Men of DesignerNews(menofdesignernews.tumblr.com)

over 7 years ago from Ian Williams, ✍ ◐ < ◑ ☞

  • Jake Lazaroff, over 7 years ago

    Because it belies a bias against female designers?

    2 points
    • Ix TechauIx Techau, over 7 years ago

      ...or it simply reflects the userbase, of which most are men. Just because men are overrepresented in the tech industry doesn't mean there is social injustice happening. Most nurses are women, doesn't mean there is anti-male discrimination happening, or that there is an inherent social problem with the care industry.

      22 points
      • Jake Lazaroff, over 7 years ago

        Why should the gender breakdown of the userbase affect the upvotes and comments on AMAs?

        2 points
        • Ix TechauIx Techau, over 7 years ago

          Why do you assume they get fewer comments and upvotes simply because they are women? Perhaps the content isn't very good. Or are you saying men sit around on DN and actively decide to not comment or upvote if they see that the post has been started by a name that could be female?

          18 points
          • Jake Lazaroff, over 7 years ago

            Well, maybe. But as far as hypotheses go, the correlation that "hey, the common thread among all of these is that they're by women!" seems much stronger than the just-world fallacy.

            2 points
            • Ix TechauIx Techau, over 7 years ago

              Well again...claiming that men refuse to comment or upvote just because the username looks female is a conspiracy-level absurdity.

              14 points
              • Jake Lazaroff, over 7 years ago (edited over 7 years ago )

                Unconscious bias, not some vast secret men conspiracy. Psychological and sociological studies find people have all sorts of biases; see my other comment.

                3 points
      • Bryce DriesengaBryce Driesenga, over 7 years ago

        You'd think if tech and design companies wanted to ensure diversity, it would be pretty easy to look at the demographics in their area and implement hiring quotas directly proportional to the population.

        0 points
        • Ix TechauIx Techau, over 7 years ago

          Affirmative action is the ultimate insult to me as a woman. I want to be hired based on my skill, not based on whether I have a vagina or not.

          15 points
          • Bryce DriesengaBryce Driesenga, over 7 years ago

            See, I agree. Not a fan of it either. But if tech companies say they want diversity, you'd think that'd be the fastest way to achieve it.

            0 points
            • Ix TechauIx Techau, over 7 years ago

              Sure, although I don't understand why the quest for diversity is so strong. What is the real-life benefit of desperately seeking diversity? You can't measure ROI in social justice points.

              What I mean is: I grew up with a lot of brothers and not a single sister. I will likely not bring a "female perspective" to a company, and yet I would get hired for that specific reason, as if all women/people of colour have the same perspective as a collective.

              A company could consist of three black guys and two women from India and still end up with a "lad culture", as this is not specific to white males in their 20s, it is specific to their particular upbringing and attitude.

              11 points
          • Jake Lazaroff, over 7 years ago

            But not being hired because you're a woman doesn't bother you?

            Unlike the comments and upvotes on Designer News AMAs, this is easily controlled for factors other than perceived gender, and studies have repeatedly shown that white- and male- sounding names have a much higher chance of receiving responses to job applications.

            4 points
            • Ix TechauIx Techau, over 7 years ago

              I'm well aware of these gender CV blind tests, but they do not confirm misogyny, they confirm the social bias we all have, against a whole group of attributes like gender, height, hair colour, facial expressions, style of writing, etc. It is not unique to women.

              So no, the theory that I wouldn't get hired just because I'm a woman doesn't bother me, because I simply do not believe in radical feminist theories about a global subconscious conspiracy against women. I will not turn myself into a victim of conspiracy to explain why I'm not getting jobs I want.

              Besides, isn't Hilary Clinton completely disproving the structural conspiracy argument? Surely if there was a patriarchal conspiracy against women, she would not be the favourite to become president.

              11 points
              • Jake Lazaroff, over 7 years ago

                I never said it was unique to women. But I'm not sure what world you live in where someone can not only be biased against women (or people of color, or trans people, etc) but not consider them for a job on the basis of that bias, and yet it's somehow not sexism. Denying someone an opportunity on the basis of their gender is the literal definition of sexism.

                Hilary Clinto proves it's possible for women to overcome these obstacles. That says nothing about how difficult it was for her to do so relative to her male colleagues.

                Re: your continued used of the word conspiracy, literally no one is saying that there's any sort of conspiracy. Just you.

                2 points
    • Adam SezlerAdam Sezler, over 7 years ago

      Then more females should become designers/developers. I'm 100% open to women doing AMA's, and so is every other designer with a penis attached to their anterior pelvis.

      Maybe there just isn't that many females working as designers. Maybe the industry just is what it is, not because of discrimination, but because of personal interests and personal career choices made up during high school & college.

      How many women work on oil rigs? Should we be pushing more women into every career path that has over 50% representation by men?

      Or should we treat women like fucking adults who can use their own free will to decide what sort of work they want to do?

      17 points