3 ms·
This is specifically public discouse about gender-specific issues. Maybe it's okay for a man to be the spokesperson for women's issues, or a white person to be
by lkbm 12y ago
This is specifically public discouse about gender-specific issues.
Maybe it's okay for a man to be the spokesperson for women's issues, or a white person to be the spokesperson for black issues, but it's important to realize you're speaking for someone else. It's really hard to do that better than that someone. Maybe I'm a better public speaker. Maybe people are more likely to listen to me. Maybe I even have a better understanding of power dynamics and sociology and tech culture. But it's also really, really critical to have an understanding of the perspectives of those I'm speaking for. That's hard. And in this situation, seems like a bunch of those people seemed to feel that wasn't the case.
- Lawtonfogle 12y agoIf I'm being given information about heart attacks, I'd much rather hear from a doctor who is well informed on the scientific consensus than a survivor of a heart attack, even if the doctor has never had a single heart problem. Why is information about the experiences of gender or race so different than all other information, being that for any other information, experience is neither necessary nor sufficient for expertise? Also, anecdotal experience, even by large numbers of the population, should not be taken as anything significant without a scientific endeavor to interpret them. Consider the numerous parents who will state "As a parent..." when disagreeing with an expert on child development. Even if thousands of parents disagree, even if the expert has never been a parent, an immunologist saying children should receive vaccines is still correct. In all other fields, the expert lacking personal experience has the better perspective than part of the population impacted with their own personal anecdotes.