Hot HoloLens models 'shafted by Microsoft' Microsoft and Jonathan Plumb, program manager at Microsoft Studios, have been sued by Jennifer Kelly, founder of Seattle modeling agency Genesis Industries. The allegations? Failing to pay for models hired to enhance HoloLens events – and for employment retaliation following allegations of discrimination and other unlawful …
In a company where the CEO believes that women should be happy with what he decides they should get, maybe this sorry affair is not so surprising.
A CEO is an example for his (or her) employees. Whether the example is a good one or not is a different matter. Maybe we have yet things to learn about Nadella and his secretaries ?
.... I wonder a country where there's a place like Las Vegas where most "events" are held, can complains about sexual harassment and the like.
When you get a whole industry built on gullible people and sex exploitation, do you really believe those believing to have the money and the power will renounce to their slice of the cake?
Ask yourself also why someone should hire young "beautiful" women to promote a product - of course it's not to stimulate "sex receptors" among gullible viewers <G>.
And of course there's someone who makes money offering young women for hire. Was the underage one an employee of that company?
This is a whole stupid, childish, sex obsessed society.
Note that in the USA, "drinking with an underage female GI employee" could easily mean drinking with a twenty year old woman, due to the alcohol laws there.
"Microsoft is committed to a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture where everyone has the chance to succeed."
Some men think that 'the chance to succeed' applies to activities outside of work too.
"Microsoft is committed to a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture where everyone has the chance to succeed."
Some men think that 'the chance to succeed' applies to activities outside of work too.
Yup, the PR droid doesn't seem to have thought through the implications of that particular piece of boiler-plate response. Was AI involved?
NOT when it comes to UI design or politics
They should be committed to MAKING CUSTOMERS HAPPY instead!
'diverse' is highly overrated. It can be a strong alloy (like stainless steel) or the classic "iron mixed with clay" which would easily fall apart under stress [not like concrete mixed with iron, which when properly done, gives you an exceptionally strong structure].
Seriously, just hire people who are qualified, don't care about sex/race/religion/politics and your company will be more successful. Go all "SJW" on the diversity crap and you'll end up with fail. Oh, wait... Win-10-nic! Heh, they should've paid attention to REAL qualifications.
SJW's will naturally downvote this. They're not trying to make a business profitable and put out quality products and make customers happy. They're OVERLY concerned about the politics of it all, "political correctness", and of course, the 'social justice' side of things, discriminating AGAINST certain people in their mistaken agenda to 'equalize' outcomes. They're like cult followers that way...
"Ask yourself also why someone should hire young 'beautiful' women to promote a product"
because hiring old, ugly women wouldn't work very well.
Think about it: the 'eye candy' works! It gets attention, etc. from your target market. Even WOMEN would appreciate attractive ladies rather than old, ugly ones (unless they're snowflake "womyn" with an SJW mentality looking for someone to rage against and throw sueballs at).
Come on, it's human nature to appreciate young, attractive women! People generally act according to their nature. You can't change it, it's genetic, and trying to change it or stop it is like peeing into the wind.
Oh bob, what about the population that would rather have stud-muffin eye-candy strutting around, oiled and shirtless?
Or that which believes (foolishly in my opinion) that the ony way to dress a woman in public is in a tent wit an eyeslit? They buy computers too you know.
Please try and get solidly into the twenty first century before it is over and the rules change again.
"Oh bob, what about the population that would rather have stud-muffin eye-candy strutting around, oiled and shirtless?"
So MS should contract out with Chippendale's too? not a bad idea, actually...
Though I doubt they'll be putting Bill Gates in a bow tie + g string... although it would be worth the comedy factor at the very least
(have some brain bleach - you're welcome)
".... I wonder a country where there's a place like Las Vegas where most "events" are held, can complains about sexual harassment and the like."
Why? It's quite simple, really: There's what you do when you're on the clock and what you do when you're off the clock. Your employer expecting you to do favors for him, personally, after work hours because you do the same thing for pay during work hours is simply wrong, whatever your trade is. If you think it's wrong when it's someone expecting to have access to, say, your salable technical talents for free but see nothing wrong with the same when the victim's salable attributes are appearance and personality, then the problem isn't with the society.
I'm afraid the whole of humanity suffers under this curse, not just the West. A quick review of Chairman Mao's peccadilloes will reveal a host of 'beautiful sex receptors'. Other leaders in Africa and the Subcontinent are likewise ensconced with exploited underlings.
It's difficult to overcome programming that is hardwired into the archeocortex, but it can be done. We should be optimistic, and proceed with enlightened intent toward this goal.
Derogatory or prejudicial emotional reactions to this are simply unproductive. Reason works better.
So Coroware folded and Microsoft (with which GI had no direct contact) then stepped in and made sure their events continued without problem. Maybe not the most ethical way of solving it but not immediately unlawful I'd say at first glance.
As for the sexual harassment allegations, Jennifer K. better have some convincing evidence or there is a good chance she'll be getting a successful counter-sue for slander/libel.
I'm not really convinced either way at this time.
That was the one issue in this that causes me to question the allegations: That GI were hired by Coroware, not by Microsoft directly and that it's Coroware that has failed to pay up. It makes this muddle of allegations seem like distraction from the basic claim that MS are liable for the money Coroware owed GI.
It all sounds plausible, but the situation makes me suspicious enough to reserve judgment.
The first part of the complaint is "we didn't get paid". That's easy enough to prove, and no one seems to dispute that. The dispute is over who should pay -- the company that owes the money, or Microsoft (who presumably already paid the prime contractor).
The second part sounds like a "get the contract in exchange for personal favors" (or vice-versa) deal gone bad. We've seen it happen, so it rings true. It's often "he said, she said" with little evidence either way. The guy usually gets the blame, probably because it's usually his fault -- "yeah, that guy, he does that".
But in this case I wouldn't be so quick to call "guilty" when the underlying issue is "we didn't get paid". It looks a lot like dirty PR to put leverage on Microsoft.
(No defense for Microsoft using "booth babes". Yes, it works to get attention. But WTF are you trying to sell with that approach?)
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