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Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

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Re: Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

#381

Post by dcole2929 »

zanek wrote: post #314
solaris_2 wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've never been openly been discriminated against Yes, I always walk around with my head in the sand too.

I do not have my head in the sand. I'm saying I don't remember ever being openly discriminated against. Are you saying it's impossible for a black person to live there life without being openly discriminated against in the U.S. ? Obviously we aren't in some post-racial utopia, but I'm saying I have never experienced racism to my face. I find it funny that someone would think I would have to have experienced it

Honestly, and I'm thinking really really hard about this but yes. I don't know where you have lived but I find it actually amazing that you can say that you have never in your entire life experienced open racism. I have so many questions I don't even know where to begin.

And as a side note, my reaction should probably tell you all you need to know about race in America.

Re: Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

#382

Post by norea-armozel »

lectrick wrote: post #41
chipgap98 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think its kinda ridiculous to say that to be 'SV material' you need to have started studying CS before college

I think they're more looking for a sign that you had an early and therefore natural curiosity to tinker with the mechanisms in the world. Not "CS" per se, but just... computer tinkering. If your family couldn't afford a computer, IMHO, if you at least, say, took a clock or motor apart or something, that would be a good indicator, too. By the way, this has been brought up as the reason for the dropoff in the women who…

I never had any distinct interest in computer science. My original interests were physics and art. In fact, I would say those are still my strengths over all. But I went into CS after I found it interesting in regards to what a person can do with a computer with little effort (in as much as the tools involved).

Re: Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

#383

Post by HarryHirsch »

blueatlas wrote: post #356
michaelborromeo wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Based on my experience interviewing a handful of developer candidates graduating from Howard, not being prepared is the best way I can describe the impression they left. It felt like they only had a smattering of CS courses, none of which pushed them very hard. In other words, they should fix their curriculum.

Is this really a problem specifically with Howard, or more a problem with CS curriculum in general? I ask this leaving the likes of CMU, Stanford, MIT, out of the equation - I'm thinking more about the "non-elite" CS programs, of which there are many, many more. I am mentoring a CS student at another university and have had some challenges bringing this student along because the fundamentals are just not being taught…

I cannot speak for CS, but for chemistry I would not hire anyone who did not graduate from a top-20 program. At any other college, both theory and practice are taught with insufficient depth and rigour - in essence everyone who joins one of those programs either is a medical school aspirant or just there for the "college". CS may be different.

Re: Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

#384

Post by rpgmaker »

rhino369 wrote: post #247
fortes wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> America is undisputedly the best country at assimililating immigrants. > It comes from doing it for centuries. We are one of the only countries with complete mixed ethnicities > and a strong nationality. I'll dispute that. In my experience, Brazil is a better melting pot. Anecdotal example: In Brazil, you don't see people claiming they are Irish when their families have lived in the US for generations.

>Anecdotal example: In Brazil, you don't see people claiming they are Irish when their families have lived in the US for generations. That is actually the key to Americas success. The total separation of ethnicity and national identity. It allows an immigrant to keep their ethnic identity and merely add an American one. It's also helps when a white 5th generation american thinks they are Irish and American. They'll b…

Except that Brazil is known to be pretty racist, even by Latin American standards. There is, somewhat surprisingly, a lot of racism in Latin America.

Re: Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

#385

Post by underdown »

vacri wrote: post #309
rhino369 wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

America is undisputedly the best country at assimililating immigrants. It comes from doing it for centuries. We are one of the only countries with complete mixed ethnicities and a strong nationality. But that doesn't really work for blacks because they aren't a different culture, they are a subculture. Their culture has been a part of American culture from the beginning. For almost all of American history they were e…

> America is undisputedly the best country at assimililating immigrants. I'll dispute it. - Foreign-born US citizens: 14% - Foreign-born Australian citizens: 28% (without British, 21%) Despite all the accusations of racism that Australia gets, we have a far higher proportion of foreign-born citizens than any other western democracy. The country seems to be doing fine. edit: US is 14%. UK is 12% (as I originally had i…

Foreign-born immigrants are recent immigrants. If you change your time frame the results might be different.

Re: Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

#386

Post by noir_lord »

School-Cotton wrote: post #375
noir_lord wrote: post #371

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never said they where comparable, I was asking what the differences where.

The difference is that from 1066 until recently England has had one dominant ethnocultural group. Relatively small groups of immigrants are able to integrate into this culture seamlessly. Black people in England aren't culturally "Black", they are either culturally English, or culturally Trinidadan, Jamaican, Ugandan, and so on. Or some combination/superposition of the above. There is no particularly strong shared ex…

Fantastic response!, thank you :).

Re: Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

#387

Post by wan23 »

venomsnake wrote: post #351
wan23 wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The topic of race in america is a complex one. But our understanding of it evolves over time, just like in every other field of study. As a technical matter, the definition of racism is "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior". That last part is important. Things can be racially motivated and negative without being raci…

And strange smells coming out of the apartment are not specific problems. You are not entitled to having your culture or culinary tradition accepted or valued. Change the spices and it won't smell.

In my example the Indian family was denied the apartment when they showed up to apply. Your advice would not apply in this situation.

Re: Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

#388

Post by pmorici »

[deleted] wrote: post #365
ebfe wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first study confounds the issues of race and class. Emily is not the white equivalent to Lakisha, Brandi is.

[deleted]

The op said that Brandi was a name for low class white people I think you misunderstood what he said.

Re: Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

#389

Post by x1024 »

dagw wrote: post #90
x1024 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you think that? You believe there is less than 4 years of material in all of CS?

How much CS knowledge do you need to hack on a simple CRUD app?

Depends, do you want it to actually work?

Re: Silicon Valley and Black Coders: Howard University fights to join the tech boom

#390

Post by x1024 »

rquantz wrote: post #78
x1024 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is true, but it doesn't mean they should be given a job they don't have the skills for. Or would you like to have "Affirmative Action" doctors?

And of course that's what you jump to. I certainly do think there should be affirmative action in the medical profession, and there is . I don't for a minute believe it is necessary to have been coding since you were 12 in order to do most jobs in Silicon Valley. But if companies decide to discount people because of it, then you will absolutely filter out people who come from lower economic backgrounds. This is a gre…

Sadly, you are wrong. 4 years of computer usage is not nearly enough to be prepared to be a programmer.
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