Feminist Hacker Barbie

User-Submitted Improvements

Being male, as a programmer, means: Not having to wonder whether you're well-known in your community simply for being "the female one". The freedom to do your job without anyone insinuating that you only got hired because of affirmative action or "quotas", or because of the anatomy you happen to possess. The freedom to apply for a job at your partner's workplace without worrying that others will think you only got the job because of your partner. Joining in appreciation of the sex object du jour without having to be gay or bisexual. Having your desk near the entrance to your office without visitors assuming you're the receptionist. Never being asked by a job interviewer whether you would mind being the first male employee in the company. Telling someone to RTFM without being accused of PMS. The freedom to make mistakes or say stupid things without worrying about it getting added to the pile of "why women suck at computer stuff". The freedom to attend a technical conference without fear of sexual assault. Attending a technical talk without people assuming that you're only there because your boyfriend dragged you along with him. Attending job fairs without having anyone suggest you look for secretarial work instead. Never being asked whether you got lost upon entering a computer science classroom. Being praised for the content of your writing rather than the neatness of your handwriting. Not having to explain why the term "gentlemen" doesn't include you. Listening to speakers refer to an inanimate software construct as "this guy" without getting distracted. Having colleagues who close the door when they talk to you. Never having anyone suggest that you slept your way into getting a bug fixed. Knowing that if you attend a professional conference, there will be a restroom you can use. Being appreciated as a competent professional rather than as an instrument for calming down troublesome people or manipulating disagreeable ones. Not having to think about what gender you are. Having potential romantic partners assume from your career that you're smart and well-to-do rather than unattractive and unfeeling. Not being the special case ("hi guys and girls, I guess, too, if you want to get really technical about it!!") If you're married, having people take you to lunch without them speculating on how your spouse would feel about them taking you to lunch. Getting invited to play video games with people, because they haven't assumed you won't be interested because of your gender. Having interests that are stereotypical for your gender without having to worry you'll be taken less seriously because of it. Having interests that are unstereotypical for your gender and getting seen as cool and progressive rather than freaky and asexual for it. Being treated like a hero if you compromise on work for childcare responsibilities, rather than having your commitment to work questioned. Not having to choose between dressing/acting stereotypically for your gender and being thought unprofessional (or not a Real Geek) for it, and dressing/acting un-stereotypically and being thought unseemly. Never being described as a "hot guy" first and a competent professional second. Laughing at jokes like this because women holding bumper stickers about closures is funny in the same way pictures of cats "reading" calculus books is funny, rather than wondering whether your colleagues see you in the same way as those women. The freedom to watch a technical talk without being explicitly reminded that many of your colleagues see you primarily as a sex object. The freedom to switch to a less technical career without feeling like you're betraying the cause of gender equality. Walking home unafraid after a late-night coding spree. The freedom to listen to speakers say that software should be so easy to use that even your mom could use it without wondering whether they have you in mind. Potential employers don't recruit employees by reminding them that people of your gender (at least the ones who've had children) are too stupid to apply. The freedom to listen to speakers say that instant messaging isn't just for teenage girls talking about the Backstreet Boys without wondering whether they have you-ten-years-ago in mind. The freedom to listen to speakers use gender fields in database schemata as an example of an attribute that never changes and only has two possible values without having to sit on your hands. The freedom to mention your gender online without worrying that if you do, and you then experience gender discrimination, others will tell you that it's your fault for mentioning your gender. The freedom to not mention your gender online while knowing that even if your accomplishments never get stacked up as "worthwhile things male programmers have done", male programmers' reputation will be safe anyhow. Enjoying the blissful illusion that computer science or the IT industry are pure meritocracies where gender never matters. Freedom from fear that your open-source work will make you a target for death threats (note: linked-to post discusses sexual assault and violent threats against women). The right to organize professional or educational events that are a safe space for members of your gender and in which members of other genders are unwelcome, without being criticized by members of a different gender for being "sexist" or "exclusionary". (This works because you enjoy the privilege of being able to enforce the single-sexedness of a particular event or space without ever having to say so explicitly, thus granting yourself immunity from criticism.) The expectation that if you say you are a programmer, people will believe you. The freedom to discuss the role of gender in programming without people thinking you're being (a) self-serving, (b) whiny, (c) bringing politics into realms where it's not relevant, or (d) all of the above. The privilege of being able to deny the existence of your own privilege as a male programmer.
Being male, as a programmer, …
"Steve and Brian created the design ideas," Barbie says, laughing. "It's my job to turn it into a real game!"
"Steve and Brian created the …
Mansplaining is when a dude tells you, a woman, how to do something you already know how to do, or how you are wrong about something you are actually right about, or miscellaneous and inaccurate “facts” about something you know a hell of a lot more about than he does. Bonus points if he is explaining how you are wrong about something being sexist!
