[SGVLUG] OT: Why aren't there more women in tech?

[Dustin Laurence]

On 03/24/2012 11:38 AM, Rae Yip wrote:

> ...I have no problems with actual
> scientific research into the subject, but discussing how somebody
> might or might not be less gifted than you (no matter how obliquely)
> is poor taste

And this is why I don't enjoy these discussions much--I end up trying to 
explain really, really basic quantitative matters to people who are 
talking religion.  Whatever statements may or may not be true are 
statistical statements, with all that implies.  I trust that's obvious 
enough on a technical list?  You seem to insist that they (whatever they 
may be--we're still talking about abstract existence) must have been 
intended as statements about individuals, which statistical statements 
can never be.  It's a straw man, if a sophisticated one, unless you 
regard yourself as a properly chosen ensemble of people.  Are you an 
ensemble?  I don't think I am, though I may have to take a vote among 
the voices in my head to be entirely sure.

The funny thing is that obfusticating the difference between a 
statistical statement and an individual statement is in the interests of 
both those who wish to perform social engineering and those who wish to 
say nasty things about individuals, so there is simply no room for 
reason.  And I don't care much about Unreason in either form.  I don't 
personally know any ensembles, so it's more or less an academic point at 
best, and just not worth that much effort.

> ...(especially without data to back it up, but even with
> it), and it's reasonable to avoid doing so in public forum.

Yes, quite reasonable, if the goal is to ensure the suppression of 
politically incorrect speech.  But hey, the LUG is free to define that 
as a goal for it's mailing list if it likes.

The systematic, culture-wide suppression of speech is really the only 
interesting point here at all.

Oh, and 70% of my ensemble are against me posting to this thread, 
however the 30% are looking to find ways of suppressing the others.

Dustin