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I agree 100% with your point that coming from financial disadvantage keeps anyone out of technology, from any race. And that this is a big problem that we shoul

I agree 100% with your point that coming from financial disadvantage keeps anyone out of technology, from any race. And that this is a big problem that we should solve. But this is a conversation about existing technologists. About people being welcomed into a community as leaders versus being held at arms' length as outsiders. About the disproportionate representation of a single demographic in tech. As to the race thing, I get it. It's an uncomfortable conversation to have. People work hard in their careers, it's uncomfortable for someone to come over and point out that they got there with the help of a ladder they didn't know they had. Growing up poor sucks no matter how you look, no matter who your ancestors are. But let's also be real – growing up poor versus growing up poor plus the additional disadvantages that stack up when you're not part of the majority, those can still be very different experiences.

protomyth 14y ago
Look, the creator of Ruby is non-white, and if you think any conference wouldn't welcome him then I don't know what to say. The existing technologists are by and large under 30 at these conferences (I won't go into the ageism to go with economic problems of computing), so they are a result of the no cheap entry barrier I talked about. Fixing the current demographic is long past solving. I think your last line is presumptuous. I didn't get a +1 because of race, far from it actually.
- danilocampos 14y ago
  > I think your last line is presumptuous. I didn't get a +1 because of race, far from it actually. It's not about you. It's about the many people, who because of race or gender, get a -5 or worse. > Look, the creator of Ruby is non-white All the more damning, I think.
  - protomyth 14y ago
    > It's not about you. There's the biggest problem. You only consider two criteria and leave all the rest. If you care about community and people, you care about raising all ships. We have a huge problem in computer programming that the financially well off are going to be the only ones who can put the years in to be very good. The kid whose parents cannot afford the piano isn't going to become a virtuoso without help and computer have been there since the late 90's. I wonder how many people arguing only for those two criteria use the word "fly-over" or talk about middle America like everyone is mentally deficient. I was refused an internship because the area code of my high school and the area code of my college were the same. That's socio-economic, because the state has one area code, no local help or guidance about getting scholarships (no internet either), and state school had scholarships & recruiters. Opportunities are not lost only because of two attributes.

protomyth 14y ago

Look, the creator of Ruby is non-white, and if you think any conference wouldn't welcome him then I don't know what to say. The existing technologists are by and large under 30 at these conferences (I won't go into the ageism to go with economic problems of computing), so they are a result of the no cheap entry barrier I talked about. Fixing the current demographic is long past solving. I think your last line is presumptuous. I didn't get a +1 because of race, far from it actually.

danilocampos 14y ago
> I think your last line is presumptuous. I didn't get a +1 because of race, far from it actually. It's not about you. It's about the many people, who because of race or gender, get a -5 or worse. > Look, the creator of Ruby is non-white All the more damning, I think.
- protomyth 14y ago
  > It's not about you. There's the biggest problem. You only consider two criteria and leave all the rest. If you care about community and people, you care about raising all ships. We have a huge problem in computer programming that the financially well off are going to be the only ones who can put the years in to be very good. The kid whose parents cannot afford the piano isn't going to become a virtuoso without help and computer have been there since the late 90's. I wonder how many people arguing only for those two criteria use the word "fly-over" or talk about middle America like everyone is mentally deficient. I was refused an internship because the area code of my high school and the area code of my college were the same. That's socio-economic, because the state has one area code, no local help or guidance about getting scholarships (no internet either), and state school had scholarships & recruiters. Opportunities are not lost only because of two attributes.