Mansplaining is when a dude t…
"I'm creating the visual design, system requirements documentation, managing the project team, AND building most of the game's architecture" Barbie says, laughing. "I'll need Steven's and Brian's help to get this done in time!"
"I'm creating the visual desi…
I hate this code! It's like Jessie Pinkman said, "I can slap this shit together in no time, bitch!" while cooking a batch. Seriously, if I find out that shithead in the cubical across the aisle jacked this up before giving it to me, I'll taser him in the balls.
I hate this code! It's like …
"I used to think I wouldn't like coding... but then I saw all the real world problems I could solve and felt empowered by all the lives I could make better with coding skills... kind of like how the creator of this site used her skills to protest a gross sexist injustice."
"I used to think I wouldn't l…
"The robot puppy sounds like an adorable design" says Skipper. "Thanks" says Barbie "Me, Brian and Steven, you know the game developers I am working with for my class project, are collaborating and think we could really make this into a marketable game." "Wow" says skipper "big dreams!". "Is there any other way to dream?" replies Barbie.
"The robot puppy sounds like …
When Barbie puts her flash drive into Skipper's laptop, the screen starts blinking. "Oh no!" says Barbie. "The virus must be on the flash drive!" "I forgot to back up my homework assignment!" cries Skipper. "And all my music files are lost, too!" -- July 2010, Tehran, Iran
When Barbie puts her flash dr…
"I've got Skipper's assignment from the hard drive!" exclaims Skipper, who found the solution with a Google search. "Fantastic!" says Barbie. "Good work!"
"I've got Skipper's assignmen…
"Your robot puppy is so sweet," says Skipper. "Can I play your game?" "FUCK YEAH you can!" Barbie says, "I made it idiot-proof!"
"Your robot puppy is so sweet…
You May Be A Mansplainer If… 1. You MUST explain why everything I said is beside the point, and wrong, and silly. 2. You MUST explain why you are not a mansplainer, then re-explain things to the wimminz. Also, call them sexist. 3. You MUST explain that you mansplain because you assume that blogs are written by men, then re-explain things to the wimminz AGAIN. 4. Ignore everything everyone says, then accuse everyone else of being sexist to you. Follow this with some SERIOUS explaining! Teh wimminz are slow, but they will surely understand someday! Because you are a MAN! And you are SPLAININ’!
You May Be A Mansplainer If… …
“OK” said Barbie, “by adding a rel="me" link to your twitter you got indieauth set up, and can log into indiewebcamp.com. Lets get webmentions working next.” “It works on my static website, neat!” said Brian
“OK” said Barbie, “by adding …
"I'm only creating the design ideas right now," Barbie says, laughing. "It will take a lot of complicated coding work to make it a reality. But, that's fun!"
"I'm only creating the design…
I've been up all night drinking red bull and learning Swift so that I could design a prototype for tomorrows elevator pitch to Execution Labs.
I've been up all night drinki…
"Your robot puppy is so sweet," says Skipper. "Can I play your game?" "I'm only creating the design ideas," Barbie says.
"Your robot puppy is so sweet…
At economics class, Barbie presents the game she designed. Ms. Smith is so impressed that she gives Barbie extra credit! Barbie's terrific treppin skills have saved the day for both sisters! "I guess I can be a billionaire!" says Barbie happily.
At economics class, Barbie pr…
"I'm only creating the design ideas," Barbie says, with controlled determination. "I'll need to Gantt it out and stay on Steven's and Brian's ass at every milestone to turn it into a real game!"
"I'm only creating the design…
Barbie inadvertently is responsible for releasing Stuxnet in the wild.
Barbie inadvertently is respo…
"Why won't this compile?" Asked Barbie. "I think you missed an semicolon at the end of the line"
"Why won't this compile?" Ask…
My cucumber script is showing a bunch of failed tests in CI. Next time you upload to Github, make sure you run the unit tests at least!
My cucumber script is showing…
join us now and share the software you'll be free, hackers you'll be free
join us now and share the sof…
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"Your robot puppy is so sweet," says Skipper. "Can I play your game?" "Of course you can, but there is a lot of code to compile yet and has to be sent for peer review," Barbie says, laughing, "I'll need Karen's and Brian's help to give the final code a GTG, a pair of fresh eyes is always good to avoid glitches!"
"Your robot puppy is so sweet…
lmao
lmao
"NOT ALL MENZ!!!" screams ManChild. "Oh no, it's GamerGate!" says Barbie. "ManChild, can you stop trying to hack my computer? I have a ground breaking game to make." "MISANDRY!" yells FakeBlackAccount.
"NOT ALL MENZ!!!" screams Man…
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