kilroy69

And it is going to focking blow democrats minds.

And the DEI advocates KNOW it. If trump is elected I could see the SCOTUS taking up workplace dei and equating it to affirmative action by another name and then outlawing it. DEI jobs fell 44% in 2023 and continue to crater. https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/23/silicon-valley-leaders-are-once-again-declaring-dei-bad-and-meritocracy-good-but-theyre-wrong/#comments Who’s afraid of the Big Bad DEI? The acronym is near-poisonous now — a word that creates almost instant tension between those who embrace it and those who want it dead. A prime example of this divide was the response to startup Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang’s post on X last week. He wrote about moving away from DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) to instead embrace “MEI” — merit, excellence, and intelligence. “Scale is a meritocracy, and we must always remain one,” Wang wrote. “It’s a big deal whenever we invite someone to join our mission, and those decisions have never been swayed by orthodoxy or virtue signaling or whatever the current thing is.” The commenters on X — which included Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Brian Armstrong — were thrilled. On LinkedIn, however, the startup community gave a less-than-enthusiastic response. Those commenters pointed out that Wang’s post made it seem as if “meritocracy” was the definitive benchmark to find qualified hiring candidates — without taking into consideration that the idea of meritocracy is itself subjective. In the days that have followed the post, more and more people have shared their thoughts and what Wang’s comments reveal about the current state of DEI in tech. “The post is misguided because people who support the meritocracy argument are ignoring the structural reasons some groups are more likely to outperform others,” Mutale Nkonde, a founder working in AI policy, told TechCrunch. ”We all want the best people for the job, and there is data to prove that diverse teams are more effective.” Emily Witko, an HR professional at AI startup Hugging Face, told TechCrunch that the post was a “dangerous oversimplification,” but that it received so much attention on X because it “openly expressed sentiments that are not always expressed publicly and the audience there is hungry to attack DEI.” Wang’s MEI thought “makes it so easy to refute or criticize any conversations regarding the importance of acknowledging underrepresentation in tech,” she continued. But Wang is far from the only Silicon Valley insider to attack DEI in recent months. He joins a chorus of those who feel that DEI programs implemented at businesses over the past several years, peaking with the Black Lives Matter movement, caused a backslide in corporate profitability — and that a return to “meritocratic principles” is overdue. Indeed, much of the tech industry has worked to dismantle recruitment programs that considered candidates who, under previous hiring regimes, were often overlooked in the hiring process. Disrupt 2024 Got Laid Off? Find Your Next Job At Disrupt. Get 50% Off The Disrupt Expo+ Pass San Francisco, October 28-30 Book Now & Save Seeking to make a change, in 2020, many organizations and power players came together to promise more of a focus on DEI, which, contrary to the mainstream discussion, is not simply about hiring someone based on the color of their skin but is about ensuring qualified people from all walks of life — regardless of skin, gender, or ethnic background — are better represented and included in recruitment funnels. It’s also about taking a look at disparities and pipeline issues, analyzing the reasoning behind why certain candidates are constantly overlooked in a hiring process. In 2023, the U.S. data industry saw new women recruit levels drop by two-thirds, from 36% in 2022 to just 12%, according to a report from HR staffing firm Harnham. Meanwhile, the percentage of Black, Indigenous, and professionals of color in VP or above data roles stood at just 38% in 2022. Alexandr Wang (pictured above) caused a stir on social media when he posted about meritocracy in tech on X. Image Credits: Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty Images DEI-related job listings have also fallen out of favor, declining 44% in 2023, according to data from the job site Indeed. In the AI industry, a recent Deloitte survey of women found that over half said they ended up leaving at least one employer because of how men and women were treated differently, while 73% considered leaving the tech industry altogether due to unequal pay and an inability to advance in their careers. Yet, for an industry that prides itself on being data-driven, Silicon Valley cannot let the idea of a meritocracy go — despite all the data and research showing how such thinking is just a belief system and one that can lead to biased outcomes. The idea of going out and hiring “the best person for the job” without taking into account any human sociology is how pattern-matching occurs — teams and companies of people who are alike, when the research has long shown that more diverse teams perform better. Moreover, it has only raised suspicions about who the Valley considers excellent and why. Experts we spoke to said this subjectiveness revealed other issues with Wang’s missive — mostly that he presents MEI as a revolutionary idea and not one that Silicon Valley and most of corporate America have long embraced. The acronym “MEI” appears to be a scornful nod to DEI, intended to drive home the notion that a company must choose between hiring diverse candidates or candidates that meet certain “objective” qualifications. Natalie Sue Johnson, co-founder of the DEI consulting firm Paradigm, told TechCrunch that research has shown meritocracy to be a paradox and that organizations that focus too much on it actually see an increase in bias. “It frees people up from thinking that they have to try hard to be fair in their decision-making,” she continued. “They think that meritocracy is inherent, not something that needs to be achieved.” As Nkonde mentioned, Johnson noted that Wang’s approach doesn’t acknowledge that underrepresented groups face systemic barriers society is still struggling to address. Ironically, the most meritorious person could be the one who has achieved a skill set for a job despite such barriers that may have influenced their educational background or prevented them from filling their résumé with the kind of college internships that impresses Silicon Valley. Treating a person as a faceless, nameless candidate, without understanding their unique experiences, and therefore their employability, is a mistake, Johnson said. “There is nuance.” Witko added to that: “A meritocratic system is built on criteria that reflect the status quo, and therefore, it will perpetuate existing inequalities by continuously favoring those who already have advantages.” To be somewhat charitable to Wang, given how acidic the term DEI has become, developing a new term that still represents the value of fairness to all candidates, isn’t a terrible idea — even if “meritocracy” is misguided. And his post suggests that Scale AI’s values could align with the spirit of diversity, equity, and inclusion even if he might not realize it, Johnson said. “Casting a wide net for talent and making objective hiring decisions that do not disadvantage candidates based on identity is exactly what diversity, equity, and inclusion work seeks to do,” she explained. But again, where Wang undermines this is endorsing the mistaken belief that meritocracy will produce outcomes based on one’s abilities and merits alone. Perhaps it is all a paradox. If one looks at Scale AI’s treatment of its data annotators — many of whom live in third-world countries and scrape by on little pay — it suggests the company has scant real interest in disrupting the status quo. Scale AI’s annotators work on tasks for multiple eight-hour workdays — no breaks — for pay ranging as low as $10 (per the Verge and NY Mag). It’s on the backs of these annotators that Scale AI has built a business worth over $13 billion and with more than $1.6 billion in cash in the bank. When asked for comment on the allegations made in the Verge and NY Mag piece, a spokesperson pointed to this blog post, in which it described its human annotator jobs as “gig work.” The spokesperson didn’t address TechCrunch’s request for clarification on Scale AI’s MEI policy. Johnson said Wang’s post is a great example of the box many leaders and companies find themselves trapped in. She pondered, can they trust that having meritocratic ideals is enough to lead to truly meritocratic outcomes, and promote diversity? “Or, do they acknowledge that ideals are not enough, and to truly build more diverse workforces where everyone has the same access to opportunities and can do their best work requires intention?”

