Feds Spend $345,019 To Make Computers With ‘Gender Sensitive Designs’

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
The gist of the idea is solid: women/females do not participate at the same rate as males do in the computer sciences. Further, the level of participation is markedly different. For example, it isn't often you find female database designers.

The approach....can't say that its good use of funding. But honestly, I can't say that it is a terrible use of funding, either. I can see some abstract ways that benefit could be had.

I think the root problem is that women have less overall participation in the non-biological sciences to begin with.

TL;DR: lets not throw out the baby with the bath water here.

I work in IT and you may have been right about 15 years ago but there are just as many women in the technical jobs where I work as men. This is such a stupid idea. I fear for our future. This PC crap had gone too far 20 years ago, yet its still rolling like a dog poo on an ice rink.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

I've got two middle fingers I've been keeping in a lock box in case of emergency.
Might be time to bust those puppies out and put them to proper use.

a reply to: GENERAL EYES

How are they going to fit into the workforce when they can't focus or concentrate on the task at hand because of "rabid pronoun sensitivity"?

I like that, 'rabid pronoun sensitivity'.

I don't see how he/she can be taken as an 'insult' .

I wish those with rapid pronoun sensitivity would direct their energies in the getting rid of the hypenated American instead since they are all so fire concerned with 'inclusiveness'

I will agree the future of this country is frightning.

Looks like hope is a fleeting thought.

IMO it is infinitely preferable that someone DOES study the issue and figure out whether it is real or not, than that it is decided by a bunch of misogynist comments on a forum like this.

With all the weird, fruitless and/or just insane ideas put into motion or even just pondered in public view, it's pretty easy to see how civilized species can go extinct overnight.

I'm not saying that having another design for PCs is going to destroy us all, but it's the fact that the thought process of many in charge aren't on really important species evolving issues, it's mostly personalized tidbits that basically if you really investigate, aren't really that big of an issue as they're being pushed to be.

With this said, I thought the movie hackers taught us how to customized our PCs and Laptops to our own taste, via some spray paint and tape or stencils, so why can't that just happen, people don't know how to spray paint or customized their own items? I'm pretty sure I see it on a daily basis, are these old farts that out of touch with society that they think it's the PCs shape and color that is the problem and not the blatant stereotyping of women in media that could problem of our S.T.E.M. Careers being one sided gender wise. I still see women being portrayed as anything but scientists, programmers and web developers in media.

At the same time, this could also be argued about fathers in the media as well.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6

originally posted by: neo96
That terminology is used basically because everyone understands it, and requires little explanation.

If this gender fluidity nonsense catches on, the above common sense and standard knowledge will be lost within a generation or two. Western society has parodied the Biblical verse "choking on gnats while swallowing camels." But sure, let's go ahead and waste another $350,000 as supported largely by people who dismiss the "tiny amount of money" it represents while utterly losing their proverbial *snip* over a politician who proposes any $350,000 cut to a program they love.

Take a look at my avatar! I put it there versus the scary clown I had up last election for a reason! I watched that movie when it came out and thought it was one of dumbest movies I have ever seen?

I watch it now? Pretty much describes the state of the western world......

I can see it as beneficial, especially if the the research is getting more into the user interface then the physical computer itself. I can think of much worse things tax dollars can/is spent on.

However, I would think private corporations like Apple and Microsoft have already done much of this research. The research/information could have been bought cheaper or even for a small concession rather then spending $345K+ repeating much of the same research.

originally posted by: Aloysius the Gaul
IMO it is infinitely preferable that someone DOES study the issue and figure out whether it is real or not, than that it is decided by a bunch of misogynist comments on a forum like this.

Considering all the women in IT roles it would have been raised by now. Better that those who have no choice to use the technology for their livelihoods raise the issue than a bunch of bonehead researchers trying to justify the money for this nonsense. Heard a lot of complaints from women in IT over the years. Never once has this issue been raised.

a reply to: neo96

And the question is, how spending all that money is going to help with productivity?

a reply to: Reallyfolks

Given the comments on this thread, how many of their (mostly male) managers do you think might have paid any attention to anything they said??

originally posted by: Aloysius the Gaul
a reply to: Reallyfolks

Given the comments on this thread, how many of their (mostly male) managers do you think might have paid any attention to anything they said??

Disagreeing with a problem raised by a handful of women isn't misogyny any more than disagreeing with the platform of the current president equals racism. It just means we disagree with how our tax dollars are being spent.

I like to follow the money on topics like this one.

Women's issues are a big part of the political landscape now and funding for something like this is likely easy to come by.

If changes would get more women to buy into technology and computers, the companies developing them would be all over it all ready, years ago. In fact they have with case designs.

To be honest I can't think of a single woman I know who does not have at least a laptop or tablet and uses it constantly.

Easy money to be had for women's issues, so anyone wanting funding to justify their work is of course going to do something like this to get their share. I think the real topic is how much of our tax dollars are going to junk science and junk studies?

a reply to: neo96
It wont end till the next generation looks like this.



And we are all androgynous, mindless sheep.

originally posted by: Aloysius the Gaul
IMO it is infinitely preferable that someone DOES study the issue and figure out whether it is real or not, than that it is decided by a bunch of misogynist comments on a forum like this.

Aww, I'm sorry. You might want to find a new forum that is more sensitive towards how you feel.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

I also think that we should take the approach of making it okay for women to be logical and men to be emotional.

I honestly don't know what kind of changes could be made to computers to make them more gender-friendly, so I can't say anything about what my opinion on that is... although I am a bit wary.

originally posted by: Aloysius the Gaul
a reply to: Reallyfolks

Given the comments on this thread, how many of their (mostly male) managers do you think might have paid any attention to anything they said??

I think you have a very jaded and inaccurate view of the makeup of it management. The split tends to be women tend to move more development, programming, project management ( split pretty evenly) design, etc. Men tend to gravitate towards infrastructure ( engineering, networking, storage,etc) database seems to also split. Just as many women managers as men in the fields each one tends to split into. If it was an issue being raised by women, their women managers would be listening.

But just like men over the past two plus decades complaints come down to getting the proper tools, too many projects not enough staff, proper balance of contractors/employees, making the business understand IT, lack or too many standards. Even like the men I work so many freaking hours I got dumped, and so on.

As this has no bearing on job, pay or performance, nobody cares. The only ones who do are social warriors, bonehead researchers, governments who always waste money, and other non important people who want to make it an issue. Really, if I had ever heard this raised I would tell you. iT teams tend to be tight, tell each other anything bother them.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: neo96

And the question is, how spending all that money is going to help with productivity?

None what so ever.

Microsoft, and Apple, and CISCO, and well as other technology giants have spent TRILLIONS over decades in R and D.

On the platforms everyone currently uses.

Gender was never an issue. Because both men and women's money spends the same.

a reply to: neo96

I promise to make anyone that asks.....one of these gender neutral computer interfaces - it's my own patented design (I lie, my grandmother made it)......still, yours for just $19.95 + postage and handling.

settle down ladies, there are plenty to go around to ensure you are ahead of the trend-setter game.

I'm just waiting for the day that my PC refuses to execute a program because it feels that I don't appreciate it enough, or that I'm emotionally absent while interacting with it...

WTF? Over.

a reply to: neo96

It most be nice to spend the tax payer dollars on nothing but stupidity, I don't feel in anyway or form discriminated by my computer.