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I think both are true. Software engineers tend to vote Democrat, but they're also much more likely to be libertarians than the average person. Or even "alt-righ

by jrs95 9y ago

I think both are true. Software engineers tend to vote Democrat, but they're also much more likely to be libertarians than the average person. Or even "alt-right" to be honest. Outside of a general leftward bias, I think we seem to be more prone to exploring ideological extremes.

jhawk28 9y ago
It depends more on the industry. Software Engineers for Google and Facebook are probably more left leaning. Software engineers for a defense contractor are probably more right leaning.
cmurf 9y ago
Alt-right is white nationalism. So you've gone from libertarian which is not really left or right (depends on issue but revolves mainly around a weak central government except as it relates to protecting civil liberties and national defense), completely skipped moderate conservatives, conservatives, and right wing, and even hard right, and landed on a blatantly racist movement that has no f'n idea how the economy even works which is why they keep thinking tax cuts for people who make over $10 million a year creates jobs, but bank deregulation is good, but the banks f'd them over in 20008, but for sure stop importing brown people, legal and illegal, and especially if they're Muslim. Most alt-right are just deeply ignorant people. But some are malevolent. The base ideology requires people believe vicious things about "the other" who happen to be merely different. They refer to liberals as libtards, and prefer strong leaders like Putin, Kim, Duerte, Erdogan, and even weaker autocrats, as compared to "vile libtards" like say Clinton (who is something like a cross between Woodrow Wilson and Margaret Thatcher). No doubt they'd prefer Putin as president of the United States than a Clinton.
- yellowapple 9y ago
  "The base ideology requires people believe vicious things about 'the other' who happen to be merely different." The "alt-right" are not the only ones who are guilty of this, unfortunately. This is a characteristic of the extremes of pretty much every political position or ideology. Personally, the whole "if you're not with us you're against us" mentality of both of the mainstream political parties is what drove me to vote Libertarian last election. Johnson's campaign seemed a lot more focused on welcoming folks with differing political views (which is unsurprising, given the rather long range of libertarianism from libertarian socialism to anarcho-capitalism, and given the fact that the Libertarian Party is in no position to be alienating voters), which was very refreshing amid both Clinton and Trump basing their campaigns on how bad the other candidate is (and further on how bad the other candidate's supporters are).
  - cmurf 9y ago
    The American political system punishes general election voters for not compromising on one of the two major parties. It lacks runoff elections, as well as range or preferential voting strategies so that voters are not so harshly punished by deviating from consensus candidates. The ensuing dissonance upon understanding this punishment is what encourages our low voter participation rates, as well as hyper-partisan politics, tribalism. In addition, there's a pervasive "government sucks" that contemplating a state by state change in voting law, and it would have to be state by state, seems like dark comedy. It would take a lot of political committment way beyond that of voting 3rd party to fix the problem we have in the American political system. Americans are politically lazy, content to not vote, or vote 3rd party, and suffer the inevitable result, engage in political denialism, than the critical thinking required to fix it. The effect of closed primary elections also enhances this tribalism and discourse problem. It's maybe 8-12% of the total eligible electorate that get a presidential primary candidate the nomination for the two major parties. Both major political parties sabotaged the Electoral College by stacking it with party loyalists rather than, you know, smart people or even contemplative people or even randomly selected citizens. We could hardly do worse choosing dead people for Electors. A case to watch is Gill vs Whitford before the Supreme Court next year.
- jrs95 9y ago
  I skipped those other things because there's actually less of your typical conservatives in this industry than average, but there's a disturbingly high number of alt-right software engineers. Like 10% of the last company I worked for! Plus, people have been referring to liberals as libtards since way before the alt right was a thing, and the alt right doesn't really tend to advocate for tax cuts for the rich. They are overwhelmingly racist and white nationalist but not exclusively. And really the root of the ideology is fear of what could happen to whites as a minority group, which is very paranoid and not something I'm personally concerned about, but it's not the same thing as hate. A lot of these people are also mentally ill. The "basket of deplorables" approach to dealing with them clearly did not work. We can be against everything they stand for and still be aware that they're human beings that on the whole are probably more confused than sociopathic or evil.
  - cmurf 9y ago
    I follow. And I agree there is a distinction to be made even in the alt-right between the ignorant and violent, even if both come with dangerous consequences. In another conversation on HN about the social benefits of shaming people, I'd say a possible reason "basket of deplorables" approach didn't work is because it was quickly followed by milquetoast apology. If you want an invidious recipe for political fallout, that would be it. If you're going to try and shame people effectively as a bully you have to stick with it (see Trump).

