Biologist DNLee describes herself as “a hip hop maven [who] blogs on urban ecology, evolutionary biology and diversity in the sciences” at Scientific American. She recently learned something about the lack of diversity in the sciences, though, when she was called a “whore” for turning down a request to write for free for another site.
Physicist and blogger Sean Carroll explains:
…just recently an editor named “Ofek” at Biology-Online.org asked DNLee to provide some free content for him. She responded with:
Thank you very much for your reply.
But I will have to decline your offer.
Have a great day.Here’s what happens less often: the person asking for free content, rather than moving on, responds by saying:
Because we don’t pay for blog entries?
Are you an urban scientist or an urban whore?
No, really:
DNLee recounted the incident in a post at her Scientific American blog, “The Urban Scientist.” That post, though, has been taken down, allegedly for not being about “discovering science” and therefore being inappropriate for the site. That move has put Scientific American in the dog house with the science blogging community as well. Carroll has on his own blog preserved DNLee’s post, which reads in part:
It wasn’t just that he called me a whore – he juxtaposed it against my professional being: Are you urban scientist or an urban whore? Completely dismissing me as a scientist, a science communicator (whom he sought for my particular expertise), and someone who could offer something meaningful to his brand. What? Now, I’m so immoral and wrong to inquire about compensation? Plus, it was obvious me that I was supposed to be honored by the request..
Word has spread through the scientific community and inspired the #StandWithDNLee hashtag, as well as a related hashtag game: #replaceyouscienceblogtitlewithwhore.
https://twitter.com/mclott/status/389079672132104193
