Macworld 2012: Conference at a crossroads
by Violet Blue | January 31, 2012 4:41am PST | Image 1 of 26
Previous | Next
Entrance to San Francisco's Moscone West, the site for Macworld 2012.
See also: Violet Blue's full report, Macworld 2012: The Island of Misfit Toys
See also: Violet Blue's full report, Macworld 2012: The Island of Misfit Toys
Just In
I assume you're referring to the woman on the right side of the photo and not the one front and center (nice photography). How is she a "sad booth babe"? It looks like a developer manning her booth.
@ShawnKing My previous reply disappeared! So here's a better one.
She doesn't even have a booth! Maybe ZDNet should have called her a "kiosk kitten." I did some sleuthing, and here's what I found out.
The woman in the white top appears to be Piroska Szurmai-Palotai, the (sole?) developer for NeoPlay Entertainment. She has three apps currently in the App Store and was a first-time exhibitor at the Mobile Apps Showcase this year.
According to her Facebook page, she's also a big fan of chess, listing a chess player as her "favorite athlete." This, of course, is typical of the "booth babe" stereotype, as is her interest in curling (the sport, not her hair).
I don't know too much more about her (since I don't read Hungarian), but if she's "sad" in this photo, it might be because she misses her young child. Of course, she might also merely be tired, bored, or hungry. Or, she might have seen the ZDNet photographer walking by.
She doesn't even have a booth! Maybe ZDNet should have called her a "kiosk kitten." I did some sleuthing, and here's what I found out.
The woman in the white top appears to be Piroska Szurmai-Palotai, the (sole?) developer for NeoPlay Entertainment. She has three apps currently in the App Store and was a first-time exhibitor at the Mobile Apps Showcase this year.
According to her Facebook page, she's also a big fan of chess, listing a chess player as her "favorite athlete." This, of course, is typical of the "booth babe" stereotype, as is her interest in curling (the sport, not her hair).
I don't know too much more about her (since I don't read Hungarian), but if she's "sad" in this photo, it might be because she misses her young child. Of course, she might also merely be tired, bored, or hungry. Or, she might have seen the ZDNet photographer walking by.
OK....now you've stepped over the line into stalking.... 
Hey, ShawnKing, you have been on the Internet and heard of Facebook, etc? Stalking is so 20th Century, welcome to the goldfish bowl.
maybe it is time to combine MacWorld with CES to save both.
@daryl@... IDG had their chance at that a few years ago. iLounge has taken that space/idea and made it huge. Approx twice as big as Macworld Expo.
First, a woman at a tech conference is still by default assumed to be marketing eye candy rather than an engineer. Second, a woman at a tech conference is apparently not allowed to look tired, be she a booth babe or engineer. The photo and its caption reveal much more about the one who captured the image and the lens through which she views the world rather than the supposed subject of the image.
If this was a video of her sitting like this for hours, then maybe you could come to that kind of conclusion, but a split second captured in a still frame? Should we also assume that touching hair guy is vain or walking girl is a shark who will die if she stops moving?
Maybe the photographer could have approached her, taken a full frame shot and run a caption like 'Bright developer rests between QA sessions'.
Finally, 'Booth Babe'? Given the number of women actively engaged in the tech industry, don't you think that kind of sexist caption is a bit inappropriate?
Maybe the photographer could have approached her, taken a full frame shot and run a caption like 'Bright developer rests between QA sessions'.
Finally, 'Booth Babe'? Given the number of women actively engaged in the tech industry, don't you think that kind of sexist caption is a bit inappropriate?
Hi there,
It's revealing to not get additional information to give context to the woman in the booth, but a blog post attack by Gruber and a series of attacks and name-calling in comments on my original article is going too far.
A simple correction would have sufficed, and then you could have seen what I did with it.
Now I am reacting to a Grueber-fueled pile-on and fanboy personal attacks.
My partner and I considered walking up to this booth but the woman's demeanor put us off. My commentary as a take-away of the experience was a reflection of the scene. It's really reaching to brand me a misogynist because I put the woman in a social category based on the environment she was in. I was not the only one to do so. It was not obvious that the woman in the booth was not a booth babe: Macworld was covered with women that were only hired reps - in all manners of dress.
I'm glad for the correction, but the way you have ganged up to attack me as the method of delivery for a correction is repulsive. And, typical.
If you want to know how I really feel about booth babes (though I'm sure you won't because the drive-by is always better) - get some context for booth babes in my column by reading this:
The CES Booth Babe Problem
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/violetblue/the-ces-2012-booth-babe-problem/963
And you will see that Ms. Szurmai-Palotai is exactly the kind of "booth babe" I am referring to - women devs, women hackers. Not the kind some of you seem to instantly think I mean.