by jrs95 9y ago

jhawk28 9y ago

It depends more on the industry. Software Engineers for Google and Facebook are probably more left leaning. Software engineers for a defense contractor are probably more right leaning.

cmurf 9y ago

Alt-right is white nationalism. So you've gone from libertarian which is not really left or right (depends on issue but revolves mainly around a weak central government except as it relates to protecting civil liberties and national defense), completely skipped moderate conservatives, conservatives, and right wing, and even hard right, and landed on a blatantly racist movement that has no f'n idea how the economy even works which is why they keep thinking tax cuts for people who make over $10 million a year creates jobs, but bank deregulation is good, but the banks f'd them over in 20008, but for sure stop importing brown people, legal and illegal, and especially if they're Muslim. Most alt-right are just deeply ignorant people. But some are malevolent. The base ideology requires people believe vicious things about "the other" who happen to be merely different. They refer to liberals as libtards, and prefer strong leaders like Putin, Kim, Duerte, Erdogan, and even weaker autocrats, as compared to "vile libtards" like say Clinton (who is something like a cross between Woodrow Wilson and Margaret Thatcher). No doubt they'd prefer Putin as president of the United States than a Clinton.

yellowapple 9y ago
"The base ideology requires people believe vicious things about 'the other' who happen to be merely different." The "alt-right" are not the only ones who are guilty of this, unfortunately. This is a characteristic of the extremes of pretty much every political position or ideology. Personally, the whole "if you're not with us you're against us" mentality of both of the mainstream political parties is what drove me to vote Libertarian last election. Johnson's campaign seemed a lot more focused on welcoming folks with differing political views (which is unsurprising, given the rather long range of libertarianism from libertarian socialism to anarcho-capitalism, and given the fact that the Libertarian Party is in no position to be alienating voters), which was very refreshing amid both Clinton and Trump basing their campaigns on how bad the other candidate is (and further on how bad the other candidate's supporters are).
- cmurf 9y ago
  The American political system punishes general election voters for not compromising on one of the two major parties. It lacks runoff elections, as well as range or preferential voting strategies so that voters are not so harshly punished by deviating from consensus candidates. The ensuing dissonance upon understanding this punishment is what encourages our low voter participation rates, as well as hyper-partisan politics, tribalism. In addition, there's a pervasive "government sucks" that contemplating a state by state change in voting law, and it would have to be state by state, seems like dark comedy. It would take a lot of political committment way beyond that of voting 3rd party to fix the problem we have in the American political system. Americans are politically lazy, content to not vote, or vote 3rd party, and suffer the inevitable result, engage in political denialism, than the critical thinking required to fix it. The effect of closed primary elections also enhances this tribalism and discourse problem. It's maybe 8-12% of the total eligible electorate that get a presidential primary candidate the nomination for the two major parties. Both major political parties sabotaged the Electoral College by stacking it with party loyalists rather than, you know, smart people or even contemplative people or even randomly selected citizens. We could hardly do worse choosing dead people for Electors. A case to watch is Gill vs Whitford before the Supreme Court next year.
jrs95 9y ago
I skipped those other things because there's actually less of your typical conservatives in this industry than average, but there's a disturbingly high number of alt-right software engineers. Like 10% of the last company I worked for! Plus, people have been referring to liberals as libtards since way before the alt right was a thing, and the alt right doesn't really tend to advocate for tax cuts for the rich. They are overwhelmingly racist and white nationalist but not exclusively. And really the root of the ideology is fear of what could happen to whites as a minority group, which is very paranoid and not something I'm personally concerned about, but it's not the same thing as hate. A lot of these people are also mentally ill. The "basket of deplorables" approach to dealing with them clearly did not work. We can be against everything they stand for and still be aware that they're human beings that on the whole are probably more confused than sociopathic or evil.
- cmurf 9y ago
  I follow. And I agree there is a distinction to be made even in the alt-right between the ignorant and violent, even if both come with dangerous consequences. In another conversation on HN about the social benefits of shaming people, I'd say a possible reason "basket of deplorables" approach didn't work is because it was quickly followed by milquetoast apology. If you want an invidious recipe for political fallout, that would be it. If you're going to try and shame people effectively as a bully you have to stick with it (see Trump).