Hacking my Vagina(scanlime.org)
scanlime.org
Hacking my Vagina
http://scanlime.org/2012/11/hacking-my-vagina/
268 comments
Hey, this is beth from scanlime.org. I was doing my best to keep the site up, but it looks like Dreamhost just pulled the plug. I'm pretty annoyed with this.
oh HN managed a DDoS again
608 points should be around 60.000 visitors. Thats something any site should be able to handle, but ...
http://dreamhost.com/servers/vps/ <- All VPS plans come with UNLIMITED Bandwidth and Storage.
UNLIMITED ... till they pull the plug lol
But it might also just be that the site is overloaded. I sometimes get an "Error establishing a database connection" and sometimes "Problem loading page". So there is still a server who desperately tries to answer requests.
What kind of server do you have at dreamhost? A VPS? Is that VPS some Viruozzo/OpenVZ crap, or a Xen instance?
608 points should be around 60.000 visitors. Thats something any site should be able to handle, but ...
http://dreamhost.com/servers/vps/ <- All VPS plans come with UNLIMITED Bandwidth and Storage.
UNLIMITED ... till they pull the plug lol
But it might also just be that the site is overloaded. I sometimes get an "Error establishing a database connection" and sometimes "Problem loading page". So there is still a server who desperately tries to answer requests.
What kind of server do you have at dreamhost? A VPS? Is that VPS some Viruozzo/OpenVZ crap, or a Xen instance?
The post is also on the front page of the technology subreddit so that is probably pulling in a few thousand more people too.
I saw the headline and immediately said to myself "I bet that server's already dead."
This is not meant to be a troll post, but just sincere curiosity.
From the site "My full name is Micah Elizabeth Scott, but I used to be Micah Dowty prior to Fall 2010. My friends call me Beth."
How can a woman who used to be a man can have a vagina? is there some kind of surgery? do you keep your sensitivity to be able to use vibrators?
From the site "My full name is Micah Elizabeth Scott, but I used to be Micah Dowty prior to Fall 2010. My friends call me Beth."
How can a woman who used to be a man can have a vagina? is there some kind of surgery? do you keep your sensitivity to be able to use vibrators?
Yes; sexual reassignment surgery for male-to-female transsexuals exists (as does the other direction.)
The short version: They form a vagina in the pelvis and reuse the head of the penis to form a clitoris. The urethra is also rerouted. Caveat: I am nothing more than a layperson on the subject. My short version may be wrong, and there may be other surgeries available.
The longer version: Wikipedia [1] has quite a bit of information on the subject. Use incognito mode if you must; I've always found it to be a fascinating subject.
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_reassignment_surgery (No images if you're worried about that.)
The short version: They form a vagina in the pelvis and reuse the head of the penis to form a clitoris. The urethra is also rerouted. Caveat: I am nothing more than a layperson on the subject. My short version may be wrong, and there may be other surgeries available.
The longer version: Wikipedia [1] has quite a bit of information on the subject. Use incognito mode if you must; I've always found it to be a fascinating subject.
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_reassignment_surgery (No images if you're worried about that.)
To quote a surgeon who does this operation: It is easier to dig a hole than build a pole.
Micah, though traditionally a male name, is sometimes given to females. There is no reason to assume there was a sex change, maybe she got married or just changed her name.
Frankly I find it rude to speculate. It's none of my business what someone has in their pants, or what they used to have in their pants.
When the article's all about a device that goes into their pants?
If we were talking about someone with a surgically reconstructed vagina I think that would be relevant in this particular story, just because physically it won't be identical and the effect of the vibrator could be different.
If we were talking about someone with a surgically reconstructed vagina I think that would be relevant in this particular story, just because physically it won't be identical and the effect of the vibrator could be different.
Neither is Stanley. We have the example of Stanley Ann Dunham, do we not?
Is Micah a male name? I'd have thought female initially.
Sometimes names can be different genders in different countries. I'm in Ireland, and here Rory is a male name, but apparently in USA it's a female name. The world is big and weird.
(And yes, modern surgery can create vaginas)
Sometimes names can be different genders in different countries. I'm in Ireland, and here Rory is a male name, but apparently in USA it's a female name. The world is big and weird.
(And yes, modern surgery can create vaginas)
is there some kind of surgery?
Yes it's call vaginoplasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaginoplasty . There's also one for penises, phalloplasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalloplasty
do you keep your sensitivity to be able to use vibrators?
Some trans people who get genital (or "bottom") surgery report increased sensitivity, compared to before. Modern surgery is getting better all the time.
Yes it's call vaginoplasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaginoplasty . There's also one for penises, phalloplasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalloplasty
do you keep your sensitivity to be able to use vibrators?
Some trans people who get genital (or "bottom") surgery report increased sensitivity, compared to before. Modern surgery is getting better all the time.
I don't understand why a name change that doesn't alter the person's first name would make you think that there had to be a sex change involved.
"My friends call me Beth."
It's her middle name. Not uncommon to go by one's middle name.
I appreciate your stubborn loyalty, it's commendable and, in a way, cute. In this case you're wrong though:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/micahdowty/5150806818/in/photos... http://www.flickr.com/photos/micahdowty/4698425505/in/photos... http://www.flickr.com/photos/micahdowty/4371698700/in/photos...
(Just a few self-photos from Beth's public Flickr stream; all pics are work-safe. This is an extremely cool hacking article, btw, regardless of the author's gender history.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/micahdowty/5150806818/in/photos... http://www.flickr.com/photos/micahdowty/4698425505/in/photos... http://www.flickr.com/photos/micahdowty/4371698700/in/photos...
(Just a few self-photos from Beth's public Flickr stream; all pics are work-safe. This is an extremely cool hacking article, btw, regardless of the author's gender history.)
Nothing to do with loyalty. I just legitimately don't see how one gets from that name change to deciding there must have been a sex change. Knowing that the conclusion was correct doesn't help with that, but it's still good to know, so thanks!
Few, if any, men go by the name Beth.
I'm afraid I don't understand the point of your comment.
You wouldn't go from a predominantly male first name to a typically female middle name as your preferred moniker without experiencing some sort of change.
A sex change is hardly the only explanation, but it's a very likely one. Be honest. Let's say my name is John Leslie Roberts and for my entire life up until 2010 I was referred to as John, then I told you to start calling me Leslie from now on. I seriously doubt you would just shrug that off.
If you're wondering how others drew the correct conclusion without additional information, this is how. It's extremely common for those who have had male to female sex change to choose a female root name buried within their current name or names. It's extremely uncommon to do that for any other reason. People associate names, gender and personal identity very closely.
You change one so drastically, there is a good chance you've changed the others too. There is a lot more to that sentence than just a name change.
A sex change is hardly the only explanation, but it's a very likely one. Be honest. Let's say my name is John Leslie Roberts and for my entire life up until 2010 I was referred to as John, then I told you to start calling me Leslie from now on. I seriously doubt you would just shrug that off.
If you're wondering how others drew the correct conclusion without additional information, this is how. It's extremely common for those who have had male to female sex change to choose a female root name buried within their current name or names. It's extremely uncommon to do that for any other reason. People associate names, gender and personal identity very closely.
You change one so drastically, there is a good chance you've changed the others too. There is a lot more to that sentence than just a name change.
I assumed the middle name was original and simply left out, and that the name change was exclusively of the last name, presumably due to a marriage.
> presumably due to a marriage
If it was a marriage that caused the name change, she would have just said that point-blank. No need to dance around it. From the lack of explanation it was pretty clear that it was a sex change.
If it was a marriage that caused the name change, she would have just said that point-blank. No need to dance around it. From the lack of explanation it was pretty clear that it was a sex change.
I dunno, some women can be pretty hairy upper lip....
I cannot express how much I admire this post. This is how I think women should address gender equality: not by antagonizing men, but through sound and assertive work like this.
The irony is that one of the rare articles by a woman hacker is written by someone who was a hacker long before he became a woman. But maybe it can also encourage other women to hack? Fingers crossed..
define: backhanded compliment
Not at all. I truly admire it. I recognize I don't even have the technical skills to replicate it (I wish). It was never my intention to belittle her efforts, I'm sorry if my comment came out like that.
Men getting antagonistic when their sexist behavior is called out is not the fault of the women calling that behavior out.
> Men getting antagonistic when their sexist behavior is called out
That isn't all that happens, as you can see from the comments like "Oh, yes, men have it so hard" whenever a situation that favors females over males is brought up.
That isn't all that happens, as you can see from the comments like "Oh, yes, men have it so hard" whenever a situation that favors females over males is brought up.
I was praying that one was sarcasm...
> I was praying that one was sarcasm...
It's part of a culture, one men perpetrate just as much as women if not more, that says "women are the only victims of sexism." If that statement doesn't seem immediately idiotic to you, the best I can offer right now is this:
http://www.alternet.org/story/156194/what_about_the_men_why_...
