Chris Edwards
Aug 9, 2017 · 2 min read

So, given they did fire him, after he made a complaint to the NLRB regarding possible illegal hiring practices at Google, do you have anything you’d like to add to the conversation?

I mostly agree with you, but let’s be honest. The sort of mentality it takes to get a PhD puts you well outside the norm than that which you quote. Less than 2% of the population in the US. Your predisposition is much more rare than somewhere in 32%, and Google isn’t hiring average or even just above average people. They’re hiring the best they can find.

Or they’re supposed to be, anyway.

I’m not trying to defend his memo (calling it a Manifesto is unnecessarily prejudicial in tone, and distorts the conversation into a combative one). I also don’t think it needs much defense. Some of his conclusions may be wrong but they’re defended by scientific research into psychology and biology.

And while it might stroke my ego to have coffee with you, I doubt my wife would appreciate it and I doubt I could keep up with you about the topics you seem enthusiastic about, and it’d probably be the most boring conversation you ever had. I do home someone more exciting takes you up on your offer, though. It’s very commendable.

I don’t think the thrust of his memo was that women couldn’t do the work, so much as it was that women, in general, were not predisposed to wanting to do the work, and that trying to force specific metrics based on general population breakdowns without regard to interest of the candidates lead to suspect and likely illegal practices, such as hiring someone because of their race or sex and not because of their talent and experience.

    Chris Edwards

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    IT Janitor, Gamer, and Crotchity Varmit.