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| ‘It’s 2019, we can do better’: Coding conference in Germany axed over MEN ONLY lineup | ‘It’s 2019, we can do better’: Coding conference in Germany axed over MEN ONLY lineup |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| An international workshop for software developers in Germany got canceled because it could 'do better' than have no female speakers in the line-up – even though only one woman even applied. | |
| The annual PHP Central Europe (PHP CE) international developer conference was scheduled to take place in the German city of Dresden in early October, but the signs of its ultimate fall to 2019-level 'diversity' demands began to emerge last month. | |
| While the organizers pledged on their website to make the event “as inclusive as possible,” it eventually turned out to support the IT industry's 'boys club' stereotype, as the speaker list lacked any women. This sparked a massive online backlash, and the more social justice-minded speakers began to pull out. | |
| The planned workshop “seems to have gone with the ‘White Males Only’ lineup. Shame,” developer Karl Hughes wrote on Twitter. “It’s 2019, we can do better.” | The planned workshop “seems to have gone with the ‘White Males Only’ lineup. Shame,” developer Karl Hughes wrote on Twitter. “It’s 2019, we can do better.” |
| Larry Garfield, who was slated to speak at the event, pulled out because he was “not comfortable” with the fact that “zero women” were listed as speakers. He said that he and two other fellow coders had asked the organizers for “more female participation” but they “were not open to such an arrangement.” | Larry Garfield, who was slated to speak at the event, pulled out because he was “not comfortable” with the fact that “zero women” were listed as speakers. He said that he and two other fellow coders had asked the organizers for “more female participation” but they “were not open to such an arrangement.” |
| Another scheduled speaker, Mark Baker, decided to follow Garfield’s example and skip the conference as well – though he did acknowledge the hard fact that there are many more men in the IT field than women. “While I recognize that the balance of developers in our industry is still predominantly male, it’s very unusual that every single one of the 32 speakers for the conference was male,” he wrote on his blog – but still refused to “accept the situation.” | |
| According to Garfield and Baker, the organizers explained the absence of women in the lineup by stating that only one of over 250 applications for speaking roles was submitted by a woman. The developers argued that this was a poor excuse and that the organizers should have done better in reaching out to female programmers. | According to Garfield and Baker, the organizers explained the absence of women in the lineup by stating that only one of over 250 applications for speaking roles was submitted by a woman. The developers argued that this was a poor excuse and that the organizers should have done better in reaching out to female programmers. |
| Baker also claimed that, in an apparent effort to salvage the event, the organizers offered to invite the sole woman who applied. He explained that this was not good enough, however, as an invitation in such circumstances “puts a lot of pressure on the woman… making her a ‘token’ to diversity.” | Baker also claimed that, in an apparent effort to salvage the event, the organizers offered to invite the sole woman who applied. He explained that this was not good enough, however, as an invitation in such circumstances “puts a lot of pressure on the woman… making her a ‘token’ to diversity.” |
| In the end, the beleaguered conference was quietly scrapped altogether over the weekend. The event “has been canceled and won’t be continued,” its website said. | In the end, the beleaguered conference was quietly scrapped altogether over the weekend. The event “has been canceled and won’t be continued,” its website said. |
| Despite all the excuses, at last year’s PHP CE Conference in the Czech Republic, 38 men and... ONE woman were present among its speakers. | Despite all the excuses, at last year’s PHP CE Conference in the Czech Republic, 38 men and... ONE woman were present among its speakers. |
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