Title: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: surebet on January 25, 2014, 01:56:15 AM http://web.archive.org/web/20140207235615/http://ariannasimpson.com/post/74400025051/this-is-what-its-like-to-be-a-woman-at-a-bitcoin Quote The other night my good friend & fellow cryptoenthusiast Ryan Shea suggested we head to a new Bitcoin meetup neither of us had been to before. I agreed to meet him there, and though the conversation was stimulating, much of the experience was pretty demeaning. I walk in and a group of people are already sitting at a long table. I say hi and hover for a second, determining where to sit. Entirely uninvited, and before I even have a chance to react, one guy proceeds to grab me by the waist and pull me into an awkward, grope-y side hug next to him on the bench. To reiterate, I’ve never met this man in my life. I try giving him the benefit of the doubt and make some quip about his being a friendly sort, but it gets uncomfortable pretty quickly when he puts his hand on my leg and leaves it there until I squirm uncomfortably. Unsurprisingly, this type of treatment wasn’t specially reserved for me. The person who actually suggested the event to Ryan was another young woman (the only other woman at the event), a VC who was in town from San Francisco and was interested in checking it out for the first time. The aforementioned groper knew Ryan vaguely from other Bitcoin events, and greeted their arrival with a warm “Oh, nice to see you! I see you brought your girlfriend this time.” When the two of them try to point out that a) they are not together and b) she was actually the one who had brought him, they are cut off with a swift “Sure, sure, I just wanted to see what the dynamic was between you two.” Apparently that’s code for “checking if you’re ok with my hitting on her,” as that’s exactly what he proceeds to do. The guy sitting on the other side of me turns and introduces himself. Turns out, he’s the organizer and leader of the meetup. He follows with a swift, “So, how did you find out about this?” I’m honestly not sure if he means the meet up group or Bitcoin in general, so I go with the latter and tell him I’ve been interested (ok, obsessed—my friend Sam Smith may or may not have nicknamed me Cryptoqueen) since around mid 2013, which is when I started buying some. He then starts to look at me like I’ve suddenly morphed into a unicorn. Literally: bulging eyes, mouth slightly agape, the whole nine yards. Apparently the expected response would have been that I was Ryan’s friend/girlfriend/sister who had somehow accidentally ended up there. “Seriously? You mean you actually own bitcoins? You don’t look like someone who would even know about Bitcoin!” Err…thanks? It’s not a reaction I’m unfamiliar with (I usually get the same one when people hear I have a motorcycle-and no, it’s not a vespa) so I just smile it off and start explaining my interest in the international implications of widespread bitcoin adoption, especially in countries where currency manipulation by corrupt governments has caused rampant hyperinflation and a host of other economic woes. I conclude the thought, and he (again, staring like I’m some sort of extraterrestrial creature), goes, “Wow. Women don’t usually say that type of things”. I mean, what do you even respond to that? Undeterred, I try to sidestep it and go on with my argument, concluding that what I am describing is “much more effective and efficient” than the current system. “Well,” he says looking at me knowingly, “Women don’t usually think in terms of efficiency and effectiveness”. https://i.imgur.com/oMEUqMB.jpg A few minutes later he starts describing an app he is working on to someone else at the table. “You see, women don’t care about crypto currencies, so we don’t have to design for them”. When I tell him he’s wrong, he smartly replies, completely in earnest, “Oh ok cool, so if we start dating I can use the app with you!” The irony here is that he actually meant these things as compliments. But what he was implying that the bar for women is so low that my entirely unremarkable comments put me lightyears ahead of the “average woman” (whatever that even means). Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I’m pretty thick skinned. My self esteem remained intact throughout the exchange; if anything, it made me more determined to learn. I was not even made to feel unwelcome; these fellows were clearly thrilled at the presence of two women at the event. The problem lies in the conditions under which our company was desired. We were not treated as peers or individuals who might be able to contribute intelligently to the discussion. We were ogled and clearly assumed to be someone’s girlfriend, or someone’s potential future girlfriend. Was either of us mistreated? Technically, no. But the conditions under which our presence was accepted were such that from the moment we entered the room, the other attendees’s preconceptions were at a distinct disadvantage. Perhaps this would be a good time to recall Warren Buffet’s comment that one of the reasons for his great success was that he was only competing with half of the population. We can view it as an opportunity. Being underestimated can be a surprisingly effective tool in the appropriate context, but perhaps that’s just me being overly optimistic. I know many women, many of whom are far smarter than I am, who would have felt seriously out of place there. Would they go back to the next meet up? I doubt it. If the organizer of the meetup makes people feel so unwelcome, it sets the tone for the rest of the conversation. I’m not bringing these comments up because my feelings were hurt, and the last thing I need is sympathy. I’m also not concerned that one particular guy thinks women couldn’t possibly know about Bitcoin, or that another grabbed at me, but unfortunately this is representative of a larger trend. The current generation of hackathon organizers (largely led by the singular efforts of Dave Fontenot —hellllllyeah) is making a concerted effort to encourage the participation of women at their events, and while I’ve still gotten my share of off-color comments, the situation is gradually improving. Since Bitcoin is still so new, we have the rare opportunity to get onboard before the ship has sailed, becoming knowledgeable before a vast majority of people have ever even heard of it. Learning about it now, instead of trying to play catch-up as it often