Culture

Are You Human?

4 Comments

Paul with the Gom Jabbar at his neckThere are a lot of theories about what separates humans from animals. Some say it is our use of tools and the civilization that we have built. Others disagree. When you look at all the negatives we have created in our society, it is hard to argue that our civilization is a positive differential.

Personally, I think Frank Herbert got it right when he wrote Dune. He posits that what makes us human is the ability to overcome are baser instincts, letting our mind control our actions. He conceived of the Gom Jabbar test which I think clearly illustrates the difference.

Continue reading →

All Men for “Yes All Women”

16 Comments

Last month I wrote a post on how we need to end sexism in the tech industry. Then a week ago, there was a shooting in LA and twitter erupted in protest over the sexism and misogyny that is pervasive in our society. If you have missed the #YesAllWomen tag, then you need to go read it now.

There were stories from women throughout society. It wasn’t the stories of violence that struck me, but the stories of abuse and harassment that take place ALL THE TIME.

That is my city. That is someone I haven’t met sharing their concerns about traveling on public transportation. It wasn’t the only story about the Metro. It is ignorant to assume that this hasn’t happened to co-workers, friends, family, and loved ones. To drive that point home for me, friends and family shared stories on the hashtag as well.

An Equal and Safe Society

There was an image shared that makes an excellent point about the challenge we are facing.

She is someone

The point is clear and important. This is about us as society treating all women equally because they are HUMAN BEINGS. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and feel safe, regardless of their gender, race, or beliefs.

Of course, this misses on a point from basic marketing, making a connection with your target audience. In this case, men.

Continue reading →

Remembering the Good

It has happened again. There has been a tragedy brought about by a number of issues in today’s society. While the full picture is still unfolding, the statements made by Elliot Rodger, “…I am in truth the superior one. The true Alpha Male,” have underlying roots that go back millennia. The concept that anyone is superior to anyone else because of their birth, genetics, or upbringing is false.

It is enough to drive you mad, which is a problem.

People are focusing on the negatives of our society and becoming angry. It is easy to see all the bad things and how the pervade society and think, What kind of a world is this to raise kids, much less live?

We need to take a step back for a moment.

Continue reading →

Guys, We Have to End Sexism in Tech

There has been a lot going around the net in the last few weeks about sexism in the tech world. These issues are not new, nor are they limited to tech. I am shocked, disgusted, sad, and disappointed that these things happen. We are all supposed to be better than this. At the same time, people always seems to find a way to demonstrate the worst traits of our species.

Everyone talks about getting more women into technology and STEM as a whole. We, as in the men, need to work harder to make them more welcome. That isn’t just getting them in the door, it is making sure that once they come through they are treated as equals and not as a token female or “one of the boys”.

Continue reading →