Having begun to work more extensively with JavaScript in the last couple years, I naturally took an interest in this particular development. And sadly, this conference will be notable for one significant absentee - Douglas Crockford.
A couple months back, the organizers of Nodevember announced on Twitter that Crockford had been uninvited to the seminar as keynote speaker. Their reason? As follows.
"While we have a tremendous respect for Mr. Crockford's abilities as a
speaker and his contributions to our craft, we became aware that based
on private feedback - not simply the dialogue on Twitter - that his
presence would make some speakers uncomfortable to the point where they
refused to attend or speak."
Now, there could be more to the picture than what was presented. We'll never know, and the organizers aren't telling.
What we can see, are little pieces of whatever picture that took place during Crockford's last presentation prior to the announcement. Apparently, Crockford had made quite a few people uncomfortable during his little talk on The Seif Project. Check out the video below.
At the 41:30 mark, he makes the following assertion
"So the old web was great because it provided promiscuity. It meant that
you could go and connect to anything and you're probably going to be
okay. You might get shocked and embarrassed but your machine's not going
to get taken over, your identity is not going to get stolen. That
hasn't always been true but pretty much the web can do that and that's
good because that allows us to get introduced to things. We used to call
it surfing. That you could go from one thing to another and discover
stuff and start forming relationships. Unfortunately, the same thing
which allows the promiscuity to work is very bad for dealing with
commitment. So that's what the new web is for."
Soon, people were accusing him of slut-shaming the Internet and usage of sexist terminology. And this particular accusation on top of everything.
Say what?
Yep, apparently the word promiscuous was too harsh for some very easily offended souls in the audience. In a world now filled with trigger-free zones and political correctness, being outraged appears to be the in-thing now. And Nodevember will be all the poorer for it. While I wouldn't go to the extent of calling him "the Father of JS", Crockford has made significant contribution to JavaScript. I had read his book JavaScript: The Good Parts, and while his writing style was far from engaging, there was plenty to be learned, and it was presented in a manner I could absorb with relative comfort.Thankfully, Crockford was not without his defenders. In an impassioned blogpost, Adam Morgan wrote, with very deliberate sarcasm:
"What a danger to our industry! Ignoring the complete over-reaction to
these two comments a quick search of the word promiscuity on dictionary.com shows that Crockford actually used this word correctly."
He then went on to explain that Crockford had probaby meant "consisting of parts, elements, or individuals of different kinds brought together without order" instead of "characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association, especially having sexual relations with a number of partners on a casual basis". I'm not exactly sure I agree. What version of the word promiscuous had Crockford actually intended? If it had been the second, then why did he follow up with "Unfortunately, the same thing which allows the promiscuity to work is very bad for dealing with commitment"? It certainly seems to hint very strongly at the latter definition.
But still. So what?
Crockford wasn't using a derogatory term on anyone. On your mothers, sisters or even your pet goldfish. If he was slut-shaming, he was slut-shaming the Internet - what amounts to a collection of separate entities made out of electrons and wires, and joined together by the seven OSI layers.
Go watch the video. Crockford's public speaking is even less engaging than his writing. The old dude's Boring with a capital B. Guy was wooden, straight-faced. Dead serious. He wasn't trying to be witty, or cracking a joke. (OK, maybe he was, but he was terrible at it) He was just trying to explain his point using a metaphor. Not a particularly clever one, I grant you. But offensive? Come on.
I guess it's true - people can be butthurt by anything these days. Stop being sensitive. Start being sensible, instead. Techies already have a negative reputation for being socially inept. We really don't need to add being whiny douchebags to that.
The YouTube video below sums it up pretty well. Score one for common sense, old chap.
More on Safe Spaces
In the wake of the 2016 USA Presidential Election, I came across this article about the shattered feelings of voters as Hillary Clinton was defeated at the ballot box by Donald Trump. Really, a "cry-in" to mourn the results of a fair and open election? Is that such a tragedy? Oh, I guess it is, because a man very few people (me included) have a high opinion of, won! And won fair and square, playing by the very rules the US of A have been applying for the past 200 years!When I was done picking my jaw off the floor, there was another contender for WTF Moment of the Week. The article ended with a campus activities coordinator saying "I have no words". You and me both, lady.
There are probably more instances out there, and judging from this, perhaps I shouldn't have been that surprised about Nodevember's decision concerning Crockford.
What can I say? These Americans are crazy. Going by what's happened this election and what's happened with the upcoming Nodevember, USA is going down the rubbish chute. Not because of Donald fucking Trump, but because this generation of people appear to be crafted from very fragile snowflakes.
The End?
Kevin Old, one of the former organizers of Nodevember, must have realized how ridiculous this entire affair was, because he put this statement up. I guess, better late than never, eh?
What a load of Crock!
T___T
T___T
No comments:
Post a Comment