Donglegate refers to a 2013 controversy that began during a PyCon presentation when developer Adria Richards overheard two men sitting behind her making jokes about 'dongles' and 'forking.' She photographed the men and posted the image to Twitter, leading to the dismissal of one of the men. However, the backlash from the internet community was swift and severe, eventually resulting in Richards being let go from her own company, SendGrid. The event serves as a foundational moment in internet culture history, often cited in discussions regarding privacy, professional conduct, social media outcries, and the beginning of modern 'culture wars' within the tech industry.