He has made 136 million in contracts in his career. The only way he is coming back is to play for a superbowl bound team.

Zero chance he gets fired this early into a rebuild. The Jets were not expected to contend this year and Justin Fields is not a real QB.

It is. This entire thing is a giant ponzi scheme from navidia. All they are doing is moving cash around. It is like a giant slush fund.

Jonathan Taylor faces 1 top 15 run D for the rest of the season. 13 in san fran. The colts may not lose a game the rest of the season.

The Bengals can't play a single bit of defense. They are going to need to score 50 to win. On the bright side the colts are looking fuckingggg stellar. I wish I had put more down when I saw them trending.

Linkedin. It was a life saver for me. I never imagined that so many people would donate. I thought I might get a few people. It ended up being hundreds of people. Sounds crazy but I literally broke down crying. I had like 700 bucks in my account which was going to be enough to cover the next months rent and that was it. I was preparing to go live with a buddy who has and spare room. Went from losing my apartment to being employed.

I did a gofundme and paired it with venmo and cashapp when I lost my job a few years back. My company fired the entire department I worked in. All of us. I watched as they deactivated each one of us. I have a large linkedin network and I leaned into that. I ended up with 15k in donations which helped me cover my costs till I was able to pick up a new job. My new employer saw me because of the gofund me. So not only did it help me financially it helped me land a job. It was insane. I asked for help with rent. I was expecting to get 600 bucks. The donations just kept pouring in and I am just a regular dude. Nothing at all special about me or my circumstances. By the end of the first day I had 3k. I left it up for a week and then took it down. I did not want to take the air out of anyone else's gofundme and I did not want to seem greedy. I sent personal thank you notes to every single person who donated. I had someone donate $2500 in one shot.

Imagine sending your kids to school and this thing is their teacher.

The jags are who I thought they were. Posers.

I just picked up McCaffery as a plugh and play for a 14 team league. I have always thought he could do better with more targets. This is his chance to prove it.

I put 50 bucks on the bengals to win the superbowl as soon as they traded for flacco. It will likely not pay off but hear me out. Only 2 of Cincinnati’s 11 remaining games are against teams with winning records. Burrow should be back for a playoff push. Will it happen? Probably not. Their defense is pretty much dogshit and they are going to have to put up 35 points a game. IFFFFF they do. That 50 bucks turns into 25k I also put 50 on the Colts to win a few weeks back that pays off 4k.

