"open source" jackassery

[trochee]

I posted this as a comment to a f-locked post on the jackassery, but I'll repost it here:

my previous opinion of [theferret] theferrett was that he was a smart but emotionally-stunted male nerd (well, we know lots of those) who used polyamory rhetoric to sleaze on lots of women and pretend that he was enlightened by doing so.

Now... well, that's all still true. It just makes me annoyed that he calls it "open source". What a fuckwit. That's dragging both male allies and the open source movement into the scum, providing the anecdotal evidence that is all most people will ever need to complete their stereotype (male poly = "lech", open source = "men who can't get laid"). And then to declare it as a "movement", as if software or SF cons need *more* herds of men objectifying women.

I'm not poly, nor do I wish I were, but I can respect (most of) the people who are serious about it. But poly rhetoric interacts with sexism and male privilege (um, mormon rape camps? in the news now) and so men (or little boys in grownup bodies) need to check themselves. It's awesome that the internet (poly, mono, straight & queer, men & women) rose up to smack him down. But I wish this kind of rhetoric wasn't associated with sexual liberation or with open source movements.

How did that little weasel choose such an appropriate username?

Some of my favorite responses:

• A modest proposal from misia
• Nerd culture promotes this from springheel_jack
• Meanwhile, now I see the whole "open source" element and it further pisses me off. It fucking pollutes the lovely philosophy of open source. from badgerbag
• A lovely roundup at FeministSF.net.

Buh. I don't intend to suggest that I have anything intelligent to add that all these brilliant women (and a few men) haven't already said. But sometimes, the stupid, it burns.

ETA: This made Get Off the Internet, which - though tremendous fun to read even when not on fire like this - has really validated its own existence with this scathing description of the original weaseling.

Comments

did you want this unlocked ?

[boobirdsfly.livejournal.com]

Yah, when i saw that a few days ago, i made the choice to stay as far away from it as i could.

Of course, what sucks, is that he is getting all this attention by doing that, which in some cases, people like that don't care if it's negative attention, they just want the attention.
He is getting lots of intelligent people to write intelligent posts about a stupid project that was probably a stunt in the first place.

Gah, the internet sometimes...

Re: did you want this unlocked ?

[trochee.livejournal.com]

I don't mind this unlocked. If someone takes offense at what I'm saying here... that's really their hangup.

I do hear you about "ignore him." I just couldn't let myself stand by and ignore him, though -- I feel like it's important for men, in particular, to say "not okay".

Re: did you want this unlocked ?

[boobirdsfly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hear you.
I am just kind of put off by everyone doing it at some guy who is mostly harmless and did it for attention. He seems like a bit of a scapegoat to me.
So many people don't say anything when the real stuff is happening out there.
I am not trying to judge you. I am glad you wrote about it... but i think you 'll get what i mean.

I guess the guy has a wife. I kind of feel sorry for her right now.