It's part of a culture, one men perpetrate just as much as women if not more, that says "women are the only victims of sexism." If that statement doesn't seem immediately idiotic to you, the best I can offer right now is this:
http://www.alternet.org/story/156194/what_about_the_men_why_...
[deleted]
No one says that. No one here is saying that. To portray the reaction that has taken place here, scoffing because it is female and sexual, is in and of itself sexist.
Reverse discrimination sucks for whites, maybe I should question every submission that is authored by someone who isn't white?
You'll note that I address male taboos about sex in other posts, but ironically it's probably not what you want or what you're really getting at without being explicit about.
Do you understand that "any female-positive topic" -> "what about the menz" is exactly the problem with this attitude?
Reverse discrimination sucks for whites, maybe I should question every submission that is authored by someone who isn't white?
You'll note that I address male taboos about sex in other posts, but ironically it's probably not what you want or what you're really getting at without being explicit about.
Do you understand that "any female-positive topic" -> "what about the menz" is exactly the problem with this attitude?
> Do you understand that "any female-positive topic" -> "what about the menz" is exactly the problem with this attitude?
It would be nice if "gender equality topics" weren't exclusively "female-positive topics", and that the topics about how men get the bad end of sexism weren't immediately met with sarcasm and derision.
It would be nice if "gender equality topics" weren't exclusively "female-positive topics", and that the topics about how men get the bad end of sexism weren't immediately met with sarcasm and derision.
This is awesome. It's cool to see more people are hacking sex toys. Hopefully with all these cool hacks, it will remove the stigma. People have a stigma against vibrator is because they always imagine vibrator as a huge penis vibrator that they seen in porn movies.
The fact is many studies shown that size doesn't matter.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/200903/the...
The first electrical vibrator was invented as a medical device and to stimulate the clitoris, not the inside.
I believe the world will be a better place when women can have orgasm as much as men do.
My startup, www.vibease.com, is helping couples to stay intimate even from a distance. We have a mobile App with long distance vibrator. We use Bluetooth and internet connection. Currenlty we are taking pre-order. We try to bring it to mainstream market and it's not easy: http://tech.co/vibease-vibrator-app-2012-11
I believe the world will be a better place when women can have orgasm as much as men do.
My startup, www.vibease.com, is helping couples to stay intimate even from a distance. We have a mobile App with long distance vibrator. We use Bluetooth and internet connection. Currenlty we are taking pre-order. We try to bring it to mainstream market and it's not easy: http://tech.co/vibease-vibrator-app-2012-11
Fun article and an excellent hack!
Any takers to found a startup in order to dive in and disrupt the sex toy industry with some cutting edge innovation? Imagine the millions you'd rake in if you re-invent sex.
I'm looking forward to at least one ero-toy applicant in the next round of YC apps.
Any takers to found a startup in order to dive in and disrupt the sex toy industry with some cutting edge innovation? Imagine the millions you'd rake in if you re-invent sex.
I'm looking forward to at least one ero-toy applicant in the next round of YC apps.
Going to top incubators with sex related product is tough.
I'm Vibease co-founder. We tried and we keep trying. So far no luck.
This is our pitch: Vibease helps couples to stay intimate, even from a distance. It's a mobile app for couples with personal massager integration.
Note, we didn't even put the word "vibrator". The rest of the story you can find it from here: http://tech.co/vibease-vibrator-app-2012-11
I'm Vibease co-founder. We tried and we keep trying. So far no luck.
This is our pitch: Vibease helps couples to stay intimate, even from a distance. It's a mobile app for couples with personal massager integration.
Note, we didn't even put the word "vibrator". The rest of the story you can find it from here: http://tech.co/vibease-vibrator-app-2012-11
Hey, love your idea!
Some unsolicited advice from someone who's just heard about your product for the first time :)
* Avoiding the word "vibrator" is a good thought (sadly it has too many negative connotations), but I'd recommend never shying away from discussing the underlying problem you are trying to solve because it's both serious and real. ie: "People are busier than ever and are spending increasing amounts of time apart. We're taking steps forward to helping couples maintain a level of intimacy and connection in our dynamic world."
* Alternative language to just talking about "intimacy" can be a focus on the positive side-effects of intimacy, such as: happier lives, higher level of trust, and greater relationship satisfaction.
* The settings screen in your screenshot has a lot of sliders. I hope there will be some good presets for those who would otherwise get overwhelmed by the number of choices.
* Similarly, fingers crossed for a PC/Mac client (or otherwise the ability to video-chat over Skype) since holding two small devices (a phone and the massager) can get tricky.
As for the pitch, maybe a tongue-in-cheek: "Vibease lets you reach out to your partner and maintain intimacy from across the room... or across the world."
Sounds like you'll have a ton of (challenging, unique) fun with this product. Good luck!
Some unsolicited advice from someone who's just heard about your product for the first time :)
* Avoiding the word "vibrator" is a good thought (sadly it has too many negative connotations), but I'd recommend never shying away from discussing the underlying problem you are trying to solve because it's both serious and real. ie: "People are busier than ever and are spending increasing amounts of time apart. We're taking steps forward to helping couples maintain a level of intimacy and connection in our dynamic world."
* Alternative language to just talking about "intimacy" can be a focus on the positive side-effects of intimacy, such as: happier lives, higher level of trust, and greater relationship satisfaction.
* The settings screen in your screenshot has a lot of sliders. I hope there will be some good presets for those who would otherwise get overwhelmed by the number of choices.
* Similarly, fingers crossed for a PC/Mac client (or otherwise the ability to video-chat over Skype) since holding two small devices (a phone and the massager) can get tricky.
As for the pitch, maybe a tongue-in-cheek: "Vibease lets you reach out to your partner and maintain intimacy from across the room... or across the world."
Sounds like you'll have a ton of (challenging, unique) fun with this product. Good luck!
> I'm looking forward to at least one ero-toy applicant in the next round of YC apps.
I nearly applied with one this year. I came up with a technique to "3d print" custom sex toys a while back and have been iterating on the idea slowly, but it's not far enough along to throw my weight behind it as a real business.
I nearly applied with one this year. I came up with a technique to "3d print" custom sex toys a while back and have been iterating on the idea slowly, but it's not far enough along to throw my weight behind it as a real business.
This hacker-girl has an amazing portfolio (note she's 26 years old).
See her resume at http://scanlime.org/resume/
See her resume at http://scanlime.org/resume/
Pretty cool that she's the author of CIA.vc
Text only cached version:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://...
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://...
Warning: this is not a politically correct viewpoint, but nevertheless it's my perspective.
The actual best thing about this post being in first place on Hacker News is not that it's a woman posting but that she has a Y chromosome and most people don't realize it.
It's like her recently-acquired vagina is a new laptop to be hacked. It's still objectification of women if you try to turn into one and then objectify yourself.
The real goal of this post is to get a bunch of men to fantasize about "her" and glorify how cool "she" is for being a geeky hacker.
Not all trans(vestite|gender|sexual) people are like this.
The actual best thing about this post being in first place on Hacker News is not that it's a woman posting but that she has a Y chromosome and most people don't realize it.
It's like her recently-acquired vagina is a new laptop to be hacked. It's still objectification of women if you try to turn into one and then objectify yourself.
The real goal of this post is to get a bunch of men to fantasize about "her" and glorify how cool "she" is for being a geeky hacker.
Not all trans(vestite|gender|sexual) people are like this.
My girlfriend wrote this post for the same reason she wrote the the other posts on her blog: to share her work and talk about neat hacks. Your statement that she's doing it for attention is incredibly sexist.
Also she's queer, so the idea that she's doing it for male attention is pretty funny really.
Also she's queer, so the idea that she's doing it for male attention is pretty funny really.
I loved the stuff about reverse engineering the protocol. Very neat stuff.
This is a great post with so many neat hacks along the way--when she started talking about modeling and 3D printing the enclosure I was thinking "Wow, this is a true renaissance hacker."
The world needs more blog posts like this.
This is a great post with so many neat hacks along the way--when she started talking about modeling and 3D printing the enclosure I was thinking "Wow, this is a true renaissance hacker."
The world needs more blog posts like this.
Yeah, she's impressive. You might enjoy some of the other posts on her blog too, my favorite is the duct tape RFID post, but mostly because she made that one for me.
(But also it's a neat hack, she powers the microcontroller via the I/O pins and just attaches the vcc and ground pins to a capacitor.)
(But also it's a neat hack, she powers the microcontroller via the I/O pins and just attaches the vcc and ground pins to a capacitor.)
>Also she's queer
Your good fortune, mankind's loss:
https://plus.google.com/photos/107665675896730237663/albums/...
Your good fortune, mankind's loss:
https://plus.google.com/photos/107665675896730237663/albums/...
'queer' (depending on one's definition) is basically "it's complicated". "Queer" does not imply "lesbian". She might not have ruled out all men.
> It's still objectification of women if you try to turn into one and then objectify yourself.
I don't buy in to the equivalence of building a better vibrator and objectifying women.
Whether she is trans* or not has nothing to do with this writeup. Why belittle her accomplishments? This is an innovative idea, and it will get people thinking about different ways to please themselves or their lovers.
