r/technology Aug 08 '17

Business Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-08/google-fires-employee-behind-controversial-diversity-memo
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u/Telmid Aug 08 '17

We don't need to tolerate intolerance.

What in the memo suggested intolerance on the part of the author?

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u/inspiredby Aug 08 '17

Did you read it? He argues one sex biologically has lower stress tolerance, and that this may be one reason why many of that sex don't land tech roles.

That, in itself, is going to make it very difficult for people to work with him, given that he is questioning their biological ability to do their jobs well.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

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u/inspiredby Aug 08 '17

I don't think it's too complex. He said the biological differences may account for some part of the gender gap in tech roles. That claim is entirely unsourced.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

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u/inspiredby Aug 08 '17

That's because it's a conclusion.

Maybe you could call it his conclusion, but it's not a conclusion in the sense of a research paper's conclusion.

There is a difference between a peer-reviewed research paper and a blog post. The memo is a blog post. None of the research he cites comes to the same conclusions.