One commenter on Twitter suggested I dressed her down for being "not slutty enough." This is absolutely untrue. And is very revealing about the person that said it.
No, I was dismayed because the woman representing the company at Macworld was unapproachable - not because she was female or dressed in a certain way.
It's revealing to not get additional information to give context to the woman in the booth, but a blog post attack by Gruber and a series of attacks and name-calling in comments on my original article is going too far.
A simple correction would have sufficed, and then you could have seen what I did with it.
Now I am reacting to a Grueber-fueled pile-on and fanboy personal attacks.
My partner and I considered walking up to this booth but the woman's demeanor put us off. My commentary as a take-away of the experience was a reflection of the scene. It's really reaching to brand me a misogynist because I put the woman in a social category based on the environment she was in. I was not the only one to do so. It was not obvious that the woman in the booth was not a booth babe: Macworld was covered with women that were only hired reps - in all manners of dress.
I'm glad for the correction, but the way you have ganged up to attack me as the method of delivery for a correction is repulsive. And, typical.
If you want to know how I really feel about booth babes (though I'm sure you won't because the drive-by is always better) - get some context for booth babes in my column by reading this:
The CES Booth Babe Problem
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/violetblue/the-ces-2012-booth-babe-problem/963
And you will see that Ms. Szurmai-Palotai is exactly the kind of "booth babe" I am referring to - women devs, women hackers. Not the kind some of you seem to instantly think I mean.
One commenter on Twitter suggested I dressed her down for being "not slutty enough." This is absolutely untrue. And is very revealing about the person that said it.
No, I was dismayed because the woman representing the company at Macworld was unapproachable - not because she was female or dressed in a certain way.
@Violet Blue I am said commenter on Twitter (the tweet in question: https://twitter.com/#!/JohnTheBastard/status/164451824676503552 ), and here is what I think is revealing:
You saw a female developer in a booth and assumed she was hired to use her sexuality to sell her product, judged her deficient for the task, took unflattering photography from a distance, posted it to the web, and publicly chastised her for her appearance without even the most basic fact-checking. Your error was pointed out to you almost immediately, but after two days, you have yet to issue anything resembling an apology. You have, however, taken a defensive and condescending tone towards those who, rightly, find your behavior reprehensible.
You saw a female developer in a booth and assumed she was hired to use her sexuality to sell her product, judged her deficient for the task, took unflattering photography from a distance, posted it to the web, and publicly chastised her for her appearance without even the most basic fact-checking. Your error was pointed out to you almost immediately, but after two days, you have yet to issue anything resembling an apology. You have, however, taken a defensive and condescending tone towards those who, rightly, find your behavior reprehensible.
@Violet Blue I'm disappointed that you did not go up and talk with Ms. Szurmai-Palotai to ask for her point of view. I have followed you online for several years, and to be honest, I would have expected more from you.
I suspect that if you had had the courage to speak with Ms. Szurmai-Palotai, she would have been glad to talk with an interested tech blogger (who also happened to be a woman). Then we might actually have learned something about her background as a developer, the apps she has developed, new apps she is working on, her opinion of this year's MacWorld, or her perspectives on what its like to be a woman in technology. You could even have taken the opportunity to offer her some friendly advice on being more approachable. I'm sure she would have appreciated the subsequent increase in sales.
You missed your chance though, and satisfied yourself making voyeuristic comments from the sidelines. You, Ms. Szurmai-Palotai, and ZDNet's readers are poorer for it.
I suspect that if you had had the courage to speak with Ms. Szurmai-Palotai, she would have been glad to talk with an interested tech blogger (who also happened to be a woman). Then we might actually have learned something about her background as a developer, the apps she has developed, new apps she is working on, her opinion of this year's MacWorld, or her perspectives on what its like to be a woman in technology. You could even have taken the opportunity to offer her some friendly advice on being more approachable. I'm sure she would have appreciated the subsequent increase in sales.
You missed your chance though, and satisfied yourself making voyeuristic comments from the sidelines. You, Ms. Szurmai-Palotai, and ZDNet's readers are poorer for it.
@Violet Blue You're just... not very good, are you?
@Violet Blue
Violet, first of all, I'm sorry that you feel "piled on". But having said that...
"It's revealing to not get additional information to give context to the woman in the booth..."
I'm sorry, but as a tech reporter isn't it your job to go out and *find* that information, rather than rely on others to just *give* it to you?
"I was dismayed because the woman representing the company at Macworld was unapproachable"
I don't understand what you're saying here. Is she any more "unapproachable" than the man on the left? Of course not.
I've covered so many trade shows - including a lot of Macworlds - that I've lost count. And I spent a lot of my time going round those smaller booths, digging out the stories. I didn't find anyone unapproachable, and that includes many women representing their companies (including some where they *were* the company).
