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It’s not a choice to apply yourself and get into a good school? I mean seriously, given how hot the US software market is, there’s no excuse. And FWIW, I come

It’s not a choice to apply yourself and get into a good school? I mean seriously, given how hot the US software market is, there’s no excuse. And FWIW, I come from a poor immigrant background. My family was on welfare. I got free lunch at school. The American dream come true. Sorry that not everyone can hack it in life.

gambiting 5y ago
Ah yes, after all a lottery winner will advise everyone around them to play lottery - clearly it works, they are the best example. Once again, you are refusing to acknowledge that the word "typical" is not appropriate here. Even in your example it's not typical for American people to achieve that American dream, as America is absolutely awful on the social mobility scale. Edit: also it's really classy you are just deleting your replies to my comments instead of actually engaging in a discussion. Your choice I suppose.
- selestify 5y ago
  - t-writescode 5y ago
    Blue collar workers are some of the hardest working people I know. Some of them make as much as 40k per year. Yes, I said "as much". You really, really need to check yourself. You have no idea how good you have it.
    - selestify 5y ago
      Oh I know I have it good. 1% in terms of income. And I come from a really unprivileged background. Uneducated parents, family on welfare. Shit man, we were so poor, I got into college for free based on needs.
      - t-writescode 5y ago
        Then check yourself and your privileged "everyone gets a 200k offer unless they're stupid and lazy" statements.
        selestify 5y ago
      - sangnoir 5y ago
        Were your parents - I'm quoting you here - "dumb and lazy"? Since they didn't pull themselves bup by the bootstraps like you did, and yet they allegedly had the same opportunities as you.
        selestify 5y ago
        They did actually, work their way up from where they started. And eventually got to immigrate to America, where opportunities are much better and their kids could thrive. It’s the stereotypical thing where immigrants to this country are much more hardworking and appreciative of the opportunities they have here compared to their home country, versus the native population who doesn’t appreciate just how good they have it in America. I wouldn’t be surprised if my kids turn out that way — it’s just how it is.
  - gambiting 5y ago
    Hahahah, ok dude, if that lets you sleep well at night then sure. One thing is for sure - that your belief is unfortunately pretty typical.
    - selestify 5y ago
      Thanks, I do sleep like a baby.
iancmceachern 5y ago
Exactly my point, folks with privilege like yourself don't even understand what privilege they have and have taken advantage of their whole life. I did (apply myself). I did work my ass off to get into, and out of, (good) engineering school and pay for it also. It simply wasn't an option for me to go to an expensive private or out of state school with a price tag of a couple hundred thousand dollars. So I went to the best school I could afford. Many folks are in this boat. It's not for a lack of trying or intelligence - it's for a lack of privilege. Edit - I also want to acknowledge that compared to many folks in the world I am very privileged. It only serves to highlight my point even further. These statements are less about me personally and more about me recognizing that I, and many others in our HN world are very privileged in one way or another as compared to he average American, or Human.
- selestify 5y ago
  My family was so poor, I got into college for free. Talk about unprivileged.
  - iancmceachern 5y ago
    But you had the privilege if uncommon intelligence and test taking ability. Not all privilege is money.
    - selestify 5y ago
      Too bad. Life isn’t fair. Evolution got us to where we were, and I’m glad that we have consciousness due to relentless natural selection.
      - iancmceachern 5y ago
        I'm not complaining about it. Just recognizing it.
    - thaumasiotes 5y ago
      You're going to have to pick one between >>> So I went to the best school I could afford. Many folks are in this boat. It's not for a lack of trying or intelligence - it's for a lack of privilege. and > But you had the privilege [o]f uncommon intelligence and test taking ability. Not all privilege is money.
thealfreds 5y ago
I like how the person above can also say the following. > Why is it nonsense? The wealthy and connected can already give their progeny undue access to opportunities via their social networks, and can afford the best education that money can buy. That's already way more of an advantage than the average citizen gets. Besides, the whole point is to maximize equality of opportunity. For computers, not everyone can afford computers in America. I was lucky to find a job walking fields as a child to afford one but that opportunity doesn't exist for everyone.
- iancmceachern 5y ago
  Exactly, and not everyone knows to go do this stuff. It's like this NPR piece on why there are so many sprinters in Jamaica. https://www.npr.org/2012/05/04/151956595/a-need-for-speed-inside-jamaicas-sprint-factory https://www.npr.org/2012/05/04/151956595/a-need-for-speed-in... Spoiler - it's because it's seen by kids. If a kid in Jamaica wants to be a runner it's obvious to them what to do. Its being told to them every day in their sports entertainment, local events, advertising, etc. It a kid in Jamaica wants to be a CS person, they have no clue what to do. No TV ads, local clubs, events, races, all grooming them day by day to he a better programmer. We have that in the US, in the Bay area, etc. We are grooming young STEM folks from the beginning.
  - achenet 5y ago
    That’s not the full story. The book « The Sports Gene » discusses that the West African heritage of Jamacians actually gives them a genetic advantage. I forget the details but basically, to resist malaria they have sickle cell anemia which leads to powerful anaerobic systems ideal for sprinting. You could put someone of different genetic stock in the same culture bit they wouldn’t be as successful at sprinting.

