

Phr33 st00f pl0x - protolif
http://protolif.com/blog/2013/6/5/phr33-st00f-pl0x

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jeremysmyth
I'm not sure I know where to start.

Firstly, _"Lots of well-meaning people in the tech industry are giving free
things to girls."_ I don't think this stretches to giving unqualified non-
programmers programming jobs (which is the inference I'm taking from the
piece). I also don't think it's as industry-destroying as OP suggests. I _do_
believe that there's a possibility that some companies try harder to find
qualified women so that it's more likely that a less qualified man gets pushed
out, but that's not at all the same as "free stuff".

Secondly, programming _is_ difficult. I went to school to learn how to do it,
even though I started way back in my teens. Lots of other folk on here went to
school for it too. Like any skilled technical job, you wouldn't expect to pick
your way through the minefield of complex concepts, principles, and
fundamentals and just whack away at tools until you get what you want. It's
_hard_ , so anyone who blames some arbitrary selection criteria because
they're underqualified should look at the underqualified bit before the other
criteria.

It's hard knowing that you're not good enough to follow your dream. The
solution is to _get better_ , not blame someone else.

------
ronaldx
"I want to deny opportunities to others in order to preserve my own advantage"

~~~
claudius
"I don’t want to provide extras to others as that would devalue their
accomplishments, hence supporting prejudice"

~~~
ronaldx
I'm not at all a fan of positive discrimination.

However, the author is saying that we shouldn't give out any opportunities
because programming is supposed to be hard.

I see that as equivalent to saying programming should be restricted to the
wealthiest, most privileged of society: those who can afford to take the risk
and time and expense of overcoming any inherent obstacles.

The latter case is absolutely worse.

Ways of supporting people into the industry need to be found (ideally,
equally), rather than complaining about and pissing on existing efforts.

------
casiotone
Oh goody, yet another man's opinion on the REAL problem women face that just
so happens to align exactly with the status quo.

~~~
lawl
You're denying a man to have an opinion about sexism? That's sexism!
(obviously joking)