So really, I don't understand what point you were trying to make. Perhaps explaining it better in the first place might be beneficial next time?
Violet, first of all, I'm sorry that you feel "piled on". But having said that...
"It's revealing to not get additional information to give context to the woman in the booth..."
I'm sorry, but as a tech reporter isn't it your job to go out and *find* that information, rather than rely on others to just *give* it to you?
"I was dismayed because the woman representing the company at Macworld was unapproachable"
I don't understand what you're saying here. Is she any more "unapproachable" than the man on the left? Of course not.
I've covered so many trade shows - including a lot of Macworlds - that I've lost count. And I spent a lot of my time going round those smaller booths, digging out the stories. I didn't find anyone unapproachable, and that includes many women representing their companies (including some where they *were* the company).
So really, I don't understand what point you were trying to make. Perhaps explaining it better in the first place might be beneficial next time?
@Ian.Betteridge Merlin Mann and his tiny town interviews from years back are more what I would have liked to see.
*sigh* Triple post. Thanks ZDNet commenting system!
@Violet Blue Hey there. Wow, just lost all respect for you after reading your columns for years. You owe that woman an apology for judging her by a double standard.
The guy standing in the booth next to her looks approximately as bored and yet you made no comment about his tits. He even is folding his hands in exactly the same sad manner. Yet your critical aesthetic comments are reserved for the female.
Your supposedly pro-woman essay that you cite in your defense is an elaborate exercise in mental gymnastics. You say it is perfectly fine to expect women representatives to "dress sexy", and your only complaint is that they ought to have nerdier brains... because that would be sexier. You fein that you would be perfectly egalitarianly happy to objectify men in the same manner... But this is a blatant lie as revealed by your lack of comment on this poor woman's equally dispirited looking male neighbor. No comment on the fit of his khakhis in his crochetal area, general posture or level of cuteness. Only the girl gets that critique. Your faux egalitarian fantasy is mere posturing.
By loudly and passionately proclaiming how women should be sexier, you reinforce the mentality that the most important thing for a woman is to be sexy. You have not been "corrected", you have been called out. You owe this hard working woman an apology for judging her on her looks. Plain and simple.
The guy standing in the booth next to her looks approximately as bored and yet you made no comment about his tits. He even is folding his hands in exactly the same sad manner. Yet your critical aesthetic comments are reserved for the female.
Your supposedly pro-woman essay that you cite in your defense is an elaborate exercise in mental gymnastics. You say it is perfectly fine to expect women representatives to "dress sexy", and your only complaint is that they ought to have nerdier brains... because that would be sexier. You fein that you would be perfectly egalitarianly happy to objectify men in the same manner... But this is a blatant lie as revealed by your lack of comment on this poor woman's equally dispirited looking male neighbor. No comment on the fit of his khakhis in his crochetal area, general posture or level of cuteness. Only the girl gets that critique. Your faux egalitarian fantasy is mere posturing.
By loudly and passionately proclaiming how women should be sexier, you reinforce the mentality that the most important thing for a woman is to be sexy. You have not been "corrected", you have been called out. You owe this hard working woman an apology for judging her on her looks. Plain and simple.
@Violet Blue Can you not have the good grace to say: "Oops! Yep, I of all people should haven't jumped to the conclusion that she was only there because she was a woman, rather than a developer".
Actually, if she'd been a "booth babe" she'd probably have had someone with her - someone who actually knew a little about the product, you know? Or she'd have been handing something out. Or collecting contact details from attendees (or at least trying).
Look, everyone makes mistakes, I get that. Just admit that you were wrong to jump to this conclusion, if you want to make amends, why not write an article about her role in creating the product (whatever it is) and the challenges faced by developers who risk being mistaken for "booth babes"?
I'm sure (pretty sure) she'd be quite happy to talk about her product.
Anyone who's promoted a product on one of these booths will know, it isn't a barrel of laughs all the time, and you do get bored, hungry, and generally left feeling a bit flat. Just because she's a woman, doesn't mean she has to look "deliriously happy" 100% of the time (I've been there, promoting a product that's taken real effort, watching people walk by, it's pretty hard to not get a little dispirited).
So, why not get her point of view, find out a little about her role, and product. I'd be interested in reading about THAT.
Seem fair?
Actually, if she'd been a "booth babe" she'd probably have had someone with her - someone who actually knew a little about the product, you know? Or she'd have been handing something out. Or collecting contact details from attendees (or at least trying).
Look, everyone makes mistakes, I get that. Just admit that you were wrong to jump to this conclusion, if you want to make amends, why not write an article about her role in creating the product (whatever it is) and the challenges faced by developers who risk being mistaken for "booth babes"?
