Ladyada interview with Paul Horowitz - The Art of Electronics

[EEVblog]

And the joke is on them, because her " fairly uncontroversial unconventional appearance" is a part of what has gotten her far.

Can you point to a specific instance of when she has traded on her looks? As far as I am aware, it's always only been about her work.

I'm not biting on your feminist hook.

[zapta]

As Tandy observes, Ladyada is a businesswoman, and her unconventional image gives her a competitive advantage - just as does Dave's image as "That Crazy Aussie Bloke". Neither has anything to do with their competence in their chosen field, but they make them more interesting to us as human beings.

I am looking forward for the "That Crazy Aussie Bloke With The Pink Hair" look.

[rolycat]

... there are lots of men with unconventional looks running businesses and people don't comment.

So nobody has ever mentioned, say, Donald Trump's hair, or Steve Jobs' black turtleneck and jeans, or Richard Branson's beard?

[EEVblog]

I'm not sure it is fair to say she has traded on her looks. More that the pink hair etc has had a good upside in that it may have generated more interest in Adafruit than a more conventional formal business look would. Lots of articles have commented on her pink hair along the lines of "wow look at this successful businesswoman and how she stands out with her pink hair". So it turns out that her choices have seemingly not hindered her if anything they have created publicity that has helped.

Bingo.
The media loves angles, without it a story is boring. Female founding a tech company is always a good angle. Female with pink hair and piercings who founded a successful tech company, that's a great angle.
Would she have been as successful in business without her "look"? of course, I have no doubt.
Would she have been as widely covered in the media without her "look"? perhaps not.
Welcome to the world of media.

[Excavatoree]

Limor Fried's business is successful for what she has done.   Not only are her "pre-engineered solutions"  good for artists and other maker types who don't know much about electrical engineering, they are useful even for engineers willing to trade money for time by purchasing pre-engineered modules to get a particular job done.

In addition to her pre-engineered modules, she does a good job of procuring and stocking useful purchased items.

Her appearance may appeal to some, it may be neutral to many, and discourage some, but I'd say any influence on her business is down in the noise.    She's very successful because she has so well met the needs of a significant group of people.  Her appearance has nothing to do with that. 

[zapta]

So nobody has ever mentioned, say, Donald Trump's hair ...

I didn't know that he also interviewed Horowitz. Link please.

BTW, his hair is well researched:

http://popdust.com/2014/09/19/donald-trump-hair-photos-mystery-transplant-combover-toupee/#slide1

[rolycat]

So nobody has ever mentioned, say, Donald Trump's hair ...

I didn't know that he also interviewed Horowitz. Link please.

BTW, his hair is well researched:

http://popdust.com/2014/09/19/donald-trump-hair-photos-mystery-transplant-combover-toupee/#slide1

My point precisely.

[Richard Crowley]

Her appearance may appeal to some, it may be neutral to many, and discourage some, but I'd say any influence on her business is down in the noise.    She's very successful because she has so well met the needs of a significant group of people.  Her appearance has nothing to do with that.

Yes absolutey.  It is posts like this one that make me wish for a "Like" button!   

My point precisely.

@zapta walked right into that one!   

[Macbeth]

Blimey, this is getting silly. #ladyadagate trending on twitter. Soon to dwarf even #elevatorgate and #gamergate. 

Anyway, I didn't even know who Ladyada was before watching the interview. I actually thought she was a "token" maker employed by some corporatist to interview Horowitz in that style as it will suit their audience. It turns out she is very good at her game and is a businesswoman in her own right. I also now know of her and adafruit.

But don't worry Jeri Ellsworth, I only have room in my heart for you 

[all_repair]

Piercing for look is irrelevant to me but tell about a lot about "safety" mindset of a person especially in an industry that deal with electricity.  Unless it is for religious reason, I do not see how wearing piercing is compatible with the industry (I am assuming that it is not a clip-on but penetration of fresh was made).   Incidentally, someone I knew had a piercing at a ear, infected and almost lost the ear lope, of course that portion of fresh was disfigured.

[con-f-use]

...but tell about a lot about "safety" mindset of a person especially in an industry that deal with electricity.  Unless it is for religious reason, I do not see how wearing piercing is compatible with the industry.

Baseless assumptions are also not compatible with the industry. You can take out your piercings. Not everyone is working with high power or voltage where small bits of metal could short something out and hurt you. Ever wore a metal button or zipper or metal frame for your glasses while at the work bench? Same thing, is it not? And I don't know about you, but I rarely touch power-lines with my nose.

