Microsoft's ill-chosen magic constants
Jul. 13th, 2012 06:59 pm![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mjg59Paolo Bonzini noticed something a little awkward in the Linux kernel support code for Microsoft's HyperV virtualisation environment - specifically, that the magic constant passed through to the hypervisor was "0xB16B00B5", or, in English, "BIG BOOBS". It turns out that this isn't an exception - when the code was originally submitted it also contained "0x0B00B135". That one got removed when the Xen support code was ripped out.
At the most basic level it's just straightforward childish humour, and the use of vaguely-English strings in magic hex constants is hardly uncommon. But it's also specifically male childish humour. Puerile sniggering at breasts contributes to the continuing impression that software development is a boys club where girls aren't welcome. It's especially irritating in this case because Azure may depend on this constant, so changing it will break things.
So, full marks, Microsoft. You've managed to make the kernel more offensive to half the population and you've made it awkward for us to rectify it.
At the most basic level it's just straightforward childish humour, and the use of vaguely-English strings in magic hex constants is hardly uncommon. But it's also specifically male childish humour. Puerile sniggering at breasts contributes to the continuing impression that software development is a boys club where girls aren't welcome. It's especially irritating in this case because Azure may depend on this constant, so changing it will break things.
So, full marks, Microsoft. You've managed to make the kernel more offensive to half the population and you've made it awkward for us to rectify it.
You are being counterproductive
Date: 2012-07-20 06:05 pm (UTC)Firstly, I'd like to say that I appreciate your contributions to open-source, and your obviously good intentions with your work for geek feminism.
However, I think you are increasingly missing the point with these posts you make.
Hardly anyone would have known about this very minor issue had you not publicised it. Removing the (extremely mildly) offensive constant would be trivial by simlpy translating into a different representation (which I'm sure you also realised immediately, so the fact that you give the impression that it would be hard makes this hole issue look even more over-blown). I would understand making a fuss about this if the maintainer had objected to a correct fix, but that does not seem to have been the case.
The fact is that if these sorts of things help keep women away, then you are making it worse by letting everyone know about ever little issue. A much more constructive approach (yet less glamorous I guess), would be to quietly and discretely search for and fix the issues.
Had I been a woman I think what would offend me about this incident is not the juvenile joke, but the fact that people like yourself feel they need to "come to the rescue". You look very patronising in the way you are defending women against every tiny discomfort, save your valor for the big battles (such as sexual harassment, bullying, etc.) and if some ladies feel offended by things like this, I'm sure they'd be more than capable of fighting that fight themselves.
Lastly, I think you (and people like yourself) are creating misogyny where there previously was none. Speaking for myself, I most of the time could not care less about what gender someone is. However, after reading one too many posts like these, I must admit that when I am now confronted with someone who could potentially be a geek feminist (i.e., typically women) I tend to try to avoid them (not invite them to join teams/meetings or conversely not join theirs) as I don't want to get dragged into these controversies. I know this makes me a terrible person, but that's the truth of it, I simply don't have the patience for this kind of stuff. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking/acting this way, but obviously most people will not admit it.
In short: pick your battles, and tone down the hyperbole.
Re: You are being counterproductive
Date: 2012-07-20 06:26 pm (UTC)Re: You are being counterproductive
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2012-07-20 06:52 pm (UTC) - ExpandRe: You are being counterproductive
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2012-07-20 08:30 pm (UTC) - ExpandRe: You are being counterproductive
From:Re: You are being counterproductive
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2012-07-21 11:23 am (UTC) - ExpandRe: You are being counterproductive
From:Re: You are being counterproductive
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2012-07-21 07:11 pm (UTC) - ExpandRe: You are being counterproductive
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2012-07-22 05:14 pm (UTC) - ExpandOh, grow up
Date: 2012-07-20 08:00 pm (UTC)Oh, really? So a lesbian couldn't have the same views? And why would a woman find such a reference "offensive"? Have you asked "half the population"?