I'm sure (pretty sure) she'd be quite happy to talk about her product.
Anyone who's promoted a product on one of these booths will know, it isn't a barrel of laughs all the time, and you do get bored, hungry, and generally left feeling a bit flat. Just because she's a woman, doesn't mean she has to look "deliriously happy" 100% of the time (I've been there, promoting a product that's taken real effort, watching people walk by, it's pretty hard to not get a little dispirited).
So, why not get her point of view, find out a little about her role, and product. I'd be interested in reading about THAT.
Seem fair?
@Violet Blue Kadhafi was 'unapproachable', this woman just looked momentarily disengaged.
When you say 'booth babe' it sounds like 'beach babe', and there's no way I'm going to get 'intelligent woman hacker/developer' from that phrase.
Even 'hacker chick' would have been better if you wanted to spin it that way.
What frustrates me is that you're reporting on a trade show I can't get to this year, and I'm taking the time to read your column because you're a smart reporter, so this kind of thing is disappointing. You as a woman in tech reporting could have given this woman her 15 minutes of positive fame by interviewing her, or at least taking a good picture and taking the time to identify her, but instead you turned her into a punch line.
I'm sorry if you feel like you're taking 'fanboy' attacks, which incidentally is another label I'd like to see stricken from tech reporting, but if you put your name on something you should be prepared to take the feedback whether you like it or not.
When you say 'booth babe' it sounds like 'beach babe', and there's no way I'm going to get 'intelligent woman hacker/developer' from that phrase.
Even 'hacker chick' would have been better if you wanted to spin it that way.
What frustrates me is that you're reporting on a trade show I can't get to this year, and I'm taking the time to read your column because you're a smart reporter, so this kind of thing is disappointing. You as a woman in tech reporting could have given this woman her 15 minutes of positive fame by interviewing her, or at least taking a good picture and taking the time to identify her, but instead you turned her into a punch line.
I'm sorry if you feel like you're taking 'fanboy' attacks, which incidentally is another label I'd like to see stricken from tech reporting, but if you put your name on something you should be prepared to take the feedback whether you like it or not.
@Violet Blue - Grueber's link to your story is *hardly* an "attack". puleez. he merely points out that others have reported her as a developer, not a hired booth babe. his tone is rather mild.
http://daringfireball.net/linked/2012/02/01/sad
...i think your defensiveness is kicking in.
http://daringfireball.net/linked/2012/02/01/sad
...i think your defensiveness is kicking in.
@mdelvecchio It's too late. The "Apple Fanboy" card has been played, and now it's absolutely required that all the love struck Android teenagers rise to the defense of poor Violet, brandishing their weapons of histrionics, hysteria and disingenuous prattle about death threats.
@Violet Blue Hear that noise? That's Violet Blue backpedalling... http://4ma.me/481
Bottom line: ZDNet - pay for the developer's booth at next year's Macworld by way of apologizing for Violet Blue's awful characterization of Piroska Szurmai-Palotai and ZDNet's equally awful decision to change the original story after the fact.
Bottom line: ZDNet - pay for the developer's booth at next year's Macworld by way of apologizing for Violet Blue's awful characterization of Piroska Szurmai-Palotai and ZDNet's equally awful decision to change the original story after the fact.
@Violet Blue Hey Violet,
I'm really sorry you are getting attacked viciously here. I didn't know about this controversy until I started reading the comments, which apparently has something to do with another blog. I've read a couple of your books and I'm familiar with your Chronicle column, so I know you ID as a sex-positive feminist. But seriously, no matter what a bunch of jerks are saying and how that's making you feel in the moment? Ultimately, I think you owe this woman an apology.
Have you ever been having a bad day and had a scowl on your face, and some jerk guy tells you to "smile, sweetheart!" Because you'll look prettier? Give him a smile? Honestly, that's the first thing this made me think of when I saw the picture after clicking on it from the blog post. Women are always expected to smile. Of course, so are salespeople, but this is the age of the single person manning a 2" x 2" kiosk from developers way too small to have a sales staff -- and that appears to be the section of MacWorld you were in, not the pavilion of a gigantic publisher.
You projected your expectations of what a "booth babe" should do onto this jet-lagged, exhausted, sleepless Hungarian woman from 9 time zones away. And those expectations basically included "smile, sweetheart!" Plus, I did read your article on booth babes -- and I still really don't get why you labeled Ms. Szurmai-Palotai as a "booth babe."
Here are some of the phrases you used to describe booth babes in that other piece (which I liked, btw): "female models dressed in provocative outfits" - "scantily-clad" - "girls in garters and stockings" - "busty girls in tight white t-shirts" - "it would all be on display" (in your role-reversed babe description) - " tight little half shirts and crotch-hugging short-shorts" - "booth babes would dress sexy" - "clueless cheesecake."
