News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
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Re:Ellen Ullman on the importance of making algorithms acces... by sctb on Friday November 24, 2017 @04:31PM (#15773133)
We've already asked you to please post civilly and substantively, so we've banned the account.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re:Ellen Ullman on the importance of making algorithms acces... by pjonesdotca on Friday November 24, 2017 @08:53AM (#15770975)
The problem with the hacker mindset as it applies to algorithms affecting lives is that most folk who studied computer science ( or any of the hard sciences for that matter ) usually went through programs that never approach the human interaction beyond, how to hook the user and keep them involved.

CS majors should be required to take at least 20 hours of philosophy or history. Or, be required to do 20 hours of community service. It's too easy to live in a code bubble and forget the rest of the world lives on $2 a day. That's why we have Uber which solves problems for the first world and the third world remains a disaster.

Re:Ellen Ullman on the importance of making algorithms acces... by icebraining on Friday November 24, 2017 @09:29AM (#15771090)
I think we have Uber because you can make money from people who can afford a taxi ride, but you can't from someone who lives on $2/day. Not that I disagree that learning about people in real hardship is important.
Re:Ellen Ullman on the importance of making algorithms acces... by junkscience2017 on Friday November 24, 2017 @11:13AM (#15771544)
Why shouldn't a philosophy major do community service? How does reading Foucalt or Plato make someone inherently virtuous?

There are plenty of financiers who are draining the wealth of the world into their own pockets who were educated in the humanities.

Re:Ellen Ullman on the importance of making algorithms acces... by almonj on Friday November 24, 2017 @10:21AM (#15771295)
Sure, some computer people live in bubble. But the idea that humanities professors are going to help change that instead of making them even more deluded I think is wrong. The humanities are currently a toxic breeding ground for pro statist, pro racist and pro sexist ideas. Only since their sexist and racist views express the kind of sexism and racism that government types approve of, it gets promoted as being "humanitarian"
Re:Ellen Ullman on the importance of making algorithms acces... by junkscience2017 on Friday November 24, 2017 @11:41AM (#15771686)
Exactly. If you want to learn about the human condition, you don't enroll in a literature program at Yale, you go work at MacDonald's for year.