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I don't really understand why the culture of some companies is something that needs to be fixed. As long as there's nothing illegal going on (like harassment),

I don't really understand why the culture of some companies is something that needs to be fixed. As long as there's nothing illegal going on (like harassment), then what difference does it make from the outside whether a company has a toxic environment? If women don't want to work at those companies, that's fine. I'm not a woman, but I don't want to work at those companies either, and that's fine too. Is there anything stopping 'sis culture' companies from being formed and dominated by women? Or companies dominated by people who make everything about video games or sports or chess or cosmetics. Some of these companies will succeed, most will fail. As long as no one's getting harassed, why should we force them to have this culture or that one?

Grustaf 9y ago
Exactly. If reports on the Linux kernel mailing lists are to be believed for example, it's an incredibly toxic culture. Most normal people would probably want to stay far away from it. Yet Linux has seen unbelievable success.
- newsbinator 9y ago
  It's worth considering that some subsets of some industries require a regular influx of high-functioning jerks in order to grease the wheels of progress. Perhaps in those areas anybody who's not a jerk wouldn't have the strength to keep debating minutae with pedants long enough to accomplish anything monumental.
jssmith 9y ago
One reason why we should care about culture at other companies is because it drags down the appeal of our industry. When talented people with lots of options choose a career outside of tech it hurts all of us.
- newsbinator 9y ago
  It's a self-repairing system. Talented people will stay away from particular tech & companies and do things talented people do with other tech and companies. Then we'll all go join them. It's not zero-sum, as though talented people will shrug and become coal miners and technological progress will come to a stand-still. If 'bro culture' companies are doing well and attracting talented people, then evidently they know something we don't.

Grustaf 9y ago

Exactly. If reports on the Linux kernel mailing lists are to be believed for example, it's an incredibly toxic culture. Most normal people would probably want to stay far away from it. Yet Linux has seen unbelievable success.

newsbinator 9y ago
It's worth considering that some subsets of some industries require a regular influx of high-functioning jerks in order to grease the wheels of progress. Perhaps in those areas anybody who's not a jerk wouldn't have the strength to keep debating minutae with pedants long enough to accomplish anything monumental.

jssmith 9y ago

One reason why we should care about culture at other companies is because it drags down the appeal of our industry. When talented people with lots of options choose a career outside of tech it hurts all of us.

newsbinator 9y ago
It's a self-repairing system. Talented people will stay away from particular tech & companies and do things talented people do with other tech and companies. Then we'll all go join them. It's not zero-sum, as though talented people will shrug and become coal miners and technological progress will come to a stand-still. If 'bro culture' companies are doing well and attracting talented people, then evidently they know something we don't.