I'm sorry, I didn't see any sign in that article that you're referring to booth babes as "women devs" or "women hackers." In fact, you make up a whole UNREAL fantasy scenario in which that's true as a surprising change to reality! That article basically establishes that when you say "booth babe" you mean "provocatively dressed woman who may not know much about what she's repping." It's very confusing why you lumped Ms. Szurmai-Palotai in that category, but it seems to be because she has big breasts and is wearing a tight t-shirt. Do you really think that any woman wearing a tight t-shirt is doing so to purposefully appear provocative? I mean, it's not like she's ONLY wearing a tight white t-shirt. She has another shirt on underneath! Where is the low-tide-mark for provocative here?
Ignore the haters. Do what's right. Apologize for your gaffe! It's only a mistake and a minor rudeness to another woman trying to make it in a male-dominated field. I've made that kind of mistake, we all make them all the time. But you'll lose the respect of a lot of people if you can't own up to your own mistakes, and not all of them are stupid hate-spewing fanboys.
I'm really sorry you are getting attacked viciously here. I didn't know about this controversy until I started reading the comments, which apparently has something to do with another blog. I've read a couple of your books and I'm familiar with your Chronicle column, so I know you ID as a sex-positive feminist. But seriously, no matter what a bunch of jerks are saying and how that's making you feel in the moment? Ultimately, I think you owe this woman an apology.
Have you ever been having a bad day and had a scowl on your face, and some jerk guy tells you to "smile, sweetheart!" Because you'll look prettier? Give him a smile? Honestly, that's the first thing this made me think of when I saw the picture after clicking on it from the blog post. Women are always expected to smile. Of course, so are salespeople, but this is the age of the single person manning a 2" x 2" kiosk from developers way too small to have a sales staff -- and that appears to be the section of MacWorld you were in, not the pavilion of a gigantic publisher.
You projected your expectations of what a "booth babe" should do onto this jet-lagged, exhausted, sleepless Hungarian woman from 9 time zones away. And those expectations basically included "smile, sweetheart!" Plus, I did read your article on booth babes -- and I still really don't get why you labeled Ms. Szurmai-Palotai as a "booth babe."
Here are some of the phrases you used to describe booth babes in that other piece (which I liked, btw): "female models dressed in provocative outfits" - "scantily-clad" - "girls in garters and stockings" - "busty girls in tight white t-shirts" - "it would all be on display" (in your role-reversed babe description) - " tight little half shirts and crotch-hugging short-shorts" - "booth babes would dress sexy" - "clueless cheesecake."
I'm sorry, I didn't see any sign in that article that you're referring to booth babes as "women devs" or "women hackers." In fact, you make up a whole UNREAL fantasy scenario in which that's true as a surprising change to reality! That article basically establishes that when you say "booth babe" you mean "provocatively dressed woman who may not know much about what she's repping." It's very confusing why you lumped Ms. Szurmai-Palotai in that category, but it seems to be because she has big breasts and is wearing a tight t-shirt. Do you really think that any woman wearing a tight t-shirt is doing so to purposefully appear provocative? I mean, it's not like she's ONLY wearing a tight white t-shirt. She has another shirt on underneath! Where is the low-tide-mark for provocative here?
Ignore the haters. Do what's right. Apologize for your gaffe! It's only a mistake and a minor rudeness to another woman trying to make it in a male-dominated field. I've made that kind of mistake, we all make them all the time. But you'll lose the respect of a lot of people if you can't own up to your own mistakes, and not all of them are stupid hate-spewing fanboys.
@HollyHen Also, I don't think you want to admit that as a journalist, you were too put off by a woman looking exhausted and downcast to ask her why she looks sad. That's not what a journalist who's really interested in the facts would do. It's what someone who's just looking for some drive-by mockery would do -- in the service of making a point about MacWorld's persona. It's a little exploitative, no?
@Violet Blue
I feel so bad for this woman. She developed and published three applications, on her own, and came to Macworld to promote them. This is cool, and I respect her. You saw her in a tired moment, and, having no understanding of her or her accomplishments called her names and insulted her breasts.
What an incredibly ****** person you are.
Before I just knew you as the person who rudely interrupted Steve Jobs and then went on and on about being snapped at for being intrusive and rude.
Today, after seeing you do this ****** thing, I also learned you also carelessly caused someone to be seriously burned at another event a few years back, as a result of which many people who were there no longer associate with you.
I feel so bad for this woman. She developed and published three applications, on her own, and came to Macworld to promote them. This is cool, and I respect her. You saw her in a tired moment, and, having no understanding of her or her accomplishments called her names and insulted her breasts.
