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I think we have different perceptions of the point of the OP. I read it as suggesting that basing decisions on stereotypes is flawed. It doesn't really matter w

I think we have different perceptions of the point of the OP. I read it as suggesting that basing decisions on stereotypes is flawed. It doesn't really matter whether few, some, or even most programmers would be poor politicians: The point of a democracy is to allow us to judge the one programmer running for office and elect them based on their actual characteristics. Are scientists really rational? I would like to think so, but have you looked at science lately? There's brutal infighting over the credit for research, outright corruption over licenses and patents, taking $250 an hour from BP to be "oil spill consultants" and agreeing to three years of silence, working for tobacco companies, and on and on. I am skeptical that all scientists are rational, but I certainly wouldn't dismiss any one scientist as irrational. I would like to judge her on her merits.

joubert 16y ago
I agree with you 100% that basing decisions on stereotypes is flawed. But I was of course replying in the context of, not only the poster's reply to the Gartner reply, but to his original post (http://infovegan.com/2010/07/19/why-developers-should-run-for-congress http://infovegan.com/2010/07/19/why-developers-should-run-fo...) In there he espouses programmers' (and for some reason he thinks web developers are higher up the totem pole than "regular" developers) knack for solving problems, looking for novel solutions, etc. etc., in the context of issues that are increasingly technical (which I think is debatable). I think one particular aspect of programmers, a stereotype if you will, is that they don't like to compromise and are generally quite independent of mind. Perhaps one could argue this would be a Good Thing™. But, if you look at all the disagreement amongst programmers, I don't see why their proposed solutions would be better than they are currently (in the end it is about politics). To your question: "Are scientists really rational?" - see my caveat :-) (PS: I think politicians should focus on creating policy, not try to solve problems that the free market solves better).
- raganwald 16y ago
  Excellent clarification and expansion, thank you.

joubert 16y ago

I agree with you 100% that basing decisions on stereotypes is flawed. But I was of course replying in the context of, not only the poster's reply to the Gartner reply, but to his original post (http://infovegan.com/2010/07/19/why-developers-should-run-for-congress http://infovegan.com/2010/07/19/why-developers-should-run-fo...) In there he espouses programmers' (and for some reason he thinks web developers are higher up the totem pole than "regular" developers) knack for solving problems, looking for novel solutions, etc. etc., in the context of issues that are increasingly technical (which I think is debatable). I think one particular aspect of programmers, a stereotype if you will, is that they don't like to compromise and are generally quite independent of mind. Perhaps one could argue this would be a Good Thing™. But, if you look at all the disagreement amongst programmers, I don't see why their proposed solutions would be better than they are currently (in the end it is about politics). To your question: "Are scientists really rational?" - see my caveat :-) (PS: I think politicians should focus on creating policy, not try to solve problems that the free market solves better).

raganwald 16y ago
Excellent clarification and expansion, thank you.