I missed the last day of Skepticon — I had to fly home early in the morning, since I have this day job (and good thing I left early, too, because flights were a mess) — but fortunately, the videos of the talks are trickling out already. Here’s Amy Davis Roth telling it like it is:
Also available already and highly recommended: Heina Dadabhoy on taboos, Melanie Brewster on psychology and atheism, David Gorski on alt med…oh, heck, just search on Skepticon 7, look for the official videos by Hambone Productions, and replay the whole conference on your home computer.
Even more comfortable, there’s a Skepticon 7 playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDyZC8lflYBujgWWiw5rAVUEOlbrIEe-h
I wonder what the 3 private videos are, though. Not yet cleared for publication or something?
That was a really good talk! Just the right amount of “WTF?” incredulity, anger, humor and clarity. I was alternately pissed off and cheering.
Marcus Ranum:
Me too. That video brings home just how vitrioloic, relentless and irrational is the abuse heaped on women who dare to speak out. I’m filled with admiration for people such as Amy Davis Roth, Rebecca Watson, Anita Sarkesian and all the others who stand up to it year after year. I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t have that much strength or resilience. As an oblivious old white male I had no idea how bad things were until the ridiculous storm broke over Watson’s mild admonition “Guys, don’t do that”.
Looking back I now realise I was incredibly naive. My hope is that the increased publicity brought about by these brave women will raise general awareness enough that more people see what’s going on and stand with them. It’s certainly opened my eyes to the ingrained sexism in society and I try to challenge family, friends and acquaintances who make sexist remarks and assumptions. It’s made much easier by reading the comments here, especially when the horde eviscerates yet another smug MRA. It’s excellent training for laying out ones arguments clearly. I rather like the irony that the trolls and other arseholes who visit here to spew their misogyny are actually performing a useful service to the “SJWs” by honing our argumentation skills while revealing the weakness and the biases of their own position.
So, rock on Amy Davis Roth and all the other women who won’t allow themselves to be silenced, you are an inspiration.
“…paper mache cat out of online hate…”
Tehehe.