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Netflix and Shonda Rhimes reveal eight exclusive series in the works
On Friday Netflix revealed the first eight series in the works as a result of its production deal with Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes. They include a previously-announced show focusing on the exploits alleged con artist Anna Delvey, as well as an adaptation of the 2010 Pulitzer prize-winning book The Warmth of Other Suns. Another series will stem from former Reddit CEO Ellen Pao's memoir Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change that detailed her life, career and gender discrimination lawsuit against VC firm Kleiner Perkins. In a statement, Rhimes said: "I wanted the new Shondaland to be a place where we expand the types of stories we tell, where my fellow talented creatives could thrive and make their best work and where we as a team come to the office each day filled with excitement...Ted (Sarandos) and Cindy (Holland) and everyone at Netflix have been incredible partners in making that happen. This is Shondaland 2.0."
Project Include cuts ties with Y Combinator over Thiel and Trump
Project Include, a high-profile Silicon Valley diversity initiative, has officially cut ties with the influential Y Combinator venture incubator due to its ties to prominent Donald Trump supporter, Peter Thiel. The venture capitalist gave a speech at the Republican National Convention, and is reported to be offering a $1.25 million donation to Trump. Project Include cofounder Ellen Pao called it "a direct contribution to creating hate and instilling fear."
High-profile women in tech push diversity with Project Include
Take a look at the diversity statistics from many tech companies, as we did with our 2015 Diversity Report Card, and you'll notice a consistent issue. The tech industry, for all of its meritocratic grandstanding, has a big inclusion problem -- and many companies are only now beginning to take that seriously. Now several women with significant clout in the tech world are launching Project Include, a non-profit that aims to tackle the diversity dilemma in tech with -- you guessed it -- data.
Silicon Valley execs highlight tech's equality problem
Silicon Valley is slowly taking steps to address its diversity and equality issues, but oftentimes this problem is spoken as if just hiring from a wider pool of people will solve everything. There is another issue, which is centered around the toxic bro culture that appears to permeate swathes of the technology industry. That's why a group of prominent women decided to conduct a survey that highlights the indignities that they face on a regular basis. The project polled around 200 people, each of whom has at least 10 years experience in the technology industry, and the results make you wonder if we're still living in the 1950s.
Former Reddit CEO says the site's about to be purged
Steve Huffman's going to reveal Reddit's new content policy tomorrow, but one of his predecessors is promising that it'll be a "purge." Yishan Wong, who ran the site between 2012 - 2014 and has spoken in support of Ellen Pao, has decided to "declassify a lot of things," airing plenty of dirty laundry in the process. Wong points to discussions he had with Huffman during his tenure, saying that the co-founder was previously unconcerned with protecting free speech and was blasé about censoring racist, sexist and homophobic threads. He goes onto quote Huffman as saying that "I don't think there's a place for such things on Reddit," giving you a clue as to the tone of tomorrow's AMA.
Former Reddit CEO says Ellen Pao was a scapegoat
Many Reddit fans were quick to blame recently departed CEO Ellen Pao for firing communication director Victoria Taylor and prompting a widescale revolt. However, it now looks like Pao might have been little more than a scapegoat. Yishan Wong, the CEO before Pao, tells redditors that co-founder Alexis Ohanian went over Pao's head to get Taylor fired. While Ohanian eventually admitted that he was responsible for the change in Ask Me Anything (AMA) strategy that led to the departure, his decision to confess after the fact shows a "stunning lack of leadership." He should have gotten out in front before Pao became a punching bag, Wong says.
Reddit offers an olive branch to moderators: 'we apologize'
Reddit didn't curry any favor with its legions of users when it sacked its much-admired director of communications, but it's at least trying to make amends. Company chief Ellen Pao has issued an apology that also includes changes that would accommodate moderators upset at losing one of their best allies. To start, it's promising renewed direct communications -- there's a new Moderator Advocate who'll serve as a point of contact for mods, and administrators (including Pao) plan to talk to the community more often. Reddit is also hoping to finally act on promises of delivering new tools, and it'll let mods revert to an old search format if it helps their workflows.
