undefined | Better HN

0 pointsdcposch10y ago0 comments

I think the new outrage culture is toxic.

It's a really tight knit subculture with its own rules and a vicious ingroup/outgroup attitude.

Like goths or old school hippies, they have a distinct way of dressing and signalling to each other that they belong: purple or pink hair, Twitter profiles that specify "he/him" or "she/her" even when it's obvious, using words like "mansplaining", etc

Outrage culture is a kind of conspiracy theory: people who are into it see oppression and harassment everywhere, and cast themselves as victims.

Here's a great explanation of the history and ideology of outrage culture: https://youtube.com/watch?v=cYpELqKZ02Q

---

Github has been taken over by outrage culture. Check out this insane story from earlier this year: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11049067

* Leaked internal HR slides talking about how "white women" are often "part of the problem"

* An employee casually mentioning to BusinessWeek that "it's hard to even interview white people"

* One Github executive sending this flagrantly illegal tweet: http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/56b3d2f12e526555008...

Imagine the instant EEOC investigation if that tweet said "black, male" instead of "white, male".

Anyway, Zach Holman is also a white male. I don't want to speculate on exactly what went down, but the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong that he was railroaded out of the company in the wake of the Julie Hovarth scandal.

I don't in any way defend the most visible opponents of outrage culture -- rank bigots like r/RedPill, Trump enthusiasts, and so on.

I just want to point out that outrage culture is, itself, bigoted and intolerant, just in a different way.

I really respect Zach. I learned how to give better talks from his amazing ones. He was the face of Github to me and I wish him the best!

0 comments

3 comments · 2 top-level

untog10y ago· 1 in thread

> I think the new outrage culture is toxic.

Agreed.

> Outrage culture is a kind of conspiracy theory: people who are into it see oppression and harassment everywhere, and cast themselves as victims.

Definitely.

> Zach Holman is also a white male. I don't want to speculate on exactly what went down, but the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong that he was railroaded out of the company...

Oh. It's almost like you forgot the last few paragraphs you wrote when you got to this point. Talk about conspiracy theory...

dcposchOP10y ago

No, that's different.

Julie Hovarth and Zach were partners at one point. Later they broke up, and after the big story of her exit from Github, she told journalists that Zach:

> "was complicit in the actions of both Tom and Theresa Preston-Werner and even admitted to plotting with Theresa Preston-Werner to get women at the company fired. He should be let go from GitHub and I regret being kind to him in previous interviews."

Source: http://www.dailydot.com/business/julie-ann-horvath-names-git...

This strikes me as unprofessional and dishonest.

Combine that with the statements by the new Github executives who came in after Tom Preston-Warner's departure, especially this rather unbelievable tweet: http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/56b3d2f12e526555008...

Ironically, the new leadership has created an environment of bullying and bigotry. They are fighting what they see as intolerance with intolerance of their own.

You're right that I shouldn't have speculated about specifics.

But I think we can both agree that when someone's being accused of vague transgressions by people this patently biased, fired, and not allowed to talk about why, we should treat that with healthy skepticism.

argonaut10y ago

Not only does this have nothing to do with what I said, but it's also ridiculous even if it had any bearing on what I said. If Julie actually won, Github would have agreed she was sexually harassed. They did not do so, and she was not happy with how everything turned out. And let's not forget that the CEO is still a white male.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse