Source
r/MensRights•
GeneralKang

Enough about Adria Richards (who really should have minded her own business). How about we find ways to get Alex Reid his job back?

I found this - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/374/323/889/give-alex-reid-his-job-back/ - though I know they do little good. Anyone else know a way of getting a poor schmuck father of three his job back, after apparently making the cardinal mistake of uttering a couple of dumb ass comments in a crowd?

Edit: Turns out it's not Alex Reid who lost his job (he's the other one in the picture). The CEO of Playhaven is soliciting feedback here.

Posted Mar 21, 2013, 10:00 PM UTC · edited

7634
jolly_mcfats•

Playhaven says that it was a different employee that was terminated, not Alex Reid.

In addition to signing this petition, the CEO of Playcon is soliciting feedback into this decision. You might write him on the employees behalf, and suggest that terminating an employee over a tweet was over the top, and that it is the role of leadership today to stand up to e-Macarthyism (edit: formatting)

22
GeneralKangOP•

Upvoted all around. I hope they bring this guy back, he apologizes to Adria and Adria apologizes back, and everyone can go back to their happy employed lives. And Adria learns to use her powers for good - we can hope anyway.

4
rogersmith25•

My comment on that post is "awaiting moderation":

Perhaps I have been mislead about what was actually said, but if the “inappropriate” joke was about a “big dongle” then you guys are completely out of your mind for firing that person. Like totally completely insane.

Honestly, that sort of benign double-entendre could probably slip by in a PG-rated family comedy. I do not believe that this should be interpreted as a “sexual comment” which violated the Pycon code of conduct. The fact that the expression “forking a repository” was interpreted as sexual when it clearly was not, shows that the complainer and catalyst, Adria Richards, was out to pick a gender-based fight. The way that she characterized herself as a martyr like Joan of Arc shows that she had a clear agenda and your employee was the victim of that agenda.

The fact that you willingly played along with her obviously political attack is pathetic. Playhaven should have stood behind its employees.

Playhaven should have publically stated that its employees were the victims of online harassment and bullying.

Finally, I believe that the comments made by your employees had nothing to do with gender or sexism in the tech industry.

It has become clear that tech companies are so fearful of being accused of anti-female attitudes that they will do literally anything to kowtow to gender bullies at the first whisper of sexism, regardless of common sense, fairness, and logic.

In short, firing an employee for making a joke about “dongles” makes you a coward and a terrible employer. Luckily, he is better off finding employment somewhere else.

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

9
GeneralKangOP•

Damn, theverge's old article must be off. Either way, there's no reason that guy should have been fired. At the very most, he should have had a 'sensitivity training" session, which amounted to his boss saying "Dude, shhh! Not so damn loud next time!", and that should have been the end of it.

8
Crimson_D82•

Penn and Teller - Sensitivity Training (Full Episode)

I know you're not advocating it but I thought this might give you some food for thought.

3
Clevername3000•

It's great to see men being looked up to that want to have a well rounded conversation, and don't consider feminism as some kind of huge evil monarchy. It's a shame so many people around here would rather string up Adria getting fired like some kind of a 'Mission Accomplished' banner, as though this is some kind of victory in a war.

1†
5th_Law_of_Robotics•

It's a shame so many people around here would rather string up Adria getting fired like some kind of a 'Mission Accomplished' banner, as though this is some kind of victory in a war.

It is a victory. Not a final one.

But this is the first time I can think of where a high profile feminist was actually fired for going to far in her quest to harm men.

Her being held accountable was a major success and it means there will be a slightly lower risk for men in the future.

But I agree, it's not the end of the war.

2
Crimson_D82•

For me it is a war, a war to be treated fairly when I am in fact a second class citizen, a war of ethics, a war of attrition, a war for equality, a war to keep my body intact when born, a war I cannot afford to loose.

-and when I fall I can only pray that my brothers and sisters in arms will have the decency to clean my body and burn me properly because there will be no time for mourning or burial.

This is the victory we needed to gain ground. She may not identify herself as a feminist but she has done more to harm the feminist cause than the morons at UoT. Before they had only to keep quite, now they have a reason to be afraid.

The cold war just got hot.

1
[deleted]•

E-mail sent.

