The Ada Initiative’s role in the cancellation of Violet Blue’s BSides SF talk

I think the word following the TRIGGER WARNING should not be in bold. The way it is written, it practically screams RAPE. At the very least it should be gray. The other thing is perhaps to not spell it out completely, e.g. r*pe.

On to the rest of the statement. In a security conference, the boundaries are rather different. For example, if there is a zero day exploit running around, then it is important for mitigation techniques to be discussed.

In the case of attacks on women, spiked drinks and other threats have to be brought up and discussed. My feeling is Ada Initiative's actions in this particular matter represents a disservice to the female community. As some one who have a teenage daughter, I'd have liked to see the issue discussed in a level headed manner so that the information can be used for good.

In any case, while I share much of Ada Initiatives goals to open technology conferences to women, the group needs to understand how much power it potentially asserts over people like conference organizers who don't want any more headaches. I think the power equation is wrong. In this particular context, the Initiative has caused one woman to be shut out.