seems like we are in terms of women in STEM fields, programming, or traditional finance, will surely reap great benefits. I think my experience at the meetup is worth sharing because Bitcoin lies at the heart of both finance and tech, two industries that carry tremendous weight and which have traditionally struggled to attract women. Given the events of the other night, this is hardly surprising. I am undeterred and if anything will be even more proactive about attending these events. In my mind, it’s a little preposterous that if I want to do so, however, I have to be ok with being felt up and indirectly insulted. If women fail to take an active interest in Bitcoin now, when it is still in its infancy and its potential is largely untapped, we will have yet another sector in which the gender is underrepresented and trailing. Bitcoin as a currency has the ability to revolutionize the banking and financial system, but the implication of Bitcoin as a protocol extend much further than that. I’ll write a post of my own on that soon, but in the meantime I recommend you check out Mark Andreessen’s excellent post on why Bitcoin matters. Anyways ladies, ignore the naysayers and get out to those Bitcoin meetups! If you want to attend a meetup or chat crypto anytime, shoot me a line on Twitter. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Paladin69 on January 26, 2014, 07:18:30 AM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-wBo5_sV0I
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: 31337157 on January 26, 2014, 09:44:57 AM No, actually, that's not what it's like to be a woman at a bitcoin meeting. That is what it is like to be her, a person looking to start an Internet career through the good ol' victim + guilt + white knight combo. Everyone will run to her rescue and the community will now prove that this is not the case...Honestly, it's probably a great move for her.
I definitely don't agree with the behavior at the meeting, but how about being a little more proactive? Say, starting your own meetup empowering career oriented women (or empowering both sexes equally) instead of running to the Internet and spreading statements that just aren't true. I attend the SF Bitcoin Social Meetup all the time and women are encouraged to present and speak (and they do). I haven't seen any such behavior there so I am very curious as to where this all happened and why she took the approach that she did. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: SirWilliam on January 26, 2014, 10:09:00 AM Her account is full of cartoonish generalizations (including the title). I find the whole posting highly suspicious...
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Zeal0t on January 26, 2014, 04:22:17 PM I completely agree that those guys acted like imbecilic cavemen however, can you really blame a room full of mega nerds for not at all knowing how to treat a woman? Let alone expect them to have a clue how they think... Just my thoughts :)
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Paladin69 on January 26, 2014, 05:54:54 PM If you don't want to get hit on, don't dress like a cock tease.
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/3016345337/b2c17acbc3119a6405b62507cf63d04f.jpeg Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: kjlimo on January 26, 2014, 06:11:02 PM Not all meetups are the same; also, not every man is the same.
I don't have the effort to even join this debate right now; all I know is that I can sleep well knowing that I won't treat the new girl who has RSVPed to my meetup next month the same way. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Junko on January 26, 2014, 08:23:30 PM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-wBo5_sV0I This ^Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: fancy_pants on January 26, 2014, 08:26:47 PM I recently attended a holiday party for work (a non-bitcoin banking technology company), and was hit on by both men and women of different sexes. I don't think you were hit on and practically groped because you are a woman. It's more likely because you are super good looking. (I've never seen you, so I'm guessing based on the personal experience of being super good looking myself)
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Zeal0t on January 26, 2014, 08:46:01 PM (I'm guessing based on the personal experience of being super good looking myself.) Nice. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: freedomno1 on January 27, 2014, 03:18:45 AM I thought this was in bitcoin discussion on second appearance I guess this is a press article
The article was quite unusual to say the least but to be honest I have attended bitcoin meetups and no girls have appeared so it does make sense that a general rule of etiquette should be applied, aside from that I do know that their are only a handful of girls in the Computer Science program major at our university and the majority are men so the lack of social graces of nerds around women may be a factor here. And no I am not thinking of The Big Bang Theory Still an interesting topic (Lol Siteadvisor rates site yellow) Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Bitware on January 27, 2014, 07:22:03 AM Victim politics, political correctness, emotion, lies and misrepresentations.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Grinder on January 27, 2014, 09:17:01 AM If you don't want to get hit on, don't dress like a cock tease. Agreed. Unless women dress like this, they are clearly begging for it:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BNgFL-rfOsM/TThr7SP9xnI/AAAAAAAAEyA/Y2PTCHWvAak/s400/Burca-3.jpg Seriously, though, we're supposed to be living in the civilized part of the world. That includes not behaving like cavemen just because a woman wears a dress. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Rygon on January 27, 2014, 01:38:09 PM If you don't want to get hit on, don't dress like a cock tease. https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/3016345337/b2c17acbc3119a6405b62507cf63d04f.jpeg Grow up, seriously. That attitude is insulting to both men and women. I disagree with the author about the general attitude of the bitcoin meetups. I hope her experience was a localized one. Although I wonder why the author didn't either a) leave the meetup or b) stand up for her rights. Instead, the author choose not to fight back, which only reinforced their notion that this behavior is acceptable. And that's unfortunate for the next woman that shows up. