Hacker News Reader

> I don't understand this weird fetishism with getting X demographic into software/tech.

Perspective is valuable, and like it or not various demographics have inherently different perspectives due to a variety of factors. We need conscious effort to include more demographics because our industry is dominated by a very small number of them and therefore its culture is heavily biased towards them.

View on HN

This is a valid point, and I don't disagree that perspective is incredibly valuable. I just don't know if we've been going about it the right way. If someone is interested in technology, then we should make sure that it's as accessible to them as it is to anyone else. Yet, along with varying perspectives among varying demographics comes different interests and aspirations. In the process of pushing what we think other demographics should be aspiring to do are we not drowning out their own interests and aspirations? Are we not simultaneously warping the perspective we seek into one that more closely aligns with our own? It's 2021, anyone can google "well paying careers" see "software development" on the list and decide to pursue it. It should happen naturally, we should absolutely facilitate and encourage that natural convergence, but I think the artificial push is just as harmful as it is helpful.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com