6 ms·

I think he said something about biologically less INTERESTED in engineering, nothing about capability.

• dguaraglia 9y ago
  Would you call "lack of interest" a handicap? Would you be likely to be suspicious about candidates coming from a group that you know to be "less interested" in a job you are offering?
  • stale2002 9y ago
    No? The person who isn't interested wouldn't even be applying in the industry in the first place.
    • dguaraglia 9y ago
      I know plenty of people who are in the industry because it pays well and not because they are fascinated by engineering problems. Even among those who are interested in engineering, there's a wide gamut from "obsessive learner who wants to spend all their time in the computer" to "I love my job, but I'd rather be enjoying my favorite hobby/spending time with my kids". Also, notice that interest doesn't necessarily translate into performance, as there are plenty of factors that affect performance besides "general interest in tinkering with things." Some of the worst performers I've met were obsessive "language experts" who enjoyed gaming (another "male" trait) and spent their weekends on their computers. Their apparent obsession didn't make them more performant than parents who spent nights and most weekends with their kids.
  • verroq 9y ago
    Association fallacy [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_fallacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_fallacy
• paulgb 9y ago
  The memo is online, you can verify in 10 seconds that he used the phrase "preferences and abilities".