US Controversy over canceled sex talk at hacker convention

[Pickle Juice]

I just don't happen to think she deserves defending, and have stated why.

It would be weird to defend her whilst attacking her.

Well I'm not going to apologize for "attacking" her. She's publicly attempting to shame rape survivors and the people who are standing up for them because they have dared to interfere with her plans. Too bad stating the truth about Violet Blue looks like an attack to some. Maybe she shouldn't have put herself in this position by using her blog to attack the Ada Initiative.

 

[Pickle Juice]

...It seems to me you're trivializing rape.

I think most of us are already sadly well aware of your views on giving the concerns of rape survivors the respect they deserve.

Do you think that attacking me as an individual addresses the concern that you are trivializing rape?

Here's a question - do you think that someone giving a clearly marked talk about sex and harm reduction is comparable to a rapist? Yes or no?

This isn't worth dignifying with a reply.

 

[das_nut]

Here's a question - do you think that someone giving a clearly marked talk about sex and harm reduction is comparable to a rapist? Yes or no?

This isn't worth dignifying with a reply.

Here's another question for you to dodge:

Do you believe that giving a sex/drug harm reduction talk to an audience which is unlikely to normally be exposed to such information is harmful to women?

 

[Spang]

Too bad stating the truth about Violet Blue looks like an attack to some.

I don't think you've stated very many truths about Violet Blue, quite frankly. For example: You've called Ms. Blue a sex worker several times in this thread. Ms. Blue is an accomplished author/editor of more than 40 books. She's written for newspapers and currently writes for several tech websites. If she were a sex worker, it'd be perfectly fine to call her a sex worker. But she isn't one. She is a writer.

 

[Ansciess]

...giving a sex/drug harm reduction talk to an audience which is unlikely to normally be exposed to such information...

Are we talking about underprivileged kids without internet access here, or educated people who probably have more resources than I do? Because if it's the latter, I'll bet they can access sex/drug harm reduction info pretty readily, and its not like what she has to say is so groundbreaking that that info isn't out in the culture. In fact, since there was controversy about the cancellation, I'll bet the ones who were interested enough that they would have gone have already looked her up.

 

[mlp]

Too bad stating the truth about Violet Blue looks like an attack to some.

I don't think you've stated very many truths about Violet Blue, quite frankly. For example: You've called Ms. Blue a sex worker several times in this thread. Ms. Blue is an accomplished author/editor of more than 40 books. She's written for newspapers and currently writes for several tech websites. If she were a sex worker, it'd be perfectly fine to call her a sex worker. But she isn't one. She is a writer.

These? I guess Wikipedia doesn't have a full listing, since I don't count 40.

Authors of Harlequin romances and other pulp fiction manage to churn out dozens of books. I wouldn't call them "accomplished author", but then, everyone has different standards.

Authored

• The Adventurous Couple's Guide to Strap-On Sex, Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 1-57344-278-X
• The Smart Girl's Guide to the G-Spot, Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 1-57344-273-9
• Fetish Sex: An Erotic Guide for Couples, Daedalus Publishing Company, 2006, ISBN 1-881943-23-2 - with Thomas Roche
• The Adventurous Couple's Guide to Sex Toys, Cleis Press, 2006, ISBN 1-57344-254-2
• The Smart Girl's Guide to Porn, Cleis Press, 2006, ISBN 1-57344-247-X (IPPY Bronze award winner for erotica)
• The Ultimate Guide to Sexual Fantasy: How to Turn Your Fantasies into Reality, Cleis Press, 2004, ISBN 1-57344-190-2
• The Ultimate Guide to Adult Videos: How to Watch Adult Videos and Make Your Sex Life Sizzle, Cleis Press, 2003, ISBN 1-57344-172-4
• The Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus: How to Go Down on a Woman and Give Her Exquisite Pleasure, Cleis Press, 2002 ISBN 1-57344-144-9
• The Ultimate Guide to Fellatio: How to Go Down on a Man and Give Him Mind-Blowing Pleasure, Cleis Press, 2002, ISBN 1-57344-151-1
• The Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus: How to Go Down on a Woman and Give Her Exquisite Pleasure, 2nd Edition, Cleis Press, 2010, ISBN 1-57344-387-5
• The Ultimate Guide to Fellatio: How to Go Down on a Man and Give Him Mind-Blowing Pleasure, 2nd Edition, Cleis Press, 2010, ISBN 1-57344-398-0

