[jscott0918]

This is interesting to me. The lack of diversity in the tech industry is definitely something that will be harmful in the long run. Diversity is necessary to improve the relevance of new ideas in tech and to promote them to broader audiences from different cultures.

The trend towards making a pariah out of anyone with opposing points of view can be equally harmful to promoting diversity of thought. Making people afraid of speaking their minds can hardly help the flow of new ideas or positively impact the industry. While I likely don't agree with the political ideology of a speaker at the RNC, I definitely agree with the right of anyone to do so without being held captive by the threat of activism at home. Boycotting and protesting people with different political views may feel good in the short run, but it is unhelpful to promoting freedom and equality in the long run.

If they can't say what I find reprehensible today, how do I know that views I hold dear will be "allowed" in the future?

[stcredzero]

The lack of diversity in the tech industry is definitely something that will be harmful in the long run.

My intuition is that the harm has already been done, but we will only fully understand it 10 years hence.

Making people afraid of speaking their minds can hardly help the flow of new ideas or positively impact the industry.

There seem to be a lot of people online who have been indoctrinated to believe that pressuring/intimidating/shaming people into compliance is a useful means of changing people's minds. History tells us that it never works that way. You change people's minds through friendly interaction, by living and working with them.

[rsmckinney]

Wait. What does the relevance of a new idea have to do with the ethnic composition of the people with the idea? Isn't that a racist statement? Fascinating.

My favorite part about the liberal mind are its obvious contradictions and, thus, the unintended consequences of its thought process.

[rm_-rf_slash]

Declaring a general fault in a <EntityType>'s mind isn't often the best way to endear the neutral or opposed to your point of view.

[rsmckinney]

Anothet characteristic of the liberal mind: it cannot be endeared to an alternate point of view.

[pbreit]

But don't you think people need to be held accountable? You can't just let Trump supporters off-the-hook because it's just their opinion! Many of us would never belittle someone voting for Mccain or Romney who are accomplished and respectable, even if they may hold differing political views. Trump is a totally vacuous, exceedingly risky candidate. People should feel embarrassed voting and supporting him.