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Bitware on January 27, 2014, 03:44:27 PM Grow up, seriously. That attitude is insulting to both men and women. Go read her web site.I disagree with the author about the general attitude of the bitcoin meetups. I hope her experience was a localized one. Although I wonder why the author didn't either a) leave the meetup or b) stand up for her rights. Instead, the author choose not to fight back, which only reinforced their notion that this behavior is acceptable. And that's unfortunate for the next woman that shows up. She is a feminist and professional victim playing pop culture critic designing these scenarios so she has something to bitch about in an attempt to gain pity, sympathy, favors, freebies, special treatment and money. Hard to tell if it's a mental defect or if she's just a con woman. Anita Sarkeesian did the same thing to the tune of $160 thousand re feminist video game commentary. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: surebet on January 28, 2014, 08:55:11 AM Most of you are terrible people.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: pabloangello on January 28, 2014, 11:13:01 AM Most of you are terrible people. Most of people here are mens that when see nice lady start to think by their dicks. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: freedomno1 on January 28, 2014, 05:12:15 PM Most of you are terrible people. Most of people here are mens that when see nice lady start to think by their dicks. Well at least this is the right demographic to ask lol https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=100294.0 Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: mailmansDOG on January 28, 2014, 05:16:18 PM internet gold :D :D
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Gabi on January 28, 2014, 07:24:40 PM Ridicolous. Sex does not matter in bitcoin: we do not know the sex of satoshi and we use bitcoin, exactly because sex does not matter.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Bitware on January 30, 2014, 01:38:31 PM She is a feminist and professional victim playing pop culture critic designing these scenarios so she has something to bitch about in an attempt to gain pity, sympathy, favors, freebies, special treatment and money. Hard to tell if it's a mental defect or if she's just a con woman. Sorry mate, but sometimes the reason that people make a big deal about being a victim is that they're being victimised. I don't know this woman from Adam, but the kind of situation she describes is one that I've seen happen too many times as a guy working in a technical industry not to believe. I don't think she's looking for pity at all - I think she's chiefly looking for the reader to understand why that kind of behaviour is completely inappropriate, and to encourage decent people to call it out when they see it. The core tenet of feminism is merely that men and women should be treated equally. If you believe that, congratulations! You're a feminist. If not, well, you're kind of a dick. Nothing to do with Bitcoin. Bitcoin is about confirmation and agreement. This chick is about changing any space she goes into to suit her wants and desires = Female Supremacy. No one victimized her. She sought out victimization in the form of easy people to manipulate and turned around their words and meanings to suit and support her Feminist Crusades. If you don't think she is looking for pity - and the other things mentioned - you have not done your homework. Read her website, because that is all she does there. We work with logic, reason and do it rationally. She and those like her live in the world of whimsy, emotion, political correctness and what they try to do is alter your speech, shut you up and give them what they want. They want to regulate and legislate opinion and speech. Who really has the privilege here? Who really is the gender catered to by government fiat? Which gender is truly treated as a special class? It certainly isn't men. All you see is men bashed everywhere, accused of being this or that. We do no such thing to any other group. Groupthink, group politics. Political correctness flying in the face of reality. Oh the poor little womens. Give me a break. They use our chivalry effectively. And it's time to stop all such nonsense and call a spade a spade. At the end of the day every human has every right to their words and opinions. This chick is trying to gain public sympathy and support to force a change with these people, to shut them up and stifle their opinions if they cannot change them. She wants special and preferential treatment for women over men. Mark my words... you wont like the outcome. I am about equality, not supremacy. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: cryptoanarchist on January 30, 2014, 02:11:20 PM No, actually, that's not what it's like to be a woman at a bitcoin meeting. That is what it is like to be her, a person looking to start an Internet career through the good ol' victim + guilt + white knight combo. Everyone will run to her rescue and the community will now prove that this is not the case...Honestly, it's probably a great move for her. I definitely don't agree with the behavior at the meeting, but how about being a little more proactive? Say, starting your own meetup empowering career oriented women (or empowering both sexes equally) instead of running to the Internet and spreading statements that just aren't true. I attend the SF Bitcoin Social Meetup all the time and women are encouraged to present and speak (and they do). I haven't seen any such behavior there so I am very curious as to where this all happened and why she took the approach that she did. ^this. The author should meet me if she really wants to be demeaned. I'd love to explain to her what a low life she is. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: exstasie on January 30, 2014, 02:29:54 PM sorry...too many responses. Any pics? :)
