Ellen Pao Launches Advocacy Group To Improve Diversity In The Tech Industry (theverge.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Ellen Pao, a former Silicon Valley venture capitalist, today announced the launch of Project Include, an advocacy group aimed at improving diversity in the technology industry. The group was started by Pao and fellow female engineers and executives, including members of Slack, Pinterest, and other Bay Area VC firms. The initiative will focus on providing startups and established tech companies with information on making hiring more inclusive, improving retention, and examining bias in the workplace. Pao became embroiled in one of the most divisive debates in tech last year after suing her former employer, VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, for gender discrimination. She lost at trial and, later, stepped down from her position as interim CEO of Reddit following a severe harassment campaign. Project Include is also accepting as many as 18 startups, who can apply to receive recommendations through a program called Start-Up Include.

Comments

I haven't spoken to her recently...

[Anonymous Coward]

But I actually know someone exactly like that. Late 50s, has worked in every facet of QA, administration, and even mid-range scripting (never really got into dev work, but could do basically every other role you'd need to round out your team.)

She got laid off around the '08 downturn and hasn't been able to get a hire since, despite having 20 years of techwork under her belt and staying up to date on the OSes, software, etc for which she'd be responsible.

Maybe the real issue isn't all the old people being 'weeded out'. Maybe the real issue is the lack of old people leadership willing to invest in their fellows to create the 'next big thing' and show the whippersnappers why wisdom and experience trumps 'hype it and they will invest.' :)

What would help diversity

[melted]

What would help diversity (among other things) is not extorting a multimillion dollar settlement out of your employer by filing a lawsuit about things you've made up.

Re:I think I finally understand

[lucm]

Correction: he should be fired quietly and he should not make a tweet or post a single comment on Reddit to report it.

We don't want to repeat the Donglegate incident where Adria Richards, after being psychologically raped by a private discussion made behind her in a room full of 300 people, was victimized a second time by people who unfairly called her a cunt for getting a guy fired over such bullshit.

Re:Fuck anyone with a penis!

[AmiMoJo]

Can you cite some specific examples of these things happening. I'm genuinely interested, especially in some of the political stuff because it sounds quite concerning if politicians are undermining efforts to increase equality like that.

I think I can guess what you are referring to in a few cases though.

1. Game conferences wouldn't be canceled just because there weren't enough vaginas. Valid job applicants wouldn't be terminated days later because their privately/financially expressed political views made someone 'feel uncomfortable.'

Which conference? In the job applicant case, would that be Eich? In which case I'd point out that freedom of speech (i.e. criticism) trumps him feeling comfortable in his job, even if he means he feels his position is no longer tenable.

4. TV shows and commercials wouldn't be loaded with 'empowered' women labeling men as 'stupid dad' and 'manpig' stereotypes and ordering them around

There are some great videos on YouTube where feminists and others often labelled as "SJWs" deconstruct those adverts. It's sad that advertisers are so dumb and feel that insulting their audience is a good idea.

6. Bruce Jenner would not have been in the news again. Somehow a psychological need to amputate a part of your body is considered a sign of mental illness

I'm afraid medical science is against you on this one. It's a lot like "shell shock" (now known as PTSD) in the 1910s. Cowards trying to get off the front line, not a complex psychological condition. Attach the electrodes, that'll get them talking again.

The most interesting part of all this is the conspiracy theory you have constructed to link all these things by portraying them as some kind of attack. I've said it before - people who accuse others of being "SJWs" usually do all the things they attribute to SJWs.