gambiting 5y ago

Ah yes, after all a lottery winner will advise everyone around them to play lottery - clearly it works, they are the best example. Once again, you are refusing to acknowledge that the word "typical" is not appropriate here. Even in your example it's not typical for American people to achieve that American dream, as America is absolutely awful on the social mobility scale. Edit: also it's really classy you are just deleting your replies to my comments instead of actually engaging in a discussion. Your choice I suppose.

selestify 5y ago
- t-writescode 5y ago
  Blue collar workers are some of the hardest working people I know. Some of them make as much as 40k per year. Yes, I said "as much". You really, really need to check yourself. You have no idea how good you have it.
  - selestify 5y ago
    Oh I know I have it good. 1% in terms of income. And I come from a really unprivileged background. Uneducated parents, family on welfare. Shit man, we were so poor, I got into college for free based on needs.
    - t-writescode 5y ago
      Then check yourself and your privileged "everyone gets a 200k offer unless they're stupid and lazy" statements.
      - selestify 5y ago
    - sangnoir 5y ago
      Were your parents - I'm quoting you here - "dumb and lazy"? Since they didn't pull themselves bup by the bootstraps like you did, and yet they allegedly had the same opportunities as you.
      - selestify 5y ago
        They did actually, work their way up from where they started. And eventually got to immigrate to America, where opportunities are much better and their kids could thrive. It’s the stereotypical thing where immigrants to this country are much more hardworking and appreciative of the opportunities they have here compared to their home country, versus the native population who doesn’t appreciate just how good they have it in America. I wouldn’t be surprised if my kids turn out that way — it’s just how it is.
- gambiting 5y ago
  Hahahah, ok dude, if that lets you sleep well at night then sure. One thing is for sure - that your belief is unfortunately pretty typical.
  - selestify 5y ago
    Thanks, I do sleep like a baby.

iancmceachern 5y ago

Exactly my point, folks with privilege like yourself don't even understand what privilege they have and have taken advantage of their whole life. I did (apply myself). I did work my ass off to get into, and out of, (good) engineering school and pay for it also. It simply wasn't an option for me to go to an expensive private or out of state school with a price tag of a couple hundred thousand dollars. So I went to the best school I could afford. Many folks are in this boat. It's not for a lack of trying or intelligence - it's for a lack of privilege. Edit - I also want to acknowledge that compared to many folks in the world I am very privileged. It only serves to highlight my point even further. These statements are less about me personally and more about me recognizing that I, and many others in our HN world are very privileged in one way or another as compared to he average American, or Human.

selestify 5y ago
My family was so poor, I got into college for free. Talk about unprivileged.
- iancmceachern 5y ago
  But you had the privilege if uncommon intelligence and test taking ability. Not all privilege is money.
  - selestify 5y ago
    Too bad. Life isn’t fair. Evolution got us to where we were, and I’m glad that we have consciousness due to relentless natural selection.
    - iancmceachern 5y ago
      I'm not complaining about it. Just recognizing it.
  - thaumasiotes 5y ago
    You're going to have to pick one between >>> So I went to the best school I could afford. Many folks are in this boat. It's not for a lack of trying or intelligence - it's for a lack of privilege. and > But you had the privilege [o]f uncommon intelligence and test taking ability. Not all privilege is money.

thealfreds 5y ago

I like how the person above can also say the following. > Why is it nonsense? The wealthy and connected can already give their progeny undue access to opportunities via their social networks, and can afford the best education that money can buy. That's already way more of an advantage than the average citizen gets. Besides, the whole point is to maximize equality of opportunity. For computers, not everyone can afford computers in America. I was lucky to find a job walking fields as a child to afford one but that opportunity doesn't exist for everyone.

iancmceachern 5y ago
Exactly, and not everyone knows to go do this stuff. It's like this NPR piece on why there are so many sprinters in Jamaica. https://www.npr.org/2012/05/04/151956595/a-need-for-speed-inside-jamaicas-sprint-factory https://www.npr.org/2012/05/04/151956595/a-need-for-speed-in... Spoiler - it's because it's seen by kids. If a kid in Jamaica wants to be a runner it's obvious to them what to do. Its being told to them every day in their sports entertainment, local events, advertising, etc. It a kid in Jamaica wants to be a CS person, they have no clue what to do. No TV ads, local clubs, events, races, all grooming them day by day to he a better programmer. We have that in the US, in the Bay area, etc. We are grooming young STEM folks from the beginning.
- achenet 5y ago
  That’s not the full story. The book « The Sports Gene » discusses that the West African heritage of Jamacians actually gives them a genetic advantage. I forget the details but basically, to resist malaria they have sickle cell anemia which leads to powerful anaerobic systems ideal for sprinting. You could put someone of different genetic stock in the same culture bit they wouldn’t be as successful at sprinting.