What an incredibly ****** person you are.
Before I just knew you as the person who rudely interrupted Steve Jobs and then went on and on about being snapped at for being intrusive and rude.
Today, after seeing you do this ****** thing, I also learned you also carelessly caused someone to be seriously burned at another event a few years back, as a result of which many people who were there no longer associate with you.
@Violet Blue You wrote: "I put the woman in a social category based on the environment she was in." That's almost certainly not true. The environment she was in was the Mobile Apps Showcase, where she was the only person at her kiosk???because she's a one-person company. The job of "booth babes" is to bring potential customers to a booth where more-informed employees can provide info or sell products. It's clear in your picture that this couldn't possibly have been the case here.
I found out who she was from YOUR picture in just a few minutes, and I'm disappointed that you didn't bother to do so before labeling her and commenting on her breasts.
I found out who she was from YOUR picture in just a few minutes, and I'm disappointed that you didn't bother to do so before labeling her and commenting on her breasts.
@Violet Blue You didn't actually read what Gruber wrote, did you? If you did, I question your grasp of basic English. If what Gruber wrote could be considered an "attack", you must think actual pointed criticism is no less than physical assault.
"fanboy personal attacks . . . ."
Awww, man! And here I was on your side till you went and did that! Just HAD to go there, dintcha?
Awww, man! And here I was on your side till you went and did that! Just HAD to go there, dintcha?
So... let's get this right... You dismissed the developer categorically as a booth babe and not worth your time to get know her or her product because of her attitude, but when people criticize you here, they are at fault for not reading your column because of the attitude of this post?
Wow this just in, person sitting at kiosk. Pathetic! Even the framing shows you took it seruptiously like a total douche. Her demeanor put you off (yeh right) so instead you chose to snap a photo (why?) and scurry off to make a completely baseless judgement on her and use your small profile to hold her up to ridicule. Some of the lowest kind of 'reporting' I've ever seen.
Enjoy the shitstorm, you've earnt it! Oh and lest you delude yourself further, we're not all Gruber fanboys. Personally I can't stand the guy and your styles are remarkably similar.
Enjoy the shitstorm, you've earnt it! Oh and lest you delude yourself further, we're not all Gruber fanboys. Personally I can't stand the guy and your styles are remarkably similar.
@ChSng "styles are remarkably similar"? Are you kidding with this? It's painfully evident you've never read anything by Gruber. At best you've read what the whiners write *about* Gruber, but that would be it.
"exactly the kind of 'booth babe' I am referring to - women devs, women hackers. Not the kind some of you seem to instantly think I mean."
What was that description again?
"beneath breasts that were packaged air-tight in a tight, branded t-shirt."
Uh-huh. Riiiiiiiight. Because talking about their breasts is always germane when discussing women developers. Gosh, shame on us for instantly thinking you meant something else.
What was that description again?
"beneath breasts that were packaged air-tight in a tight, branded t-shirt."
Uh-huh. Riiiiiiiight. Because talking about their breasts is always germane when discussing women developers. Gosh, shame on us for instantly thinking you meant something else.
You write an articles about 'Booth Babes' at CES and then go hunting for one at MacWorld. Your prey having been spotted, you take a sneaky photograph like a low life perv. Unfortunately you slipped up because the babe in question happened to be the developer of several apps.
And instead of apologising, mea culpa, you let the offending blog sit uncorrected for several days. Then, when the comments take you to task you call 'unfair' gang attack by fanboys. Seems like you are going out of your way to offend everyone just to get page views.
And instead of apologising, mea culpa, you let the offending blog sit uncorrected for several days. Then, when the comments take you to task you call 'unfair' gang attack by fanboys. Seems like you are going out of your way to offend everyone just to get page views.
The young woman you branded ???booth babe??? is a jet lagged producer at Neo Play iPhone studio who hasn???t slept for 4 days.
Piroska Szurmai Palotai is a developer at Neo Play, she was an internationally recognized chess player before she entered the mac world. Yes, she is a woman.
I you had talked to them, they would have told you that one of their next Apps coming out will be ???Judit Polgar's Chessplayground??? which teaches chess to kids & adults in an entertaining way. Judit Polg??r by the way achieved the title of Chess Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time. (she beat Bobbie Fischer???s record). The only female player to have won a game against a Men's World champion, Polgar has defeated nine: Anatoli Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Boris Spassky, Vasily Smyslov, Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand, Ruslan Ponomariov, Alexander Khalifman, and Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
The ???booth babe??? is working on her App.
Piroska Szurmai Palotai is a developer at Neo Play, she was an internationally recognized chess player before she entered the mac world. Yes, she is a woman.