[jancumps]

....  Unless it is for religious reason, I do not see how wearing piercing is compatible with the industry ..

How does religion make a difference for what's safe in industry?

[zapta]

Her appearance may appeal to some, it may be neutral to many, and discourage some, but I'd say any influence on her business is down in the noise.    She's very successful because she has so well met the needs of a significant group of people.  Her appearance has nothing to do with that.

Yes absolutey.  It is posts like this one that make me wish for a "Like" button!   

My point precisely.

@zapta walked right into that one!   

I didn't know he is one of the reasonable ones.   ;-)

[all_repair]

....  Unless it is for religious reason, I do not see how wearing piercing is compatible with the industry ..

How does religion make a difference for what's safe in industry?

You are right.  But it is for the religious bodies and the industries to reach a compromise.

[con-f-use]

I woudn't want a compromise in safety standards for any religion. The same laws and regulations have to apply to everyone.

[Richard Crowley]

But it is for the religious bodies and the industries to reach a compromise.

Which is exactly why the law in the US uses the legal term "reasonable accommodation".
If either the employee or the employer become "unreasonable" then the courts sort it out.

[rolycat]

I woudn't want a compromise in safety standards for any religion. The same laws and regulations have to apply to everyone.

It's not unusual for religions to mandate stupid behaviour on the part of their devotees, and governments wishing to appear 'sensitive' can and do make exemptions for them. For example, in the UK Sikhs wearing turbans are exempted from using hard hats at construction sites, and this will shortly be extended to all workplaces.

[c4757p]

I woudn't want a compromise in safety standards for any religion. The same laws and regulations have to apply to everyone.

But that's my faith! You can't make me take safety precautions, my god's going to roast me in hell for eternity if I do that!!

[retrolefty]

I woudn't want a compromise in safety standards for any religion. The same laws and regulations have to apply to everyone.

It's not unusual for religions to mandate stupid behaviour on the part of their devotees, and governments wishing to appear 'sensitive' can and do make exemptions for them. For example, in the UK Sikhs wearing turbans are exempted from using hard hats at construction sites, and this will shortly be extended to all workplaces.

 That is absolutely criminal. I worked at a oil refinery for almost 30 years and if I had not been required to wear a hard hat in the plants at all times I might have not made it to retirement.

 Safety, including mandatory personal protection equipment should never have to pass a 'sensitivity' test. We also had a no beard policy as it could fail to allow for a good fit on emergency air pack masks. Some grumbled about it but it was make your choice, follow the safety polcies or go work somewhere else.

[rolycat]

I woudn't want a compromise in safety standards for any religion. The same laws and regulations have to apply to everyone.

It's not unusual for religions to mandate stupid behaviour on the part of their devotees, and governments wishing to appear 'sensitive' can and do make exemptions for them. For example, in the UK Sikhs wearing turbans are exempted from using hard hats at construction sites, and this will shortly be extended to all workplaces.

 That is absolutely criminal. I worked at a oil refinery for almost 30 years and if I had not been required to wear a hard hat in the plants at all times I might have not made it to retirement.

 Safety, including mandatory personal protection equipment should never have to pass a 'sensitivity' test. We also had a no beard policy as it could fail to allow for a good fit on emergency air pack masks. Some grumbled about it but it was make your choice, follow the safety polcies or go work somewhere else.

Ah, but it's explicitly not criminal in the UK (and some other countries) - it's enshrined in law: employers and other individuals are liable "only to the extent that injury, loss or damage would have been sustained by the Sikh even if he had been wearing a hard hat".

Proving that extent in court might be tricky, and it's interesting to note that a major PPE manufacturer had a Sikh wrap a typical load of hair (a lot) up in a turban and tested it in their facility. Blunt object trauma was actually less for the turbaned 'head' than with a standard EN397 hard hat. Sharp objects were another matter...

[zapta]

Pink hair, Sikh bashing. This Horowitz thread is getting more and more focused.

[jeroen74]

I enjoyed this video, the Sophie Wilson interview was a lot more cringeworthy.

[timofonic]

Pink hair, Sikh bashing. This Horowitz thread is getting more and more focused.

I'm happy to know this forum is full of ADHD people like me, I don't feel alone anymore...

[emoji38]

[rolycat]

Pink hair, Sikh bashing. This Horowitz thread is getting more and more focused.

You feel that there is more to be usefully said about that interview?  Allez-y 

[mtdoc]

More fodder for the Limor lovers and haters. Here's over an hour of discussion with the CEO of Sparkfun and the director of OSHA.