, and what is appropriate for a professional tech presentation, then please, do not ever give any presentations. You'll only get in trouble. What's super-annoying is how women have been speaking out for decades about how we hate being treated like bimbos all the damn time, and yet here we are in 2009 dealing with the same stupid garbage, and the same dumb pontificating about how we should feel and behave. It gets old.
Steven_Rosenber ·
If the person who did the slide show has exhibited a pattern of this sort of behavior and more, then I totally understand.

I imagine that there's much more to it than this one incident, and all of that factored into this person's decision.

I'm not defending it.

And if people were leaving my project over this sort of thing, I'd be 100 percent for stopping it right away.

So if it's an isolated incident, correct it and move on. Pattern behavior? Then either get rid of that person, or leave on your own. In that case, I agree with the guy who wrote the post.
jdixon ·
> ...a certain Linux publication...

Linux Journal, from memory.
Sander_Marechal ·
Quoting:unless there's a lot more going on, it just doesn't seem to be that big of deal.


The slides that Carla posted in the first post has quite a few slides removed. According to the various articles there were quite a few more slides showing nothing but "erotic" pictures and no technical content what-so-ever in there, but they were removed from the set that was posted on slideshare.

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