It is one thing to discuss the carrot alone, it is another to discuss the stick i.e. a primary boycott of the business, and a secondary boycott of companies that advertise with them or otherwise patronise them.

6
FreshSeattleOpinion•

Playhaven.com "partner" corporations:

Nickelodeon
Game Circus
Halfbrick
Breaktime Studios
Booyah
Digital Chocolate
MEOL Mobile
Majesco
Metamoki
Big Blue Bubble
BitRhymes
Gamerizon
Noodlecake
MobCreate
Robot Entertainment
Natural Motion Games
Distinctdev
Tequila Mobile
Pocketgems
GLU
Fluik
Bandai Namco
3
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
DavidByron•

He won't appreciate it. He's basically a white knight / feminist I think. Anyway any attention to him will likely just cause him more harm trying to get a new job and there's just no way they would re-hire him (would you even want to be re-hired? well maybe I guess)

PlayHaven ought to be punished anyway of course. Or they will just keep on doing it.

6
nawitus•

"He won't appreciate it. He's basically a white knight / feminist I think."

His comment makes you think that, but it's also possible he just calculated the most appropriate reaction from a PR-standpoint.

3
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
[deleted]•

I wrote to the ceo and told him he was a coward who bowed to the pressure of a bully. I also told him, he personally, has affected his own company in a very negative way, and if that was one of the reasons he used to fire his employee then he too should step down.

3
FreshSeattleOpinion•

I would like to organize a Legal Action Fund for the terminated employee. So, first request: Seeking San Francisco, CA lawyer willing to undertake this guy's claims, and to organize the legal action fund.

If you would be willing to contribute, please voice your support for this idea in replies.

EDIT: I am willing to contribute $500.

3
GeneralKangOP•

I'd toss in a little - think the EFF would be interested? It may be too politically charged for them.

1
Crimson_D82•

Sent the following-

Firing someone over a play on words is not enforcing gender equality. It’s giving in to bullies who have nothing better to than make innocent people suffer. It was a private conversation and this woman has a history of bullying people. This man whoever he is never should have been let go. If given the chance to avoid doing business with your company in the future I will do so without hesitation.

You’re basically engaging in victim blaming/shaming.

2
Clevername3000•

It's not that he's innocent. He admitted to doing what she claimed. The problem is that the punishment didn't fit the crime. Getting an embarrassing talking to by security, or getting a bit of the ol' public shaming is one thing, losing your job is quite another. Nobody deserved that.

-1
Crimson_D82•

Since when is a play on words a crime?

2
Clevername3000•

It's not any one play on word, or any one limerick, or any one sex joke that's the problem. It's the when, the why, the how, when it comes to these things being sexist, that keeps getting ignored in these cases.

0
Crimson_D82•

Most people refer to this form of analysis as being overly sensitive.

1
IaccidentiallyMyUser•

[...]there is another side to this story. While I did make a big dongle joke about a fictional piece hardware that identified as male, no sexual jokes were made about forking. My friends and I had decided forking someone's repo is a new form of flattery (the highest form being implementation) and we were excited about one of the presenters projects; a friend said "I would fork that guys repo" The sexual context was applied by Adria, and not us.[...]

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
Coinin•

They're not going to give him his job back. Even if nothing else, if they offered to take him back then firing him in the first place was de-facto wrongful dismissal. Hopefully he'll get a job elsewhere though.

2
GeneralKangOP•

Probably true - but it's worth the effort. And it shifts attention to where it needs to be. If we do nothing else - it will give the next company pause when this comes up again.

1
Coinin•

True.

1
[deleted]•

I'd say no. Simply because Playhaven contributed to this shitstorm and deserve every drop that lands on them. Firing someone from a company like this is like being kicked out of Hell. You don't wonder why they don't like you, you just run.

2
rightsbot•

Post text automatically copied here. (Why?) (Report a problem.)

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
borodino•

Thanks for the link.

I emailed the Playhaven CEO and told him that men who make slimeball statements at professional conferences deserve to get shamed and FIRED.

-17
Crimson_D82•

Too bad he didn't make any slimeball comments. Just a play on words.

8
AmazingFlightLizard•

Drat! Curse you SRSers! Foiled again! I guess that's what we get for being the evil, oppressive men.

We'll get you next time. NEXT TIIIIIIIIIME!!!

8