3 ms·

> Tech has a problem with gender. I'm not sure it's helpful to point out that other fields also have similar or even worse problems. It kind of is. When there

> Tech has a problem with gender. I'm not sure it's helpful to point out that other fields also have similar or even worse problems. It kind of is. When there are other fields which both a) employ more people and b) have a much larger "problem," it's valid to ask why the laser-like focus on tech.

DanBC 11y ago
>why the laser-like focus on tech This is a tech site. It's going to focus on tech wages. Other sites are focussing on the gap in motor repair or restaurant chefs or whatever.
- 13thLetter 11y ago
  It's not just tech sites, though, which is what I'm getting at. Major politicians and newspapers constantly go on at great lengths about alleged gender problems in tech. Do they talk nearly as much about, say, the imbalance towards women in education? I'm going to assert that they do not.
  - DanBC 11y ago
    [gender imbalance education] and the name of various newspapers returns many many hits. EG https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gender+imbalance+education+inurl%3Anytimes https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gender+imbalance+education... Although using WSJ proves you right: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gender+imbalance+education+inurl%3Awsj https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gender+imbalance+education...
    - 13thLetter 11y ago
      I don't think this search is focused enough to be useful (in either direction.) For example, the first page of NYT results includes stories about a lack of male teachers, but also about gender imbalances against women in labs, varying educational outcomes between boys and girls, and China's one-child policy.
  - eli 11y ago
    I don't see what you're getting at. Like, is there a conspiracy against the tech industry? I really doubt it. I think tech jobs are very desirable and the gender imbalance very pronounced so it's a natural focal point.
    - 13thLetter 11y ago
      > Like, is there a conspiracy against the tech industry? I really doubt it. Who said there's a conspiracy? There's no more a conspiracy against the tech industry than, say, people who vote Democratic are a conspiracy against the Republican Party. It's just a large number of people with similar opinions and self-interest. Unfortunately, in this case the emergent result of that large number of people acting in their own opinion and interest is a lot of unjust attacks on innocent people, dismantling of valuable concepts such as meritocracy, and a distorted view of the industry in the popular imagination.
eli 11y ago
I focus on tech because it's the industry where I work and the one I'm most familiar with and the one where I think we really have the ability to make a difference. Pointing out other problems in other fields does not absolve tech industry of any responsibility.

DanBC 11y ago

>why the laser-like focus on tech This is a tech site. It's going to focus on tech wages. Other sites are focussing on the gap in motor repair or restaurant chefs or whatever.

13thLetter 11y ago
It's not just tech sites, though, which is what I'm getting at. Major politicians and newspapers constantly go on at great lengths about alleged gender problems in tech. Do they talk nearly as much about, say, the imbalance towards women in education? I'm going to assert that they do not.
- DanBC 11y ago
  [gender imbalance education] and the name of various newspapers returns many many hits. EG https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gender+imbalance+education+inurl%3Anytimes https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gender+imbalance+education... Although using WSJ proves you right: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gender+imbalance+education+inurl%3Awsj https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gender+imbalance+education...
  - 13thLetter 11y ago
    I don't think this search is focused enough to be useful (in either direction.) For example, the first page of NYT results includes stories about a lack of male teachers, but also about gender imbalances against women in labs, varying educational outcomes between boys and girls, and China's one-child policy.
- eli 11y ago
  I don't see what you're getting at. Like, is there a conspiracy against the tech industry? I really doubt it. I think tech jobs are very desirable and the gender imbalance very pronounced so it's a natural focal point.
  - 13thLetter 11y ago
    > Like, is there a conspiracy against the tech industry? I really doubt it. Who said there's a conspiracy? There's no more a conspiracy against the tech industry than, say, people who vote Democratic are a conspiracy against the Republican Party. It's just a large number of people with similar opinions and self-interest. Unfortunately, in this case the emergent result of that large number of people acting in their own opinion and interest is a lot of unjust attacks on innocent people, dismantling of valuable concepts such as meritocracy, and a distorted view of the industry in the popular imagination.

eli 11y ago

I focus on tech because it's the industry where I work and the one I'm most familiar with and the one where I think we really have the ability to make a difference. Pointing out other problems in other fields does not absolve tech industry of any responsibility.