Ducks in a Row: Yonatan Zunger’s Response To Google Manifesto
by Miki SaxonI’m assuming you’ve read the anti-diversity manifesto, or articles about it, from the Google engineer decrying his company’s diversity efforts and harking back to the ancient reasoning that women are biologically incapable of being good coders, cops and firemen, among other incapables.
(It’s always sad to see this level of scientific ignorance in a technical person. Of course, it’s not easier in a (supposedly) educated politician.)
There are dozens of responses, but Yonatan Zunger’s is the best I’ve seen (hat tip to KG for sending it).
Zunger is a 14 year Google veteran, who left last week to join a startup. He not only refutes it, but analyzes why the damage goes well beyond the obvious. If you haven’t seen it, it is well worth the few minutes it will take to read.
Ayori Selassie’s is shorter and I’ve reproduced it in full below.
The penis doesn’t write code, the brain does.
Women also have a brain therefore they write code too.
There, I fixed your #GoogleManifesto.
The one thing in the manifesto I do agree with is that freedom of speech should mean that anyone can speak their mind without fear of shaming or harassment.
However, the tactics he describes that are commonly used in liberal bastions on those espousing right and alt-right attitudes are exactly the same tactics used on progressives and liberals in conservative strongholds.
It boils down to the age-old us / them attitude.
Join me tomorrow for a look at the skills that will power your career now and in the future — and have nothing to do with STEM.
Image credit: Yahoo
August 15th, 2017 at 9:24 am
Such a simple response to the ridiculousness of the manifesto. Love it!
August 15th, 2017 at 2:09 pm
True, but I find that simplicity usually belies the thinking/reasoning required to produce it.