GitHub and Open-Source Is a Boon for the Underprivileged

Re:GitHub and Open-Source Is a Boon for the Underprivileged by sintaxi on Sunday June 10, 2018 @04:53AM (#17277228)

Privilege is what is UNEARNED and there is no way to qualify if those with open source contributions are more privileged than others. The very opposite could be true. The privileged can bounce from well paying job to the next with no OSS contributions while the underprivileged have to "show their value" in the harsh environment of open source.

You're constructing the viewpoint you want others to see with no data or facts to back it up.

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Re:GitHub and Open-Source Is a Boon for the Underprivileged by onion2k on Sunday June 10, 2018 @05:03AM (#17277261)

I'm saying that being in a position to have spare time to work on open source is a sign of privilege, and that employers should recognize that when they're hiring. Some great developers work on open source projects, but equally some great developers don't. Open source contributions are not a useful filter.

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Re:GitHub and Open-Source Is a Boon for the Underprivileged by blattimwind on Sunday June 10, 2018 @06:21AM (#17277462)

> Open source contributions are not a useful filter.

OSS activity is a useful low-effort implicator. As usual for implications, denying the antecedent remains a fallacy.

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Re:GitHub and Open-Source Is a Boon for the Underprivileged by sintaxi on Sunday June 10, 2018 @05:22AM (#17277308)

> I'm saying that being in a position to have spare time to work on open source is a sign of privilege

That is an assumption made without evidence. An equally qualified assumption would be that its a sign of privilege to not need to contribute to open source. You get an awesome education and go straight into well paying entry level position.

Committing to open source is not something casually done at ones leisure. Anything with traction becomes a significant responsibility and it takes an incredible amount of discipline and sacrifice to stay committed.

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Re:GitHub and Open-Source Is a Boon for the Underprivileged by rectang on Sunday June 10, 2018 @07:11AM (#17277582)

People who have the time to contribute to open source possess a privilege when compared people who do not have the time. It may also be the case that there are other privileges at work, and that if you have two people they both have privileges over each other in different ways.

I think it's better to consider privilege as multifaceted rather than a single global quantity. And in that case, I don't see such a strong disagreement between you and the comment you're replying to.

I very much agree with your second paragraph.

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Re:GitHub and Open-Source Is a Boon for the Underprivileged by watwut on Sunday June 10, 2018 @05:08AM (#17277274)

The world of open source is alternatively great place full of great people where any bad experience is suspect and alternatively harsh environment. Depending of what political point people want to make.

Or maybe there are both friendly and unfriendly projects and a lot depends on where the underprivileged is trying to make it.

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