Posts by Jon Arden

Microsoft's equality and diversity: Skimpy schoolgirls dancing for nerds at an Xbox party

Re: @ Jon Arden

...the UK

http://coursefinder.telegraph.co.uk/SearchResults.aspx?Course=032

Take your pick, some universities even have a 60/40 female/male split.The average across the UK however is roughly 40/60 female/male.

Re: Depressing reading this comment section

No, it defines me as someone who recognises that in a work environment (many people at this event where there in that capacity remember) this kind of thing is inappropriate.

As I stated above I have no problem with strippers and whatever else people want to do on their *own* time, just not at a corporate networking event where many people are there representing their employer.

Re: Depressing reading this comment section

Nicely takes me back around to my original comment.....its depressing reading this comment section.

The 1970's called and wants its attitudes back.

Re: @ Jon Arden

@ Pompous Git

I can't disagree with anything you said there.

If this had been at E3 or GamesCom or any of the many other public facing "Marketing" or "PR" events for games then I would agree with you. People have the right to be offended and people have the right to cause offence. I'll pay that price for a free society.

However, GDC is not that kind of event and its aims and ambitions will not be fully realised by even inadvertently discouraging women from participating or feeling included in the industry. GDC used to be mainly about and to some extent still is about talks and presentations on new mathematical approaches to AI and GFX rendering techniques and women are represented 40/60 female to male on Mathematics degrees. This was not a Call of Duty promotional event.

Re: Depressing reading this comment section

Serious question, are you equally "disgusted" that there are 90% more female nurses to male? Or that hair dressers are overwhelmingly women?

Serious answer. No, as those ratios are changing now that gender stereotypes are being recognised and becoming less important in the 21st century.

I would however be offended if there was a worldwide conference about the future direction of nursing and one of the mayor industry players hosted an event with male strippers. Especially if that company had held a lunch event a few days before entitled "Men in Nursing" that was designed to promote the inclusion and advancement of men in nursing.

Games are consumed by roughly 50% men/women and yet 90% of that content is directed/created by men. I believe the industry and society is best served by equal representation in that society.

Re: Depressing reading this comment section

"The implication is there, nevertheless."

No it wasn't.

"And I didn't twist your words, I merely posited a situation opposite to the one you are moaning about."

The opposite of offending 10% of attendees is not to offend the other 90%. Nice straw man. You seem intent on willfully misrepresenting my position in this discussion.

"Personally, I have no problem with shows where there are no dancing girls. Nor do I have a problem with shows where there are dancing girls. I do believe that pretty young girls should be allowed to earn a living doing what they in all likelihood enjoy. I also object to do-gooderesses objecting to people doing what they wish when it causes no obvious harm to anybody."

I agree with you, despite your attempts to imply otherwise. This discussion thread has been hijacked by people like yourself trying to make this issue about a womens right to be a "dancer" and crusaders against feminism.

The issue for me is much simpler than that. An industry event designed around the "whole" industry coming together to discuss and brainstorm the future of the industry does itself no favours by discouraging participation by anyone. FACT.

"For some reason your attitude reminds me of the kind of situation a friend described in The People's Paradise when she lived there. Nobody was "alienated", but no-one was happy. Rather the opposite was true. Being miserable yourself gives you no inalienable right to inflict your misery on others."

?!? Not sure where that came from. "Pompous Git" by name and by nature.....

Re: Depressing reading this comment section

"You are of course correct. They should have alienated the 90% to appease the 10% who likely wouldn't have turned up anyway."

Nice attempt to twist my words, but that's not what I said or implied.

My point still stands, Microsoft should not be making efforts to alienate ANY attendees of GDC. At an event designed to foster open discussion amongst "all" industry professionals, anything which discourages attendance or participation by any member of the industry is counter-productive to the whole aim of the event.

Depressing reading this comment section

Pretty disgusted by many of the comments made here by intelligent people who should know better!

For all those saying that Microsoft are just "Targeting their demographic", no they are not!! GDC is an industry event designed around discussions about technology developments and the future of the industry. I'm stunned that people on this forum cannot see that alienating female developers and industry professionals of both sexes by clearly focussing on the *entertainment* of straight male attendees is both insulting and demeaning to both the Xbox brand and anyone working in the industry.

I work in the games industry and when only 10% of the CV's we receive are from female applicants, we clearly have a problem with attracting women into the industry. This damages both the reputation of our industry and perpetuates the idea that women are not welcome. Microsoft reinforcing this stereotype is NOT acceptable.

State Department finds 22 classified emails in Hillary’s server, denies wrongdoing

Grow UP!

I'm usually impressed with the calibre of discussion on El Reg but this comment section is just crass!

Please can we rise above the name calling and wilful ignorance to fully address the other sides criticisms and then maybe we can gain some intelligent insight. As it stands most of the comments on this thread break down into childish partisan name calling.