I don't buy in to the equivalence of building a better vibrator and objectifying women.
Whether she is trans* or not has nothing to do with this writeup. Why belittle her accomplishments? This is an innovative idea, and it will get people thinking about different ways to please themselves or their lovers.
In some people's eyes trans women are objectifying women merely by existing, and those people tend to interpret everything they do through that lens. I'm a bit surprised to see a comment like that on HN though; this particular form of transphobia is basically a radical feminist thing, and I didn't know we had any radfems.
I'm not a radical feminist in the sense of "intercourse is rape" but hmmm... I think I have body modification phobia - so that would include women getting breast implants - and also exhibitionist phobia and also pull-the-wool-over-your-eyes phobia. (Although quite frankly, I wasn't fooled for long just based on the extremely masculine technical writing. I have never read anything that a woman wrote that looks remotely like that. Sorry.)
If the article had been open about scanlime's transexuality it wouldn't have irritated me nearly as much, but my interpretation was that it was (unconsciously, perhaps) designed to validate that she really is a woman. No, you cannot actually change sex, modulo some crazy gene therapy.
I know I was kind of unfair in my original comment. I think it was really me whinging that the HN crowd wouldn't be gushing like this if they all knew that scanlime was trans, and then me also getting annoyed at my guess that scanlime was complicit in this. I feel like I need to say sorry. Sorry. But I'm about to undo my apology :/
In general, I get really annoyed by queer people making a point about their sexuality (e.g. gay men who lisp), and in my mind this article counts as such. They annoy me as much as frat boys and drunk girls in skimpy clothes and people wearing leather collars. I basically think our society is hypersexualized and that this is bad.
I don't know if trans women are objectifying women merely by existing. Most men do this, so it's highly likely. My most heinous viewpoint is that queer/fetish sexuality is likely to be some kind of psychological defense mechanism against childhood trauma, and while good and perfectly acceptable if it works and life is functional, it's important to keep the source of it in mind. Oh and finally I'm very likely not a radical feminist because I don't believe in equality between men and women but rather a kind of complementarity. (Yes, universal suffrage is good, and woman should be allowed to have jobs, etc.)
If the article had been open about scanlime's transexuality it wouldn't have irritated me nearly as much, but my interpretation was that it was (unconsciously, perhaps) designed to validate that she really is a woman. No, you cannot actually change sex, modulo some crazy gene therapy.
I know I was kind of unfair in my original comment. I think it was really me whinging that the HN crowd wouldn't be gushing like this if they all knew that scanlime was trans, and then me also getting annoyed at my guess that scanlime was complicit in this. I feel like I need to say sorry. Sorry. But I'm about to undo my apology :/
In general, I get really annoyed by queer people making a point about their sexuality (e.g. gay men who lisp), and in my mind this article counts as such. They annoy me as much as frat boys and drunk girls in skimpy clothes and people wearing leather collars. I basically think our society is hypersexualized and that this is bad.
I don't know if trans women are objectifying women merely by existing. Most men do this, so it's highly likely. My most heinous viewpoint is that queer/fetish sexuality is likely to be some kind of psychological defense mechanism against childhood trauma, and while good and perfectly acceptable if it works and life is functional, it's important to keep the source of it in mind. Oh and finally I'm very likely not a radical feminist because I don't believe in equality between men and women but rather a kind of complementarity. (Yes, universal suffrage is good, and woman should be allowed to have jobs, etc.)
Wait, first you say you're irritated that the OP wasn't "open" about being trans (where, I assume, by "open" you mean "announce it inside the very blog post", cause it's pretty obvious from e.g. the contact page).
Then, you say you're annoyed by "queer people making a point about their sexuality". Now, the OP did not make a point about her sexuality in the blog post (1). You complained that she didn't. And then she did anyway? And that annoyed you?
Really, you can be a transphobe all you want and make an idiot of yourself that way, but this is HN, at least think about what you write.
(1) And, by the way, being trans has little to do with sexuality, but ok.
Then, you say you're annoyed by "queer people making a point about their sexuality". Now, the OP did not make a point about her sexuality in the blog post (1). You complained that she didn't. And then she did anyway? And that annoyed you?
Really, you can be a transphobe all you want and make an idiot of yourself that way, but this is HN, at least think about what you write.
(1) And, by the way, being trans has little to do with sexuality, but ok.
We all tend to sound like idiots when we're outside our area of competence or familiarity. Realize that the vast majority of people have no personal experience with trans etc. people, beyond what they've seen in the movies / read about.
This is not meant to excuse hatred, but there should be some tolerance for confusion due to unfamiliarity. It's simply not something that most people have spent a lot of time thinking about.
This is not meant to excuse hatred, but there should be some tolerance for confusion due to unfamiliarity. It's simply not something that most people have spent a lot of time thinking about.
Jeri Ellsworth and Limor Fried (ladyada) write similarly to this, are both female, and tend to be awesome. And Joanna from Blue Pill. Plus a bunch of female phd students, university post docs, and industry people.
I think what you read as "masculine tech writing" is just competence. True, there are a lot of incompetent female tech people who write, but 3-7x more incompetent men who write (due to overall prevalence of men in tech).
I think what you read as "masculine tech writing" is just competence. True, there are a lot of incompetent female tech people who write, but 3-7x more incompetent men who write (due to overall prevalence of men in tech).
Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. It'll be interesting to see what those women have to say.
It might be the case that this strikes me as a man's writing just because there are more men in tech, but I don't know that it's the incompetence per se. It's sentences like, "Often in this situation I’ll break out something like the Saxo board, with an FPGA and a thick USB 2.0 pipe," that I just have a very hard time imagining a woman writing. In the same way that a woman couldn't have written Cory Doctorow's Little Brother. I think it's the implied, "I'm so cool because of all my techno whizbangs." But it's even in the non-tech writing: "In other words, I wanted to hack something I actually use: my vagina." is so horrid that I have to believe that even the bona fide female Xeni Jardin, lover of techno whizbangs, would have a hard time accepting it as... womanly... to talk about "using her vagina".
My girlfriend has screamed at me more than once over the futility of sharing my thoughts with "you people" who "will never understand [my] perspective", but at least a few here are kind, even if I'm not, and for that I'm grateful.
It might be the case that this strikes me as a man's writing just because there are more men in tech, but I don't know that it's the incompetence per se. It's sentences like, "Often in this situation I’ll break out something like the Saxo board, with an FPGA and a thick USB 2.0 pipe," that I just have a very hard time imagining a woman writing. In the same way that a woman couldn't have written Cory Doctorow's Little Brother. I think it's the implied, "I'm so cool because of all my techno whizbangs." But it's even in the non-tech writing: "In other words, I wanted to hack something I actually use: my vagina." is so horrid that I have to believe that even the bona fide female Xeni Jardin, lover of techno whizbangs, would have a hard time accepting it as... womanly... to talk about "using her vagina".
My girlfriend has screamed at me more than once over the futility of sharing my thoughts with "you people" who "will never understand [my] perspective", but at least a few here are kind, even if I'm not, and for that I'm grateful.
Those specific examples, and a few more in the article, did seem over the top; I assumed they were meant ironically due to the topic of sex.
By putting quotation marks around her & she, you're implying she is not female. Don't do that.
I find the quotation marks rather snarky, but your rebuke is incorrect too. Female is defined as:
"[the] sex which produces eggs and which has XX chromosomes"
She doesn't produce eggs and she doesn't have XX chromosomes, so if you follow the strict definition she isn't female either.
"[the] sex which produces eggs and which has XX chromosomes"
She doesn't produce eggs and she doesn't have XX chromosomes, so if you follow the strict definition she isn't female either.
Who's definition is that?
That's not the definition of female either I (and others) use, and it's also not the definition of female used by modern society.
Hardly anyone knows what their chromosomes actually are, since people rarely get them tested (do you know yours? did you get them tested?), there are numerous biological conditions where people-commonly-treated-by-society-as-female do not have XX chromosomes, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_androgen_insensitivity... and all the other "intersex" conditions. Likewise some people-commonly-treated-by-society-as-male do not have XY chromosomes. Phenotypically female does not always imply genetically XX. Many people only discover their genetic gender if they go to a fertility treatment (since many of these conditions affect fertility), sometimes the genetic gender is not their gender.
There are also lots of people-commonly-treated-by-society-as-female who do not (or cannot) produce eggs. Pre-pubescent girls, post-menopausal women, women after a hysterectomy, women on the contraceptive pill, etc. Likewise there are many people-commonly-treated-by-society-as-male who cannot produce sperm, sterile men, men after testicular cancer etc.
Regardless, some regions (e.g. UK), have law that allows a person to change their gender (they are treated as that gender "for all purposes"), and get a new birth cert in that gender, and makes revealing the previous gender a criminal offence. ( http://www.yourrights.org.uk/yourrights/right-to-receive-equ... ). That's another definition of gender right there.
