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there are no odds as a woman in the tech business. The tech industry is on of the most inclusive industries because it measures talent and value creation not features no one can do anything about



ITT: likely male HN users weighing in on how difficult or not difficult it is to be a woman in the tech industry.

I'd love to hear thoughts on this take about just how inclusive the tech industry from women, or LGBTA or BiPoC individuals.


I'm a third generation "woman in tech" (grandma did punch cards, mom did COBOL) and I haven't had any problems that I keep being told I'm supposed to have. I suspect discrimination is location specific. The most I get is the annoying "you guys..." pause to think "...and gal".

(PSA: "you guys" is gender neutral)


Unfortunately Hacker News might not be the best place to solicit that opinion, given the demographics of its users…


> tech industry is on of the most inclusive industries because it...

Where have you been?

That ignoring history


[flagged]


> Every tech company on the planet is tripping over themselves to hire/promote more minorities

That is because of the problems than have been mounting in tech because people only hired people that looked like them.

I do not understand what the problem is with DEI. (I am not in the USA, perhaps I am missing out). Making sure that no one is left behind, because they were over looked, seems like a good thing to me.


That's a real problem. People want to hire people that are just like them. Same school, same degree, same personality, same age, same political affiliation. I have seen the bias for the same race and gender, and not just white on white but with all races selecting their own, although that's on the down low.

I don't know what the current MO of DEI programs is, but I hope they're expansive by also targeting ageism and other present day discriminations.


Tons of companies out there still do "culture fit" interviews because they are very intentionally trying to hire a mono-culture.


> Making sure that no one is left behind, because they were over looked, seems like a good thing to me.

This sound a lot like the "just asking questions", esp because of the "seems like a good thing to me" bit, like you know it's a mischaracterisation of the problem.

If you really don't understand, read what people write.

If all you believe DEI is what you characterised as above, then you aren't reading any dissenting opinion.


Yeah, I absolutely agree. The problem is that DEI programs are actually just hiring speakers 40 grand a pop to come tell me about all the ways I am racist without even realizing it just for being white. Literally skipping a meeting about microaggressions as we speak.

It is useless marketing bullshit that serves only to enrich the race grifters that plague our society.

(I will say this is a bit of an extreme take, there are definitely genuine DEI people, probably some effective DEI programs, etc, but by and large, as an industry [which it is] it is completely shiesty)


When you start hiring people because of who they are, and not what they can do, it won't be long before that shows in the results you get. DEI has effectively replaced competence with identity politics.


DEI is a counterweight to unconscious bias, which, as far as I've seen, is still way more of a factor in hiring than DEI.


> which, as far as I've seen

and a lot of other people have the opposite view, only to be told their subjective opinion doesn't count.

"unconscious bias" has certainly spurred/influenced policies wrt DEI, despite its dubious academic basis.


Well "unconscious bias" is a vapid meaningless term with no real concrete definition. It is essentially a political cudgel used to accuse someone of racism for which there is no evidence.

To be fair I have never seen a hiring decision made on DEI grounds. its always talent/skill first. So I am not complaining about bullshit DEI hiring, I am complaining about programs where companies hire speakers for absurd fees to come give lipservice to cool black culture is and how shitty white people are. Its such an obvious scam and its painful to watch everyone get brow beaten into public self flagellation.


> The tech industry is on of the most inclusive industries

The irony being that by saying this you're literally dismissing the voices and lived experiences of many many women in tech who would say otherwise.


No industry is inclusive, nor will ever be, that is almost by definition.


Not in the 1970s, which was when these events took place.


It might well be true that it is "one of the most inclusive", but that does not mean it doesn't also have an extensive history of discrimination.




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