I you had talked to them, they would have told you that one of their next Apps coming out will be ???Judit Polgar's Chessplayground??? which teaches chess to kids & adults in an entertaining way. Judit Polg??r by the way achieved the title of Chess Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time. (she beat Bobbie Fischer???s record). The only female player to have won a game against a Men's World champion, Polgar has defeated nine: Anatoli Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Boris Spassky, Vasily Smyslov, Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand, Ruslan Ponomariov, Alexander Khalifman, and Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
The ???booth babe??? is working on her App.
The young woman you branded ???booth babe??? is a jet lagged producer at Neo Play iPhone studio who hasn???t slept for 4 days.
Piroska Szurmai Palotai is a developer at Neo Play, she was an internationally recognized chess player before she entered the mac world. Yes, she is a woman.
I you had talked to them, they would have told you that one of their next Apps coming out will be ???Judit Polgar's Chessplayground??? which teaches chess to kids & adults in an entertaining way. Judit Polg??r by the way achieved the title of Chess Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time. (she beat Bobbie Fischer???s record). The only female player to have won a game against a Men's World champion, Polgar has defeated nine: Anatoli Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Boris Spassky, Vasily Smyslov, Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand, Ruslan Ponomariov, Alexander Khalifman, and Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
The ???booth babe??? is working on her App.
Piroska Szurmai Palotai is a developer at Neo Play, she was an internationally recognized chess player before she entered the mac world. Yes, she is a woman.
I you had talked to them, they would have told you that one of their next Apps coming out will be ???Judit Polgar's Chessplayground??? which teaches chess to kids & adults in an entertaining way. Judit Polg??r by the way achieved the title of Chess Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time. (she beat Bobbie Fischer???s record). The only female player to have won a game against a Men's World champion, Polgar has defeated nine: Anatoli Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Boris Spassky, Vasily Smyslov, Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand, Ruslan Ponomariov, Alexander Khalifman, and Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
The ???booth babe??? is working on her App.
"She sat on a stool in between two large monitors across the aisle from us. The pretty brunette was in one of those big corner booths that paid a few bucks for that sorta-prime real estate you know is a gamble..."
Maybe I'm misunderstanding it because it's a poorly written sentence (I've cut it down for brevity) but those are not two large monitors and that's not a big corner booth. You probably could have guessed from the area of the hall you were in that those small stands are usually manned by small independent companies, so it was a pretty good bet that the person in question is actually the sole proprietor of the company who's name is above the "large monitor" and not a hired "booth babe".
But at least the Grueber [sic] fanboys are driving up your ad views, so ZD Net will be pleased.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding it because it's a poorly written sentence (I've cut it down for brevity) but those are not two large monitors and that's not a big corner booth. You probably could have guessed from the area of the hall you were in that those small stands are usually manned by small independent companies, so it was a pretty good bet that the person in question is actually the sole proprietor of the company who's name is above the "large monitor" and not a hired "booth babe".
But at least the Grueber [sic] fanboys are driving up your ad views, so ZD Net will be pleased.
Conveniently, this comes the day after I read a wonderful post by Jessie Char (now of Mule Design) about what it feels like to be labeled a "booth babe":
http://jessiechar.tumblr.com/post/16838586904/lament-of-the-delicious-librarian
tl;dr version: it sucks, its offensive, and you should stop it. Putting an asterisk at the bottom in which you call her the same offensive name six more times is not a meaningful correction.
Perhaps you should stop trying to label everyone ("booth babe", "fanboy", "mansplainers") and actually engage with people so that you, as a reporter, can tell their story rather than make fun of them.
http://jessiechar.tumblr.com/post/16838586904/lament-of-the-delicious-librarian
tl;dr version: it sucks, its offensive, and you should stop it. Putting an asterisk at the bottom in which you call her the same offensive name six more times is not a meaningful correction.
Perhaps you should stop trying to label everyone ("booth babe", "fanboy", "mansplainers") and actually engage with people so that you, as a reporter, can tell their story rather than make fun of them.
@Violet Blue
I think JohnTheBastard already summed this up - but I'll excrete here, anyway.
The intent of your observation was clear. "Sad booth babe is sad" simply oozed Schadenfreude.
A good writer understands their audience and the medium (did you write this for Jezebel?), and should not need notarization to defend the context of their declarations.
What irritates "some people" the most, is your inability to admit your mistaken pre-judgement, and your inability to apologize for it.
Your editorial attempt to "some people" it, just makes you look more stubborn and condescending:
"As it happens, the woman described in the beginning of this article was one many thought was a hired model"
Many, including yourself, right?
No, you're better than us; the many slobs.
??__??
I think JohnTheBastard already summed this up - but I'll excrete here, anyway.
The intent of your observation was clear. "Sad booth babe is sad" simply oozed Schadenfreude.