Sorry, but the world/people/biology are complex and does not fit your simple definitions.
That's not the definition of female either I (and others) use, and it's also not the definition of female used by modern society.
Hardly anyone knows what their chromosomes actually are, since people rarely get them tested (do you know yours? did you get them tested?), there are numerous biological conditions where people-commonly-treated-by-society-as-female do not have XX chromosomes, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_androgen_insensitivity... and all the other "intersex" conditions. Likewise some people-commonly-treated-by-society-as-male do not have XY chromosomes. Phenotypically female does not always imply genetically XX. Many people only discover their genetic gender if they go to a fertility treatment (since many of these conditions affect fertility), sometimes the genetic gender is not their gender.
There are also lots of people-commonly-treated-by-society-as-female who do not (or cannot) produce eggs. Pre-pubescent girls, post-menopausal women, women after a hysterectomy, women on the contraceptive pill, etc. Likewise there are many people-commonly-treated-by-society-as-male who cannot produce sperm, sterile men, men after testicular cancer etc.
Regardless, some regions (e.g. UK), have law that allows a person to change their gender (they are treated as that gender "for all purposes"), and get a new birth cert in that gender, and makes revealing the previous gender a criminal offence. ( http://www.yourrights.org.uk/yourrights/right-to-receive-equ... ). That's another definition of gender right there.
Sorry, but the world/people/biology are complex and does not fit your simple definitions.
> Who's [sic] definition is that?
wiktionary...
wiktionary...
So you're going to deny someone how they live based on what a wiki dictionary ion on the internet says? Dictionaries change all the time.
I see you wikitionary and raise you wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender
I see you wikitionary and raise you wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender
Who talked about "denying how they live"? I'm just saying that in the strict sense of the term the author is not female. Per wikipedia:
"The sex of most mammals, including humans, is genetically determined by the XY sex-determination system where males have X and Y (as opposed to X and X) sex chromosomes."
I think the correct term for the author's sex is "Trans woman": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_woman
"The sex of most mammals, including humans, is genetically determined by the XY sex-determination system where males have X and Y (as opposed to X and X) sex chromosomes."
I think the correct term for the author's sex is "Trans woman": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_woman
I upvoted the post due to the technical content (it is a pretty good and very clear description of the full process of reverse engineering and consumer product modding. It wasn't arduously difficult or technically demanding, but that is a better starting point for competent software hackers getting into hardware.)
The sexual content (in a place like HN) made me uncomfortable; if it had been a post of normal quality I would have flagged it.
The sexual content (in a place like HN) made me uncomfortable; if it had been a post of normal quality I would have flagged it.
On the other hand -
The genital surgery is, in itself, a hack. And not really a very elegant one - you go it with a knife, cut bits up and move them around, then sit back and wait for it to heal and hope the nerves hook up in a timely fashion so you can have a good time.
So hacking it some more? Sure. Why not? You've already started.
I'm a trans woman, and I think this is pretty cool, though I can't read the article because the host is down.
The genital surgery is, in itself, a hack. And not really a very elegant one - you go it with a knife, cut bits up and move them around, then sit back and wait for it to heal and hope the nerves hook up in a timely fashion so you can have a good time.
So hacking it some more? Sure. Why not? You've already started.
I'm a trans woman, and I think this is pretty cool, though I can't read the article because the host is down.
[deleted]
>The real goal of this post is to get a bunch of men to fantasize about "her" and glorify how cool "she" is for being a geeky hacker.
Could you be being any more blatantly transphobic? You're literally just inventing and projecting nonsense.
Could you be being any more blatantly transphobic? You're literally just inventing and projecting nonsense.
cough Have already urged @scanlime to do this, but anyone else, as and when you hack your vagina - or penis, we're totally equal-opportunity :) - please do submit your (or your friends') #realworldsex video demo to https://makelovenotporn.tv/ (with our revenue-sharing business model, you could make a nice chunk of change :))
...but only you live in the USA
No, we're global, and welcome #realworldsex video submissions from anywhere in the world :)
Quote from your site:
> If you're outside the US, we're sorting out a system for international payouts, and have to ask you to be patient while we get that put in place.
> If you're outside the US, we're sorting out a system for international payouts, and have to ask you to be patient while we get that put in place.
I clicked on this only because of the extreme curiosity the headline generated. The article did not disappoint.
Easily one of the smartest things I've read in quite a while, and much of the hardware stuff is over my head but wow, color me extremely impressed.
Easily one of the smartest things I've read in quite a while, and much of the hardware stuff is over my head but wow, color me extremely impressed.
Your vagina has a 500 error.
There is a project out there to share 3D printer files for sex toys. MakerLove.com provides files you can download and print for free.
The product seems really innovative sex toy for female. I've seen a interview of tenga's founder before. He thought there were much room for innovation of sex toy industry. I was quite impressed that he spent a year to build his first product. I've been impressed again.
http://www.tenga-global.com/
http://www.tenga-global.com/
Intressting.
Going a step further would be to give the vibrator some AI. There is of course some need to monitor pleasure, I dont know if that is easily possible but one could implment some kind of AI that would to that.
The next step would be to sell it to millions of woman and analysie all the data. Would be intressting what could be figured out that way.
Going a step further would be to give the vibrator some AI. There is of course some need to monitor pleasure, I dont know if that is easily possible but one could implment some kind of AI that would to that.
The next step would be to sell it to millions of woman and analysie all the data. Would be intressting what could be figured out that way.
Really cool project, and looks like it was executed really well in many ways.
However, I couldn't help being reminded of this comic: http://xkcd.com/196/ I feel like there's a lot of social factors that would make using an invention like this a little awkward. Maybe that's just me?
However, I couldn't help being reminded of this comic: http://xkcd.com/196/ I feel like there's a lot of social factors that would make using an invention like this a little awkward. Maybe that's just me?
Why, did you read the entire post? It doesn't require any tinkering to work, and the interface is totally natural.
secure communication of Vstorker(see qdot76367 comments) + this hack with video == Sex over IP.
Target customers: long distance couples, virtual sex business. Taking it further: build a Airtime like social network around it.
Revenue stream: from selling the hardware, membership.
Target customers: long distance couples, virtual sex business. Taking it further: build a Airtime like social network around it.
Revenue stream: from selling the hardware, membership.
Here's a functioning cache link, since the site is hammered for rather obvious reasons. http://scanlime.org.nyud.net/2012/11/hacking-my-vagina/
Link is down. Here's a Coral Cache version: http://scanlime.org.NYUD.NET/2012/11/hacking-my-vagina/
Vagina rocks! This topic would never get so much attention if this would be 'Hacking my ... nose, knee, hand etc..'.
Some star topics are easy to predict.
Nerds have their own weaknesses
Nerds have their own weaknesses
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Super clever title and article for getting HN attention, but also pretty interesting.
Science that gives me an erection. Very very good read.
epic!
...and how does it feel to your soul to be slave of your body? (instead of master...)
Congratulations! That's the dumbest thing I've read all day.
500 Internal Server Error
Best linkbait title ever?
Best linkbait title ever?
This is weird. Or not. I have hard time even making a difference between weird and not weird these days. Either way, carry on.
This is just neat. Now, "Hacking my Fleshlight" would be weird.
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>Now, "Hacking my Fleshlight" would be weird.
Why?
Why?
Females are generally supply side, males demand side in traditional sex economics. Rejection of same through toys is therefore empowering to women and degrading to men. Thus labelled "weird."
Not to be too pointed, but that attitude is socialized, largely by people who make statements like "It would be weird if it were for men." Also, I think that there is less of an imbalance than you would believe. As we know, people are quite good at saying one thing in public and doing another in private. Especially when it comes to sex.
Oh, I know. But good luck with this particular sea change.
And yes, certain demographics turn the equation on its head. As expected of economics.
And yes, certain demographics turn the equation on its head. As expected of economics.
Not to be too pointed, but that attitude is socialized
I would disagree with at least the strong form of that assertion, on the grounds that evolution actually does stuff. Males and females have very different genetic payoffs for having lots of sexual partners versus holding out for a high quality mate.
I would disagree with at least the strong form of that assertion, on the grounds that evolution actually does stuff. Males and females have very different genetic payoffs for having lots of sexual partners versus holding out for a high quality mate.
Really cool!
Is reverse engineering the wireless protocol easy? I imagine hacking hardware involves a lot more work than software.
I also love how she 3d printed out some plastic cases for her toy. I see cheap 3d printers eventually being so ubiquitous that a quick prototype may be just as easy to hack up as a working software program.
Is reverse engineering the wireless protocol easy? I imagine hacking hardware involves a lot more work than software.
I also love how she 3d printed out some plastic cases for her toy. I see cheap 3d printers eventually being so ubiquitous that a quick prototype may be just as easy to hack up as a working software program.
In this case, here are the clues she used to reverse-engineer the wireless protocol:
1. The specs for the radio chip are easily available, so she could identify the actual packets from looking at the voltages on four wires.
