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But it's clear he is (or at least his writing reflects him to be) incredibly insensitive to issues of race and privilege. This seems to be a common theme (thou

But it's clear he is (or at least his writing reflects him to be) incredibly insensitive to issues of race and privilege. This seems to be a common theme (though not universal, certainly) of Hacker News and Silicon Valley as a whole: complete utter obliviousness to the world outside their bubble, and the idea that they might have advantages that other people don't. It's practically painful reading the constant Hacker News posts claiming that privilege doesn't exist, and Arrington just seems to be another source of this in the tech-world echo chamber. Most entrepreneurs are consistently logical on technical topics, but whenever the idea comes up that maybe, just maybe, they have a lot of advantages in life that other people don't have -- that not everyone can just quit their job, learn how to program in a few weeks, and make millions on a startup -- quite a few seem to clam up. Is it that hard to comprehend that maybe Silicon Valley isn't a perfect meritocracy, and that issues of socioeconomic background, nationality, sex, race, and so forth still exist, to some extent or another, and that it's important to at least be aware of them? Apparently it is, because any post even suggesting this seems to be downvoted to oblivion in any thread on the topic, because if we stop talking about issues, the issues will just go away. But as the author says, being ignorant of privilege and people who don't have the same advantages that you have doesn't inherently make you racist. It just makes you ignorant, which is hardly uncommon and not difficult to fix, and certainly not worth such drama.

cantastoria 15y ago
I think the main reason accusations of "privilege" are easily ignored is that it's impossible to quantify exactly how much privilege any one person possesses. For instance, I (white, male, college-educated, Sagittarius) am offered a job at a hot SV startup. According to the theory of privilege, I should credit my race and background in having at least some part in that accomplishment. But how am I to know how much of the job offer was because of my "privilege" and how much was because I was actually the best candidate? Where does my privilege end and my actual talent and skill begin? Now suppose I accept this theory. What is the expected behavior? I should turn down the offer in hopes that they will hire someone else from a less-privileged background? That strikes me as somewhat unrealistic.
- easp 15y ago
  That's all very nice, but it seems to me to be besides the point. On point would be to answer the question (to yourself) of what you are going to do when you are part of the hiring process for open positions at that startup, or when you are approached about mentoring, or making an angel investment, or making an introduction. Given that you seem intent on dismissing the issue as somehow unknowable as well as concluding that the only course of action is unrealistic, my best guess is that you will happily behave consistently with your cognitive biases, rather than working around them. That doesn't make you a racist. It just makes you ignorant, and one of a proud majority, it would appear.

cantastoria 15y ago

I think the main reason accusations of "privilege" are easily ignored is that it's impossible to quantify exactly how much privilege any one person possesses. For instance, I (white, male, college-educated, Sagittarius) am offered a job at a hot SV startup. According to the theory of privilege, I should credit my race and background in having at least some part in that accomplishment. But how am I to know how much of the job offer was because of my "privilege" and how much was because I was actually the best candidate? Where does my privilege end and my actual talent and skill begin? Now suppose I accept this theory. What is the expected behavior? I should turn down the offer in hopes that they will hire someone else from a less-privileged background? That strikes me as somewhat unrealistic.

easp 15y ago
That's all very nice, but it seems to me to be besides the point. On point would be to answer the question (to yourself) of what you are going to do when you are part of the hiring process for open positions at that startup, or when you are approached about mentoring, or making an angel investment, or making an introduction. Given that you seem intent on dismissing the issue as somehow unknowable as well as concluding that the only course of action is unrealistic, my best guess is that you will happily behave consistently with your cognitive biases, rather than working around them. That doesn't make you a racist. It just makes you ignorant, and one of a proud majority, it would appear.