[fiaz]

Sure being an "MCP" in the HN circle is absolutely meaningless and doesn't warrant the title "programming prodigy", but that's not the point of this article. The point is that this was a girl who came from a third world country where women are not treated as well as men are in the West, and made it to the Redmond campus based on her own ambition and drive to do something for herself.

[andreadallera]

> and made it to the Redmond campus based on her own ambition and drive to do something for herself.

Sorry but no. Again, I don't want to belittle her accomplishments - it's certainly a feat for any girl or boy her age to be even able to put a very simple application together, but she came from a very wealthy Pakistani family. Saying that she made it to Redmond out of her own ambition and drive is spitting in the face of all her not so privileged compatriots who are struggling to do the same.

[ericb]

I know privileged and smart 30 year olds for whom getting a real job or moving out of the house would be a major major accomplishment. This girl was 10.

Writing off her accomplishments due to privilege is unfair.

[artursapek]

I think ungiven credit is also probably due to the parents, though I'm not writing off anything she accomplished.

[andreadallera]

You know sons and daughters of multi-milionairs having problem finding a job and moving out of the house?

[dodedo]

I know several, in fact. It's fairly common result of rich parents spoiling their kids.

[bitops]

Agreed. Even here in the good old Bay Area there are quite a few trust fund kids with zero work ethic, little motivation and no desire to ever work because their parents will let them ride the money indefinitely. Very sad.

[abbasmehdi]

One day you will come back to the comments you made here and find yourself embarrassed for sounding like such a little person. I hope you're better than this and we are just misunderstanding you.

[fiaz]

Would you care to elaborate on your last statement?

EDIT: Actually never mind. This is only going to end up bad. You have your opinion and I have mine.

[dodedo]

I believe he's pointing out, accurately, that wealthy families in Pakistan can be just as privileged as middle-class Americans. He's saying it's unfair to use this girl as an example of those actually living in under-privileged poverty conditions in Pakistan.

It's a fair objection, though rather emotionally contentious given the context.

[ceol]

Pakistani women are still not as privileged as men. Even if you were to compare a wealthy Pakistani family to some sort of American class (which would be very hard, since you would be ignoring both cultures), she would still be notable for being a 9 year old girl who became a MCP.

[dodedo]

I think the point that it's more about the notions of the wealthy family than of the girl. Wealth allows families to transcend or disregard social norms. In this case it is clear that her family chose to raise her a particular way, and give her particular opportunities that, as you point out, would not be available to most Pakistani women.

This is precisely the point raised above, that this story is primarily about the opportunity provided by the family. But you are right, it's important to note that her family was evidently both wealthy and progressive.

[andreadallera]

> You have your opinion and I have mine.

So let's not try to have a discussion about it? I've never understood that frame of mind.

[Karunamon]

Probably because he/she recognizes that any such discussion will not lead to any possibly productive output and instead be a pointless match of tilting at windmills.

For what it's worth, I'm getting the same vibe from you. Your first contribution to this thread was basically taking a big steaming dump over this young lady's accomplishments. Why would you do that? It didn't add anything to the discussion, and instead makes you look like a colossal jerk. If this were not HN, I'd think you were just plain trolling.

[skeptical]

__Probably because he/she recognizes that any such discussion will not lead to any possibly productive output and instead be a pointless match of tilting at windmills.__

Yet he/she takes the effort to right that down? I love it when people take part in a discussion, then, when a reply is on it's way they say "let's not discuss this more". If it's not worth discussing why bother dropping such useless statements? Ever considering not enter the discussion in the first place? It's not rocket science.

__For what it's worth, I'm getting the same vibe from you. Your first contribution to this thread was basically taking a big steaming dump over this young lady's accomplishments. Why would you do that? It didn't add anything to the discussion, and instead makes you look like a colossal jerk. If this were not HN, I'd think you were just plain trolling.__ I strongly disagree. andreadallera didn't took 'a big steaming dump' over this young lady's achievements. He/she simply question them. I have no idea if this young lady accomplished much or not, but how is questioning the same as denying?

[Karunamon]

>Yet he/she takes the effort to right that down? I love it when people take part in a discussion, then, when a reply is on it's way they say "let's not discuss this more". If it's not worth discussing why bother dropping such useless statements? Ever considering not enter the discussion in the first place? It's not rocket science.

Because you realized you made a mistake by entering the discussion in the first place. It's like trying to argue evolution with a creationist who you don't know is a creationist when you start talking. You find out, and then you go "Oh man, this is gonna go nowhere fast. I'm off."

>He/she simply question them.

Common fucking decency would imply that a thread discussing the death of someone is not the proper place to question their accomplishments in life.

An MCP at 9 years old is a big deal. I know it might have been easy for some of you geniuses in here, but this girl was 9.