We could give IBM the benefit of the doubt here. Hairdryers are a piece of technology, a piece of technology used in many millions of homes around the world. What’s to say IBM’s latest campaign about hacking a hairdryer isn’t just aimed at any wet-headed human who uses a hairdryer?
I use a hairdryer. It’s great because it dries your hair and dry hair is nice no matter what gender you identify with.
Oh yeah, but IBM is marketing its latest #hackahairdryer experiment exclusively at women. Because I assume that IBM assumes hairdryers are probably at the pinnacle of what women think, know, and are interested in?
Come on, IBM.
Women on Twitter have lambasted IBM’s campaign, one which was started in October, but really came to the public’s awareness over the weekend when IBM tweeted this:
Who signs this off? Who, in 2015, thinks that this is a good idea? Big Blue is just one amongst many tech giants which are still making idiotic mistakes when it comes to including all sexes in technology and STEM subjects overall.
TechWeekEurope contacted IBM for comment. A spokesperson replied: “The videos were part of a larger campaign to promote STEM careers. It missed the mark for some and we apologise. It is being discontinued.”
I’m not trying to speak on behalf of women here, and there will obviously be plenty who find this not insulting at all, but we’ll leave you with a few examples of female engineers, scientists, and technologists who found IBM’s blunder quite frankly awful.
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Think the words 'over thinking this' - its a hair dryer and its predominantly used by women - I hate the dam things - make way too much noise, so please someone (male or female) hack it and make it quieter!
Perhaps the real answer is just to stop trying to attract women into tech and treat everyone the same! No-one seems to go on about getting more men into teaching or medicine/nursing (more females graduating in medicine then men).