I'm personally embarrassed by the presence of "fine women" if they've been paid just to show up - it makes tech guys look like the only time they get to talk to a woman is if she's being compensated for it.

I think that underscores an insecurity about your ability to interact with attractive women. Strippers, exotic dancers, and eye candy in general have and will remain a big part of male-only events. You can whine that there should be more females and that is fine. If there were, and they cared, they would voice out against it. This is not uncommon.

As opposed to the blatantly sexist, misogynistic viewpoint represented by the other pictures?

Yes, absolutely and unequivocally.

I do see your point, and the tech community could learn a little about marketing themselves, but it doesn't excuse the garbage that is in the article.

> As opposed to the blatantly sexist, misogynistic viewpoint represented by the other pictures?

Uhu? What pictures are you talking about that represent "blatantly sexist [and] misogynistic viewpoint"? Because I have yet to see any.

You are so dead; geek feminists have probably already ordered an air strike on your location.

1. You can't say "fine women" in a professional context.

2. Those women are dressed like strippers, which also isn't remotely professional (in the US at least).

Like my point above, if Hack Day had even a 15% female attendance this would likely have not been the entertainment.

I enjoy "fine women". Even at strip clubs. This wasn't a strip club.

When the "fine women" present at a technology event are paid to attend (and gyrate), we alienate intelligent, fine women (for all values of 'fine') who might actually want to be there.

Note to others who may make this mistake: tech men seem to dislike calling women fine.