Diversity in CS

Wait! Don’t skip this chapter if you’re one of those people living in the stone ages. Diversity is important, it benefits everyone, and you can help.

Brotopia [Amazon] by Emily Chang is a great book, though it almost reads like a report, on all of the unfortunate things that happen in Silicon Valley, particularly to women in CS. I always wanted to work in Silicon Valley, but now I’m thinking twice about working there (assuming it’s not at an established company like Apple/Google). Brotopia has damning chapters on the founders and the cultures that thrive in the valley. Spoiler: from the beginning (perhaps it has gotten better since), it’s been white males.

As a white male in CS, I’m not helping the ratios nor the stereotypes, but as I’ll harp on in the next section, we can help out by simply listening. Hear everyone’s experiences and ask them how you can support them.

I know multiple folks who identify as LGBTQ+ but wouldn’t want to be treated any differently or thought of differently if they came out to their friends or coworkers. It’s understandable, and it’s scary to come out, nonetheless in a field like this and in a society like this.

When people say bad things, call them out or tell somebody with the authority to stop it. Definitely don’t encourage them or give them a laugh out of pity. I’ve been in awkward situations where someone makes a “joke” with someone in the room who would be offended by it. It’s not to say you can’t make jokes, but you can’t joke about things that are going to make people feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

Even if you “don’t believe in diversity” (which is wrong), you should recognize that diversity makes great teams and great products. Quite simply, more people with more experiences means that your team has more perspectives, which in turn means your product isn’t as blindsided or biased to just one experience; your product becomes more universal.

The bottom line is: stay open-minded and listen. It will serve us all well.