2. Each packet had two identical bytes that went up when she turned the remote up, and down when she turned it down.
3. There were some bytes which were always constant, and didn't seem to do anything.
From there, the code ended up being fairly simple:
https://github.com/scanlime/arduino-lelo-remote/blob/master/...
On power-up, it sends an initialization sequence, copied from the trace from the original remote. This has a bunch of settings that you can look up in the manual. Then for each packet, it sends a start sequence (essentially, "finish sending anything queued, and stand by"), puts a packet into the transmit queue (packet = 0x0100a5[power][power]00000005, where power is the power level byte), and then tells the radio to transmit.
And then of course you can debug this by comparing the traces it generates to the traces from the original remote.
1. The specs for the radio chip are easily available, so she could identify the actual packets from looking at the voltages on four wires.
2. Each packet had two identical bytes that went up when she turned the remote up, and down when she turned it down.
3. There were some bytes which were always constant, and didn't seem to do anything.
From there, the code ended up being fairly simple:
https://github.com/scanlime/arduino-lelo-remote/blob/master/...
On power-up, it sends an initialization sequence, copied from the trace from the original remote. This has a bunch of settings that you can look up in the manual. Then for each packet, it sends a start sequence (essentially, "finish sending anything queued, and stand by"), puts a packet into the transmit queue (packet = 0x0100a5[power][power]00000005, where power is the power level byte), and then tells the radio to transmit.
And then of course you can debug this by comparing the traces it generates to the traces from the original remote.
> 1. The specs for the radio chip are easily available, so she could identify the actual packets from looking at the voltages on four wires.
How does one go about doing this? Is this done on hardware or some wireshark-esque software tool?
How does one go about doing this? Is this done on hardware or some wireshark-esque software tool?
My favorite tool for this is the Saleae Logic[1], but I've had mixed success with the cheaper Bus Pirate[2] as well.
[1] http://www.saleae.com/logic [2] http://dangerousprototypes.com/docs/Bus_Pirate
[1] http://www.saleae.com/logic [2] http://dangerousprototypes.com/docs/Bus_Pirate
I can't wait for easily and cheaply 3d-printed electronics. Just the thought of buying the parts and plastic stuff, putting them in a machine, and letting it work, building a complete device.
I can dream.
I can dream.
Well, the more I looked into this possibility, the more I think it's not going to look like traditional electronics that we know. Chances are, somebody's working on this right now, and we just don't know about it.
There's been some promising blips here and there with the reprappers:
http://blog.reprap.org/2011/06/new-approach-to-printing-meta...
http://blog.reprap.org/2012/04/some-more-printed-circuitry.h...
There's been some promising blips here and there with the reprappers:
http://blog.reprap.org/2011/06/new-approach-to-printing-meta...
http://blog.reprap.org/2012/04/some-more-printed-circuitry.h...
Some recent discussion on it and more up-to-date info.
http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?2,154755,154835,quote=1
http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?2,154755,154835,quote=1
I wonder if there is some order-to-3dprint business out there?
There are, but none of them print circuits.
http://www.shapeways.com
http://www.ponoko.com
http://imaterialize.com/
http://www.shapeways.com
http://www.ponoko.com
http://imaterialize.com/
But there are plenty of 1-off or small run PCB manufacturers, which will surely be higher quality than anything produced by some 3d printing experiments.
It's true for now, and for the near term (read: couple of years). The trend for the 3D printers is that they'll both get faster and use different materials (or same material with different properties). That way, you can print everything in-place, from batteries, the board, and enclosure. You won't be able to replicate chips for a long while, besides really simple electronics, so it will probably be pick and place.
How about a web-based design tool that lets you make a custom case, which will then be 3d-printed on demand? Alternatively, you could accept customer uploads of certain 3D design formats.
There's gotta be a market for this.
There's gotta be a market for this.
Well, I meant more of an all-in-one product: the company would provide a few different options of base vibrator units with minimum case size/dimension requirements, and the customer creates the custom case; the product would be shipped fully assembled. I suppose they could outsource the printing to Ponoko, though.
I wonder if an article called "Hacking my Penis" would ever last long the HN front page.
Apparently that word is automatically deleted from titles. Coincidentally, I had just tried submitting an unrelated article about Miiverse drawing detection and had to replace it with "P*nis".
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4826621
[edit] I ended up deleting the submission because it turned out to be an Onion-like site.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4826621
[edit] I ended up deleting the submission because it turned out to be an Onion-like site.
This has to be because vaginas look like parens (). It's all part of the Lisp Conspiracy!
I find that very disheartening. Would HN be over-run with penis talk if it weren't for this blockade?
"Penis" seems like a very high probability spam term. You don't often see spam promising to increase the size of your vagina.
That's because around half the population already have standing offers to do so.
Good zinger!
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Why does any article focusing on women's experience have to have someone come along and say 'it's hard for us men'?
I sympathize with that point, but there's more to it than "what about teh menz?"
The question is this: is this doing well on HN because HN is full of progressive-minded feminists upvoting a neat DIY project on its merits, or is it doing well on HN because it serves as fodder for the nerd-girl fantasies of a primarily male readership?
I really think this is an important point that often gets missed on male dominated social news sites. Readers are quick to pat themselves on the back for the community's mature lack of slut-shaming, while neglecting to realize that an entirely different form of sexism and woman-objectification is taking place.
The question is this: is this doing well on HN because HN is full of progressive-minded feminists upvoting a neat DIY project on its merits, or is it doing well on HN because it serves as fodder for the nerd-girl fantasies of a primarily male readership?
I really think this is an important point that often gets missed on male dominated social news sites. Readers are quick to pat themselves on the back for the community's mature lack of slut-shaming, while neglecting to realize that an entirely different form of sexism and woman-objectification is taking place.
No need for stereotypes. The article deserves to be up voted because it is remarkably thorough and well written.
I agree that it deserves to be upvoted for those reasons. I just don't think that's necessarily the primary reason it has been upvoted. Examining the "would this be ranked this high if it were about penis hacking instead?" question is productive because it addresses that.
It probably would be (assuming the ban on penis-related article titles could be circumvented). This is actually a seriously good article of the kind that frequently get upvoted and I don't think this case has much to do with gender.
It has everything to do with gender, a man hacking a fleshlight would get none or almost none upvotes, I bet it would even get flagged by a few. Its a predictable fantasy of the average reader of HN, the equivalent of a photo of a pretty woman doing charity with a cat in reddit.
Is not only the fact that she is a woman, is the surrounding context of a sexual stimulation device that provoque so many upvotes. Personally I would downvote this if I could, I don't like my tech articles biased by hormones.
Is not only the fact that she is a woman, is the surrounding context of a sexual stimulation device that provoque so many upvotes. Personally I would downvote this if I could, I don't like my tech articles biased by hormones.
Reading the threads on this page the comments appear genuinely interested in this tech, and related themes. Asking intelligent questions Etc.
In fact, the only awkward thread, which seems a little sexist is this one... Food for thought.
In fact, the only awkward thread, which seems a little sexist is this one... Food for thought.
I like yor attempt at emotional manipulation, labeling as "awkward" people trying to have a civilized discussion about a strong bias and doble-standard; also calling it sexist when if anything we are asking for gender neutrality wish is the opposite of sexism for all I care.
Dude, I agree with your basic premise that it should be possible to discuss bias and double standards. I agree that sometimes bias against male opinions and experiences can happen and, when it does happen, it's not easy to get anyone to accept it because it doesn't fit our accepted narratives about sexism. Gender neutrality is definitely a noble aim.
But in this case I think you're wrong. This thread is a totally legitimate discussion of a very interesting, detailed and inventive technical post and I find it hard to believe that an equally detailed and well-written post from a male perspective would not be received in much the same way.
I don't think you're being sexist, but you are being wrong about something in a way that an average internet commenter would find hard to distinguish from sexism (and the average internet commenter is not particularly capable of nuanced thought).
But in this case I think you're wrong. This thread is a totally legitimate discussion of a very interesting, detailed and inventive technical post and I find it hard to believe that an equally detailed and well-written post from a male perspective would not be received in much the same way.
I don't think you're being sexist, but you are being wrong about something in a way that an average internet commenter would find hard to distinguish from sexism (and the average internet commenter is not particularly capable of nuanced thought).
> I find it hard to believe that an equally detailed and well-written post from a male perspective would not be received in much the same way.
I can only assume that you are very naive; for the average male is impossible to read this article without imaging a woman using the device; wish does not mean that there aren't legitimate and interesting discussions in this thread; but is clear that the exponential popularity grow of this article is strongly correlated with that fact.
I can only assume that you are very naive; for the average male is impossible to read this article without imaging a woman using the device; wish does not mean that there aren't legitimate and interesting discussions in this thread; but is clear that the exponential popularity grow of this article is strongly correlated with that fact.
[deleted]
Not everyone fits into neat little boxes. I read the article imagining using this device myself (and I'm a man!), or using it with a partner (man or woman).
"I don't like my tech articles biased by hormones"; is the most sexist thing I've read in this thread.
