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> But if the tech scene is really a meritocracy, why are so many of its key players, from Mark Zuckerberg to Steve Jobs, white men? I disagree with the author
by yunesj 6y ago
> But if the tech scene is really a meritocracy, why are so many of its key players, from Mark Zuckerberg to Steve Jobs, white men?
I disagree with the author that Jobs and Zuckerberg are evidence that meritocracy is a myth. According to Wiki:
> ... Zuckerberg excelled in classes. After two years, he transferred to the private school Phillips Exeter Academy, where he won prizes in mathematics, astronomy, physics, and classical studies.
> By the time he was ten, Jobs was deeply involved in electronics and befriended many of the engineers who lived in the neighborhood. He had difficulty making friends with children his own age, however...
Later in life, they had great ideas, took huge risks (both dropping out of school), and worked hard.
- JKCalhoun 6y agoIt is a meritocracy, but some get to start at a chute, and some start at a ladder.
- mywittyname 6y agoAlso, Steve Jobs is biologically half-Arab. Making him kind of a weird pick for such a claim.
- ampdepolymerase 6y agoAre you aware of how much Phillip Exeter costs?
- yunesj 6y agoThat’s not really relevant. Zuckerberg didn’t outperform his peers at an expensive high school because he was white. But, “for families with incomes under $75,000, Exeter is free. We pick up the cost of tuition, books and academic supplies, and we provide a stipend ... We meet 100 percent of our admitted students’ demonstrated financial need. [1]” Sadly, the idea that we live in a meritocracy is so politically incorrect that GSIs (TAs at Berkeley) are taught to interrupt a conversation where they hear a student saying “America is the land of opportunity” or “I believe the most qualified person should get the job. [2]” [1] https://www.exeter.edu/admissions-and-financial-aid/tuition-financial-aid/am-i-eligible-financial-aid https://www.exeter.edu/admissions-and-financial-aid/tuition-... [2] http://gsi.berkeley.edu/media/tool-recognizing-microaggressions.pdf http://gsi.berkeley.edu/media/tool-recognizing-microaggressi...
- ampdepolymerase 6y agoI was referring to the fact that Zuckerberg success was possible because of his background (his parents were both professionals, one was psychiatrist, the other a dentist), and not necessarily because of good grades. Plenty of people get good grades.