TechCrunch is full of it
Let's face it, 95% of the coders at the Hackathon are guys. The TitStare app got more applause than any other submission while I was attending. Surprise, guys like tits.
And there's nothing wrong with guys liking tits. This isn't about equality or political correctness, this is about sucking up to the prude, American idea that, somehow, sex is evil. Ask any European or the two Australian dudes, America is still a very prude country. Apparently, even events held in the city of buttseks (SF), feel like they have to apologize for displaying boobs.
Now if they didn't like boobs I'd be ok with that. But TC is using lonely male programmers to make money. If lonely male programmers didn't come to the hackathon, nobody would cover it. So by pretending that boobs are outrageous and evil, TC is alienating their core value producers.
In fact, TC is treating the hackathon coders badly all over the place. They provide shitty soda, it's hard to get a drink that's not laden with HFCS. The few water dispensers they have, you have to carry 4 cups with you to quench your thirst. Anyone ever hear of bottled water? The food is cheap, crappy and unhealthy (tacos were the least unhealthy option).
The presenters treat the coders like cattle, cutting them off and making the same, lame comment about every single submission.
TC is not listening to the people they (ab-)use for their business model. If they don't change that, cater to coder, they will go out of business. There's a reason most SF coders are already fed up with TC and don't go to the hackathon.
If you're going to use my unpaid labor to promote your conference, please at least allow me the dignity to stare at tits on my iPhone.
The fact that the majority of the coders are guys doesn't mean that it's ok to create an app which shows boobs and then present it to a few thousand people. Although, I am sure those guys did it for a laugh, they did not understand the repercussions of their actions. With your logic it would be acceptable to put porn movies on a screen, just because guys like porn.
What would you say if the app displayed "male parts"?
I am European and I am pretty sure that if that happened here the response would be more fierce. A porn app is not liberalizing sex, it's just making things worst.
Finally, a business which succumbs to the desires of its clients, when those desires are exorbitant, is simply not a business to trust.
Let's grow up. Sex isn't bad, and liking sex and liking girls are both natural and non-harmful. No one ever died from watching a porn movie or having their tits stared at.
Again, I get the point that you are trying to make. I just don't think it's appropriate to present such an app or behave like that in front of a few thousand people.
Great priorities there, hoss. </sarcasm>
The jerking-guy presentation on contrary was just stupid, sense-less, unnecessary and idiotic.
My take: TC degraded/alienated BOTH its core audience (male coders) and female audience.