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Comment by syk26 | Hacker News Reader

I think this is a step in the right direction to address the issue of computer science education and/or coding classes only being accessible to kids from privileged backgrounds. Ultimately, if this is successful (and I know I'm wishing too much at this point), it can lead to greater diversity in the tech workforce or even in academia.

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I'd forgotten computer science was only taught in Ivy League schools and top 15 universities.

They definitely can't take this same money (Pell Grant / federal student loans) and apply it to a local community college / public state university and get a CS education there.

I'd forgotten computer science was only taught in Ivy League schools and top 15 universities.

I think at quite a few companies this is certainly the case.

Privileged backgrounds? Anyone with a cheap internet connection and a cheap computer (~$100) has everything they need to start learning.

Can you name a single industry that is more accessible?

computer science education and/or coding classes only being accessible to kids from privileged backgrounds

You are full of bs.

I grew up dirt poor and taught myself (no CS degree here; I started my career before "bootcamps"). I am a white male, so I guess you can claim I had some special privilege or whatever is the SJW thing to say, but that was about it (my family had no car, no computer, no air conditioning, etc)

Oh not at al! I don't mean diversity strictly by skin color or race. I mainly mean economically underprivileged!

Perhaps I'm an extreme edge case, but I'm a counter-example to economic status.

This is nonsense. We need diversity of opinions, thoughts and processes...not skin color, sex or wealth.

Sure we want equal opportunity to all. But that doesn't mean equal outcome. The outcome should only be based on merit.

Why in the fuck is diversity a "thing"?

Algorithimic and behavioral diversity maybe. But this bullshit kumbaya bullshit where team composition has to reflect a skin color ratio that's suitable for an ad exec's eye is fucking worthless.

I've been "lower income". I've been fucking homeless. You're training technical monkey to do technical jobs. No problem with that but don't fucking be "greater diversity blah blah blah".

It's a thing because many people have complained, they're pretty persuasive, and at least some of us have started listening.

I think there are merits to diversity but of course there are also merits to a fully meritocratic system. But I think the ideal situation would be having a fully meritocratic system that has this "diversity" attribute. I feel as though that is a step up from a fully meritocratic system that has virtually no diversity.

Also, perhaps having diversity would allow for the development of new types of products and services in the tech industry that the "privileged" have no interest in. At least that's what people who call for diversity claim.

I also agree that there are merits to diversity, it's just that the negatives of forced diversity outweigh the positives.

Yea I can see that. It does make me question every government policy or "handout" that aims to promote diversity, but I'm wondering whether this government policy of providing financial aid to low income students is one that is "forcing" diversity. Could someone clarify for me?

Proponents of diversity engage in non-Bayesian updating whereby if a non-diverse company/city/person does well, they update their prior that the system is rigged, but if a diverse company/city/person does well update their prior that diversity has economic benefits.

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