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The top post in this thread said "many". Not "most". Not even "all". I have no idea where you're getting the notion that it was an indictment of technologists,

by rosser 9y ago

The top post in this thread said "many". Not "most". Not even "all". I have no idea where you're getting the notion that it was an indictment of technologists, writ large. It observed that many of us — myself included — were very much on the outside, socially, as young people. I mean, how do you know that 'matte_black wasn't bullied, too? No matter what, that leaves a mark. That some subset of those people developed consequently in a way that manifests a lack of empathy and an "Oh, yeah? I'll show you!" kind of attitude is neither surprising, nor worthy of condemnation for acknowledging aloud.

watwut 9y ago
I think that this is red herring. Not all techies were bullied, not even majority in my experience. Some were lonely, some had small group of like minded friends and some were average socially. Yes there are people who have social difficulties, but majority of techies can communicate. There is however something cultural that makes us assume (in these discussions) that techies were all bullied and are all unadjusted. Up to the point where pretending you don't get social nuance occasionally, when it suits you, is a brag point and makes people assume you are smarter. (Of course crutial difference is that people who really don't get social make mistakes when it does not suits them) People throw around weird techie stereotype, but when I ask names, they can't answer. Because their real world colegues are not stereotypes mostly.
zaptheimpaler 9y ago
>The top post in this thread said "many". Not "most". Not even "all". Even saying "many" is perpetuating a stereotype, and its harmful in the way all stereotypes are. See how controversial saying "Many women tend to gravitate away from technology & towards people-focused disciplines" is, for the same reasons. It subtly disempowers people within the stereotype by implying they must be a certain kind of person or do only certain things.

by rosser 9y ago

watwut 9y ago

I think that this is red herring. Not all techies were bullied, not even majority in my experience. Some were lonely, some had small group of like minded friends and some were average socially. Yes there are people who have social difficulties, but majority of techies can communicate. There is however something cultural that makes us assume (in these discussions) that techies were all bullied and are all unadjusted. Up to the point where pretending you don't get social nuance occasionally, when it suits you, is a brag point and makes people assume you are smarter. (Of course crutial difference is that people who really don't get social make mistakes when it does not suits them) People throw around weird techie stereotype, but when I ask names, they can't answer. Because their real world colegues are not stereotypes mostly.

zaptheimpaler 9y ago

>The top post in this thread said "many". Not "most". Not even "all". Even saying "many" is perpetuating a stereotype, and its harmful in the way all stereotypes are. See how controversial saying "Many women tend to gravitate away from technology & towards people-focused disciplines" is, for the same reasons. It subtly disempowers people within the stereotype by implying they must be a certain kind of person or do only certain things.