A lot of people in this thread have a lot of really strong opinions without actually reading the article. The model was cool with it, but she herself also thinks it’s time to retire the photo from how it’s being used in image processing, where it likely isn’t even necessary in the first place. Respect her on that. I seriously doubt she cares if it remains accessible on the web for the pervs worrying about censorship. It’ll still be there if you desperately don’t want to lose your opportunity to take a gander.
this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2024
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There’s a value to having a standard image or images that are used to assess compression algorithms’ performance. It could just as easily be a picture of a bouquet of flowers, or a bunch of puppies.
There’s also value in not basing your image compression algorithm on a low resolution scan of a magazine from the 1970s.
Forsén is quoted as saying, "I retired from modelling a long time ago. It’s time I retired from tech, too. We can make a simple change today that creates a lasting change for tomorrow. Let’s commit to losing me."
Since Lena herself decided she wanted to retire the image, I don't have any qualms with them not accepting new papers using it. It's really weird that her "big break" came from scientific papers, of all things.
I do wonder, however, if more recent papers (2010 and forward) using that image were doing so as reference to older papers, or entirely contained to their own research.
Huh, I am sorry, I feel too dumb but I don't want to live with the doubt, I read the article and the Wikipedia links and I still don't know how this is a thing, this is the first time I know about it.
What exactly was the meaning of this image in the tech fields? "What image processing tests"?
I understand the model is tired of it already, but this won't disappear from the Internet, how is this article gonna benefit her?
It's a woman looking over their shoulder
That isn't the issue
Issue is she's female
I remember seeing an interview with the model, who at the time of the interview was in her 70s or 80s, she apparently wasn't enthusiastic about having become a common test image. But since she had technically consented to be in Playboy (which was only a magazine at the time), there wasn't anything she could do to stop it. I think in this case it's probably best to stop using her image specifically, as it does kinda get into a weird messy situation of consent, and how her consent to be in a magazine morphed through technology into something more "permanent" than she originally realized. There are plenty of other models who would absolutely be down for that, and given enough time, knowing how nerds are, there will be other test images of women. But I think it's probably for the best that this one gets retired from this use.
And yes, there are people who have tried to use this instance as a "there shouldn't be images of attractive/implied nude women a standard test images, because it can cause body image issues for women who go into that field." Which on one hand, I can see where they're coming from, but also people take pictures of people, and some people do look better than most of us, having more diverse test images would be a good thing, because we don't all look like that. But some do, and they're probably going to get more pictures taken of them than the rest if us.
For those, interested in an overview about more criticism, just head to the according section on Wikipedia.
Here is an uncropped version of the image: [NSFW] https://mypmates.club/1972/Miss-November/Lena-Soderberg
Considering this it's more understandable that it's controversial.
Some people are triggered by nudity. On another timeline the conclusion of this "scandal" would be to include a retro photo of a naked dude in the test image data set (and maybe also switch Lena's photo if she doesn't want it in there anymore).
I don't think the reason this is an issue is because it's pornographic. It's because it indicates a certain opinion that some people in the field had/have. Even in professional academic papers they were using a pornographic image of a woman, which shows their opinion of women is just as object to lust after.
I wouldn't say that it necessarily expresses a certain opinion towards women. I think a lot of people used it just because that's how it's done. It's a piece history, a "fun" tradition. A lot of people didn't even knew that this was taken from a pornographic magazine.
However, thinking critically about it and considering a lot of good points, it's surely not "fun" anymore and I also think it's better to stop this.
Streisand effect in motion. Me and a million other people get to see this for the first time today.
But the idea isn't to keep anyone from seeing it. The idea is simply for a lusty image not to be used in academic papers (probably also better that it's not used in college classes too).
I love pictures of scantily clad women more than almost anyone. But even I can agree that the Lena image sends the wrong message to women joining the field.
Meanwhile women nurses doctors and teachers sell themselves on Instagram and onlyfans
Yes, let's just shove everyone into one drawer and completely forget that some do it for fun, some out of financial necessity, and let's also forget all the problems it can cause when using such an image in lectures, research and similar professional settings. /s
Huh I had no idea!
I'm pretty sure I compressed that image in our computer vision class with some alogrithm we implemented for exercise. I though that was just some artsy over the shoulder picture, but seeing the full version the shoulder does seems supicious in hindsight.
Fucking jesus christ it only took 50 years for it to happen.
And people wonder why women don't feel welcome in these disciplines.
Yeah, you're right.
But I'm a little optimistic. The image being widely used for decades is a symptom, not the cause of women being unwelcome.
With it being finally banned, it seems like this is changing. Hopefully this means the root cause, misogyny in tech, is at an all time low.