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: anti-scam on January 30, 2014, 02:45:18 PM If you can't kill a movement via regulation then kill it via identity politics. Beat them over the head with minority complaints until they are too busy running training seminars and discussing privilege to do anything useful. It's only a matter of time before this lot starts suggesting that the core developers spend their time on listening to their various professional victims speak about "harassment" rather than working on stuff like the payment protocol.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: surebet on January 30, 2014, 07:02:00 PM Terrible people, terrible people everywhere.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: greyhawk on January 30, 2014, 07:04:36 PM Terrible people, terrible people everywhere. The suprising part is where you're still surprised. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: VforVictory on January 31, 2014, 05:14:34 PM Who really has the privilege here? Who really is the gender catered to by government fiat? Which gender is truly treated as a special class? It certainly isn't men. All you see is men bashed everywhere, accused of being this or that. She's infringing my freedom of speech by writing on the internet! Also this kool-aid tastes funny. The Kool-aid was laced with estrogen. <_< Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Bitcopia on January 31, 2014, 05:43:19 PM Why is this thread in press? This should be in politics and society. It has nothing to do with bitcoin aside from someone talking about the way they felt at a bitcoin meetup.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Junko on January 31, 2014, 08:40:22 PM Being the sensitive male that I am, I feel it is my duty to make things right here. To this end, I hereby volunteer myself to attend as many all-women bitcoin meet-ups as possible in the future to be groped, felt up, used and objectified in any manner seen fit until all those present have been fully satisfied that justice has been done.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: VforVictory on January 31, 2014, 08:51:58 PM Being the sensitive male that I am, I feel it is my duty to make things right here. To this end, I hereby volunteer myself to attend as many all-women bitcoin meet-ups as possible in the future to be groped, felt up, used and objectified in any manner seen fit until all those present have been fully satisfied that justice has been done. Sir, this is what we call Femdom. It has no relation to Feminism. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Junko on January 31, 2014, 11:28:42 PM Being the sensitive male that I am, I feel it is my duty to make things right here. To this end, I hereby volunteer myself to attend as many all-women bitcoin meet-ups as possible in the future to be groped, felt up, used and objectified in any manner seen fit until all those present have been fully satisfied that justice has been done. Sir, this is what we call Femdom. It has no relation to Feminism. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: yayayo on January 31, 2014, 11:43:55 PM Being the sensitive male that I am, I feel it is my duty to make things right here. To this end, I hereby volunteer myself to attend as many all-women bitcoin meet-ups as possible in the future to be groped, felt up, used and objectified in any manner seen fit until all those present have been fully satisfied that justice has been done. Sir, this is what we call Femdom. It has no relation to Feminism. I think it is not worth the effort to attempt making a distinction between groping, feminism, femdom and other sexually transmitted perversions. ya.ya.yo! Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Grinder on January 31, 2014, 11:55:29 PM You will probably never even realize how big a disservice you're doing to Bitcoin by posting all these stuipd remarks.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Junko on February 01, 2014, 11:32:03 AM You will probably never even realize how big a disservice you're doing to Bitcoin by posting all these stuipd remarks. You're right. Thank You so much for helping me realize how much my stupid remarks and political-incorrectness has tarnished bitcoin's reputation and set back its adoption for who knows how many years. It's a good thing your horse is much higher than mine, otherwise I may have never come to this realization. I only hope bitcoin can recover from this great disservice I've rendered upon it. Once again, thank you and my sincere apologies to bitcoin.Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: yayayo on February 01, 2014, 12:04:52 PM You will probably never even realize how big a disservice you're doing to Bitcoin by posting all these stuipd remarks. Nonsense. Bitcoin doesn't care, cause it has no sex. ya.ya.yo! Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: VforVictory on February 01, 2014, 02:41:36 PM You will probably never even realize how big a disservice you're doing to Bitcoin by posting all these stuipd remarks. Nonsense. Bitcoin doesn't care, cause it has no sex. ya.ya.yo! "This just in, Bitcoin is *Male*!" <Men run screaming for fear of gay jokes, while women make weird fan art> Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Grinder on February 01, 2014, 03:33:08 PM You're right. Thank You so much for helping me realize how much my stupid remarks and political-incorrectness has tarnished bitcoin's reputation and set back its adoption for who knows how many years. There is too much you don't understand and don't want to understand for me to waste time trying to explain to you why your remarks are stupid. That's why I skipped straight to the conclusion.Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Junko on February 01, 2014, 07:32:24 PM You're right. Thank You so much for helping me realize how much my stupid remarks and political-incorrectness has tarnished bitcoin's reputation and set back its adoption for who knows how many years. There is too much you don't understand and don't want to understand for me to waste time trying to explain to you why your remarks are stupid. That's why I skipped straight to the conclusion.Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Grinder on February 01, 2014, 08:27:58 PM No, please, by all means enlighten me. That would be like trying to explain to my aunt how to fix her computer over the phone.Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Junko on February 02, 2014, 12:22:02 AM No, please, by all means enlighten me. That would be like trying to explain to my aunt how to fix her computer over the phone.Good Day, Sir/Madame. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: C. Bergmann on February 02, 2014, 12:32:01 AM Every forum or meet-up prooves a significant part of bitcoin's community lacks experience how to behave in front of a woman.