We have completly different definitions for that word then.
For example If a boss needs to hire a good secretary for one of his employees; and assign him the task of finding one and then tells him "Don't let your hormones decide for you" is pretty clear what he means; that sexual attraction and gender should be irrelevant in the selection proccess and he should focus in practical skills a secretary should have. And there is nothing sexist about that; because sexism is discrimination based on gender and this is an enforcement for the lack of that kind of discrimination.
For example If a boss needs to hire a good secretary for one of his employees; and assign him the task of finding one and then tells him "Don't let your hormones decide for you" is pretty clear what he means; that sexual attraction and gender should be irrelevant in the selection proccess and he should focus in practical skills a secretary should have. And there is nothing sexist about that; because sexism is discrimination based on gender and this is an enforcement for the lack of that kind of discrimination.
Do men still have to be told not to let their hormones affect their choice of hires? I didn't realize that was still a thing.
Also, why does it have to be a secretary? Are they 100% female now? If he was looking for an engineer, would he need to be told not to let his hormones decide?
Also, why does it have to be a secretary? Are they 100% female now? If he was looking for an engineer, would he need to be told not to let his hormones decide?
Almost everyday several articles that have nothing to do with women are voted up a lot on HN. I think that answers your question. You could perhaps ask if there would be a penalty for penis content, but that is a different question.
>I just don't think that's necessarily the primary reason it has been upvoted.
So do you always assume bad faith on the part of others or..?
So do you always assume bad faith on the part of others or..?
Good or bad faith doesn't enter into it.
Being biologically biased is not "bad faith", is just a well known human trait.
This seems to imply it can't be fixed (if it can, why do you assume the worst now?). If it is something that can't be fixed, what's the point of your bringing it up?
Biologically biased doesn't mean it can be changed; for example we are biologically biased to be polygamous just like most mammals; but we are socially configured to be monogamous so most of us are.
So how do you know that the majority of people who voted this article up aren't already there? I have to be honest, your post strikes me as karma fishing.
How do I know the most upvoted article of the year holds that position because the sexual nature of its content? What a tought question.
You don't know. Period. It could be. Isn't it also remotely possible that this was a hardware hack and a pretty inventive and effective one?
So we're sexist and objectifying women by upvoting the article?
> The question is this: is this doing well on HN because HN is full of progressive-minded feminists upvoting a neat DIY project on its merits, or is it doing well on HN because it serves as fodder for the nerd-girl fantasies of a primarily male readership?
Yes. (With the caveat that "is full of" == "has more than 3")
Yes. (With the caveat that "is full of" == "has more than 3")
[deleted](1)
I don't think it's hard for men, frankly - I think it's a bit too easy for women. Our culture has really become too carefree about showing off sex toys - but only for women, it seems. Compare the mental image of a woman accidentally dropping a dildo or a vibrator out of her purse, and that of a man dropping a rubber vagina out of his bag.
But there's a problem beyond the double standard. It's like public nudity: it sounds cool when you're a hormone-addled teenager, but then you realize that most people's bodies aren't a nice sight at all. That's why I'm thankful for common decency, and why I'm concerned about all the public dildo-waving: in most cases, I don't want to see your filthy body, and I certainly don't want to picture you having sex.
Of course, I have no problem with this blog post - but the "openness" that's bothering some of these posters does have the potential to impinge on my rights of peaceful enjoyment of our public meatspace.
But there's a problem beyond the double standard. It's like public nudity: it sounds cool when you're a hormone-addled teenager, but then you realize that most people's bodies aren't a nice sight at all. That's why I'm thankful for common decency, and why I'm concerned about all the public dildo-waving: in most cases, I don't want to see your filthy body, and I certainly don't want to picture you having sex.
Of course, I have no problem with this blog post - but the "openness" that's bothering some of these posters does have the potential to impinge on my rights of peaceful enjoyment of our public meatspace.
> Why does any article focusing on women's experience have to have someone come along and say 'it's hard for us men'?
For the obvious joke?
Immaturity can make the day so bright some times.
For the obvious joke?
Immaturity can make the day so bright some times.
I have no problem with articles on sex appearing on HN-I assume most of us are adults-but it's disappointing that there aren't similar topics for men. I'm not sure whether it's because male sexuality is narrower (yet, strangely, far more accepted if it's accepted at all) or because an article on female sexuality is more popular among the (presumably) male-dominated site.
Anyway, this is the first article of it's kind I've ever seen on HN, so I'm not too worried. I haven't seen anything remotely approaching the misogyny that feels absolutely rampant on the rest of the internet (e.g. Reddit) that drove me here.
In any case, more directly addressing your comment, I think it's a great question to ask- gender and sex differences in society are always interesting/potentially fruitful discussion topics, IMHO.
Anyway, this is the first article of it's kind I've ever seen on HN, so I'm not too worried. I haven't seen anything remotely approaching the misogyny that feels absolutely rampant on the rest of the internet (e.g. Reddit) that drove me here.
In any case, more directly addressing your comment, I think it's a great question to ask- gender and sex differences in society are always interesting/potentially fruitful discussion topics, IMHO.
Absolutely. You might find this piece from HuffPoUK on gender differences in marketing sex toys which I was interviewed for, interesting: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/11/20/sex-toys-sexist-r...
Being a generally excellent article aside, there are really very few articles on HN that deal with women, and even fewer that have a feminist bent, such as this one could be easily argued to have.
There is also a noticeable lack of women in tech, so an article for and about women is more notable and interesting than articles about dudes wanting to be or being entrepreneurs. Those are being written roughly the same way twenty times per day.
Now if you're curious about how big your hypothetical penis article gets, the best way to find out is probably not by posting thinly veiled sexist comments. Instead I suggest finding out how to hack your penis (literally, if you want) and then writing an article as well as this woman has.
There is also a noticeable lack of women in tech, so an article for and about women is more notable and interesting than articles about dudes wanting to be or being entrepreneurs. Those are being written roughly the same way twenty times per day.
Now if you're curious about how big your hypothetical penis article gets, the best way to find out is probably not by posting thinly veiled sexist comments. Instead I suggest finding out how to hack your penis (literally, if you want) and then writing an article as well as this woman has.
I urge you to try it. Do some hardware hacking, have fun playing with wires and microcontrollers and whatever else strikes your fancy, and then write an interesting article about it. This can be a very rewarding hobby.
This is a sexist remark. It all depend on the content of the article.
Did you take time to read the article? It's just great - full of technical details, including the reasoning behind the creation of the hack.
Many times I've seen dumb things in the front page - complex pointless hacks (I remember one about locales and printf which advocated a libc recompile while I suggested a perl oneliner).
This is a genuinely interesting and creative hack.
EDIT: as I mentionned below, "The title is misleading" - it is linkbait. But the content is there.
Did you take time to read the article? It's just great - full of technical details, including the reasoning behind the creation of the hack.
Many times I've seen dumb things in the front page - complex pointless hacks (I remember one about locales and printf which advocated a libc recompile while I suggested a perl oneliner).
This is a genuinely interesting and creative hack.
EDIT: as I mentionned below, "The title is misleading" - it is linkbait. But the content is there.
Fixing bugs in widely used Unix software, maintaining compatibility with the existing related components and promoting cross-platform portability, for the benefit of thousands of future users, and documenting the experience as an educational tidbit for others, is not dumb.
Good article, link baity title.
Sure may be. On that note, have there been any non-linkbaity titles on HN in, well, as long as one may remember?
Sure there is, a quick look shows:
Scientists See Promise in Deep-Learning Programs Machine Learning: Neural Network vs Support Vector Machine Suite of 300 icons for web and user interface design
But you are right that there is a lot of link-baitiness on HN. Doesn't mean we can't wish for better.
Scientists See Promise in Deep-Learning Programs Machine Learning: Neural Network vs Support Vector Machine Suite of 300 icons for web and user interface design
But you are right that there is a lot of link-baitiness on HN. Doesn't mean we can't wish for better.
Who would have thought this title was link bait?
Sorry, not sure what you are saying? Perhaps there is some undetected sarcasm in your comment?
I think there might be a misunderstanding here, just want to make sure you guys are on the same page (as I am perceiving it).
I don't think he is saying it shouldn't make it on HN, if anything he's speculating as to whether or not it would be on the #1 spot if it were a male sex hack instead..
I don't think he is saying it shouldn't make it on HN, if anything he's speculating as to whether or not it would be on the #1 spot if it were a male sex hack instead..
That's not sexist.
I wonder if someone could hack the cobra libre[1], cause it's really disappointing :)
1 http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Libre-Massager-Vibrating-Stimula...
1 http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Libre-Massager-Vibrating-Stimula...
Sadly the sustained value women can get from a sex toy is so much more than anything a bloke can briefly get. This article deserves to make it to the top for the hackery alone. I doubt if a tube of lube would be as worthy. Hopefully there will a surge of women into the technical fields now they realise they can hack their own sex toys because everything else seems to have failed to attract and retain them in numbers. If they are all like this one it can only be a good thing.