You do know calling your president "Obamy" makes you sound 5 years old, right?

Scary Trans-Pacific Partnership trade treaty signed off

Re: No lackey needed

Got to love American politics.... So, you think your current President only went for the position to destroy the country. R.I.G.H.T......

Evil US web giants shield terrorists? Evil spies in net freedom crush plot?

Anyone else notice this snippet on the BBC news coverage of the whole saga:

"The UK authorities became aware of the exchange only in June 2013, a month after Fusilier Rigby was murdered."

"After the murder of Fusilier Rigby an unidentified third party provided a transcript of the conversation to GCHQ."

So, who provided them with the message from Facebook? Sounds to me like GCHQ/NSA had access to this message all along....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30206359

Shoot to THRILL: Assassin's Creed: Unity and Halo: Master Chief Collection

Re: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

"At least we have Sunset Overdrive."

Really wanted to like this game but I cannot play it for more than 10 mins before dumping the controller down in frustration. Its like playing Tony Hawks while trying to aim and shoot and change weapons at the same time. Its an excercise in user frustration.....

Looks good, nice idea, poorly executed.

SLOSH! Cops dethrone suspect - by tipping over portaloo with him inside

Re: Why (Because you are Arnaut the ignorant)

@Dan Paul.

As Trigger Fish has pointed out European media DID cover those aspects. Maybe you should do some research before trailing out the "Leftist Media is Biased" diatribe.

Also, please explain to me how photographs of Michael Brown stealing from a convenience store the day before are in anyway connected to his shooting the following day?

"Your comments are incindiary, you make an unfair and incorrect comparison and have no place in reality. STFU and stop spreading bullshit." - Pot.... Kettle....

Facebook strips away a bit more of your privacy – but won't say why

Ahhhh! That felt good

I've been putting off deactivating my Facebook account for a long time now. I rarely use it and even then its mainly been to share photos with family. I'll just have to resort to email, phone calls and personal visits, no bad thing

Free at last ;o)

Amazon readying smartphone with 3D DISPLAY – report

Re: 3D phone, no thanks. 3 Day phone - YES PLEASE!

Whilst there at it can they design a meal that lasts me 3 days so if/when when I forget to eat I don't starve....

Just remember to charge the damn thing.... I'd rather have a slim compact phone that I can use for 1 day than a brick that last 3 days for no good reason.

'It's as though I've got Jonathan Ive's personal tool in my...'

What????

Why is it so acceptable to lampoon Stephen Fry as a group sex enjoying bondage loving man who's unable to describe anything without using a million sexual innuendos. I read the register almost daily and have done so for many years, but this pile of crap article has really let you down! Anyone who reads or watches Stephen Fry knows that in general he steers clear of these crass sexual references. Its nice to see that gay stereotypes have not moved on since the 70s in some peoples minds.

Windows Mobile on iPhone a cruel joke?

@ Michael Baines

"I shall utterly ignore Sonic Emotion and make no effort what to ever to find out anything at all about them....

....Except type a comment mensioning their name again stating that I dont have and wont have any interest in them....."

Well Done!

Rogue SF sysadmin may cost city over $1m

Agreed - The admin was wrong

Far too many posts in this comments section are heavily biased towards IT admins who believe they hold their companies togeather... clever you!

IT Admins are payed to keep the network secure and working for the best interests of their employer. Witholding passwords to a system because you have been fired is the IT equivelant of throwing all your toys out of the pram.

Seriously, what happened to intelligent deduction of facts round here!

Lawyers slap Nvidia with chip glitch lawsuit

@RotaCyclic

Security - is the condition of being protected against danger, loss, and criminals. In the general sense, security is a concept similar to safety.

Securities - *A* security is a fungible, negotiable instrument representing financial value. *Securities* are broadly categorized into debt securities, such as banknotes, bonds and debentures, and equity securities, e.g. common stocks.

There is a difference between "Security" Law and "Securities" Law......

iRobot Roomba 560 robot vacuum cleaner

I disagree!!

I have to disagree with your assesment of the iRobots ability to clean. Ive been using one for 6 months now and wouldnt be without it! (p.s. I dont work or know anyone who works for iRobot!)

Yes, its cleaning compartment is small which is ample when you consider it goes on a full clean daily and therefore each day only picks up a small amount. Ive got a dog and the state of the house has vastly improved as the iRobot is picking up dog hairs each and every day. I have to agree that it doesnt cope well with thin rugs etc but after a slight re-arrange of speaker cables/rugs etc, the Roomba now tackles most of my house without getting into difficulties.

Yes you may need to do a thorough clean once a month or so but inbetween Ive found the Roomba more than up to the task of cleaning both my carpets and hard wood flooring.