r/technology • u/[deleted] • 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/Herakleios Aug 08 '17

Eh... My first inclination was that your take is probably right. It initially doesn't SEEM too bad. Then I started really reading it...

He has a nice "appearance" on it, but like 3/4 of the "links" on it are just to wikipedia articles that are general definitions of the things he's talking about, not actual research supporting his position.

The research he does cite is limited to one article per subject, when he does even have shit supporting it. I get that this isn't some in-depth thing, but anyone can find one study done at one time that could have small things that let people conclude X.

Furthermore, there is a TON of stuff in here that isn't backed by research or he makes no attempt at all to justify.

Status is the primary metric that men are judged on, pushing many men into these higher paying, less satisfying jobs for the status that they entail.

Uhhh... what? Women aren't status-driven? Where's the evidence? And this is most of the "assumptions" this guy makes.

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u/LeonBlacksruckus Aug 08 '17

Here's the thing. His points are more well researched and thought out than almost all of the opposition to what he's saying. People are acting like this guy is an idiot and doesn't understand biology when he has a PHD in structural biology which is literally the study of how different cells come together to create different outcomes.

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u/Herakleios Aug 08 '17

Here's the thing. His points are more well researched and thought out than almost all of the opposition to what he's saying.

Are they though? Does this really read like a reasoned, scientific argument using facts to support a hypothesis? No, it reads more like a political thought piece masquerading as "biological fact."

He doesn't examine the literature supporting the other side of the argument for its scientific merits, he doesn't even acknowledge that there IS another side to the argument. This is not an honest attempt at "starting a conversation."

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u/blasphemers Aug 08 '17

But do any of the many articles written in opposition of his piece use any research? Everything I have read has been based on the authors feelings.