It's so innocuous it simply doesn't deserve the silly fuss you're making of it.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-20 08:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-20 08:24 pm (UTC)I was a female software developer (I'm still female BTW, just no-longer a software developer). I am told that it is 'puerile sniggering at breasts', but to be quite honest this is so mild as to be merely comforting - it really does give me great memories! It would never have put me off in a million years! C'mon guys you must be able to do better than this - or has the world changed since I had my kids???
no subject
Date: 2012-07-20 09:25 pm (UTC)You know..
Date: 2012-07-21 10:30 am (UTC)Tragic
Date: 2012-07-20 09:39 pm (UTC)Re: Tragic
Date: 2012-07-21 10:29 am (UTC)Context
Date: 2012-07-20 09:59 pm (UTC)The current maintainer was completely unaware of the issue[0], which is not so strange as he did not work for MS at the time the code was introduced [1]. Once he was made aware he apologized on behalf of Microsoft and immediately sent a patch to hide the issue [2], and has been seemingly working hard on getting in a proper fix [3].
@mjg: Is it really necessary to be so confrontational?
[0]: https://lkml.org/lkml/2012/7/13/203
[1]: https://lkml.org/lkml/2012/7/20/237
[2]: https://lkml.org/lkml/2012/7/18/625
[3]: https://lkml.org/lkml/2012/7/20/263
Totally embarrasing
Date: 2012-07-20 11:53 pm (UTC)mekkora barom vagy, te jó ég...
Date: 2012-07-20 11:55 pm (UTC)I disagree
Date: 2012-07-21 02:35 am (UTC)Given this background I find this complaint of YOU discriminating. Your criticism seeks its roots in heteronormative thinking and upheld traditional (and wrong) concepts about gender etc.
You apparently assume that women are offended by mentioning breasts. This is discrimination and prejudice par excellence. Who are you to judge about what other people think and feel?
I know quite many women who talk (and praise) breast openly and I know quite a few man who don't like to talk or praise breasts. And then there I am, which I consider to be neither man nor woman and many people like me which can't even understand such naive thinking as you apparently seem to have.
Really, before making such statements and conclusion like in your article, you probably need to read up on gender theory, transgender issues, concepts like heteronomativity etc.
I give it to you that you are acting with good intentions and try to make the world better. But with such generalizations you ultimately are not doing any good and are in FACT hurting people like me (I am hurt because you are one of these far too many people who upheld traditional gender models or even the concept of clear definable genders).
For one who claims to be sensitive you seem to have a lot to learn. Please start now before making another stupid complaint by which you hurt other people. Thank you very much.
you have a lot of time to waste
Date: 2012-07-21 06:48 am (UTC)Men have 'boobs' as well
Date: 2012-07-21 08:59 am (UTC)If the developer was male, maybe he suffers from the dreaded 'man boobs' and was simply bemoaning his physical state.
In any case, everyone needs to chill out. Our extremely politically correct culture will eventually sterilize any humor (good, bad, or otherwise) from not just the workplace but from our entire culture. What if the developer had used the string, "b16pen1s" or something along those lines? Would anyone have even cared?
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 10:33 am (UTC)>calls microsoft immature
AHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 11:58 am (UTC)If it was clear that this variable was placed in by a female developer, would it still be offensive? I think the negative overblown coverage of this has caused far much more damage than the hex string itself!
Idiot
Date: 2012-07-21 12:29 pm (UTC)There's a reason you work on linux kernels all day instead of having a life, because nobody wants to fucking know you.
Peace.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 03:33 pm (UTC)Seriously ?
Date: 2012-07-21 04:48 pm (UTC)Don't just write blog just for the sake of it
Thanks
Date: 2012-07-21 11:46 pm (UTC)Line 62
Date: 2012-07-22 05:48 pm (UTC)Ewww yuck boobies
Date: 2012-07-22 07:44 pm (UTC)You are a walking joke.
Date: 2012-07-23 08:38 am (UTC)Re: You are a walking joke.
Date: 2012-07-23 12:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-23 12:11 pm (UTC)What a lost of time and stupidity to reveal this code that the most common of people will neither see.
It's a nerd's life...
fucking gay
Date: 2012-07-23 01:01 pm (UTC)Yaaaaahhhhh!!!!
Date: 2012-07-23 05:19 pm (UTC)for petes sake
Date: 2012-07-23 05:35 pm (UTC)