I am embarrassed for my university.
Nerds to Auction Themselves to Women
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Looking to recruit more women, and perhaps date some sorority girls, the largest computer club at Washington State University hopes to hold a “nerd auction.” The idea is to trade their computer skills to sorority girls in exchange for a makeover and, possibly, a date.
“You can buy a nerd and he’ll fix your computer, help you with stats homework, or if you’re really adventurous, take you to dinner!” Ben Ford, president of the Linux Users Group, said on its Web site recently.
Ford acknowledged that some of the group’s 213 registered members may not be ready for the auction block.
“The problem is that we’re all still nerds. Let’s face it, guys. If anyone’s going to bid on us, we’ll need some spicing up,” he wrote. “And who better to help with that than sorority girls who like nothing better than a makeover?”
This is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard of. Of course, the entire reason for this was mentioned later on:
This all began as an effort to recruit more women into computer science progams…
Somehow, I doubt that perpetuating the stereotype that college-age women are too stupid to operate and maintain their computers without the assistance of male nerds will help this. (Even if it is true, it’s more of a self-fulfilling prophecy than any inherent problem with women, and perpetuating the stereotype only makes it worse.) And while it’s no secret that computer enthusiasts are generally male nerds with little ability to attract women, I don’t think advertising this generalization will attract women to computer science programs either.
A public relations class decided to help by studying the social dynamics of the Linux group, which focuses on the use of the computer operating system.
Fortunately, it wasn’t the PR class that came up with this dumb idea; it was Ben Ford, in the shower. I say “fortunately” because WSU’s communications department has a good reputation as far as communications departments go, and after this level of national embarrassment I want there to be something left over for WSU to be proud of.
Tags: computer science, computers, washington state university, women
So…
1. Are you in the club, and if so,
2. You love me long time? Five dolla?
:)
Trust me, if I was in the club, and went to the meetings, this quite possibly never would have happened.
I thought it was hilarious and would have gone to the auction. :P To each her own. Nerd. Bought and paid for.
And laurel… with inflation… is more like thirty now… Phil, not so cheap…
Once again, I’m the only one complaining that this is demeaning to women.
And I’m pretty sure that when I inflate, I lose my value to women.
I totally agree with you. I know Ben Ford personally (a little too personally) and I think it is the dumbest idea ever. He just wants to get laid and so do all the other non showering geeks.
The easiest way for non-showering geeks to get laid is becoming showering geeks.
I don’t know if bathing is the only step needed toward getting laid but it does help.