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CFPB Takes Action Against Coding Boot Camp BloomTech and CEO Austen Allred

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Re: CFPB Takes Action Against Coding Boot Camp BloomTech and CEO Austen Allred

#261

Post by anonymoushn »

cool_dude85 wrote: post #152
londons_explore wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was a time about 5 years ago where tech companies were desperate to fill various minority quotas. The idea was those people were very valuable, there were very few applicants who were hotly contested by other tech companies, and lack of skills wouldn't matter - they'd learn on the job. In that world, the school only has to get the students to do a "hello world" in python and apply for the right jobs. Such a sch…

What tech companies do you allege have/had "minority" quotas to fill?

Thoughtworks wrote in an email to me that they were only considering non-male candidates because of their quotas. The idea, I suppose, is that I should be willing to change my gender if I'm really interested in joining.

Re: CFPB Takes Action Against Coding Boot Camp BloomTech and CEO Austen Allred

#262

Post by swozey »

dudeinjapan wrote: post #243
adeon wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If 90% of students have a good experience but the 10% of students have a similar experiences to the poster there, then I still think Lambda is another ethical disaster of a start-up. "It's better than a typical USA student loan" is a very low bar.

[flagged]

> 18th Century Polynesian Gender Studies

You really had to use something as cringey as this ridiculous trope?

Just go with underwater basket weaving or something less blatantly offensive to a portion of people while riding your high horse.

Re: CFPB Takes Action Against Coding Boot Camp BloomTech and CEO Austen Allred

#263

Post by willcipriano »

ceejayoz wrote: post #12
willcipriano wrote: post #7

[flagged]

Any you’d like to highlight that come anywhere close to “we picked a sample size of one student” or “no finance charge means $4k finance charge”?

"Have a bright future as a (job)"

"(job) can earn (x) dollars a year!"

When in reality that career is losing jobs and less than 10% of graduates get one. Anything what would have you work in a museum would probably meet this criteria.

Alternative is they told the truth, everyone went in with eyes wide open and everyone is responsible for their own student loans.

Re: CFPB Takes Action Against Coding Boot Camp BloomTech and CEO Austen Allred

#265

Post by kirso »

abdullahkhalids wrote: post #117
imzadi wrote: post #66

I attended Lambda when it was first starting out. I think I was in the third or fourth cohort. At the time, the sell was that you didn't have to pay anything unless you got a job using the skills you learned from them. I was pretty naïve, I guess. Things seemed fine in the beginning. The instructors were good, and I liked that there were actual live classes. Things degraded very quickly. They kept changing the format…

I am high level member of a volunteer based org that does online workshops in the tech space, and does dozens of workshops in dozens of countries every year. I fail to understand how you can mess up basic things like having a predecided curriculum, good teachers, a fixed schedule, or providing quality outside class support. We do all of this on a shoestring budget. The stories I have heard about Lambda/BloomTech seem…

Growth at all costs? Taking shortcuts? Sounds familiar...

Re: CFPB Takes Action Against Coding Boot Camp BloomTech and CEO Austen Allred

#266

Post by krosaen »

imzadi wrote: post #66

I attended Lambda when it was first starting out. I think I was in the third or fourth cohort. At the time, the sell was that you didn't have to pay anything unless you got a job using the skills you learned from them. I was pretty naïve, I guess. Things seemed fine in the beginning. The instructors were good, and I liked that there were actual live classes. Things degraded very quickly. They kept changing the format…

> They then started billing me for it because I was working in tech, in the job I had for 6 years before I ever even started their program.

That's damning. While I get that ISAs are controversial, I didn't expect this kind of nonsense - I wonder how common it was that enrollees were charged for "landing" their old job?

In any case, sorry this happened to you, hopefully this recent ruling will give you some recourse.

Re: CFPB Takes Action Against Coding Boot Camp BloomTech and CEO Austen Allred

#267

Post by chimeracoder »

weezin wrote: post #236
danso wrote: post #59

pg in 2019: > Lambda School will go on growing and transform education. Few will remember having been part of the jeering mob. https://twitter.com/search?q=from%3Apaulg%20lambda&src=typed...

This post is quite ironic. https://x.com/paulg/status/1110677737558159360

What's the parent post? People who aren't logged in with a Twitter account just see the words "Lambda School", because Twitter no longer shows any replies or parents.

Re: CFPB Takes Action Against Coding Boot Camp BloomTech and CEO Austen Allred

#268

Post by eonwe »

homefree wrote: post #107
martythemaniak wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

VCs would improve their public image if they took the occasional L.

I thought the idea behind lambda was good I was a lot more surprised by PG's strong support for Mighty which seemed a lot more bizarre. Though his recent tweets wrt Israel have been the most disappointing for me.

Interesting.

What do you see being disappointing about tweets on Israel? I've mostly seen him care about Palestine civilian deaths but I can't say I've read and remember 100% of his tweets.

Re: CFPB Takes Action Against Coding Boot Camp BloomTech and CEO Austen Allred

#269

Post by dghlsakjg »

ornornor wrote: post #232
imzadi wrote: post #66

I attended Lambda when it was first starting out. I think I was in the third or fourth cohort. At the time, the sell was that you didn't have to pay anything unless you got a job using the skills you learned from them. I was pretty naïve, I guess. Things seemed fine in the beginning. The instructors were good, and I liked that there were actual live classes. Things degraded very quickly. They kept changing the format…

This doesn’t seem limited to that particular boot camp, sadly. I’ve instructed at two boot camps (one in North America and one in Europe). It seems to be standard practice in the industry: inflating placement numbers, very low quality material/curriculum and course material, a kind of omertà where students fear speaking up, admitting students who clearly don’t have the skills and will drown in the course, stringing y…

It’s really sad. My good experience at a boot camp seems the exception.

We had a curriculum designed by people with a background in education, externally audited placement rates, an exceptional alumni network, instructors and mentors with industry experience. Most importantly, it was a non profit.

It seems like there is something to be said for intensive vocational education. It’s a shame that there are so many people taking advantage of students.

Re: CFPB Takes Action Against Coding Boot Camp BloomTech and CEO Austen Allred

#270

Post by brentm »

chimeracoder wrote: post #267
weezin wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This post is quite ironic. https://x.com/paulg/status/1110677737558159360

What's the parent post? People who aren't logged in with a Twitter account just see the words "Lambda School", because Twitter no longer shows any replies or parents.

@tommycollison: What’s going to be very important in 5 years’ time that we’re not thinking enough about now?
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