In the blog post, use your own words to write a 250-300 word description of the main setting or setting(s) of your story. DO NOT quote from any news stories or use anyone's words other than your own.
Maybe the physical location is a specific city, or neighborhood, or a specific university or institution or company. What does it look like there? What does it sound like? What's on the horizon? How does it smell? What kind of characters are milling about? What kind of stuff takes place here? Your description should ignite at least THREE of my FIVE senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).
If you feel like there is no single, specific setting in your controversy, STOP. This is warning sign that the selected story doesn't have the specify this project requires. Post a question in the class discussion thread ("Discussions" above) if you'd like feedback from your colleagues about this....
As I reflect on the setting of my controversy, I realize that my issue may be too broad. From here on out, I am going to focus in on “Woman in Tech Tweets About Sexist Dudes in Tech. Dude Gets Fired. Internet Meltdown Ensues”.
In the quaint but elegant, beachy town of Santa Clara, California, PyCon, a conference about Python programing language, was held - close enough to smell the salty ocean air but far enough that the sounds of the city overpowered the sounds of the waves. Men and women came together to share information about their experiences with and studies of programming. They were gathered under the pretense of professionality as delineated by the code of conduct. PyCon specified that “harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for PyCon”. The importance of this specification revolves mainly around the safe environment that was created by the expectation of openness.
In the context of the gender disparity surrounding the involvement of women as compared to men in tech industries, this was an important move on PyCon’s part. The rejection of prejudice, especially sexism, communicated their support of the push for diversification in those employed in technical and leadership positions. At least on the surface.
Despite these efforts, Adria Richards, one of the audience members at a seminar, witnessed exceptional disregard of these standards. A group of men made puerile jokes about “dongles” and “forking” with little regard for the professional context of their surroundings.
Amidst the chatter and commotion of the crowd, these comments stood out to Richards. In an environment aimed at encouraging and accepting and safe environment conducive to the exploration of new technological possibilities, such immaturity created a startling contrast. The ridiculousness of their comments moved Richards to publicize the disparity between their actions. Strong emotions ran through the crowd that day - the excitement of the seminar itself, the humor of the sexual puns, the anger of hearing such degrading comments.
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