[edit] Edited

• Sweet Life: Erotic Fantasies for Couples, Cleis Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-57344-133-9
• Sweet Life 2: Erotic Fantasies for Couples, Cleis Press, 2003, ISBN 978-1-57344-167-4
• Taboo: Forbidden Fantasies for Couples, Cleis Press, 2004, ISBN 978-1-57344-186-5
• Best Sex Writing 2005, Cleis Press, 2005, ISBN 978-1-57344-217-6
• Best Women's Erotica 2006, Cleis Press, 2005, ISBN 978-1-57344-223-7 (IPPY winner for Erotica)
• Best Women's Erotica 2007, Cleis Press, 2006, ISBN 978-1-57344-258-9 (IPPY winner for Erotica)
• Lust: Erotic Fantasies for Women, Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-57344-280-0
• Lips Like Sugar: Women's Erotic Fantasies, Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-57344-232-9
• Best Women's Erotica 2008, Cleis Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-57344-299-2
• Best Women's Erotica 2009, Cleis Press, 2008, ISBN 978-1-57344-338-8
• Girls on Top: Explicit Erotica for Women, Cleis Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-57344-340-1
• Best Women's Erotica 2010, Cleis Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-57344-373-9
• Best Women's Erotica 2011, Cleis Press, 2010, ISBN 978-1-57344-423-1

[edit] Digital releases

• Sweet Heat (erotica), Digita Publications, 2008, (audiobook), ISBN 978-0-9799019-6-6
• Erotic Role Play: A Guide For Couples, Digita Publications, 2007, (audiobook, ebook), ISBN 978-0-9799019-5-9
• How To Kiss, Digita Publications, 2007, (audiobook, ebook, and Amazon Kindle versions), ISBN 978-0-9799019-2-8
• The Modern Safer Sex Guide, Digita Publications, 2007, (ebook and Amazon Kindle versions), ISBN 978-0-9799019-4-2
• Creatures of the Night (erotica), Digita Publications, 2007, (audiobook and ebook and Amazon Kindle versions), ISBN 978-0-9799019-3-5
• Pleasure Zone Basics, Digita Publications, 2007, (audiobook), ISBN 978-0-9799019-1-1

ETA: Please excuse the strike through of some of the text - a cat walked over the keyboard at an inopportune moment, and Ican't figure out how to undo the strike through.

 

[das_nut]

Are we engaging in ****-shaming now?

Just curious...

 

[mlp]

If you're directing that at me, I'm just questioning how these writings make someone an "accomplished author." I would ask the same question if someone called a pulp romance writer, or a writer of technical manuals, an "accomplished author."

But it's fun to see an accusation of "****-shaming" coming from you.

 

[Spang]

...I'm just questioning how these writings make someone an "accomplished author."

She's written books, gotten them published, and some of them have won awards.

 

[mlp]

...I'm just questioning how these writings make someone an "accomplished author."

She's written books, gotten them published, and some of them have won awards.

I didn't see any mention of awards?

And, as I said before, many, many people have written books and gotten them published. That makes them authors, not "accomplished authors."

She does seem to be accomplished at trying to shut other people up http://www.sfweekly.com/2008-08-20/news/sex-columnist-violet-blue-tries-to-restrain-online-foes/, and limiting the ability of others to make money (see her lawsuits against a porn star and a performance artist).

Hardly a good standard bearer for those of you now concerned about how the cancellation of one lecture has been detrimental to her ability to earn a living.

 

[Spang]

I didn't see any mention of awards?

They're in your post of all the books she's written, according to wikipedia.

 

[mlp]

Ah, the IPPY's - 4,500 of them awarded in sixteen years. A good marketing tool for self publishers and independent publishers.

 

[das_nut]

And, as I said before, many, many people have written books and gotten them published. That makes them authors, not "accomplished authors."

She's written books, non-fiction mostly (it appears), most of them informative guides about sex. Her books have been translated into French, Spanish, Russian, Italian and Turkish.

How much accomplishment do you need before you are an "accomplished author"?

She does seem to be accomplished at trying to shut other people up http://www.sfweekly.com/2008-08-20/news/sex-columnist-violet-blue-tries-to-restrain-online-foes/, and limiting the ability of others to make money (see her lawsuits against a porn star and a performance artist).

Her lawsuit against the porn star involved the porn star using the name "Violet Blue". Do you have any evidence that the porn star was using the name first?

The lawsuit detailed in your link seems to be a restraining order against one of the porn star fans, who is engaging in acts of harassment.

Now tell me, would you normally condemn a woman for seeking a restraining order against someone who is engaging in threatening behavior? Or is this a special case?

Ah, the IPPY's - 4,500 of them awarded in sixteen years. A good marketing tool for self publishers and independent publishers.

