# The paradox of The New York Times' very dismissive tone about real racial discrimination in college. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 7, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-paradox-of-the-new-york-times-very-dismissive-tone-about-real-racial-discrimination-in-college/685584 "2014-04-07T20:39:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kstarnes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4da419/32.png) [@kstarnes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kstarnes)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-paradox-of-the-new-york-times-very-dismissive-tone-about-real-racial-discrimination-in-college/685584/1 "2014-04-07T20:39:00Z")
The paradox of The New York Times’ very dismissive skeptical tone about real racial discrimination in college admissions vs. the very serious attention-must-be-paid-now and accusatory tone re: petty whining about ‘sexism’ in Tech. Links: > **[Unofficial Enforcer of Ruling on Race in College Admissions (Published 2014)](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/us/politics/edward-blum-one-man-organization-keeps-watchful-eye-on-college-race-admissions-policies-.html?hp)** > > Edward Blum, the force behind a case limiting the use of race in admissions, is seeking plaintiffs for further suits against universities that he says have resisted the decision. …and the petty whining: [Technology’s Man Problem - The New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/technology/technologys-man-problem.html?_r=0) On the latter, the writer Steve Sailer argues that the Times may have been hoaxed! Link: [Steve Sailer: iSteve: NYT: White male nerds - Can't live with 'em, can't get rich without 'em](http://isteve.blogspot.com/2014/04/nyt-white-nerds-cant-live-with-em-cant.html) ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-paradox-of-the-new-york-times-very-dismissive-tone-about-real-racial-discrimination-in-college/685584/2 "2014-04-07T23:01:14Z")
> [@kstarnes](#): > > On the latter, the writer Steve Sailer argues that the Times may have been hoaxed! > Link: [Steve Sailer: iSteve: NYT: White male nerds - Can't live with 'em, can't get rich without 'em](http://isteve.blogspot.com/2014/04/nyt-white-nerds-cant-live-with-em-cant.html) Maybe they were hoaxed, but holy shit, do you see the comments on that article? Those comments alone prove the point the NY Times is making. > [@](#): > > Damned few competent women coders, though. The reason there are even fewer women coding at cool companies is that the vast majority of girl programmers want to do paint-by-numbers CRUD coding 37.5 hours a week, get promoted by time in grade, never take responsibility, never think, and never work late. > > They’re mostly useless apple polishing drones. > [@](#): > > Thank God, I’m a retired coder. > > The dotcom era was great. No women at all. You were judged solely on competence and hard work. > > As soon as women arrive on the scene, you know that the company has entered its cash cow phase, and that it’s time for men with any self respect to leave. > [@](#): > > I’ve never met a woman who was what I consider a full-fledged developer, the hale and hearty sort that doesn’t shrink from any project, regardless of their personal experience/background. > [@](#): > > I worked with a few very capable woman coders, but the best of them-- and the only one driven to work through the night like the better male coders-- had a truly bizarre affect and unattractive appearance while the others, though competent, were simply not fascinated enough by the work (or willing to work hard enough) to do great things. It goes on and on. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but in my 20+ years working as a coder, I’ve rarely run into these kinds of attitudes. Kinda scary to read so much of it. Most places I’ve worked have had a smattering of women coders, and they all tend to be regarded in the same light as their male contemporaries - most are decent, some are great, some suck. I’ve also rarely (but not never) run into guys who have a problem with women programmers. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-paradox-of-the-new-york-times-very-dismissive-tone-about-real-racial-discrimination-in-college/685584/3 "2014-04-08T00:06:05Z")
Composed a longish reply - couldn’t make head or tails of what I was attempting to say about the last 2 articles. In the first article, it seems like the NYT’s “very dismissive skeptical tone” is much more about Mr. Blum than “real racial discrimination in college admissions”. Mr. Blum comes off as a modern version of the stereotypical ambulance-chasing lawyer and it seems to me that was what was being pointed out in the article. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-paradox-of-the-new-york-times-very-dismissive-tone-about-real-racial-discrimination-in-college/685584/4 "2014-04-08T00:48:21Z")
> [@kstarnes](#): > > On the latter, the writer Steve Sailer argues that the Times may have been hoaxed! > Link: [Steve Sailer: iSteve: NYT: White male nerds - Can't live with 'em, can't get rich without 'em](http://isteve.blogspot.com/2014/04/nyt-white-nerds-cant-live-with-em-cant.html) This article is hilarious. Remember, if you create an app that may be used to consensually share pictures of yourself, you can’t be creeped out by an app called “titstare”, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-paradox-of-the-new-york-times-very-dismissive-tone-about-real-racial-discrimination-in-college/685584/5 "2014-04-08T00:57:04Z")
I like the idea of race as a factor in admissions. So, I’m ready to dismiss Mr. Blum’s efforts as misguided at best. ---
**Author:** ![starryspice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@starryspice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starryspice)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-paradox-of-the-new-york-times-very-dismissive-tone-about-real-racial-discrimination-in-college/685584/6 "2014-04-08T01:19:25Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Maybe they were hoaxed, but holy shit, do you see the comments on that article? Those comments alone prove the point the NY Times is making. Wow, yikes. Agreed. The OP doesn’t seem to realize the irony of his own post.