The Student Room Group

Top Linux developer outed as a rape apologist

A top diversity & inclusion consultant has outed Ted Tso, a board member, as a rape apologist.

This comes two days after an uproar in the Linux community over the change from a vague Code of Conflict, which basically stated 'be civil', to a Code of Conduct akin to that of Node.js, the outrage being caused by the fact that the CoC literally just wants people to be nice to each other. Tso, suspiciously enough, was one of the four board members who voted against the new CoC. Perhaps because he has something to hide?

https://twitter.com/_sagesharp_/status/1042769399596437504

This is why diversity in tech is important. An all male space is one in which this kind of unacceptable "locker room talk" is all too pervasive. Unless Linux changes its ways, it will be left behind as all the talent go to work for less toxic employers.
(edited 5 years ago)

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Original post by AngeryPenguin
A top diversity & inclusion consultant has outed Ted Tso, a board member, as a rape apologist.

This comes two days after an uproar in the Linux community over the change from a vague Code of Conflict, which basically stated 'be civil', to a Code of Conduct akin to that of Node.js, the outrage being caused by the fact that the CoC literally just wants people to be nice to each other. Tso, suspiciously enough, was one of the four board members who voted against the new CoC. Perhaps because he has something to hide?

https://twitter.com/_sagesharp_/status/1042769399596437504

This is why diversity in tech is important. An all white male space is one in which this kind of unacceptable "locker room talk" is all too pervasive. Unless Linux changes its ways, it will be left behind as all the talent go to work for less toxic employers.


Geeks having problems talking to each other isn't going to be solved by diversity.
Original post by tashkent46
Geeks having problems talking to each other isn't going to be solved by diversity.


No, but it will help solve the issue of geeks in tech thinking it is okay to talk **** about minorities or feel safe having "locker-room talk".
Best way to handle the left when they infect an organisation is to leave and start fresh.
Reply 4
From your link's link to the wikia, it seems the two objectionable things Tso did were:

1) Try to make a distinction between rape involving force, threats or violence, and rape without. But specifically stating the lack of force, threats or violence does not make that rape less of a crime. I'm not sure where he's going with that, but it's true. A victim of a crime, and a victim of the same crime plus a broken arm (for example) are obviously distinguishable.

2) Point out that to be guilty of rape, you have to be conscious of the fact that your victim is not consenting. The laws may be different over there to here, but certainly in Britain this is true. To have committed a rape, you have to have sex with someone without their consent, but also do so believing they do not consent. Rarely do people actually verbally give consent to have sex, but it is obvious they are consenting.

If these are the two most objectionable things Tso did, then I don't see how Sharp (or anyone) can conclude Tso is a rape apologist. Unless the angle is to smear someone in the hope of getting him replaced with a woman.
Original post by DrMikeHuntHertz
Best way to handle the left when they infect an organisation is to leave and start fresh.


The diversity consultant here isn't part of the Linux project. She works at Otter Tech, as you can see from her Twitter account, her own company which "provides
diversity & inclusion consulting, including Code of Conduct incident response training".

And this isn't leftist, it is normal. Theresa May herself has done far more "left-wing" things, such as calling for racial quotas in the police, yet she leads the country's largest right-wing parties.
Reply 6
Original post by AngeryPenguin

This is why diversity in tech is important. An all white male space is one in which this kind of unacceptable "locker room talk" is all too pervasive. Unless Linux changes its ways, it will be left behind as all the talent go to work for less toxic employers.


Linux is free open source. It will be fine :laugh:

And isn't Ted Tso asian?
Original post by AngeryPenguin

This is why diversity in tech is important. An all male space is one in which this kind of unacceptable "locker room talk" is all too pervasive. Unless Linux changes its ways, it will be left behind as all the talent go to work for less toxic employers.


Sadly not. After 17 years in the industry I think it fair to say that "locker room talk" is pretty rife at all levels. It is how men in men-only environments talk. I am not justifying it. I now find it rather vulgar but it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. It will only ever be challenged by women who are generally the targets of such discussions yet women are put off precisely because of those discussions. Until men start challenging other men, nothing will happen but I think a lack of education and a feeling by men who are called out of victimisation will mean change will be slow if non-existent. I genuinely don't know what the solution is.
Original post by AngeryPenguin
The diversity consultant here isn't part of the Linux project. She works at Otter Tech, as you can see from her Twitter account, her own company which "provides
diversity & inclusion consulting, including Code of Conduct incident response training".

And this isn't leftist, it is normal. Theresa May herself has done far more "left-wing" things, such as calling for racial quotas in the police, yet she leads the country's largest right-wing parties.


I consider the 'Conservatives' to be Blue Labour.
The 'Linux community' - how exactly are you defining that?

