Sexy Software Presentation Reveals Gender Discrimination in Tech World

Yet another example of the skewed gender politics in the world of technology in this sexually explicit software presentation at the GoGaRuCo (Golden Gate Ruby Conference) by Matt Aimonetti.

The industry experts have already shared their outrage about the presentation that happened a few weeks ago in San Francisco. I'm bringing it to your attention today to continue my reporting on how the online and technology world needs to correct the rampant gender disparity, discrimination and sexist behavior.

Sarah Allen shares her experience with presentation at a conference where there were about six women out of 200 male attendees; Sarah Mei shares the seeming lack of sensitivity from industry leaders; and Martin Fowler writes about the greater ramifications of this offensive and unprofessional behavior:

My observation is that most men in the software business think that there isn't much sexism left in the profession - that this curse is a memory from a previous generation. Yet when I talk to women, I hear a different story. Nearly every one can tell me recent stories where they were clearly expected to feel degraded and belittled because of their gender. So some sexually suggestive pictures aren't a joke to them, they are a pointed reminder of disturbing behavior, and a reminder that such events can happen again at any time. One of the great difficulties for white guys like me is that we haven't been in that position; where prejudice can appear out of any corner, reinforced by the fact that every other face looks different.

This becomes more of an issue because the rails world faces a notable lack of women. The software world struggles with Diversity as it is. It's a problem for our profession, in that we lose access to talent, and it's a problem for many women who don't get the chance to develop a satisfying career in programming. The open-source world in general has even bigger issue, and the rails community perhaps more so. I'm sure it's not the only factor but the encouragement of talks like this creates an unwelcoming atmosphere of NetNastiness which deters many women from starting and staying in the community.

While it's clear that the content of the presentation was tasteless, what may be worse is that the presenter thought it was acceptable to produce it in the first place. Furthermore, the presentation was voted on by the greater community, which is why it was allowed to happen in the first place. Several people have admitted to voting on the presentation, but didn't think that it would display actual porn photos. Everyone knows that "sex sells" but the content of this presentation clearly crossed the lines of decency.

Many in the industry are taking a moment to reflect and look inward at what this experience means and what it has taught them. While I wish this presentation never happened, in some ways, it may have been the worst-best thing to happen in the tech world as it serves as blatant example of how far the industry still needs to come in terms of being female friendly. Finally, it's not just feminists like myself demanding answers, but many of the key male and female leaders are asking themselves: how DO we get more women involved?