Jen Looper is Head of Academic Advocacy at AWS with over 22 years' experience as a web and mobile developer, specializing in creating cross-platform web & mobile apps.
VP of DevRel RapidAPI ❯ Award-winning Web Developer NodeCLI.com ❯ Google Dev Expert Web tech ❯ 2x GitHub Stars Award ❯ WordPress Core Dev ❯ TEDx Speaker ❯ "awesome example for devs" — Satya Nadella
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Education
EE-CS Engineer turned Software Developer
Work
VP of DevRel (DX Eng., Content & Community) RapidAPI ❯ Google Dev Expert ❯ GitHub Star ❯ NodeCLI.com
I’m a web developer & data visualizer working at a think tank in D.C. I'm a self-taught dev trying to better my skills. I spend most of my time on the front end of the stack.
Location
Washington, D.C.
Work
Lead Developer at Center for Strategic and International Studies
This was heartbreaking to scroll through, and the worst part is I'm sure it's only a small fraction of these kind of messages that you get. Thank you so much for continuing to share your thoughts and your knowledge with the developer community, even when this happens. <3
This makes me cry. Saying “happy international women day”, there is no happy after all, just a day to day fighting basis. IT, geek, nerd world are too sexist, too machist. It is unfair to say sorry about it. There is no excuses for things like this. Ali, you are powerfull, your speech, your lessons, your code, your job. You and all women in this business.
We have to remember Kathleen Booth for creating assemblers and Grace Hopper for creating compilers. These women made coding easy and just because of it men take all space in this area.
This is your speak place, sorry if I had to go so deep, it really makes me cry. I manage my teams to fight this but is hard too, even when distribute tasks some of my colleagues only pass easy stuff to women, this needs to change, this and all related stuff, equal payment, ascension and etc. No one have the power to minimize your efforts to make coding accessible, you’re amazing. I can’t say sorry but I can say thank you, next.
Ali, to see you excel in the face of constant abuse ... I don't have the words. You are a force and I sincerely thank you for all that you continuously do for tech.🌟🌟🌟
Angie, you're such an inspiration and I'm so grateful for all the women who have come before me! Thank you for all you do too! (Also, I think you're keynoting a conf I'm speaking at this year!!!)
Wow. I'm brought to tears reading through this. I'm so sorry. As a woman currently studying computer science... this scares me, but I'm so thankful that there are people ahead of my females peers and I who are blazing this trail, fighting battles for us. Thank you.
Just want to say that there are good places to work, where gender is not an issue. I have enjoyed 18 years of fun and challenging work with great coworkers and bosses that encouraged me. Online seems to be another issue though and is still a place where I choose a robot as a profile... Hang in there and come join the rest of us, the more women we get the easier it will be!
I have a passion for learning. On my free time I try to learn more about full stack development, databases, mobile apps, and video game development. I want to be able to teach others one day.
This is horrible and I'm so sorry that you have to deal with these idiots and fools. I imagine it can be exhausting. It is truly inspirational that you continue sharing and have such a wonderful and positive attitude, despite all of this in the background. You are awesome!
Ali, you have all of my respect after making this post.
I can only imagine that the amount of stuff that women have to deal with in the tech industry is really overwhelming at times. But, you seem to always manage to find a way to handle these situations with grace, brevity, and professionalism that I personally don't think I could handle if I was in your shoes.
For this, I definitely don't want to say I'm sorry or anything along the lines of that - I want to say PLEASE keep being you, and continue to challenge the status quo of what a woman in tech can AND should look like.
Oh my god... I'm so sorry that you, and many other women, have to deal with this. Thank you for sharing and keep coding and doing what you're doing!
Although the sexist douchebags out there are many and loud I hope that you keep in mind that the people who respects you and admires your professional skills are many more!
Top comments (100)
Ali, ignore the randos. You are a highly respected professional and we think you are amazing!!!
I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. It pains me a lot.
This was heartbreaking to scroll through, and the worst part is I'm sure it's only a small fraction of these kind of messages that you get. Thank you so much for continuing to share your thoughts and your knowledge with the developer community, even when this happens. <3
❤️ thank you so much!
That last screenshot is especially powerful. Thank you for sharing this important perspective with all of us, Ali.
I admire your strength, and I appreciate everything that you do for all of us in the DEV Community and well beyond.
Thank you so much, Peter!
Well that's put me off my tea.
All of these people need to get right in the bin.
My heart broke as I read through this. You're such an inspiration, Ali. Please never let the haters get you down! <3
This makes me cry. Saying “happy international women day”, there is no happy after all, just a day to day fighting basis. IT, geek, nerd world are too sexist, too machist. It is unfair to say sorry about it. There is no excuses for things like this. Ali, you are powerfull, your speech, your lessons, your code, your job. You and all women in this business.
We have to remember Kathleen Booth for creating assemblers and Grace Hopper for creating compilers. These women made coding easy and just because of it men take all space in this area.
This is your speak place, sorry if I had to go so deep, it really makes me cry. I manage my teams to fight this but is hard too, even when distribute tasks some of my colleagues only pass easy stuff to women, this needs to change, this and all related stuff, equal payment, ascension and etc. No one have the power to minimize your efforts to make coding accessible, you’re amazing. I can’t say sorry but I can say thank you, next.
YES! thank u, next for sure.
Ignore them, keep coding. :)
Ali, to see you excel in the face of constant abuse ... I don't have the words. You are a force and I sincerely thank you for all that you continuously do for tech.🌟🌟🌟
Angie, you're such an inspiration and I'm so grateful for all the women who have come before me! Thank you for all you do too! (Also, I think you're keynoting a conf I'm speaking at this year!!!)
can't wait to meet you!
Wow. I'm brought to tears reading through this. I'm so sorry. As a woman currently studying computer science... this scares me, but I'm so thankful that there are people ahead of my females peers and I who are blazing this trail, fighting battles for us. Thank you.
Just want to say that there are good places to work, where gender is not an issue. I have enjoyed 18 years of fun and challenging work with great coworkers and bosses that encouraged me. Online seems to be another issue though and is still a place where I choose a robot as a profile... Hang in there and come join the rest of us, the more women we get the easier it will be!
Wow Ali! This is a lot to deal with. I get that trolls are everywhere but this is so much. Sending over all the ❤️
❤️❤️❤️
Sorry to see all of this! Keep being you and thanks for all the work you've done for the community.
This is horrible and I'm so sorry that you have to deal with these idiots and fools. I imagine it can be exhausting. It is truly inspirational that you continue sharing and have such a wonderful and positive attitude, despite all of this in the background. You are awesome!
Ali, you have all of my respect after making this post.
I can only imagine that the amount of stuff that women have to deal with in the tech industry is really overwhelming at times. But, you seem to always manage to find a way to handle these situations with grace, brevity, and professionalism that I personally don't think I could handle if I was in your shoes.
For this, I definitely don't want to say I'm sorry or anything along the lines of that - I want to say PLEASE keep being you, and continue to challenge the status quo of what a woman in tech can AND should look like.
Cheers to you.
Ah, thank you so so so much! That means the world to me -- cheers to you too!
Oh my god... I'm so sorry that you, and many other women, have to deal with this. Thank you for sharing and keep coding and doing what you're doing!
Although the sexist douchebags out there are many and loud I hope that you keep in mind that the people who respects you and admires your professional skills are many more!
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