Re:Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo
by evolve2017 on Tuesday August 08, 2017 @12:06AM
(#14954139)
Just for people who might come along later:
It looks like the author is talking about setting a threshold, as in the context of creating a test. Please have a look at [1].
In this setting, it is not possible to decrease the false-negative rate without increasing the false-positive rate. I think the author is phrasing things this way simply as a matter of rhetoric, not to express the point you are suggesting.
Re:Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo
by manfredo on Tuesday August 08, 2017 @03:07AM
(#14955206)
This same reply was posted to several of my comments, this is my response: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14954138
He believes neither. We don't need to speculate, because the author writes quite deliberately to communicate his point. Here's the quote you're likely referring to, the one that mentions "lowering the bar":
> Hiring practices which can effectively lower the bar for “diversity” candidates by decreasing the false negative rate. (emphasis mine)
The author is not stating that Google's hiring practices result in unqualified diverse candidates receiving offers at a higher rate than non-diverse candidates. The author is stating that a greater portion of qualified, non-diverse, are being rejected. In other words, the author is not stating that diverse employees at Google shouldn't be there. Rather he's claiming that there are a substantial number of non-diverse candidates who should have received offers, but didn't.