Viewing profile — zachwooddoughty

Of course all models are biased, but we can try to build models that minimize the types of bias we care most about. I think the so-called panic comes from the fact that more compli…

>> ProPublica labelled the algorithm as biased based primarily on the fact that it (correctly) labelled blacks as more likely than whites to re-offend (without using race as part o…

I think the argument is that if people tend to "just be rude" to women more often than to men, then that is evidence of sexism. Even if there isn't a conscious reason for the ruden…

While I empathize, anonymity makes moderation very hard. Most people I've talked to prefer the tradeoff of reduced anonymity for improved moderation. If you email me at zach@discov…

You'll have to verify your phone number to sign up, which will make moderation more effective (hard to make an additional account after getting kicked out). If it grows and that is…

Plug: I'm launching Discoverboard.com for this in a couple weeks

Google cache: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:9UNd6-l...

Hi Sam -- do you think YC has a role or responsibility in addressing social issues in the bay area or the US?

From the article: >The offenses that landed them in solitary? Most often, it was evidence that they were "affiliated" with a prison gang, whether or not they had broken any rules. …

Madison, WI has a cool version of this along a main bike path: http://www.spaceplace.wisc.edu/planettrek.htm

I help run Discoverboard, which is a subscription-based discussion community (less of a new aggregator). It's been around for a few months. If you're interested, you can check it o…

Short-term efficacy is not zero efficacy. If the fish works to alleviate anemia for three months, it seems worthwhile to continue distributing the fish and to rally support for fur…

>Some people are in power, they are white This is the root of racial inequality in our justice system. No one is claiming that all white people are evil supervillians. But many whi…

That's not how I interpreted it, but I could see how that could have been what he meant. In that case, I do think staring can, in certain contexts, be considered harassment. I woul…

Fair enough, but it seems her tweet is being supported by others' perspectives, which I think gives it weight. Twitter and Google+ seem like reasonable places to post a complaint y…

> whose definition of sexual harassment includes talking to a woman without her explicit permission. That's inaccurate. "Third wave radical feminism" is not a monolithic belief str…

I appreciate the perspective that we should make sure to be on the look-out for bias, but I don't think it's helpful in this particular instance. When your first response to a clai…

> Was she in a thong, on the beach, after hours, after drinks, with her butt in his face when he said that? First, I don't see any evidence that this was the context for the remark…

A compliment, when given by a superior about a subordinate's physical appearance, could be considered harassment. Here's a handy guide from The Guardian [1]. > could we consider ov…

I'm not a fan of saying we should "take whatever she says with a grain of salt". It's casually dismissive of the entire situation. If you want to accuse her of having fabricated th…

I disagree. 1. It's her experience, and she can equate those two experiences if she feels they should be. 2. Her experience with 'reading words on the internet' is indicative of a …

While these are selected examples and personal experiences, they are indicative of a greater cultural norm that normalizes the harassment of women. By seeing what one woman has gon…