But the same can be said to a lot of engineering / informatic students. If they grow out of a stupid age most learn to deal with women, and a little part becomes frustrated women-haters. It's a simple social mechanic. Same as in women-dominated-jobs. No problem at all. Girls, join the meetups. You'll never felt more pretty :) Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: marcus_of_augustus on February 02, 2014, 01:08:25 AM ... has anybody said "She was asking for it" yet? Can't we let this thread die already? Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: surebet on February 02, 2014, 01:18:04 AM ... has anybody said "She was asking for it" yet? Can't we let this thread die already? Shush, this is a great thread where terrible people out themselves. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: cryptoanarchist on February 02, 2014, 02:24:46 AM ... has anybody said "She was asking for it" yet? Can't we let this thread die already? Shush, this is a great thread where terrible people out themselves. Definitely getting to see who the awkward geeks are that still worship women because they feel inadequate due to growing up with an overbearing mother. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: prophetx on February 02, 2014, 02:58:03 AM Why is this thread in press? This should be in politics and society. It has nothing to do with bitcoin aside from someone talking about the way they felt at a bitcoin meetup. Um because it is an article.... /sigh ... Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: prophetx on February 02, 2014, 02:59:13 AM ... has anybody said "She was asking for it" yet? Can't we let this thread die already? Yes it was one of the first few follow up posts as expected Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: prophetx on February 02, 2014, 03:08:01 AM ... has anybody said "She was asking for it" yet? Can't we let this thread die already? Shush, this is a great thread where terrible people out themselves. Definitely getting to see who the awkward geeks are that still worship women because they feel inadequate due to growing up with an overbearing mother. Agreeing that the leader of a specific bitcoin meetup behaved in a rather dickish and socially inept manner during one specific occasion involving the girl who wrote the blog post is clearly the same thing as "worshipping" women in general and most likely due to psychological damage from a poor relationship with one's mother. That, or you are a close minded person with low social awareness and a shallow understanding of the world. It's hard to say. Calling a woman a girl is like me saying to you, "boy go get me a coffee" Let that all sink in for a few minutes. If you want this thing to get bigger, it aint gonna happen Animal House style... Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: prophetx on February 03, 2014, 01:00:06 PM Calling a woman a girl is like me saying to you, "boy go get me a coffee" Let that all sink in for a few minutes. If you want this thing to get bigger, it aint gonna happen Animal House style... Maybe if you also added the demanding/insulting coffee part to my statement (clearly changing the tone and meaning) , but such an insight requires understanding what makes things equitable and analogous. That boy don't have a brain... That girl has a nice ... get it? Perhaps you didn't grow up south of the Mason Dixon line... Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: embracebitcoin on February 03, 2014, 04:57:47 PM well, you can't deny that most women have no interest in it. All women i know including the gf just doesn't want to think about global economics, real reasons why countries are at war, bitcoin etc. Some literally say it like that, "I just don't want to think about that stuff". A bit like 'ignorance is bliss'. Majority of women is like that, so when she says they were surprised she actually had interest and knowledge about it, that's completely logical, I'd be surprised too.
The guy creepily touching her, well that's just bad luck she had to be standing next to someone like that. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Le Happy Merchant on February 03, 2014, 06:05:48 PM That includes not behaving like cavemen just because a woman wears a dress. Thank you. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: xyzzy099 on February 03, 2014, 08:39:08 PM Most of you are terrible people. You, sir, have what is probably the most annoying avatar I have ever seen. Well played. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: surebet on February 04, 2014, 02:56:46 AM Most of you are terrible people. You, sir, have what is probably the most annoying avatar I have ever seen. Well played. It was my celebratory avatar after the last hack, however I'm stuck with it now. Heh, could be worse. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Ripdon007 on February 04, 2014, 03:14:55 AM I was at a local meetup not too long ago and had around 40 people present and 1 Woman/Girl... I felt sorry for her.. I think she was a tourist from Germany with her brother or boyfriend... i couldn't really tell lol
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: exstasie on February 04, 2014, 05:25:20 PM well, you can't deny that most women have no interest in it. All women i know including the gf just doesn't want to think about global economics, real reasons why countries are at war, bitcoin etc. Some literally say it like that, "I just don't want to think about that stuff". A bit like 'ignorance is bliss'. Majority of women is like that, so when she says they were surprised she actually had interest and knowledge about it, that's completely logical, I'd be surprised too. The guy creepily touching her, well that's just bad luck she had to be standing next to someone like that. Isn't it the man/husbands job to deal with all of the finances and investments?? I don't agree with that statement, but it seem ring true. Most gf/wifes I know could careless about finances/investments/bills and leave everything up to the husband/bf to deal with. Though it does seem these that majority of the women I talk to are aware of Bitcoins, and know all about it. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: yayayo on February 04, 2014, 09:46:45 PM well, you can't deny that most women have no interest in it. All women i know including the gf just doesn't want to think about global economics, real reasons why countries are at war, bitcoin etc. Some literally say it like that, "I just don't want to think about that stuff". A bit like 'ignorance is bliss'. Majority of women is like that, so when she says they were surprised she actually had interest and knowledge about it, that's completely logical, I'd be surprised too. That's simply true. ya.ya.yo! Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: tjohej on July 24, 2014, 05:43:56 PM The thread started on 2014-01-24 and the last post is from 2014-02-04.
