As opposed to the hiring of people based on their demonstrated ability to contribute to your team. S/he's reacting to the perception that people are being hired primarily on, or being heavily credited for, their identities.

I'm not expressing an opinion on the idea, just outlining the debate for you.

> As opposed to the hiring of people based on their demonstrated ability to contribute to your team.

That is a super optimistic view of software engineering hiring. Hiring is a disaster and a crapshoot, and everyone knows it; don't pretend that processes with certain demographic qualities (any demographic qualities, honestly) are somehow rigorous. You hire based on a brief interview and some algorithmic trivia people forgot from college, or you give up on that and decide that hiring based on where someone went to school or who referred them to you is higher-quality.

The implication was clear enough - which is why I asked for substantiation.

1. does github in fact "only hire women and minorities" at the expense of superior, talented white men?

2. assuming #1 is true, what evidence is there that said hiring practices are at the root of their financial difficulties?

It's easy to throw out loaded statements. I don't think it's nuts to request clarification.

To "request clarification" about that is, in fact, "nuts", because (a) it's off topic and worse, and (b) it guarantees a flamewar. Please stop.

Why am I the only one being asked to "stop"? I didn't open this can of worms, and I'm seeing a literal few pages and multiple threads of back and forth from others on this very topic.

You're not the only one being asked to stop. It's good that you didn't open the can of worms, but bad that you fed them. In terms of troll effects, that's not a lot better.