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So it seems the overriding tide right now is for workplaces to be more woke-aware? Increase tensions by discussing more politically hot topics at work. At leas

by howeyc 5y ago

So it seems the overriding tide right now is for workplaces to be more woke-aware? Increase tensions by discussing more politically hot topics at work. At least that's what I'm getting from the Silicon Valley type folks I follow on twitter. I think it's a mistake, they'll end up eating themselves in the long run. You may be a woke-leader now, but let's see what the next generation thinks of you in a decade. Why do you want to "out" your coworkers? Force compliant thought control of the people you have to see every-day. Seems like it's destined for huge amounts of resentment. Fearing for employment because of your opinions, yikes.

hirundo 5y ago
There's also a tide to make the workforce more geographical diverse, especially and famously (https://basecamp.com/books/remote https://basecamp.com/books/remote) at Basecamp. So companies are less likely to be restricted to Silicon Valley type folks unless hires are filtered by politics. Otherwise to be more geographically diverse implies becoming more ideologically diverse. Asking staff to largely separate politics from work is a rational reaction to that, a kind of social grease. A more diverse workforce needs more grease.
- throwawaysea 5y ago
  Seeking ideological heterogeneity is the truest and most desirable form of diversity. Kudos to Basecamp for recognizing that they can achieve this via geographical diversity. On the other hand, I've also seen this go the other way. Many larger tech companies like Google effectively enforce a one-size-fits-all set of company policies across all their locations. Effectively, the political culture of their headquarters is forced on all the satellite offices, squashing any potential for ideological diversity that may result from geographical diversity. In the end, I think it comes down to having the right leaders who genuinely value true diversity instead of just skin-deep diversity that is popular today.
jokethrowaway 5y ago
Unfortunately the tech world somehow became hostile to rationality and everything is filled with emotion. I remember having political discussions in the past and I can still have conversations with dissenting people over a certain age; younger people seems to have lost the capacity to discuss. I think it's a generational issue, it's just that people who have been failed by the education system and by society (in the shape of psychologists' 10 parenting tips, divorces, working parents with 3 jobs, unstable families, being left out of the housing ladder), are reaching the age when they talk politics.
- milkytron 5y ago
  > younger people seems to have lost the capacity to discuss I agree with your point about people being failed by society and the education system, but do not agree that this has become an issue with younger people specifically. Anecdotally, I have spoken with younger people and older people who lose control of their emotions when something they hold close and identity with is challenged. Even if the topics are brought up in a civil manner, I've seen people completely lose their cool.
krainboltgreene 5y ago
This is an incredibly detailed way to describe a strawman for the purposes of feeling correct on hacker news.

by howeyc 5y ago

hirundo 5y ago

There's also a tide to make the workforce more geographical diverse, especially and famously (https://basecamp.com/books/remote https://basecamp.com/books/remote) at Basecamp. So companies are less likely to be restricted to Silicon Valley type folks unless hires are filtered by politics. Otherwise to be more geographically diverse implies becoming more ideologically diverse. Asking staff to largely separate politics from work is a rational reaction to that, a kind of social grease. A more diverse workforce needs more grease.

throwawaysea 5y ago
Seeking ideological heterogeneity is the truest and most desirable form of diversity. Kudos to Basecamp for recognizing that they can achieve this via geographical diversity. On the other hand, I've also seen this go the other way. Many larger tech companies like Google effectively enforce a one-size-fits-all set of company policies across all their locations. Effectively, the political culture of their headquarters is forced on all the satellite offices, squashing any potential for ideological diversity that may result from geographical diversity. In the end, I think it comes down to having the right leaders who genuinely value true diversity instead of just skin-deep diversity that is popular today.

jokethrowaway 5y ago

Unfortunately the tech world somehow became hostile to rationality and everything is filled with emotion. I remember having political discussions in the past and I can still have conversations with dissenting people over a certain age; younger people seems to have lost the capacity to discuss. I think it's a generational issue, it's just that people who have been failed by the education system and by society (in the shape of psychologists' 10 parenting tips, divorces, working parents with 3 jobs, unstable families, being left out of the housing ladder), are reaching the age when they talk politics.

milkytron 5y ago
> younger people seems to have lost the capacity to discuss I agree with your point about people being failed by society and the education system, but do not agree that this has become an issue with younger people specifically. Anecdotally, I have spoken with younger people and older people who lose control of their emotions when something they hold close and identity with is challenged. Even if the topics are brought up in a civil manner, I've seen people completely lose their cool.

krainboltgreene 5y ago

This is an incredibly detailed way to describe a strawman for the purposes of feeling correct on hacker news.