>Sadly the sustained value women can get from a sex toy is so much more than anything a bloke can briefly get.
Uh, yeah, speak for yourself.
Uh, yeah, speak for yourself.
In this vein, I find it interesting to note that this article has been pegged at #1 for 12 hours now.
[deleted]
Life truly is hard for us men in tech.
Uhm, to be frank, there are prostate "hacks". Explore at your own volition. http://wiki.malegspot.com/index.php?title=Main_Page (Not associated with them, and note that the wiki is run by a company selling the tools mentioned in the wiki)
Though it's admittedly lower tech. I would welcome technological advances for men as well. Why not? It interests both the human and hacker in me.
Though it's admittedly lower tech. I would welcome technological advances for men as well. Why not? It interests both the human and hacker in me.
You can buy e-stim boxes especially made for zapping the nether regions on males and females alike. One of the configurations on the ET312, called "tri phase", combines a two-conductor plug placed near the prostate with pads placed at each feet, and the end result is utterly wild. It's really unfortunate that most guys are too hung up about their own bodies to explore it.
ET-312 software interfaces are some of the most advanced out there right now, too. The community at http://smartstim.com is absolutely amazing to watch.
Probably not. Then again the majority of HN's visitors are developers or designers, right? If so, they're job is to be as open-minded as possible, in which case it should last quite long. But probably not.
/me open-mindedly wonders what's going to happen to HN and everyone else who links to the article in the age of "SafeSearch" filters, search engines sinking pages using sexually explicit content etc. ... We may still be open-minded, but we are surrounded by software that isn't.
The title is misleading. But the idea of haptic sex toys, and the approach of the hack - especially identifying that the remote was the problem- is great.
We will see if haptic sex toys become mainstream. I didn't even know they existed in the first place!
It seems like a real innovation!
We will see if haptic sex toys become mainstream. I didn't even know they existed in the first place!
It seems like a real innovation!
[deleted]
I love the breadth of skill that went into this project. It shows good knowledge of software, hardware, reverse engineering, and its even tied together in a really neat package.
Not to mention 3D modeling. She 3D printed the part with the sonar attached on top of the battery.
She is inventing an industry for something every human on the planet does pretty much every day. Big market, disruptive technology. Yet somehow I don't see it on techcrunch.
I am reminded of pg's discussion on finding the taboo's in society.
We still have plenty.
I am reminded of pg's discussion on finding the taboo's in society.
We still have plenty.
It is on Techcrunch, actually: http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/25/body-hacks-building-abody-h...
But you're absolutely right about the taboos in society. If you're interested, this is an interview with me on Inc about my and my team's battle to make https://www.makelovenotporn.tv/ happen. Every obstacle an entrepreneur with a tech startup encounters - have a tech startup dealing with sex, triple them. http://www.inc.com/chris-beier-and-daniel-wolfman/venture-ca...
But you're absolutely right about the taboos in society. If you're interested, this is an interview with me on Inc about my and my team's battle to make https://www.makelovenotporn.tv/ happen. Every obstacle an entrepreneur with a tech startup encounters - have a tech startup dealing with sex, triple them. http://www.inc.com/chris-beier-and-daniel-wolfman/venture-ca...
"Ingenious remote control vibrator, We-Vibe 3, boosts sexual intimacy and bettersex. Definitely among top couples gifts ideas and romantic gifts." This is what I get when I search remote vibrator. She isn't inventing an industry. She's just bored and wanted to customize the vibrator.
There are plenty of articles about sex toys in techcrunch. Why would you not see this one?
http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/27/boink-box/
http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/29/speaking-of-sex-toys-with-e...
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/24/long-distance-lovers-rejoic...
http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/27/boink-box/
http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/29/speaking-of-sex-toys-with-e...
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/24/long-distance-lovers-rejoic...
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"Power Exchange" section title. Must be a resident of SF.
Cool hack! And maybe I don't read enough, but I thought it was especially interesting since it was one of the first builds where I saw someone create a custom circuit AND a custom enclosure using a 3D printer.
Though it involves a sex toy, I think the build was straightforward, technical, and decidedly un-sexy. I don't know where the feather ruffling is coming from besides the discussion of the link's title.
Though it involves a sex toy, I think the build was straightforward, technical, and decidedly un-sexy. I don't know where the feather ruffling is coming from besides the discussion of the link's title.
Sex in the future. It's going to be weird.
This is a really cool hack, but my problem is that I don't understand the sex part. What's better about waving your hands around to control the motor speed, vs. using a dial?
This is not out of prurient interest. I just can't understand the engineering without understanding the use case. Maybe you have to be female to get this?
This is not out of prurient interest. I just can't understand the engineering without understanding the use case. Maybe you have to be female to get this?
I would almost say that it would make more sense to have something you touch to create the changes in speed or intensity or whatever vs. air waving? And I would think it would be possible to actually use a smartphone (with vibration feedback) that you rub,touch whatever which would be better than air.
The feedback is important also. I fly rc helis and once you get used to using the sticks and the channels on a traditional radio using the iphone (say on an ardrone) and tilting to do the same (for me at least) is not as satisfying. It doesn't feel real or challenging.
The feedback is important also. I fly rc helis and once you get used to using the sticks and the channels on a traditional radio using the iphone (say on an ardrone) and tilting to do the same (for me at least) is not as satisfying. It doesn't feel real or challenging.
Well, vibease is now alive and kickin' here, so there's a couple of other apps I'll mention:
- BodyHeat, by OhMiBod/PerfectPlum: http://www.ohmibod.com/app/
- Closer ToGetHer - http://www.getclosertogether.com/
- BodyHeat, by OhMiBod/PerfectPlum: http://www.ohmibod.com/app/
- Closer ToGetHer - http://www.getclosertogether.com/
Yups, there is one. www.vibease.com
I'm the founder btw. We help couples to stay intimate, even from a distance, by using mobile app and long distance vibrator. We use Bluetooth and internet. http://mashable.com/2012/10/26/vibease-sex-toy-app/
I'm the founder btw. We help couples to stay intimate, even from a distance, by using mobile app and long distance vibrator. We use Bluetooth and internet. http://mashable.com/2012/10/26/vibease-sex-toy-app/
I would think some sort of hand-squeeze-o-meter would be ideal.
I would think it would be possible to actually use a smartphone
One vibrator that uses a smartphone: http://www.vibease.com
One vibrator that uses a smartphone: http://www.vibease.com
I'd think something like EEG or heart rate feedback would be better than sonar. Higher degree of difficulty, but much more evil.
This is being worked on as we speak, actually. There's a few companies (and, uh, me) working on biometric interfaces for sex toys. I reverse engineer biometrics stuff as well as sex toys, so there's a whole range of sensors available, and it's honestly the best interface we're probably going to get, since it doesn't require manual controls. :)
Simple gesturing is a much more organic or natural experience than fiddling with dials and buttons in a very specific manner. Focus is a big deal for a lot women (anecdotal evidence) when it comes to achieving sexual climax. So the mor natural the controls are the less they have to focus on anything except the way they feel. It makes sense to me.
This is alluded to in the article - the "programming a VCR" comment. I can see how using a dial or buttons to control it just wouldn't feel right. Waving your hands? Maybe not quite there yet either (how about a NeuroSky?), but a neat hack regardless.
I'm so pleased there's no use of the word "dildonics" on that article.
And I'm sad there's no awesome open source version of Rez to go with her device. Probably NSFW for language and underwear photo (http://www.gamegirladvance.com/2002/10/sex-in-games-rezvibra...)
And I'm sad there's no awesome open source version of Rez to go with her device. Probably NSFW for language and underwear photo (http://www.gamegirladvance.com/2002/10/sex-in-games-rezvibra...)
cough http://www.github.com/qdot/libtrancevibe
There's been open source trancevibe drivers since 2003. :)
There's 3 toys based on the protocol.
- The original Trancevibe (ebayable, surprisingly powerful)
- the Drmn trancevibe (http://tim.cexx.org/projects/vibe/), no longer sold
- This weird one: http://www.harnett-tech.com/search.php?act=search&SKU=US...
I wrote the original Second Life trancevibe control layer in 2005 (i.e. click on virtual genetalia, real vibrator vibrates), which was later integrated into in-world genetalia by one of the larger virtual sex object manufacturers. After the Drmn trancevibe went off sale, they created that last one to sell to customers.
There's been open source trancevibe drivers since 2003. :)
There's 3 toys based on the protocol.
- The original Trancevibe (ebayable, surprisingly powerful)
- the Drmn trancevibe (http://tim.cexx.org/projects/vibe/), no longer sold
- This weird one: http://www.harnett-tech.com/search.php?act=search&SKU=US...
I wrote the original Second Life trancevibe control layer in 2005 (i.e. click on virtual genetalia, real vibrator vibrates), which was later integrated into in-world genetalia by one of the larger virtual sex object manufacturers. After the Drmn trancevibe went off sale, they created that last one to sell to customers.
