Sexism in the workplace is alive and well, and Adria Richards is latest victim | Hacker News Reader

Sexism in the workplace is alive and well, and Adria Richards is latest victim

guardian.co.uk

2 pointsRyanMcGreal6 comments

Adria Richards is not nearly the "victim" that she made herself out to be. She launched a public attack on the two individuals instead of speaking with the PyCon organizers directly. While death threats and rape jokes are never ok, the way this article makes her look like a martyr is ridiculous. Two individuals were speaking among themselves, Adria stepped in making a private conversation (albeit in a public setting) into a public sideshow. Just because someone "may" be offended by anything that is ever said by anyone, should we stop speaking in public at all times. Or if ignoring the above advice, live in fear of the consequences that you plucked a nerve on someone else?

It's curious that you mention the barrage of rape and murder threats in passing, but reserve the weight of your outrage for the manner in which a woman reported inappropriate behaviour at a conference. And it was inappropriate, a clear violation of the code of conduct, as the conference organizers confirmed.

Why is it okay to turn something that had no business being extended beyond the bounds of PyCon to a worldwide public forum (Twitter) before even giving the organizers of PyCon a chance to handle the situation?

Why does it upset you more that someone tweeted a picture of two conference attendees behaving inappropriately than that an entire horde of people threatened to rape, beat up, decapitate and otherwise murder that person?

http://i.imgur.com/9Jg2brL.png

Someone targeted with disgusting rape and death threats most definitely is a victim.

At this point, what prompted them is irrelevant. What is important is to remember that it's not OK to threaten to torture, rape and murder someone. Obviously. Your comment is yet another attempt to downplay their seriousness.

I never said she wasn't a victim. I said that she wasn't nearly the victim the media is making her out to be. Someone who wants to be in the public spotlight, doesn't get to sit high and mighty when the spotlight gets too hot.

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