I know that we all have a right to our opinions, and the right to express those opinions respectfully, but I have to say that some of the sentiments on this thread make me sad. From what I can see, just looking at the people I go to school with, I think tech in America is becoming more diverse now, but I think it's hard to deny that it has until recently been, and in many places still is, dominated by men -- many of whom come from a similar background. I mean, just look at the ratio of men to women on this thread!
I'm sure the reasons for this could fill a Sociology paper, but there are surely people out there who believe that a tech career is not for them because of the stereotype that those kinds of jobs are for other people. Ali says straight up that something similar happened to her, and I admire her courage in bringing that up.
Point being, there is no scenario in which showcasing successful developers from underrepresented groups in tech is a negative thing. I have met people who have said to me that they don't think tech is for them because of who they are, and so a project like this has so much potential for good. This matters. I hope it inspires people who normally wouldn't code to explore it. I hope it inspires other people to put together similar apps. I truly believe tech is one of the few arenas in which a person can find acceptance and be successful no matter who they are, but there is still plenty of work that needs to be done.
I know that we all have a right to our opinions, and the right to express those opinions respectfully, but I have to say that some of the sentiments on this thread make me sad. From what I can see, just looking at the people I go to school with, I think tech in America is becoming more diverse now, but I think it's hard to deny that it has until recently been, and in many places still is, dominated by men -- many of whom come from a similar background. I mean, just look at the ratio of men to women on this thread!
I'm sure the reasons for this could fill a Sociology paper, but there are surely people out there who believe that a tech career is not for them because of the stereotype that those kinds of jobs are for other people. Ali says straight up that something similar happened to her, and I admire her courage in bringing that up.
Point being, there is no scenario in which showcasing successful developers from underrepresented groups in tech is a negative thing. I have met people who have said to me that they don't think tech is for them because of who they are, and so a project like this has so much potential for good. This matters. I hope it inspires people who normally wouldn't code to explore it. I hope it inspires other people to put together similar apps. I truly believe tech is one of the few arenas in which a person can find acceptance and be successful no matter who they are, but there is still plenty of work that needs to be done.
Thank you so much, that's definitely what I'm trying to do, break stereotypes and make coding a more accessible and inclusive place.