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Comment by chives | Hacker News Reader

Most people? Who are you referring? Any professional in her situation, male or female, would have spoken up if they had a problem. Period.

Those people may well have stereotyped her, but when she fails to speak up about it and sits there silently giving no indication that something is wrong, what would you expect. This isn't kindergarten. These people don't get paid to read minds. What it sounds like, is at least part of the time these people genuinely thought they were helping her, and she gave no indication yo the contrary.

She is not a professional, pure and simple. If you aren't a professional, then what are you doing at E3? What are you doing in any situation where assertiveness is expected in order to get your job done?

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Are you serious? There are many reasons why one mightn't speak out at the time. I'm going to jump to the major conclusion that you're male and have never encountered a situation like this before. If you were female, with all the different social expectations that have been embedded in you since childhood, you might have a different perspective.

Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.

I do not think she is arguing in favor of her "limitations". You are completely missing her perspective. The way you seem to value assertiveness is a typically male perspective. The female perspective often devalues assertiveness and instead values community and acceptance. Why should she have to assert herself? Maybe the burden should be on the other party to create an accepting environment.

I'll say again as you appear to have missed it the first time:

"Any professional in her situation, male or female, would have spoken up if they had a problem. Period."

There are no exceptions to this rule. This is not male/female issue. If a male had written that article I would say the exact same thing.

This is a very culturally biased view of what "professional" means. You would probably get a different response if you were to go outside America. (this is more an argument against the "no exceptions" part of your point above)

You choose to make an argument around: since you assume I am a man, I therefore do not know and I am wrong.

Learn to form a valid argument before you open your mouth. Your comment is not even deserving of a retort.

I'd like to know how you could have a full female perspective without being female. Let me know when that's possible! I'd love to be able to have a full male perspective about things!

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