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mjg59Edit: About two months after this was written, Intel committed to a large scale diversity initiative. Actions speak louder than words, and this was an effective repudiation of the behaviour described below. I've happily worked on Intel-related issues since then.
A lot of the kernel work I've ended up doing has involved dealing with bugs on Intel-based systems - figuring out interactions between their hardware and firmware, reverse engineering features that they refuse to document, improving their power management support, handling platform integration stuff for their GPUs and so on. Some of this I've been paid for, but a bunch has been unpaid work in my spare time[1].
Recently, as part of the anti-women #GamerGate campaign[2], a set of awful humans convinced Intel to terminate an advertising campaign because the site hosting the campaign had dared to suggest that the sexism present throughout the gaming industry might be a problem. Despite being awful humans, it is absolutely their right to request that a company choose to spend its money in a different way. And despite it being a dreadful decision, Intel is obviously entitled to spend their money as they wish. But I'm also free to spend my unpaid spare time as I wish, and I no longer wish to spend it doing unpaid work to enable an abhorrently-behaving company to sell more hardware. I won't be working on any Intel-specific bugs. I won't be reverse engineering any Intel-based features[3]. If the backlight on your laptop with an Intel GPU doesn't work, the number of fucks I'll be giving will fail to register on even the most sensitive measuring device.
On the plus side, this is probably going to significantly reduce my gin consumption.
[1] In the spirit of full disclosure: in some cases this has resulted in me being sent laptops in order to figure stuff out, and I was not always asked to return those laptops. My current laptop was purchased by me.
[2] I appreciate that there are some people involved in this campaign who earnestly believe that they are working to improve the state of professional ethics in games media. That is a worthy goal! But you're allying yourself to a cause that disproportionately attacks women while ignoring almost every other conflict of interest in the industry. If this is what you care about, find a new way to do it - and perhaps deal with the rather more obvious cases involving giant corporations, rather than obsessing over indie developers.
For avoidance of doubt, any comments arguing this point will be replaced with the phrase "Fart fart fart".
[3] Except for the purposes of finding entertaining security bugs
A lot of the kernel work I've ended up doing has involved dealing with bugs on Intel-based systems - figuring out interactions between their hardware and firmware, reverse engineering features that they refuse to document, improving their power management support, handling platform integration stuff for their GPUs and so on. Some of this I've been paid for, but a bunch has been unpaid work in my spare time[1].
Recently, as part of the anti-women #GamerGate campaign[2], a set of awful humans convinced Intel to terminate an advertising campaign because the site hosting the campaign had dared to suggest that the sexism present throughout the gaming industry might be a problem. Despite being awful humans, it is absolutely their right to request that a company choose to spend its money in a different way. And despite it being a dreadful decision, Intel is obviously entitled to spend their money as they wish. But I'm also free to spend my unpaid spare time as I wish, and I no longer wish to spend it doing unpaid work to enable an abhorrently-behaving company to sell more hardware. I won't be working on any Intel-specific bugs. I won't be reverse engineering any Intel-based features[3]. If the backlight on your laptop with an Intel GPU doesn't work, the number of fucks I'll be giving will fail to register on even the most sensitive measuring device.
On the plus side, this is probably going to significantly reduce my gin consumption.
[1] In the spirit of full disclosure: in some cases this has resulted in me being sent laptops in order to figure stuff out, and I was not always asked to return those laptops. My current laptop was purchased by me.
[2] I appreciate that there are some people involved in this campaign who earnestly believe that they are working to improve the state of professional ethics in games media. That is a worthy goal! But you're allying yourself to a cause that disproportionately attacks women while ignoring almost every other conflict of interest in the industry. If this is what you care about, find a new way to do it - and perhaps deal with the rather more obvious cases involving giant corporations, rather than obsessing over indie developers.
For avoidance of doubt, any comments arguing this point will be replaced with the phrase "Fart fart fart".
[3] Except for the purposes of finding entertaining security bugs
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 11:51 pm (UTC)I'm all for equality and women in gaming and other tech. That's why I'd like to ask you what your opinion on The Fine Young Capitalists is?
I think it has great potential, but some have accused it of pandering to men. I think however you can't establish women's role in gaming by appealing to women alone.
Re: This is so bizarre.
Date: 2014-10-03 12:05 am (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 12:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 12:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2014-10-03 08:15 am (UTC) - Expand(no subject)
From:Re: Sources?
Date: 2014-10-03 12:51 am (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 12:52 am (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
Re: Hi
Date: 2014-10-03 12:54 am (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
Re: Gamer is dead
Date: 2014-10-03 12:54 am (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
Re: Gamer is dead
From:I'd just like to interject for a moment.
Date: 2014-10-03 12:32 am (UTC)Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called “Linux”, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project. There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use.
Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine’s resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called “Linux” distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 01:06 am (UTC)Re: I'd just like to interject for a moment.
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2014-10-03 01:10 am (UTC) - ExpandRe: I'd just like to interject for a moment.
From:Fart fart fart...
Date: 2014-10-03 12:33 am (UTC)Annnyway, I wish you luck with the boycott. I tend to think that both Intel *and* AMD are going to have a tough time staying afloat in the future, thanks to the rise of mobile devices. Most of those are made by ARM, correct? I've found them to be more stable than Intel processors... my Nexus 7 almost never crashes, while it's an almost daily occurrence with my Intel-powered laptop.
I won't provide my name due to the possible harassment of Gater dorks. Just know that you've got my support!
Re: Buh Bye.
Date: 2014-10-03 01:13 am (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
Re: I feel obligated to inform you of certain details.
Date: 2014-10-03 01:14 am (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 01:14 am (UTC)Re: Disappointing
Date: 2014-10-03 01:32 am (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 01:36 am (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 01:54 am (UTC)GGs can fuck off.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 01:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 05:09 pm (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 05:10 pm (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 02:44 am (UTC)I'm sure 80% of the ladies moaning have either seen a stripper ona hen night or are frigid.
Seriously some people need to worry about important stuff, like landmines and human slavery and stop bitching about minor crap.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-04 09:28 am (UTC)I'm really unsure if you're a parody or your serious, but if the latter how does caring about landmines and human slavery prevent you from caring from sexism?
Hello
Date: 2014-10-03 02:56 am (UTC)Re: Hello
Date: 2014-10-04 09:35 am (UTC)do you realize that what you said can be applied to itself?
A proper laptop
Date: 2014-10-03 03:41 am (UTC)Re: I feel like you are a victim of misinformation
Date: 2014-10-03 05:12 pm (UTC)"Fart fart fart fart"
and as such has been screened for irrelevance.
Don't give up do easily
Date: 2014-10-03 04:09 am (UTC)Well, you know that happiness in seeing others suffer -- that's kind of how you're making the supporters of GamerGate feel. Someone will take your place, someone who you will perceive to be without principles.
Wouldn't it be better to keep doing what you're doing, but use your position to inform people about how evil Intel are? I mean, there are quite a bit of snarky messages in the kernel code already, some more wouldn't hurt. :)
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 04:19 am (UTC)Bravo
Date: 2014-10-03 04:52 am (UTC)When one says it is the end of gamers they do not mean literaly, they mean the definition is changing, broadening, and different than what is originally meant.
Also, I respect you descision to not work on Intel products, but I fear it is a bit misguided. For instance, if you parents are complete assholes(and I mean think the worse), does that mean you should no longer function in society? So intel are thoe asshole parents but their offspring need to be operational(and removed from their parents clutches). It might be the only option some poor kid has that can't afford the latest windows. At least you were hacking their hardware and doing things they never intended.