For anyone interested in more stuff like this, I run a site about sex and technology and track open source sex projects:
http://www.slashdong.org
http://www.slashdong.org
And while we're at it, fun fact:
There's a toy called the vstroker, that's basically an endcap to the fleshlight for doing accelerometer readings. (http://www.vstroker.com, NSFW). It also uses a CC25XX radio chip, and comes with a USB dongle that's basically the reference implementation. So, since these two talk on the same controls, you should be able to take the dongle from the vstroker and the lelo toy, and have full USB computer control.
Boom. Teledildonics capabilities, using a combination of toys that are (vaguely) gender incompatible.
There's a toy called the vstroker, that's basically an endcap to the fleshlight for doing accelerometer readings. (http://www.vstroker.com, NSFW). It also uses a CC25XX radio chip, and comes with a USB dongle that's basically the reference implementation. So, since these two talk on the same controls, you should be able to take the dongle from the vstroker and the lelo toy, and have full USB computer control.
Boom. Teledildonics capabilities, using a combination of toys that are (vaguely) gender incompatible.
Submit the idea! http://www.halfbakery.com/category/Computer_3a_20Teledildoni...
I've got a vibe on order now, so I should have results tuesday. :)
What we need is a Kickstarter for this stuff, or some sort of prize or bounty system. I don't even know how long I've been reading about individuals online trying to design Random Vibrators (changing speeds in an un-learnable pattern to prevent acclimation, obviously not as simple as sending random numbers to the motor) and various individuals claiming to have homebrewed the even more legendary Intelligent Vibrator (with some sort of sensor that can detect when you get close to an orgasm and stop)... and yet neither of these are ever showing up for sale online. Ever. What's wrong with this market?
In terms of kickstarters for adult stuff, there's 2 already.
http://offbeatr.com/ http://www.passionateproduce.com/
And companies like lovepalz (http://lovepalz.com) and vibease (http://vibease.com, where the hell ARE you in this thread, Dema! I know it's like stupid AM over in Singapore but get on here and market, damnit :) ) are co-opting the "kickstarter look" even though they aren't running as actual crowdfunded projects.
In the end, you don't see a lot of products make it to market for 2 reasons. First, making hardware is difficult, but that's been covered here a bazillion times over. The contextual issue with sex tech is that people are scared to install a damn printer on their computer. Putting their private parts near it? Yeah right. If you can't design a user interface for an OS that someone is comfortable with, something as intimate as sex is sooo far off your damn radar.
I've seen 10s of companies come and go without ever getting a product to market since I started tracking this in 2004. There's a ton of factors that just aren't thought about yet.
If you want to see the state of the industry circa 2007:
http://vimeo.com/451452
That's a presentation I did back then. A lot of the info still holds, though there's many new players in the game now. I did an updated presentation in May, will see if there's video around. Or if anyone wants a presentation at their meetup of choice around the Bay Area, just lemme know.
I'm working on an article about sex tech startups (failed/succeeded, and current) that I'll hopefully get posted sometime this week.
http://offbeatr.com/ http://www.passionateproduce.com/
And companies like lovepalz (http://lovepalz.com) and vibease (http://vibease.com, where the hell ARE you in this thread, Dema! I know it's like stupid AM over in Singapore but get on here and market, damnit :) ) are co-opting the "kickstarter look" even though they aren't running as actual crowdfunded projects.
In the end, you don't see a lot of products make it to market for 2 reasons. First, making hardware is difficult, but that's been covered here a bazillion times over. The contextual issue with sex tech is that people are scared to install a damn printer on their computer. Putting their private parts near it? Yeah right. If you can't design a user interface for an OS that someone is comfortable with, something as intimate as sex is sooo far off your damn radar.
I've seen 10s of companies come and go without ever getting a product to market since I started tracking this in 2004. There's a ton of factors that just aren't thought about yet.
If you want to see the state of the industry circa 2007:
http://vimeo.com/451452
That's a presentation I did back then. A lot of the info still holds, though there's many new players in the game now. I did an updated presentation in May, will see if there's video around. Or if anyone wants a presentation at their meetup of choice around the Bay Area, just lemme know.
I'm working on an article about sex tech startups (failed/succeeded, and current) that I'll hopefully get posted sometime this week.
I agree with Qdot. The common problem with most hardware startup is manufacturing. You need lotz of upfront money. Most VCs don't invest in hardware startup. The only available option is kickstarter. If you notice, even with lotz of money, most of kickstarter projects are delayed.
Making prototype and hacking hardware is now easier compare to 10 years ago. But it's still challenging.
We do own pre-order site, http://www.vibease.com
Ahem, don't forget to talk to me and my team about our sex tech startup...:) http://www.xbiz.com/news/156181
https://makelovenotporn.tv/ is not a hardware but Definitely it's awesome startup to disrupt sex industry.
MLNP wants to inspire and stimulate open, healthy conversations about sex and pornography. #realworldsex
Cindy on TED http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV8n_E_6Tpc
MLNP wants to inspire and stimulate open, healthy conversations about sex and pornography. #realworldsex
Cindy on TED http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV8n_E_6Tpc
haha! I'm here qdot! Thanks for mentioned Vibease.
And here is one that some guys in my hackerspace [semi-jokingly] run: http://dongiverse.com/
Hah, nice, and I'm one of the banner ads and I had no idea!
I actually started slashdong as somewhat of a joke 8 years ago, and now I travel internationally speaking on the subject. Life is weird.
I actually started slashdong as somewhat of a joke 8 years ago, and now I travel internationally speaking on the subject. Life is weird.
Wonderful website full of gem.
In all seriousness, somebody needs to disrupt internet porn again.
If you trying and look for it on google all you get is shitty "tube" websites full of autoplaying livejasmin ads and links that go round in circles.
The content is terrible too, either staged "reality" BS , stuff designed to shock more than titilate, unwatchable crap made with a smartphone or weird softcore stuff that tries to be "arty" or "feminist".
If you trying and look for it on google all you get is shitty "tube" websites full of autoplaying livejasmin ads and links that go round in circles.
The content is terrible too, either staged "reality" BS , stuff designed to shock more than titilate, unwatchable crap made with a smartphone or weird softcore stuff that tries to be "arty" or "feminist".
Vibease is trying to disrupt the sex toys industry and bring it to mainstream market.
I'm the founder btw. We help couples to stay intimate, even from a distance, by using mobile app and long distance vibrator. We use Bluetooth and internet. http://mashable.com/2012/10/26/vibease-sex-toy-app/
I'm the founder btw. We help couples to stay intimate, even from a distance, by using mobile app and long distance vibrator. We use Bluetooth and internet. http://mashable.com/2012/10/26/vibease-sex-toy-app/
I believe https://makelovenotporn.tv/ tries to fill that space a bit. It's definitely good quality and isn't limited to the very softcore movies even if the name suggests otherwise.
Thanks for that testimonial - much appreciated :) Anyone interested can read more about what we're building on our blog: http://talkabout.makelovenotporn.tv/ + email [email protected] and I'll fast-track you into beta (we hope to be able to take the site out of beta next month).
https://makelovenotporn.tv/ is disrupting the sex industry industry! #realworldsex
Techno-porn: how the sex industry drives mainstream technology
Star: "I don’t think most people have a clue how much life today is in debt to the porn industry. Online banking and shopping are secure because porn distributors needed to make their transactions with consumers secure."
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/859762--techno-p...
Techno-porn: how the sex industry drives mainstream technology
Star: "I don’t think most people have a clue how much life today is in debt to the porn industry. Online banking and shopping are secure because porn distributors needed to make their transactions with consumers secure."
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/859762--techno-p...
What exactly have you not ruled out?
Wow, this is easily the strangest top post I have ever seen on hacker news. I actually can't stop laughing. I guess it's because most people just don't think about technology and sex in the same thought unless you are thinking about internet porn. An interesting read no less.
After everyone was feeling stuffed and mellow in the house, I brought out the old PS2 and hooked it up to the projector and the stereo, then put in Rez. (Has been called "Tron on Ecstasy.")
http://www.gamegirladvance.com/2002/10/sex-in-games-rezvibra...
I think there's a lot of hacking potential. I think it would be cool to have a back room in a club where you have Rez on a game console on a big HD screen with a nice sound system. One could also implement a wireless protocol for the trance vibe info and publish the protocol, so spectators would casually walk in and wirelessly experience the "synaesthesia."
http://www.gamegirladvance.com/2002/10/sex-in-games-rezvibra...
I think there's a lot of hacking potential. I think it would be cool to have a back room in a club where you have Rez on a game console on a big HD screen with a nice sound system. One could also implement a wireless protocol for the trance vibe info and publish the protocol, so spectators would casually walk in and wirelessly experience the "synaesthesia."
If you have smart enough AI, do you get pregnant by it? That's how babes born, right?
Why this? aren't there thousands of virgin nerds ... ?
What's a vagina?
Sincerely, Never Touched A Boob
Sincerely, Never Touched A Boob