72 categories, each category having a gold, silver and bronze result. Plus a few regional awards as well.

I'm not sure if it's just a marketing tool (like you imply) or not - I'd have to do further research.

 

[mlp]

I guess I'm a book snob - I don't regard writers of "how to" manuals as "accomplished authors", no matter how many languages the manuals may have been translated into.

The porn star apparently started using the name a year after Ms. Blue did, but before the name became famous. I was just pointing out that she's an odd person for you to champion by reason of her business having been *damaged* because of the cancellation of one speech - after all, she has absolutely no problem in damaging the business of others - the porn star had built a career under the name of "Violet Blue" by the time this Violet Blue took umbrage at sharing a name with her.

The "threat" consisted of the porn star's fan "threatening" to continue to let everyone know how this Violet Blue was ruthless in destroying the career of the woman the fan admired.

"If you do not lay off poor Violet Blue, the porn star, I will absolutely see to it that the world is reminded about how you abused the legal process against a struggling single mother between now and the end of my time on this planet. NOBODY confused the two of you. She's pretty. You're not. She does porn films. You give bad sex advice."

Quite the threat, eh? As a champion of free speech, I'm sure that you agree with the judge's refusal to enter a restraining order against either that fan or the blogger who had called Ms. Blue some unflattering names. Ms. Blue seems remarkably sensitive to criticism, especially since she has no problems calling others names.

And I'm still wondering why this tempest in a teapot (well stirred by Ms. Blue herself - she seems to have made a career out of turning her "poor me" routine into a publicity machine) has engaged your interest to the extent of this thread.

 

[Freesia]

Frankly, looking at the talk summary in the first post- Known vulns and exploits, what sex is like on various drugs, kinky sessions next to the Pharmacopia book etc, the speech on the You Tube Video has obviously been changed, it barely resembles the abstract.

The You Tube talks about Harm Reduction, Demographics, Target Populations, Protecting The Hapless Hackers From Their Own Risky Behaviour, or whatever she was talking about. Clearly she has changed the speech a lot, I dont think we are ever going to find out what she really was going to say.

 

[das_nut]

Freesia: You could look at her other talks and presumably get some sort of idea what she'd talk about, and if her talks are designed to titillate the audience.

I guess I'm a book snob - I don't regard writers of "how to" manuals as "accomplished authors", no matter how many languages the manuals may have been translated into.

I think it would depend on the author and the book. I'd call E. B. White an accomplished author, even though his most famous works is a writing guide and a few children's books.

Which raises the question - what defines an accomplished author?

 

[Ansciess]

Do you believe that giving a sex/drug harm reduction talk to an audience which is unlikely to normally be exposed to such information is harmful to women?

When I care a lot about an issue, and I think people need exposure to it, I do outreach. In fact, in the last week I handed out hundreds of veg pamphlets at an event. Maybe you could do some leafleting outreach, since you're so concerned about these hapless tech guys who can't figure out safe sex or whatever on their own.

Are we engaging in ****-shaming now?

This reminds me of when you said you care too much about animals to be vegan. It's like you're trying to out-feminist the feminists, using the language...but without context.

 

[mlp]

I think it would depend on the author and the book. I'd call E. B. White an accomplished author, even though his most famous works is a writing guide and a few children's books.

I didn't know he wrote a writing guide, and I doubt that anyone would call him an "accomplished author" if that was all he had written. His books are classics, even though they're children's books. Of course, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn are children's books too.

So, are you seriously claiming that Violet Blue is in the same category as E.B. White and/or Mark Twain?

And I'm still wondering why the cancellation of her talk, titillating or not, is of such great concern to you....

 

[das_nut]

When I care a lot about an issue, and I think people need exposure to it, I do outreach. In fact, in the last week I handed out hundreds of veg pamphlets at an event. Maybe you could do some leafleting outreach, since you're so concerned about these hapless tech guys who can't figure out safe sex or whatever on their own.

It's my opinion that most people don't seem to be able to figure out safe sex. About half of the pregnancies in the US are unintended. This is a pretty sad statistic for what should be a modern, educated nation.

This reminds me of when you said you care too much about animals to be vegan. It's like you're trying to out-feminist the feminists, using the language...but without context.

Oh? So tell me, what happens when someone criticizes a sex educator by calling her a sex worker?

 

[mlp]

It's my opinion that most people don't seem to be able to figure out safe sex. About half of the pregnancies in the US are unintended. This is a pretty sad statistic for what should be a modern, educated nation.

And I'm sure that hackers are particularly disadvantaged in that regard, since they don't know how to access information or anything like that....