A good writer understands their audience and the medium (did you write this for Jezebel?), and should not need notarization to defend the context of their declarations.
What irritates "some people" the most, is your inability to admit your mistaken pre-judgement, and your inability to apologize for it.
Your editorial attempt to "some people" it, just makes you look more stubborn and condescending:
"As it happens, the woman described in the beginning of this article was one many thought was a hired model"
Many, including yourself, right?
No, you're better than us; the many slobs.
??__??
Unbelievable. Another reason to avoid ZD Net. Rubbish reporting.
To be clear, Gruber didn't "attack" you; he quoted you. Then quoted an explanation of who the woman was. He didn't call you names, he didn't impugn you in any way. He quoted what you wrote, and then identified the woman you took a picture of. The fact that quoting you was enough to generate the criticism it did says more about what you wrote than it says about Gruber. If you perceive somebody quoting your public writings as a "blog attack" perhaps a diary would be a better choice for your output than putting it out in public. As for "booth babe", you don't get to redefine terms in common usage to make yourself look better. Ask 1,000 people at Macworld what a Booth Babe is, and "Women devs, Women hackers" is not what you're going to hear, and certainly not what you bring to mind by going on to describe how her breasts are "packaged"
[double post, what is it with this comment system?]
Hi everyone!
I am Zs??fia Rutkai the WOMAN on the picture. I am a junior producer working for NeoPlay Entertainment on World Factor Show and Polg??r Judit???s Chess Playground. I am the one who runs production. I am responsible for public communication, international relations and press releases. (my last goal succeeded better as we expected.):)
I'd like to thank you all who stood up for me without knowing me. Good to know that the majority of the mac community is tolerant and aware of human rights. I???ve never thought about being a model or booth babe but seeing the bright side of the story it can be considered as a compliment.
Forgetting about the case which is beyond funny do me a favor and categorize our apps instead. Go to our website www.neo-play.com
Contact Piroska Szurmai-Palotai who is a developer and internationally recognized chess player.
palotaipiroska@t-online.hu
Or find the saddest booth babe on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003532144035
Cheers from Hungary
Zs??fia Rutkai A.K.A. The saddest booth girl in the world.
Ps: Go girls! Macworld is open for us too!
I am Zs??fia Rutkai the WOMAN on the picture. I am a junior producer working for NeoPlay Entertainment on World Factor Show and Polg??r Judit???s Chess Playground. I am the one who runs production. I am responsible for public communication, international relations and press releases. (my last goal succeeded better as we expected.):)
I'd like to thank you all who stood up for me without knowing me. Good to know that the majority of the mac community is tolerant and aware of human rights. I???ve never thought about being a model or booth babe but seeing the bright side of the story it can be considered as a compliment.
Forgetting about the case which is beyond funny do me a favor and categorize our apps instead. Go to our website www.neo-play.com
Contact Piroska Szurmai-Palotai who is a developer and internationally recognized chess player.
palotaipiroska@t-online.hu
Or find the saddest booth babe on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003532144035
Cheers from Hungary
Zs??fia Rutkai A.K.A. The saddest booth girl in the world.
Ps: Go girls! Macworld is open for us too!
@zsrutkai Thanks for commenting and clearing this up! So glad you could comment after I reached out to you - it wasn't easy tracking you down.
We're in contact now and I look forward to more - I may take you up on the invite!
We're in contact now and I look forward to more - I may take you up on the invite!
Hello,
I am Piroska Szurmai-Palotai. Zsofi mentioned that she is on the picture. This is true. I wasn???t in San Francisco, maybe next year???
We accept Violet Blue???s apology, hoping next time she will focus much more on our apps than on Zsofi.
We are developing a chess app and would like to do it at a really high level concentrating only on the creation of a brand new app with cutting edge technology. I hope our hard work will pay off and the chess app will be out this spring. So please follow our work!
Thanks for everybody who supported me! It was a really good feeling.
If you have any questions please don???t hesitate to ask me via e-mail: palotaipiroska@t-online.hu
Best wishes!
I am Piroska Szurmai-Palotai. Zsofi mentioned that she is on the picture. This is true. I wasn???t in San Francisco, maybe next year???
We accept Violet Blue???s apology, hoping next time she will focus much more on our apps than on Zsofi.
We are developing a chess app and would like to do it at a really high level concentrating only on the creation of a brand new app with cutting edge technology. I hope our hard work will pay off and the chess app will be out this spring. So please follow our work!
Thanks for everybody who supported me! It was a really good feeling.
If you have any questions please don???t hesitate to ask me via e-mail: palotaipiroska@t-online.hu
Best wishes!
Join the conversation!
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
Vendor Showcase
