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> "Diversity of thought is more important than diversity of skin color" is one of those dog whistles. I find it highly unlikely that a black woman in charge of

> "Diversity of thought is more important than diversity of skin color" is one of those dog whistles. I find it highly unlikely that a black woman in charge of Inclusion and Diversity at a most socially progressive company would blow into that particular dog whistle.

woodruffw 9y ago
The point of a dog whistle is to say something with a secondary meaning that escapes some part of the audience. When that part of the audience starts using the dog whistle, the goal has been met: they're using it in good faith, while the original user is still signalling the secondary message. That's why "family values" works so well as a political slogan -- nobody is against "family values" in a superficial sense, and half of the population understands that "family values" is really code for "christian values."
- fmihaila 9y ago
  I see your point, but somebody losing their job in the blink of an eye for expressing their thoughts on a sensitive subject in good faith just because other people are trying to hijack the English language seems like an overreaction, no? That's what the OP, Jessica Livingston, Sam Altman, Tim Ferriss, and many HN posters here are pointing out.
  - woodruffw 9y ago
    I agree. I also don't have a good solution, unfortunately.
- rdtsc 9y ago
  > is to say something with a secondary meaning that escapes some part of the audience. > nobody is against "family values" in a superficial sense, and half of the population understands that "family values" is really code for "christian values." If half the population is christian the other half is probably also not completely oblivious to what that other half understands by family values. I think the best way to overcome this "dog whistle" problem is to appropriate it and steal it. "Family values" -- "good, we want to have gay, transgender, happy and safe families and we love our family values". "Diversity of thought is more important?" - "Yes it is, and we find that people of different ages, races, genders, nationalities, educational, social and economic background end up with the best diversity of thoughts and ideas so we go out and actively recruit accordingly". What I see tech companies doing is being very vocal about diversity then turning around and recruiting young white men from a few top universities. Or saying women should be equal but then paying them less. Or covering up harassment and abuse (thinking of Uber here).
rdtsc 9y ago
> a black woman in charge of Inclusion and Diversity at a most socially progressive company would blow into that dog whistle. So she is Uncle Tom's wife and is secretly dog whistling to the white supremacists. That's part of the reason people are not speaking what they think -- because they end up getting responses like that, which are completely indistinguishable from a comedy skit or an article from The Onion. It's like talking to someone and hearing them try to convince you about contrails or lizard people. You can't argue at that point, because you realize it's way beyond that, so you just kind of keep quiet an nod. Especially if that person is your boss or coworker.

woodruffw 9y ago

The point of a dog whistle is to say something with a secondary meaning that escapes some part of the audience. When that part of the audience starts using the dog whistle, the goal has been met: they're using it in good faith, while the original user is still signalling the secondary message. That's why "family values" works so well as a political slogan -- nobody is against "family values" in a superficial sense, and half of the population understands that "family values" is really code for "christian values."

fmihaila 9y ago
I see your point, but somebody losing their job in the blink of an eye for expressing their thoughts on a sensitive subject in good faith just because other people are trying to hijack the English language seems like an overreaction, no? That's what the OP, Jessica Livingston, Sam Altman, Tim Ferriss, and many HN posters here are pointing out.
- woodruffw 9y ago
  I agree. I also don't have a good solution, unfortunately.
rdtsc 9y ago
> is to say something with a secondary meaning that escapes some part of the audience. > nobody is against "family values" in a superficial sense, and half of the population understands that "family values" is really code for "christian values." If half the population is christian the other half is probably also not completely oblivious to what that other half understands by family values. I think the best way to overcome this "dog whistle" problem is to appropriate it and steal it. "Family values" -- "good, we want to have gay, transgender, happy and safe families and we love our family values". "Diversity of thought is more important?" - "Yes it is, and we find that people of different ages, races, genders, nationalities, educational, social and economic background end up with the best diversity of thoughts and ideas so we go out and actively recruit accordingly". What I see tech companies doing is being very vocal about diversity then turning around and recruiting young white men from a few top universities. Or saying women should be equal but then paying them less. Or covering up harassment and abuse (thinking of Uber here).

rdtsc 9y ago

> a black woman in charge of Inclusion and Diversity at a most socially progressive company would blow into that dog whistle. So she is Uncle Tom's wife and is secretly dog whistling to the white supremacists. That's part of the reason people are not speaking what they think -- because they end up getting responses like that, which are completely indistinguishable from a comedy skit or an article from The Onion. It's like talking to someone and hearing them try to convince you about contrails or lizard people. You can't argue at that point, because you realize it's way beyond that, so you just kind of keep quiet an nod. Especially if that person is your boss or coworker.