Taking Care of Yourself First
This week was focused on stereotypical views of Hackers and Geeks throughout history the topic of women in tech at its core. During class we watched clips from the documentary “CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap”, which highlighted women in the tech field who are making a difference through avenues of either speaking up at work or starting movements to increase diversity within the field. The importance of this documentary is that it is not simply presenting the problem at hand, but it is also providing proof of solutions for underrepresented peoples in the tech world. When asked in class what we thought of when we heard the terms “Hacker” and “Geek” many said they associated them with negative connotations and typically envisioned a male. It is important to note that these views of “Hackers” and “Geeks” are encouraged through media representations, thus making it harder to change the mentality of those in and out of the tech field.
From the clips we watched in class, I was particularly intrigued by the story of Julie Ann Horvath, a former developer at GitHub. I wasn’t surprised to find that she is a blogger on Medium and has started a ongoing series of the stories of Women in Tech that are typically unheard of. Her article entitled “The Stories of ‘Women in Tech’ That We May Never Hear”, speaks of her experience as a woman who spoke out against harassment, and provides insight as to what women can do to combat harassment without jeopardizing their career and credibility. Throughout this article, she categorizes her experience into sections such as “falling out of favor”, “when we choose to speak up”, and “the non-disparagement agreement”. All of which discuss the implications of speaking out against harassment at work which include being labeled as a complainer, or being forced to sign an agreement upon leave saying you will not speak negatively about the company. Horvath has experienced a great deal of harassment since deciding to leave GitHub and speaking out against what was occurring at work. When asked if she would speak out again, Horvath says she is unsure and states
“I tell women who come to me for strategic advice that the best thing they can do is to take care of themselves first. As much as I like to see companies held accountable for how they treat their people, I like to see other women living their best lives a hell of a lot more.”
It seems as though women are always stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either they speak up and face the consequences that may occur or they focus on themselves and making sure they can still work and be in a healthy state. The answer may not always be to speak up, but it is important to note that Horvath believes there is always answer. Not everyone is going to be capable of speaking out against harassment or risking their job, but as long as women are banding together we will always have a support group to lean on.
Sources:
Horvath, Julie Ann. “The Stories of ‘Women In Tech’ That We May Never Hear.”Medium.com, 4 Nov. 2015, medium.com/endless/the-stories-of-women-in-tech-that-we-may-never-hear-7379f502fb52.
Reynolds, Robert Hauser, director. CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap. 19 Apr. 2015.
Kelty, Christopher M. Two Bits: the Cultural Significance of Free Software. Duke University Press, 2008.