I was once banned for posting the topic "if you HAD to eat a human. What race would they be and why" and he did not find it funny at all.

Don't pisss off Mike.

I am going to plug an play Alex Pierce. Looks like a good smash spot for him with downs hurt.

If barkly did not win it last year with over 2k yards or Chase winning the triple crown they are never giving it to a non qb again.

she looks and acts JUST like I would imagine she would. Like if you gave me all the information I have found out about her and I had never seen a pic of her. She would absolutely look like her.

I mean, Obama won it for being the first black president (He literally did nothing else to win it.) Trump helping to broker a peace in the middle east HAS to be more impressive than just being black and winning the presidency.

I find it hard to believe that they are not on the phone with the giants. Wilson OR Winston are their only hope to make the playoffs.

Marvin harrison jr is focking awful. He just stopped on a route that murry threw a pic on. Totally stopped. They were lucky the db fumbled. I could not have been more wrong about a player. I was sure he was going to dominate at the NFL. He is just not good.

He just cantgetright. Also Cam ward is awful.

His numbers in no way make him the bust of the decade. I used to compare Daniel Jones to Trevor Lawrence. I was wrong to DJ. Lawrence is sooooo sooo much worse. Lawrence is surrounded by weapons. SURROUNDED. He is not the guy.

If browning played well the bengals would have been fine. They need to be on the phone right now trading for winston. That is the only chance they have to keep their season alive. Will they win? Probably not. But he will give the bengals a chance and keep their fans from burning the city down

I have been a recruiter for years now and this is focking amazing. I have watched as the H1B system has been abused. How us workers are overlooked for h1b candidates that will literally lie to you and tell you they have every skill you could possibly want and do the job for cheaper than an Amercian because the average salary in india is like 4100 usd a year. When they come here they can get more money in 3 years undercutting US workers and go back with 30 years of pay. President Trump just made it a lot more expensive for companies to hire foreign workers through the H-1B program. The White House announced Friday that Trump signed a proclamation requiring employers to pay a hefty $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications, an enormous jump from the current $215 lottery registration fee. H-1B visas allow U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in fields that typically require technical expertise like IT, engineering, mathematics, or medicine. The program is capped at 65,000 new visas annually, plus an additional 20,000 for foreign graduates with advanced degrees from U.S. universities. The visas are awarded through a lottery system and typically last three years, though holders can extend them or apply for green cards. The administration’s new move is designed to crack down on what it calls widespread abuse of the program, which it blames for displacing American workers. According to the White House, the share of IT workers with H-1B visas has skyrocketed from 32% in 2003 to over 65% today, while unemployment among recent computer science graduates has hit 6.1%. Silicon Valley will undoubtedly be up in arms over the initiative. The restrictions take aim at a program that helped create some of the region’s biggest success stories. Elon Musk, Trump’s close ally for most of this year, initially worked in the U.S. on an H-1B after arriving as a student. In fact, Musk, taking issue with a perceived critic of the H-1B program in December on his platform X, tweeted to the individual that, “The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and F*** YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.” Mike Krieger, the Instagram co-founder turned Chief Product Officer at AI giant Anthropic, is one of those aforementioned success stories. The Brazilian-born Stanford grad worked at the early instant messaging platform Meebo on an H-1B visa. Earlier this year, the National Venture Capital Association argued in a letter to the National Science Foundation that, “Raising the annual cap of H-1B visas issued each year to educated and highly skilled immigrants who work in jobs that require a substantial amount of technical and specialized training is fundamental to generating more successful immigrant-founded companies.” The NVCA noted that while “H-1B visas are not ideal for immigrants who want to immediately found companies in the U.S., they are still critically important for the success of immigrant founded companies because they provide valuable work experience and widen the pipeline of potential immigrant startup founders.” (The H-1B’s employer-employee requirement makes it practically impossible for founders to obtain directly, forcing them to spend years tied to employers before getting green cards that let them launch their own startups. When Krieger wanted to co-found Instagram in 2010, transferring his visa took months, and he has said he almost abandoned the startup before it launched due to those complications.) On Friday, tech leaders on X were already warning about talent fleeing to more welcoming countries. In the meantime, in its proclamation on Friday, the Trump administration went full bore on its criticism of the program, pointing to specific companies that approved thousands of H-1B workers while simultaneously laying off American employees. According to the White House fact sheet, one unnamed company received approval for 5,189 H-1B workers this fiscal year while cutting roughly 16,000 U.S. jobs. The proclamation — which says it is partly rooted in an effort to “protect our national security” — includes wiggle room; case-by-case exemptions are possible if deemed in the national interest. It also directs the Labor Secretary to revise wage requirements to prevent undercutting American salaries.