The reason I found the thread was because I was searching for any references in the Bitcoin community about Anita Sarkeesian. I wondered "does she accept Bitcoin?". Anyway this is the only thread I found which referenced her person and that in a negative light unfortunately. The Bitcoin community has some sexists but they also have people who are upset by violence against women. They want to shut us up and degrade and insult us for just wanting a more just world. We are not demanding anything from a utopia. Just more respect and love. As it is now less women take an interest in Bitcoin thanks to the sexists and their hateful ways which equals less participants in Bitcoin. Here's a summary of people's stance on women in early 2014: page1 surebet links[1](link was broken but is now fixed) to Arianna Simpson's webpage which starts the thread. Paladin69 posts a sexist youtube video "Christian Ice - TITS OR GTFO" to repeat all the known stereotypes we've already been bothered to death with thousands of times over. 31337157 thinks that Arianna Simpson's sexism experience is the exception, not the rule. "No, actually, that's not what it's like to be a woman at a bitcoin meeting" SirWilliam is not positive of Arianna Simpson's writing style "Her account is full of cartoonish generalizations". Zeal0t thinks the men are not to blame for what happened during the assault "can you really blame a room full of mega nerds for not at all knowing how to treat a woman?". Paladin69 reaffirms previous opinion "don't dress like a cock tease.". kjlimo doesn't have time for this thread. "Not all meetups are the same" Junko expresses enjoyment of the video Paladin69 posted fancy_pants doesn't think that Arianna Simpson was assaulted as a female, but as a human. "I don't think you were hit on and practically groped because you are a woman" Zeal0t agrees with fancy_pants "Nice" freedomno1 comments on that he has never met a woman at a Bitcoin meetup. "I have attended bitcoin meetups and no girls have appeared" Bitware does not like how Arianna Simpson presented her story "emotion, lies and misrepresentations" Grinder "we're supposed to be living in the civilized part of the world" PhydeauxLeChien thinks we should not exclude 50% of potential entrants in the Bitcoin Community. Treat women as our allies, not enemies. Rygon thinks that women should fight back if they are victims of sexism. "the author choose not to fight back" Bitware thinks Arianna Simpson and Anita Sarkeesian are liars. "Anita Sarkeesian did the same thing to the tune of $160 thousand re feminist video game commentary." PhydeauxLeChien doesn't personally know Arianna Simpson but thinks her story is strongly connected to reality. "The core tenet of feminism is merely that men and women should be treated equally." 100x is disgusted by the sexism in this thread. "The amount of sexism in this thread is sad and pathetic." surebet thinks that most of the posters in the thread are terrible people. "Most of you are terrible people." pabloangello "Most of people here are mens that when see nice lady start to think by their dicks." page2 freedomno1 "Well at least this is the right demographic to ask lol" mailmansDOG not related to the thread "internet gold" Gabi thinks that gender should not matter in the Bitcoin community. "Ridicolous. Sex does not matter in bitcoin" Bitware doesn't like political correctness. "She and those like her live in the world of whimsy, emotion, political correctness and what they try to do is alter your speech". Note: Don't forget that political correctness includes choosing words to not offend other people. cryptoanarchist agrees with 31337157 but would also like to personally insult Arianna Simpson exstasie would like to see pictures "Any pics?" anti-scam doesn't like this thread. "rather than working on stuff like the payment protocol" surebet reaffirms previous opinion. "Terrible people, terrible people everywhere." greyhawk thinks surebet should stop thinking about terrible people. "The suprising part is where you're still surprised." PhydeauxLeChien thinks Bitware is funny "You're hilarious" VforVictory talks about hormones. PhydeauxLeChien "EVIL MAN-BASHING FEMINIST CONSPIRACY!" Bitcopia wonders why the thread is in the Press section. "Why is this thread in press?" Junko makes fun of the situation that no women want to join the Bitcoin community. VforVictory got a bit confused on what Junko said. Junko "Who said I wanted to relate to feminism/feminists?" yayayo thinks that thinking is overrated. Grinder thinks the women-hating atmosphere has gone too far. "You will probably never even realize how big a disservice you're doing to Bitcoin by posting all these stuipd remarks." Junko feels insulted "I only hope bitcoin can recover from this great disservice I've rendered upon it." yayayo thinks that Bitcoin as a divine entity does not care about sexism. "Bitcoin doesn't care, cause it has no sex." page3 VforVictory "<Men run screaming for fear of gay jokes" Grinder thinks it is worthwhile to start a flamewar with the help of Junko Junko would certainly like the flamewar to begin if somebody just provides the fire. Grinder thinks it is appropriate as part of the flame to make women look stupid. Junko notes it is stupid to make fun of women as part of a flamewar."That kind of remark is a disservice not only to your aunt" C. Bergmann "No problem at all. Girls, join the meetups. You'll never felt more pretty" marcus_of_augustus thinks people should stop posting in the thread "Can't we let this thread die already?" surebet disagrees with marcus_of_augustus cryptoanarchist blames the mother. "Definitely getting to see who the awkward geeks are that still worship women because they feel inadequate due to growing up with an overbearing mother." prophetx replies to Bitcopia whether the thread is in the right forum section. 100x thinks that the sexism and hate prevalent in the thread is a hostile environment and doesn't encourage discussion but only name calling and insults. "I had a nice snarky post all written, but in the interest of being a positive contributor I begrudingly removed it." prophetx thinks it matters a lot if a woman is called a girl, instead of being called a woman. 