Why are we biased?
Bias is necessary for survival. If you eat some food that was poisoned, you probably would have reservations about eating it the next time you encounter that type of food. More than that, if you have heard all your life about how bad pirates are, when you encounter one, most likely the first thing you feel is fear. However, when it comes to interpersonal relationships in a professional setting (aka Soft Skills) it can be a crutch. With that introduction done, the million dollar question is ..
Are you a biased developer?
No really, think about it. For most people, the immediate answer that comes to mind is absolutely not. But why? And more importantly, are you really? I have created a check help you answer that question for yourself. This is by no means exhaustive and there are probably far more questions than the 7 I came up with.
If some of the situations do not apply to you, then try to imagine yourself in that situation. Do try to be honest, the only person you are fooling is yourself. Okay, here we go ..
- Do you sometimes forget to design for accessibility? (Article)
- When a pretty person says that they can (and do) code, do you get a feeling of doubt? (Article)
- When someone rants about inequality in the development field, do you feel annoyed?
- Do you try to make sure the data you collect is representative all walks of life? (Article)
- When you picture a good programmer, does a White (or Asian) young male come to mind? (Article)
- Does the college a candidate went to play a major factor your hiring process? (Article)
- Do you try to make your language inclusive? (Article)
Whew, that's it, if you answered yes to just one of the questions you have some biases. We all do, no one is without bias, not me, not you, or anyone around you, and that's okay 🙂.
Leave a comment if you have any questions, comments (oof), suggestions, or even criticisms (so long you are kind about it).
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