【Omnibus  Archives】

South by Southwest can Omnibus  Archivesbrag about the diversity of its keynote speaker lineup, but the annual culture, entertainment, and technology conference still managed to slip-up when it came to embracing inclusivity at this year's show.

Case in point: One of the panel names at this year's show was blatantly sexist, and yet, it still managed to be chosen over hundreds of other applications.

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The panel in question: "Don't Sweat The Tech: Mom Can Use Blockchain Too." SXSW's Chief Programming Officer Hugh Forrest even promoted the talk in a round-up of blockchain-related events.

Yes, quite horrific. The panel's organizer Dylan Figlo was alerted to concern last month and revised it to "Passing the Mom Test: The Key to Blockchain Experiences." Still, there was backlash. The panel has since been changed for a third time to a neutral, non-sexist title.

The issue here is that the original title, and somehow the revised version as well, imply that moms have a difficult time grasping complex technological concepts such as the blockchain. Rather than being inclusive, the title diminishes the role of women in the development and use of blockchain technology.

The oversight by the SXSW organizers is reminiscent of the all-male lineup at CES 2018, the tech industry's biggest annual conference. The CES 2018 lineup faced immediate backlash from attendees and other tech leaders and led to an all-women event sponsored by Twitter. SXSW panels are submitted in the summer and accepted in the fall, so this did all process ahead of that controversy. But of course, that's no excuse.

Thankfully, as people started planning their schedules for this year's show, some started speaking out. Attendees expressed concern about why moms were being singled out as the only people without a firm grasp of blockchain technology — an admittedly complicated tech. Of course, the truth is there are plenty of women in the blockchain industry, some of whom are mothers.

The panel's speaker Figlo declined to comment when Mashable reached out, but he did tweet the following message in response to some of the criticism.

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As of Tuesday, the title has been quietly changed and is now called, "Don’t Sweat the Tech: Trade Explanation for UX."

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SXSW was alerted to the issue and quickly reached out to Figlo, who later made the change. As it reads on SXSW's site, "Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW."

One of those advocates asking SXSW to do something was Samantha Zirkin, founder and CEO of Point 93, a startup that provides software for retailers. She took to Facebook and Twitter to share her frustrations with the panel title.

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Zirkin told Mashable she received direct input from more than 180 women in technology after she shared it in the Facebook Group "Tech Ladies," which has about 20,000 members.

"We are looking to build the world of 2018, not 1958."

"We feel that the titles strike the same misogynist, tired tropes as advertisements from the last century. They usurp the power and autonomy from women and insult their intelligence," Zirkin wrote in a letter to SXSW's organizers, which was shared with Mashable.

"The women in Tech Ladies have reported that both talk titles make them feel disenfranchised, belittled, and deeply hurt. SXSW brings together though leaders and standard setters. We are looking to build the world of 2018, not 1958," Zirkin's letter continued.

Zirkin called on the sponsors of SXSW, including Capital One, Mercedes Benz, and Bud Light, to support her request.

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She also tagged Figlo, the speaker for the panel, on Twitter offering an opportunity to explain the reason for the title and a suggestion for a new one.

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Zirkin wasn't from the only one who identified and spoke out about the concern.

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Many tweets, posts, and lengthy letter later, the title has been changed to one that leaves "moms" completely out of it.

"Getting tripped up on all of the technology behind blockchain is easy, but with a considered user experience and design, it doesn't have to get in the way," the panel's current description reads.

Going forward, can we all agree not to let sexism get in the way of interesting and thoughtful conversations?

SXSW starts on March 9, 2018.

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