100x is not much for a greater discussion in a hostile woman-hating environment. prophetx replies to 100x embracebitcoin thinks most women prefer ignorance to knowledge. "A bit like 'ignorance is bliss'." Le Happy Merchant says thank you and leaves the thread alone. xyzzy099 gets turned on by surebet's avatar. surebet comments about the avatar, that it could be worse than what it looks. Ripdon007 mentions another Bitcoin meetup where women were the minority and men were the majority. "and had around 40 people present and 1 Woman/Girl" page4 exstasie "Though it does seem these that majority of the women I talk to are aware of Bitcoins, and know all about it." yayayo agrees with embracebitcoin tjohej "The reason I found the thread was because I was searching for any references in the Bitcoin community about Anita Sarkeesian" surebet says page is going down elasticband is dissatisfied with something ThomasCrowne "Only meetings I've ever attended are up here in Portland and there is a growing female presence attending seemingly every other week." tjohej on link-rot Grinder to tjohej "Wow, you must really enjoy building straw men." dontCAREhair to ThomasCrowne "Overall bitcoin use is mostly male by a large amount so any females that use bitcoin will be met with a bit of skepticism." Erdogan thinks surebet was paid by someone to start this thread nwfella thinks one of the men are not to blame for what happened during the assault "Apologies but it's good that you realize that in his own sort of awkward way he was probably trying to pay you a compliment." cryptoanarchist blames surebet nwfella found cryptoanarchist's ways violent "And your more than likely right to boot." Swordsoffreedom if the demographics on gender have changed recently surebet replies to Erdogan CoinMode irritated by tjohej's summary of the thread turvarya thinks that how women dress matter when going to a Bitcoin meetup. "Yes it matters how she was dressed and also her body language." tjohej "This isn't a thread about Anita Sarkeesian" refs: [1] -- http://web.archive.org/web/20140207235615/http://ariannasimpson.com/post/74400025051/this-is-what-its-like-to-be-a-woman-at-a-bitcoin (link was broken so replaced it with WayBack Machine) Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: surebet on July 24, 2014, 08:40:09 PM OP updated to reflect page going down.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: elasticband on July 24, 2014, 08:46:19 PM Sounds like mr dupree jr, mr joesmoe himself.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: ThomasCrowne on July 25, 2014, 05:32:07 AM Hope your experience was geography specific. Only meetings I've ever attended are up here in Portland and there is a growing female presence attending seemingly every other week.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: tjohej on July 27, 2014, 01:20:34 PM OP updated to reflect page going down. You fixed the link-rotTitle: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Grinder on July 27, 2014, 05:27:44 PM Here's a summary of people's stance on women in early 2014: Wow, you must really enjoy building straw men. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: dontCAREhair on July 27, 2014, 05:55:53 PM Hope your experience was geography specific. Only meetings I've ever attended are up here in Portland and there is a growing female presence attending seemingly every other week. Overall bitcoin use is mostly male by a large amount so any females that use bitcoin will be met with a bit of skepticism. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Erdogan on July 27, 2014, 06:31:34 PM OP is a paid shill. My gawd, they are everywhere. Must mean something. To da moon!!
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: nwfella on July 27, 2014, 07:31:06 PM Boy. That's kind of a messed up first meeting. Apologies but it's good that you realize that in his own sort of awkward way he was probably trying to pay you a compliment. Thing you have to realize about most of us bitcoiners is that for the most part we are a fairly socially awkward and at times inept crew (especially in the presence of attractive women or any female for that matter). Hopefully this won't discourage you from visiting other bitcoin meetups, I promise there are some really nice fellas involved with BTC too :)
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: cryptoanarchist on July 27, 2014, 09:11:18 PM Boy. That's kind of a messed up first meeting. Apologies but it's good that you realize that in his own sort of awkward way he was probably trying to pay you a compliment. Thing you have to realize about most of us bitcoiners is that for the most part we are a fairly socially awkward and at times inept crew (especially in the presence of attractive women or any female for that matter). Hopefully this won't discourage you from visiting other bitcoin meetups, I promise there are some really nice fellas involved with BTC too :) Speak for yourself. As someone who actually still has functioning testicles, let me assure you that the OP is full of shit, and is using a common princess tactic of playing the victim to manipulate your white-knight-mangina-disney-programming. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: nwfella on July 27, 2014, 10:07:28 PM Boy. That's kind of a messed up first meeting. Apologies but it's good that you realize that in his own sort of awkward way he was probably trying to pay you a compliment. Thing you have to realize about most of us bitcoiners is that for the most part we are a fairly socially awkward and at times inept crew (especially in the presence of attractive women or any female for that matter). Hopefully this won't discourage you from visiting other bitcoin meetups, I promise there are some really nice fellas involved with BTC too :) Speak for yourself. As someone who actually still has functioning testicles, let me assure you that the OP is full of shit, and is using a common princess tactic of playing the victim to manipulate your white-knight-mangina-disney-programming. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: Swordsoffreedom on July 28, 2014, 12:44:47 AM Fine since this topic was reopened I was wondering if anyone in the forum open question has seen more women at Bitcoin meetups over the last 6 months seems like a fairly decent period to observe in.
