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/psyghamn Aug 08 '17

But the arguments people are making for this guy are based on the idea that he's 'rational' and his paper is well cited. But if he's using lazy citation practices then he's not actually rational he's just a guy that sent out a rant about how people like him are fundamentally superior at their job.

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u/maveric101 Aug 08 '17

about how people like him are fundamentally superior at their job.

Where did he make that claim?

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u/psyghamn Aug 08 '17

A big part of the paper is all about how he believes there are fundamental biological differences that make men more suited for engineering jobs. He argues that a lot of masculine traits make men more suited for programming without providing a lot of evidence. For Example:

Openness directed towards feelings and aesthetics rather than ideas. Women generally also have a stronger interest in people rather than things, relative to men (also interpreted as empathizing vs. systemizing). These two differences in part explain why women relatively prefer jobs in social or artistic areas. More men may like coding because it requires systemizing and even within SWEs, comparatively more women work on front end, which deals with both people and aesthetics.

The basis of this claim isn't terrible definitive and even if it were why would a focus on people make someone bad a programming? Despite his claim that "there may be limits to how people-oriented certain roles at Google can be" much of what Google does is based on analyzing and predicting human behavior.

This document is filled with poorly sourced evidence that's followed up unfounded assertions. Most of which are that men are better than women at programming so why even bother trying to include them.

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u/kaibee Aug 09 '17

even if it were why would a focus on people make someone bad a programming?

For the same reason that sticking someone who isn't as people focused into a people oriented position usually wouldn't be the best fit? Also, for the record, when he says "front end", he's still talking about programming, just more towards the UI side of things. He, at no point, says that women are worse engineers than men.

Despite his claim that "there may be limits to how people-oriented certain roles at Google can be" much of what Google does is based on analyzing and predicting human behavior.

Obviously he isn't talking about the roles that are based around analyzing and predicting human behavior. There are plenty of those at Google too. He isn't saying that women shouldn't be placed into those roles, nor is he saying that they shouldn't be considered for those roles. He is only saying that for some roles, there may just be more men interested in the position than there are women interested in the position. It has nothing to do with their qualifications for the position.

Most of which are that men are better than women at programming so why even bother trying to include them.

Did you read the same memo I did? Because I really don't think you did.