In the same way I try not to make racist commentary to teach people about programming, I don’t think it is useful to make outdated remarks about women either. Mr Martin seems to agree with me, and he’s since updated the post.

Although he had done his best to strip the piece of sexist ideas, all he had done was to remove “he” and “she” from the piece. Many of the other ideas still were from the view of a 50’s style man’s view of the world, where women were objects to collect and conquer, along with femme fatales luring men to their doom.

I am not suggesting this is how Martin thinks, or necessarily acts, but many people (including me) are tired of these outdated stereotypes, which only serve to reinforce prejudiced ideas and systematic inequalities. These ideas are from the past, but they certainly aren’t stuck there.

Many of my smartest friends have been told that they cannot be promoted because they were women, as well as being treated like secretaries, looking after the menfolk doing hard work. This and countless other smaller incidents slowly grind down on the minorities in technology, those most vulnerable to stereotype threat.

I’ve talked about this before with Dweck’s research on gender differences. There are stereotypes that “girls can’t do math, and boys can” which are encouraged in children. Dweck’s work is really fascinating and worth a read, but in essence, if we stop telling children that mathematics ability is a gift, they will stop believing the stereotypes to be true.

Rehashing old stereotypes can be a funny joke, but we haven’t really progressed to the point where they can’t hurt anymore. These pieces little by little push people out of technology. Currently, half of the women in tech leave after a few years.

I am not asking you to put down the penis jokes. I like penis jokes. I’m just saying that I don’t always appreciate them in technical material. I also teach children as well as grown ups. People from either group don’t always appreciate unnecessary sexual commentary in their learning materials. 

Meanwhile, Martin’s new version has succeeded in communicating his thoughts without making it sound like a frat-boy diatribe.

I am just trying not to be a dick, and I want Martin not to be a dick too. I also try not to make cancer jokes around people who are watching their loved ones die. There is a time and a place for self indulgent jokes about harems, concubines, and the family jewels.

Is it too much to ask to point out that talking about frameworks is neither the time, or the place?