A Post-it note handed to “the only girl at a Hackathon” has sparked an internet-wide debate about gender dynamics in tech spaces and public shaming when it comes to dating. The note, shared by @ronawang on X, was a lighthearted attempt at romance but quickly became a viral flashpoint, amassing over 61 million views and igniting discourse—and memes—around dating etiquette.
On Jan. 16, 2025, @ronawang posted a photo on X of a Post-it note. On the note was a handwritten message that said, “hey! I think you’re really cute…and I love those two braids in the back of your hair. Let me take you out sometime…I’d love a lesson from you on how to hack. LOL. Text me.” Wang captioned the photo, “my friend was the only girl at a hackathon & somebody gave her this note 💀”
The post garnered 61.2 million views and 17 thousand likes, with over four thousand comments including, “tbh some of the coolest couples I know met through these types of environments,” and “bro should have written this note in binary.”
While some of the popular reactions to the posts were light, humorous, and positive, others were critical of Wang’s reaction, believing she was making fun of someone genuinely trying to connect.
““if you try to politely flirt in america, they publicly shame you in front of millions of people,” wrote @uncledoomer in a viral quote-retweet of the Post-it.
Still others took offense to the posting of the Post-it and its story, calling into question its validity and casting criticism on Wang’s background.
“lol wasn’t your unpublished book about a love story at a hackathon,” wrote @paularambles above a screenshot of a book deal announcing Wang had signed with Simon Pulse — the young adult fiction arm of Simon & Schuster — for a novel called You Had Me at Hello World (which currently sits at a 2.55-star rating on GoodReads among plagiarism accusations.)
Rather than blasting someone for seeking romantic connection, @gosuprime022 suggested Wang had “misplaced priorities” and should instead be hunting for a job.
“Maam I’m sure it’s fun for you to have some laughs at the expense of a guy pouring his heart out in a post-it note, although that seems cruel, I’m afraid that won’t solve your unemployment problem,” they wrote, above a screenshot of Wang’s bio, the words “please hire me” highlighted.
‘I was the only girl at a hackathon and someone gave me this note’ becomes a copypasta meme
As days went on, Wang’s post inspired more humorous and cultural commentary around interpersonal romantic relationships — as well as a copypasta shared above parody images of the original Post-it.
More than light humor, however, the post created a climate of criticism around Wang’s reasons for posting the note — and backlash to the backlash.
“Everyone pissed off at that hackathon post it note,” wrote @thdxr. “was i the only one who read it as them just sharing something interesting that happened – thought she was like “haha so crazy” but everyone saying it was shaming.”
@bbatts523 came to Wang and her friend’s defense, writing, “I think there’s a massive issue in male dominated spaces that women can’t enter without being seen as a shiny Pokémon waiting to be captured.”
The post spurred heated discourse around the etiquette of asking someone out, and the perceived public shaming surrounding these acts of vulnerability.
“Posting men’s earnest attempts at respectfully approaching women for online ridicule is not helpful in addressing the oft-cited complaint that men no longer approach women,” wrote @vocalcry.
@FeralPHunter agreed: “As a young man i had an intense fear that any attempts i made to approach a woman would be used as a source of ridicule and while im glad that fear is long gone i feel for young men in this current environment,” he wrote.
‘Everyone is watching, because I am a woman’
The virality of the post highlights topical questions in both romantic interactions and women in tech. According to a Quora post by an engineer who attended and won six Hackathons, women are under microscopes in these predominantly male contexts. “Everyone is watching, because I am a woman,” the post detailed.
For a multitude of reasons, gender equity in tech is an important and ongoing need. Navigating the gender dynamics within these fields is still a complicated task, one fraught with exclusion and performance pressure.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @ronawang via direct message on TikTok. The creator did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
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