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Comment by wonkus | Hacker News Reader

You sound sexist. Are you sexist? Why female engineers? Are male engineers not up to the challenge of instructing your offspring?

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Thanks to the fair-minded users of Hacker News for downvoting this bullshit. When I encounter a comment like this, it's a relief to discover that the community immune system already rejected it.

When you see a comment that is truly toxic for HN, flag it by clicking "link" to go to the item page and then "flag" at the top.

Edit: Since I know some people have concerns about unpopular opinions being suppressed, perhaps I should add that it's not an unpopular opinion which is the problem here. It's the trollish content and vicious tone.

He's not just trolling and vicious, but he's wrong too. The other day, I brought up the fact that Michael Bay had gotten the design of the ninja turtles totally wrong in the new movie. And she said: "I always kinda liked TMNT, but it was a 'boy' thing so I never really got into it a kid. I mean, I guess they had April."

So yes, gender matters. Kids want to be able to relate to their heroes, and gender is a deep part of identity. And admitting that gender matters isn't sexist.

Being wrong is not a crime on Hacker News; trolling and viciousness are.

I wonder how many civil, patiently explained responses that live up to your expectations for HN standards would have appeared if the request was for a male-only engineer.

It doesn't matter. Trying to measure these things for who's worse, etc., is a guaranteed way to fall straight back into raging. What we need are "civil, patiently explained responses" all around.

I think it might be a good idea when you make your mod comments to include the fact that you are the mod.

I wouldn't assume that people know that. In fact if I hadn't read that particular post on that day I wouldn't know that.

I wouldn't also assume that any particular user will even click on your profile (which is another way of saying "don't just put it there").

I see your point, and have wondered about it myself. This seems like a case where laziness will show the way. If it's important, it will eventually be obvious that it needs implementing. There are a lot of other features to build.

I thought for a while about only making mod comments from this account, but that doesn't seem right. I was a community member and HN user long, long before I was a moderator.

We'll figure it all out as we go :)

Never underestimate the value of seeing "Someone who is like you" doing something.

Role models, yo.

lol. nice try. but if it would be funnier if you posted the same post, word for word, but changing the genders. that would show the knew jerk reactions going on in this community better than your also sexist comment.

http://i.imgur.com/KgoIF.gif

I'm so glad everyone downvoted you.

How do you know everyone downvoted?

Comments become more gray and slightly less readable as they accumulate down votes. If you're using something that scrapes the site you might not be able to see it but it's visible on the main news.ycombinator.com site.

This is no evidence for the claim, i.e. EVERYONE downvoted.

Are you suggesting that there is no possibility for any upvote to a gray comment?

This comment is nowhere near as bad as the others, but it's still bad. It's fluff that contains no information; it's playing with being provocative, and that link! don't get me started.

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