There are literally thousands of people who contribute to the Linux mainline kernel, the different distribution projects and the software packages which make up those distributions. Talk about tarring people with the same brush. 😂😂😂
I couldn’t give a **** about the gender makeup of a board or how diverse it is.
Hillary Clinton is a rape apologist. Do you think that the Democratic Party in the US needs to change its ways?
Original post by Trinculo
Hillary Clinton is a rape apologist. Do you think that the Democratic Party in the US needs to change its ways?

Nope. Only organisations led by white men need to.....
Original post by AngeryPenguin
No, but it will help solve the issue of geeks in tech thinking it is okay to talk **** about minorities or feel safe having "locker-room talk".


So, by minorities you mean men, then? Because all sorts of people contribute to the mainline Linux kernel, individual distribution projects and software packages which make up those distributions. We have people from all sorts of different walks of life, creed, race and sexuality make contribution to the related projects.
Original post by Andrew97
Nope. Only organisations led by white men need to.....


Well...you could say Chuck Schumer is kind of leader.

It's not impossible that Bernie or that weird Beto o'Rourke guy become the candidate for the Dems.
Original post by AngeryPenguin
The diversity consultant here isn't part of the Linux project. She works at Otter Tech, as you can see from her Twitter account, her own company which "provides
diversity & inclusion consulting, including Code of Conduct incident response training".

And this isn't leftist, it is normal. Theresa May herself has done far more "left-wing" things, such as calling for racial quotas in the police, yet she leads the country's largest right-wing parties.


No it isn't normal and quotas are inherently racist and sexist, they are effectively saying "You are not capable and need government help."
Original post by AngeryPenguin
A top diversity & inclusion consultant has outed Ted Tso, a board member, as a rape apologist.

The funny thing about this is, without any real evidence, their accusation is actually against the CoC that they wanted in the first place.The CoC is so vague, and just alludes to any 'public shaming' or 'harassment' - which this definitely could be argued to be so (unless evidence is given).

This comes two days after an uproar in the Linux community over the change from a vague Code of Conflict, which basically stated 'be civil', to a Code of Conduct akin to that of Node.js, the outrage being caused by the fact that the CoC literally just wants people to be nice to each other.

Its more to do with the systems put in place by the CoC. The new rules are far to loose and easily interpretative, and the punishments for not following them are severe. Meaning that in theory, anyone could be called out with no evidence, and cast out from the community.

Tso, suspiciously enough, was one of the four board members who voted against the new CoC. Perhaps because he has something to hide?

Maybe, or maybe he just didn't agree with it ideologically.

https://twitter.com/_sagesharp_/status/1042769399596437504

This is why diversity in tech is important.

The person being cast out, is a minority?? Is he not minority enough?

An all male space is one in which this kind of unacceptable "locker room talk" is all too pervasive.

True, but then what are you going to do? Force people to go against the way their brains work? All psychological evidence points to a substantial difference between men and women, in that men are interested in things, processes and how things work, and women are on average, far more interested in people, living things, relationships etc. There will be some women who are not average, and for those - every effort should be made to make them feel as welcome as possible. But you are never going to get a non-male dominated tech industry. Its a fantasy.

Unless Linux changes its ways, it will be left behind as all the talent go to work for less toxic employers.

Doubtful - Linux has been doing pretty fine. There's no evidence to suggest that its being hurt by a lack of talent, in any way other then by the financial pull of major tech companies luring potential supporters away.




Their critique seems to be that the new CoC gives far to much power to remove members based on very loose accusations, with no process for appeal or any possibilities


see bold

I don't have a lot of time for this story - it just a nerdy male community reacting as they always do, when an outsider threatens their 'safe space'

But, what does annoy me, is trying to use this as a more wider way of attacking the tech industry and diversity in general.

In this case, a white individual who has decided they are a minority because of the clothes they like to wear, has just tried kicked out an actual minority from a profession, under the name of diversity! - its stupid.
Original post by AngeryPenguin

Unless Linux changes its ways, it will be left behind as all the talent go to work for less toxic employers.


Which employers would these be?
Original post by fallen_acorns
Their critique seems to be that the new CoC gives far to much power to remove members based on very loose accusations, with no process for appeal or any possibilities


see bold

I don't have a lot of time for this story - it just a nerdy male community reacting as they always do, when an outsider threatens their 'safe space'

But, what does annoy me, is trying to use this as a more wider way of attacking the tech industry and diversity in general.

In this case, a white individual who has decided they are a minority because of the clothes they like to wear, has just tried kicked out an actual minority from a profession, under the name of diversity! - its stupid.

Ah but who Trumps who in that particular oppression Olympics?
Original post by Just my opinion
Ah but who Trumps who in that particular oppression Olympics?


'gender non-binary white' vs 'male east asian'

first wins everyday these days..

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