Or are the demographics still the same a lot more adoption overstock, Expedia, Dish Network etc. Might have a small demographic effect on new interested woman users. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: surebet on July 28, 2014, 02:42:12 AM OP is a paid shill. My gawd, they are everywhere. Must mean something. To da moon!! As a member of the know paid shill forum something awful dot com, with ties to the popular bitcoin blog buttcoin.org, I can confirm that we are paid by the bankers to keep y'all down. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: CoinMode on July 28, 2014, 03:47:25 AM The thread started on 2014-01-24 and the last post is from 2014-02-04. The reason I found the thread was because I was searching for any references in the Bitcoin community about Anita Sarkeesian. Anita is sexist against all men to an absolute extreme, and the biggest hypocrite you can find on the internet. She says that if a man is saving a woman in a video game, then it must mean that the woman is portrayed as totally helpless. She also says that if a woman is the hero and sacrificing her safety to save others, then the game is promoting violence towards women. Nothing that Anita says ever holds true across any of her claims. No matter what happens in a game, it is always portraying women badly from her warped perspective. It is the classic "have your cake and eat it too" example of a hypocrite. Sorry, you just can't have it both ways, ever. You seem to have fallen for the neo-liberal fallacy, in that, because there exist 50% women in the population, that all jobs, hobbies, and sports should consist of 50% women. By your logic, 50% of Alaskan crab fishing should be female, 50% of bodybuilders should be female, and 50% of preschool teachers should be male. What you fail to understand is that men and women are measurably different. Men are physically stronger, taller, and cannot give birth. There are a multitude of factors that go into the gender imbalance throughout all jobs, hobbies, and sports. If you cannot acknowledge basic reality, then please don't go around spreading your illogical nonsense. There is no worldwide conspiracy or some unspoken code that men who use bitcoin live by in order to keep women out. Women are the reason that there are not more women bitcoiners. When they see that it can benefit them, more women will join the cause. That is where you come in. Instead of running around and pointing your hateful fingers at every man in the world, how about you actually do something positive and help get more women involved? Or do you just want to spread hatred like Anita? You will no doubt accuse me of being sexist. That appears to be your only way of arguing, using fallacies like ad hominem to attack the arguer instead of the argument. Notice how I never said women are either good or bad at anything. I never made any generalizations at all. So don't be a bigot and claim that I'm somehow a sexist, please. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: turvarya on July 28, 2014, 07:38:59 AM I didn't read the whole thing, but like always there seems to be a lot of morons on both sites.
I just want to point one thing out: Yes it matters how she was dressed and also her body language. I don't know about this particular Meetup, I wasn't there. So maybe what I say, doesn't apply here. If you walk in a bad neighborhood, dressed all slutty, than you don't have the right to tell everybody what pigs are men, when somebody asks you how much "it" costs. If you sit in a meeting with a dirty shirt and everybody else is dressed business-style, you can't complain, if they don't take you seriously. If you are in a meeting and your body language is all flirty(e.g. winking at men) than you can't complain, if they are going to hit on you. Every human being takes part in how it is treated by other human beings. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: tjohej on July 28, 2014, 10:47:20 AM This thread is about Arianna Simpson's experience at a Bitcoin meetup.
Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: CoinMode on July 28, 2014, 11:52:29 AM This thread is about Arianna Simpson's experience at a Bitcoin meetup. If what she is saying in her article is completely true, then the "men" at that particular meetup need to learn a serious lesson in basic manners and respect. However, it does appear to be a very sensationalized version of events due to the style of her writing, and the fact that she generalizes all bitcoin meetups from her onetime experience shows a major penchant for forming prejudice based on limited interactions. If you find yourself at a bitcoin meetup or conference, please be on your best behavior at all times, whether you are a man or a woman. Don't discriminate against anybody for any reason. That is the exact opposite of what we are about. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: surebet on July 28, 2014, 08:17:50 PM I didn't read the whole thing, but like always there seems to be a lot of morons on both sites. I just want to point one thing out: Yes it matters how she was dressed and also her body language. I don't know about this particular Meetup, I wasn't there. So maybe what I say, doesn't apply here. If you walk in a bad neighborhood, dressed all slutty, than you don't have the right to tell everybody what pigs are men, when somebody asks you how much "it" costs. If you sit in a meeting with a dirty shirt and everybody else is dressed business-style, you can't complain, if they don't take you seriously. If you are in a meeting and your body language is all flirty(e.g. winking at men) than you can't complain, if they are going to hit on you. Every human being takes part in how it is treated by other human beings. You are entitled to your opinion when you see someone, but you are not entitled to sexually harass a women just because she's "dressing slutty", especially since it's a super fucking subjective quantifier. Also, you're a complete moron if you stop at a person's appearance in a meeting, some of the most important stuff I've had to say was the morning after I spent a straight night working on something. You better be god damned sure what I have to say will rock your world if I come in a meeting with a coffee stain on my shirt and my sleeves rolled up. Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: tjohej on July 29, 2014, 06:52:31 AM Every human being takes part in how it is treated by other human beings. turvarya, are you saying that if the same harassment happened to a woman in a new meeting that all men should stay silent, totally neutral and do nothing?Title: Re: 2014-01-24 - This is What it’s Like to Be a Woman at a Bitcoin Meetup Post by: rocking1805 on July 29, 2014, 06:56:01 AM Being a woman on a Bitcoin Meetup is probably the same to being a woman on a Warcraft or Battlefield Meetup :D With 100% probability this woman will get too much attention, with no exclusions
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