The Unintended Consequences of Trying to Fix Stuff (Minority and Female Flight)

CLIFFS: If you try to make a place more diverse by publicizing how horrible it is but you're going to make it better. It will have the opposite of the desired effect as demonstrated by recent statistics and reports.

Minor though sparked by lack of sleep as a result of manic episode brought on by pain meds.

For years, there's been a concerted effort to attract women and minorities into STEM fields. Beginning in 2001, scholarships were offered, diversity training regimens were put in place, ad campaigns citing how much "better" everything was now, etc.

Remember how they crucified this guy in the name of a "safe work place"?



The net result has not been what they expected. There is a lower participation rate among women and non-asian minorities now than there was in 2001, and that number is expected to drop significantly as older workers retire and are not replaced by young women.

I think that in their efforts to make what was already a merit-based group of industry and fields (either you can do the work or you can't; we respect competence not tits), they made it seem like the ninth circle of hell for women and minorities. They engaged in their own negative PR campaign.

The same can be seen in the Gaming Development Industry.

Will we see the same result in female enrollment numbers in colleges and universities since the perception now is that they are essentially joining a joyless harem wherein they await their turns to get raped and groped?

Wouldn't surprise me.

We also see this in various neighborhoods around the country after efforts are made to become "more diverse". These places become less diverse because minorities are scared off from moving there feeling they won't be accepted.

What is worse is that to even say "Nope, we (or they) don't have a diversity problem," is not only not accepted but considered the worst kind of blasphemy. A NYT writer was either fired or reprimanded for saying just that about Silicon Valley recently.

Those that worship at the altar of diversity for diversity sake are a weird bunch. They believe if they get the magic formula just right, miracles happen, and don't you dare try to disabuse them of that notion.

But it seems that the way they are trying to go about it is having the opposite effect. Why would anyone want to join a company where they people that are supposed to have their best interests at heart have been telling them for years, "You won't be happy. It's hostile to people of your gender/color/sexual persuasion"

It's funny to watch people like this struggle with what most normal people can see as obvious, but I do feel bad for all these kids who might choose to go into another field rather than their dream job because of this negative bullshite.