Berners-Lee Challenges 'Stupid' Male Geek Culture

ZDOne wrote with a link to a ZDNet article discussing some comments made by Tim Berners-Lee on the discrimination women face within 'stupid male geek culture'. The respected developer expressed frustration at a culture that would 'disregard the work of capable female engineers, and put others off entering the profession.' From the article: "'It's a complex problem -- we find bias against women by women. There are bits of male geek culture and engineer culture that are stupid. They should realize that they could be alienating people who are smarter and better engineers,' said Berners-Lee. Engineering research facilities that interview candidates based only on how many papers they have had published also risk adding to the problem, according to Berners-Lee, because of an apparent in-built bias against women."

When I greet new female engineers...

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey Jiggles, grab a pad and back that gorgeous butt in here.

We know

[Anonymous Coward]

"'...They should realize that they could be alienating people who are smarter and better engineers,' said Berners-Lee."

Last thing we need is smarter and better people. How're we supposed to keep our job?

This Berners guy isn't very bright, is he.

Re:Tim Berners-Lee is a dude!

[lucifig]

He is just trying to get some action from the new receptionist.

Re:What about stupid fashinista culture?

[cez]

Geek culture is the same way. The stupid jokes weed out people who won't make good engineers.

You insensitive clod, I make stupid jokes all the time... doesn't make me any less of an engineer:

What did the farmer say when he lost his tractor?

Where-ahs muh tractor!

Re:Men and women

[Anonymous Coward]

"philosophical hierarchy/expectation/etc"

Is it bad that I immediately wanted to `ls 'philosophical hierarchy/expectation/etc'` to see what the configuration for said philosophical hierarchy is?

Oblig Family Guy

[Anonymous Coward]

Gloria Ironbox: The filing's done, Mr. Griffin.
Peter Griffin: Thank you, Miss Ironbox.
Peter Griffin: You are a valued member of our business team.
Peter Griffin: And I will give you a raise tomorrow if you come to work without a shirt on.
Gloria Ironbox: Mr. Griffin!
Peter Griffin: I'm sorry. That came out wrong. Let me try again.
Peter Griffin: Nice ass.
Gloria Ironbox: You haven't heard a word I've said!
Peter Griffin: Now that's not fair. I've heard everything you said.
Peter Griffin: There's some subtleties to the rules that aren't so easy to understand.

Re:What about stupid fashinista culture?

[Gat0r30y]

How often do you see a pasty geek Modeling swimwear?

A lot more than I would like, damn it sucks to be the only photographer for pasty geek swimwear weekly!

More women

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't really see where he gets the idea that there's discrimination. Most of the male geeks I know would love to see more women in the tech fields. Of course, that's not because they like diversity so much as it is because they're lonely.

Re:What about stupid fashinista culture?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Obstacles are for climbing over, and most women chose not to do so."

I've got an obstacle she can climb on! hey-o! HR What?

Re:What about stupid fashinista culture?

[SIIHP]

"They targetted her, for failing to sustain the essential fundamental stereotype of women in our culture... "

Or maybe it was because she stank.

What am I saying, it must have been rampant unhindered sexism...

Re:I read TFA.

[greed]

You missed half of the process! A complete HALF!

It's: Pick up the heavy things AND THEN PUT THEM BACK DOWN!

See, that's what the grandparent poster was talking about. If you don't know where to begin, you get things only half-right, and then you look really silly holding up the heavy things all day.

Re:Dumb article

[king-manic]

The very short article consisted of Berners-Lee saying that male geeks act stupid, and that causes women to not want to enter the field. It would be nice to have some examples of this so-called stupid behavior.

Stupid male ideas that may repel Women from our industry:

1- Women who speak to me for more then a minute must want to date me.
2- If I know more then you in X I must be better then you in every way.
3- Flavor X of utility type Y is the best ever. All else is heresy.
4- 512 gigs of porn is a reasonable item to leave on the public network drive.
5- 80h work weeks is both sane and healthy.
6- Failure to do 80h works weeks is a sign of insufficient work ethic. No matter how much more you actually do during your piddly 40h week.
7- coding skills is directly proportional to Penis size. Penis size is directly proportional to Geek pedantry skills. full implications in both directions.
8- FPS skills are integral for all IT work.
9- Periods induce insanity.
10- If a male manager/supervisor is mad at me I must have screwed up. If a female manager is mad at me it's PMS.

Serious note: I think IT has fewer women because they aren't' encouraged to come into related fields and little more then that. They are taught to value things that most IT jobs would contradict.

Re:What about stupid fashinista culture?

[VorpalRodent]

What does the relative attractiveness of the males have to do with the woman? Personally, I'd be much more interested in where the woman falls on your scale (despite your scale being somewhat limited in scope to "not sexiest - sexiest").

Maybe Leah just feels bad because the sexiest man has something against her. Perhaps if she just set her expectations a little lower, and settle for Frank, who, while not the sexiest, could perhaps be persuaded away from indifference by her whiles (they often come with the classification "the woman", especially if they both are intelligent and are higher on the "not sexiest - sexiest" continuum).

In other news, superlatives are the best!

Now _THAT'S_ dedication.

[otis wildflower]

One academic went through a sex change, submitted the same papers under both identities, and found that papers were accepted from a man but were rejected when they came from a woman, said the web inventor.

You think it might have been easier to just submit the papers under different names?

Re:What about stupid fashinista culture?

[jez9999]

Geeks do the same thing, just in reverse. The larger a woman's breasts or the nicer she looks seems to imply that her intelligence has plunged proportionally.

Yeah, and we're right [youtube.com]. :-)

PS. It's a joke, I'm not really that sexist.

Re:I think he meant 'sexist'

[VorpalRodent]

Most men would get offended, especially when someone mentions their mother in a discussion involving the continuum of "sexiest-ness" (all the more when those terms are being applied to men).

But not to worry, I'm bigger than that (a statement which applies to most geeks by virtue of a sedentary lifestyle, but to me just because I'm special...at least, that's what my mom always told me).

Re:What about stupid fashinista culture?

[proxy318]

because she smelled poorly

Did she try decongestants?

Re:What about stupid fashinista culture?

[Thomasje]

Such a culture doesn't just tend to exclude women, but also people from non-anglo cultures that value family.

I've always wondered why there are so few people from India and China in the IT profession... Thanks for clearing that up.