Tech world
The tech world is strongly dominated by the presence of white males although this industry is said to follow a meritocracy. “When considering the dismal numbers of women (as well as African-American and Latino men) in tech, the meritocratic presumption is that these minorities aren’t good at or interested in technology,” (Marwick, 2013). That is why the Adria Richards incident was such a big story. She received death and rape threats because of her tweets. This is not the first time that a women was threatened and shamed so harshly over the internet, but it made quite a stir because she was too publicly shaming a group of men referring to a computer device in an inappropriate manner.
From either perspective, both parties were wrong. The men acting inappropriately as most men do was uncalled for at a professional conference, but posting a picture on the internet was also not the right thing to do. Public shaming has become a very popular way to punish and/or humiliate adults and children. It is not right to take someone’s picture or take a video of them and post it without their consent. Our society is so hellbent on making others look bad that it rarely notices how bad it looks. Richards was so concerned with how the men were talking that she did not consider the consequences of her actions. There is no reason to make others look or feel bad about how they act or talk on social media. A much wiser solution would be to politely discuss the issue with the appropriate party.
Moreover, Richards’ tweet sparked the conversation of feminism and misandry. As a woman, I am all for the equality of men and women. I understand that there are some things that men can do that women cannot and vice versa. The tech world, specifically, is male dominant. There is no denying that fact, and sadly, women are only accepted if they do their work and keep their mouths shut. Obviously, that it not how things should go. Women should be able to speak their minds and not deal with a misogynistic workforce. However, some women take it too far. True feminists are concerned with women’s rights as compared to men’s. Some of these women solely look to belittle men and shame them for how they act and speak.
Misandry is a term used by men now as a counter to the feminist movement. I do not blame them. Some women only have one purpose for their actions, and it is the hatred of men. Women need to understand the difference between fighting for equality and putting men down for childish behavior and treating them like garbage. Women like this are doing exactly what is looked down upon by men. That is probably the tech world is so hateful towards women. It is a vicious circle of hatred and disgusting behavior. However, men may take it to a different level.
Threats of rape and death are as serious as it gets. Richards, although uncalled for, pointed out men that related computer parts to body parts. She did not have to be threatened and tormented on the internet. I do not think that can even be considered misogyny, rather an incredible lack of respect for the existence of a human being. These internet “trolls” are what drives feminism into misandry. It does not take many to influence the idea of an entire group. The techies of the world get a bad reputation because of trolls, and feminists get a bad reputation because they only see the terrible comments and threats.
The battle between extremes seems to be never ending. Certain men choose to be outlandish, sexist, and completely disrespectful, and some women choose to only see the evil side of men on the internet. The solution seems simple: be nice. It is quite amazing to me that it is so hard to respect one another. It seems so easy to not publicly shame men, women, and children and not berate each other over the internet. Why can our society not control what is posted and said about others? We should be able to live harmoniously and treat all that way we wanted to be treated.
After reading the article “Donglegate: Why the Tech Community Hates Feminism,” I believe Alice Marwick hit the nail on the head. Everyone in the Adrias Richards situation was wrong in some way. The men should have been more professional, Richards should not have posted their picture, and literally every person on the internet should have left their comments off the internet. I think Marwick reinforced how I feel about feminism and misogyny. Women are hateful and sometimes go a little too far with what they say and do. As well, men can be hateful and inappropriate and say things that are disgusting. I would like to think that people would learn from situations like these, but they do not.
I think seeing both sides really opens many conversational topics. Women are no different than men. They make inappropriate comments and target weaknesses. They tear men down and make them look like misogynistic pigs. Not all men are like the internet trolls that berate women, and feminists need to see that.
Consequently, not all feminists are men-hating women. Most feminists just want to have fairness and equality between them and men. It make sense to want to be equal to someone that you call a partner or coworker. Obviously, I believe that I am equal to a man, but like before, I know that there are differences between men and women. The world is a strange place and the solution is almost to simple. Treat others the way you want to be treated. We learn that when we are kids, and it is baffling that we cannot hold on to that one golden rule. Nearly all religions and ideologies follow that same rule. So why can we not just be nice? It is time for a change, and it needs to start soon.
