4 ms·

I know what he is going through. I have experienced a lot of this during my tenure working in technology (Entertainment). It's unfortunate that a company like

I know what he is going through. I have experienced a lot of this during my tenure working in technology (Entertainment). It's unfortunate that a company like that still hasn't been able to figure this out. As someone who studied computer science it is hard for me to recommend to the younger kids (Children of color... ok Black.) to get into technology when the prospects of them working in that sector are so low.

commandlinefan 8y ago
How representative do things seem to you? I seem to recall that black people were 13% of the U.S. population, so you'd expect (all other things being equal) about 1 in every 10 employees to be black. On the other hand, Asians are about 5% of the U.S. population, so you'd expect to see about 1 in 20, but everywhere I've ever worked it's been more like 18 or 19 in 20. I've never assumed that's due to prejudice, though.
- miramardesign 8y ago
  yes, but the public at large are not an accurate sample, a more accurate sample would be computer science graduates. I imagine that the representation of compsci graduates that are afrcian american is not 13%. The same argument is used for women in tech, you can't hire people who don't exist. It starts in education.
- jakear 8y ago
  Shouldn’t it be more about mirroring general workforce demographics than population demographics?
mikestew 8y ago
But what does one do? I'll admit not reading every word of TFA, but the gist I got was "FB has X% of black devs, but among FB users, blacks are Y%, where Y > X." Here's my problem as being an on-again-off-again hiring manager: there aren't any black devs to hire in the Seattle area. The only black person who wrote code that I've ever worked with since moving to Seattle 18 years ago was a guy I hired. And I've worked at Microsoft (where the UserEd person on one team was black). 18 years is a long time, but I can't say for sure that the guy I hired isn't the only black person I've even interviewed in Seattle. Now, I grew up and worked around Indianapolis, where the ratios in programming shops were about what one would expect. Microsoft in Charlotte, NC: plenty of diversity (okay, blacks) at that satellite office the three years I was there. Had a black woman as a manager, now that I think back. But Seattle, and maybe the whole west coast, man, something weird going on here. And as much as I'd love to bang on FB, my experience says that maybe it's not their fault.
- just_myles 8y ago
  There are plenty in my circles that just can't get a foot in the door. Even having the relevant work experience and education. I have my own thoughts as to why that is but, this is not the platform to speak on that.
mc32 8y ago
Why wouldn't you recommend technology to black children? How is technology worse for them than say entertainment or nursing, medicine, law enforcement, teaching, etc.? What are the variables affecting the "prospects"?
- just_myles 8y ago
  As a career I am hesitant. Given my experience and dealing with former colleagues prejudices over simple misunderstandings. A lot is assumed when you are black. Here are some things that I have experienced: - Think you are not qualified to do the job. - Think you are filling a quota. - Think you do not have a technical background. - Whenever there is a disagreement: I was seen as being aggressive, impatient, or loud (Echoes the authors sentiment). You are locked in a state of always having to prove yourself. Honestly I don't want my son to go through something like that let alone someone else. I once interviewed for a job at a local company where the hiring recruiter asked me if I was a citizen because he said I sounded foreign (What does that even mean?). I told him no that I am a local and never heard from him again. This has happened to me a few times.
  - mc32 8y ago
    That’s a shame. If I were black, I’d probably like to advocate doing what other ascendant groups have done, build from within, support from within till some parity is achieved. Now, of course, it shouldn’t have to be this way, but current efforts don’t seem to be working as expected. It’s imperative that every American have an opportunity to succeed, if we are going to remain an innovative and vibrant economy. We already rely heavily, maybe too much on imported (skilled) labor when we have so much available locally, domestically, but we’re not developing it from cradle to contributor to society very well. So this is a bummer.
    - ikeyany 8y ago
      If you were black you probably wouldn't give a shit about tech to the point of being an advocate. Statistically speaking, you wouldn't have a whole different perspective on what issues are important enough to pursue.
lawnchair_larry 8y ago
That’s silly and dangerous. The prospects of a black CS grad getting a job are extremely high. Why wouldn’t it be?

commandlinefan 8y ago

How representative do things seem to you? I seem to recall that black people were 13% of the U.S. population, so you'd expect (all other things being equal) about 1 in every 10 employees to be black. On the other hand, Asians are about 5% of the U.S. population, so you'd expect to see about 1 in 20, but everywhere I've ever worked it's been more like 18 or 19 in 20. I've never assumed that's due to prejudice, though.

miramardesign 8y ago
yes, but the public at large are not an accurate sample, a more accurate sample would be computer science graduates. I imagine that the representation of compsci graduates that are afrcian american is not 13%. The same argument is used for women in tech, you can't hire people who don't exist. It starts in education.
jakear 8y ago
Shouldn’t it be more about mirroring general workforce demographics than population demographics?

mikestew 8y ago

But what does one do? I'll admit not reading every word of TFA, but the gist I got was "FB has X% of black devs, but among FB users, blacks are Y%, where Y > X." Here's my problem as being an on-again-off-again hiring manager: there aren't any black devs to hire in the Seattle area. The only black person who wrote code that I've ever worked with since moving to Seattle 18 years ago was a guy I hired. And I've worked at Microsoft (where the UserEd person on one team was black). 18 years is a long time, but I can't say for sure that the guy I hired isn't the only black person I've even interviewed in Seattle. Now, I grew up and worked around Indianapolis, where the ratios in programming shops were about what one would expect. Microsoft in Charlotte, NC: plenty of diversity (okay, blacks) at that satellite office the three years I was there. Had a black woman as a manager, now that I think back. But Seattle, and maybe the whole west coast, man, something weird going on here. And as much as I'd love to bang on FB, my experience says that maybe it's not their fault.

just_myles 8y ago
There are plenty in my circles that just can't get a foot in the door. Even having the relevant work experience and education. I have my own thoughts as to why that is but, this is not the platform to speak on that.

mc32 8y ago

Why wouldn't you recommend technology to black children? How is technology worse for them than say entertainment or nursing, medicine, law enforcement, teaching, etc.? What are the variables affecting the "prospects"?

just_myles 8y ago
As a career I am hesitant. Given my experience and dealing with former colleagues prejudices over simple misunderstandings. A lot is assumed when you are black. Here are some things that I have experienced: - Think you are not qualified to do the job. - Think you are filling a quota. - Think you do not have a technical background. - Whenever there is a disagreement: I was seen as being aggressive, impatient, or loud (Echoes the authors sentiment). You are locked in a state of always having to prove yourself. Honestly I don't want my son to go through something like that let alone someone else. I once interviewed for a job at a local company where the hiring recruiter asked me if I was a citizen because he said I sounded foreign (What does that even mean?). I told him no that I am a local and never heard from him again. This has happened to me a few times.
- mc32 8y ago
  That’s a shame. If I were black, I’d probably like to advocate doing what other ascendant groups have done, build from within, support from within till some parity is achieved. Now, of course, it shouldn’t have to be this way, but current efforts don’t seem to be working as expected. It’s imperative that every American have an opportunity to succeed, if we are going to remain an innovative and vibrant economy. We already rely heavily, maybe too much on imported (skilled) labor when we have so much available locally, domestically, but we’re not developing it from cradle to contributor to society very well. So this is a bummer.
  - ikeyany 8y ago
    If you were black you probably wouldn't give a shit about tech to the point of being an advocate. Statistically speaking, you wouldn't have a whole different perspective on what issues are important enough to pursue.

lawnchair_larry 8y ago

That’s silly and dangerous. The prospects of a black CS grad getting a job are extremely high. Why wouldn’t it be?