Founder of Big Machine and Tekpub. Author of The Imposter’s Handbook, creator of This Developer's Life, method speaker and Azure Developer[0] at @microsoft
If my choice of the cover image was polluting this message and could be considered offensive I’m fine with changing it. This is not a hill I’m willing to die on
There's a difference between being offended (which I'm not) and doing something offensive (which it was). I don't have a problem calling people out, even when the issue at hand has nothing to do with me.
To bring this back to the author's point: there's a lot more to being a senior dev than code. It's recognizing how to carry a vision/project/company/product forward and often that means you need to be aware of how you present yourself. Sometimes things come at you sideways, such as when you use a group of people to represent an idea or concept - it can often go sideways.
Whether you thought it was funny is beside the point. You and I could be at a conference and you make a silly joke about dongles that's overheard by others. The joke could be funny in a personal setting - say we're at a bar or something - but in a professional setting it's just not a good choice at all.
If you're going to blog about professional things, it's a professional setting.
I totally agree that the OP's response was perfectly appropriate: you may do something and not immediately understand why someone is offended; but it's definitely better to accept that; deal with it immediately and educate yourself on the why later*
Whether you thought it was funny is beside the point.
It didn't have me splitting my sides; but it did bring a smile to my face :)
But you're right that is beside the point. As an ageing developer actually I'm happy to see any representation of older people in development roles - whether spurious or not - so I genuinely want to understand why you felt the image was offensive
I don't think you understood: I'm still waiting for an explanation as to why you claim the image was offensive. All you've done is provide vague assertions that badly chosen images have the potential to offend (I don't disagree); but you haven't enlightened us as to who would be offended - and why - by the original image.
I think it's pretty unfair to publicly call someone out for being "offensive"
and then fail to provide a valid explanation when it is asked for. From my perspective your claim appears to have absolutely no merit; and your behaviour is not what I would expect from a senior developer.
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I think OP nailed it:
There's a difference between being offended (which I'm not) and doing something offensive (which it was). I don't have a problem calling people out, even when the issue at hand has nothing to do with me.
To bring this back to the author's point: there's a lot more to being a senior dev than code. It's recognizing how to carry a vision/project/company/product forward and often that means you need to be aware of how you present yourself. Sometimes things come at you sideways, such as when you use a group of people to represent an idea or concept - it can often go sideways.
Whether you thought it was funny is beside the point. You and I could be at a conference and you make a silly joke about dongles that's overheard by others. The joke could be funny in a personal setting - say we're at a bar or something - but in a professional setting it's just not a good choice at all.
If you're going to blog about professional things, it's a professional setting.
I totally agree that the OP's response was perfectly appropriate: you may do something and not immediately understand why someone is offended; but it's definitely better to accept that; deal with it immediately and educate yourself on the why later*
It didn't have me splitting my sides; but it did bring a smile to my face :)
But you're right that is beside the point. As an ageing developer actually I'm happy to see any representation of older people in development roles - whether spurious or not - so I genuinely want to understand why you felt the image was offensive
* consider my question as me educating myself
I don't think you understood: I'm still waiting for an explanation as to why you claim the image was offensive. All you've done is provide vague assertions that badly chosen images have the potential to offend (I don't disagree); but you haven't enlightened us as to who would be offended - and why - by the original image.
I think it's pretty unfair to publicly call someone out for being "offensive"
and then fail to provide a valid explanation when it is asked for. From my perspective your claim appears to have absolutely no merit; and your behaviour is not what I would expect from a senior developer.