Stack Overflow Admits It Hasn't Been Welcoming To 'Newer Coders, Women, People of Color, and Others'; Outlines How It Plans To Change That (stackoverflow.blog)

Paul Fernhout writes: Jay Hanlon, executive vice president of culture and experience at Stack Overflow, penned a column on the company's blog last week in which he admitted the "painful truth" that "too many people experience Stack Overflow as a hostile or elitist place, especially newer coders, women, people of color, and others in marginalized groups." Hanlon, added, "our employees and community have cared about this for a long time, but we've struggled to talk about it publicly or to sufficiently prioritize it in recent years. And results matter more than intentions." The post adds: "Now, that's not because most Stack Overflow contributors are hostile jerks. The majority of them are generous and kind. Sure, a few are... just generous, I guess? But our active users regularly express their frustration that we haven't done more to make outsiders feel more welcome. The real problem isn't the community -- it's us:

We trained users to tell other users what they're doing wrong, but we didn't provide new folks with the necessary guidance to do it right. We failed to give our regular users decent tools to review content and easily find what they're looking for. We sent mixed messages over the years about whether we're a site for "experts" or for anyone who codes."

Comments

Wrong emphasis

[omnichad]

"Now, that's not because most Stack Overflow contributors are hostile jerks.

But they are.

Re: How?

[110010001000]

You are lucky you were accurate in your description, or I would be very offended right now.

Re:Made up solution searching for a made up proble

[admin7087]

> sit down and turn on the computer

You turn on the computer, but nothing happens.

There is a screwdriver and a blue pencil on the desk. You hear the distant noise of a floor cleaning machine outside the office.

Exits are N, NW, kitchen door, office door.