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Re:Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer by dotancohen on Monday August 26, 2019 @04:39AM (#20798253)

  > Nobody expects to learn much about a person by their name.
This is wrong. If I tell you that I just hired a mathematician, a farmhand, and a nurse, you could probably guess which person was which when I introduce you to Vladimir, Jebbediah, and Sofia.

Names are a reflection of culture, and certain cultures tend towards certain professions. No politically-correct dreams will change that unless we instill a universal monoculture throughout the world. I'm sure that Disney and Coca Cola would love that, but most people would probably prefer to protect their heritage and culture.

Re:Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer by teddyh on Monday August 26, 2019 @05:07AM (#20798345)
> Names are a reflection of culture, and certain cultures tend towards certain professions.

They key word there is “tend”. Since it’s not an absolute, it would be unfair and ultimately disadvantageous of anyone to pre-judge individual people based on their name, since it is not a guarantee.

Re:Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer by username90 on Monday August 26, 2019 @08:06AM (#20799108)
Branch prediction is a very good optimization though, you'd lose quite a lot if you forbade people from using it.
Re:Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer by teddyh on Monday August 26, 2019 @03:04PM (#20802688)
> you'd lose quite a lot if you forbade people from using it.

We do forbid it, though: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_anti-discrimination_ac...

It seems that we have decided as a society that we gain more from the cumulative effect of all people gaining a equal and fair chance, than we would save by allowing people to use whatever branch predictors they like.

It looks like branch predictors in general tend to have unforeseen problems; see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectre_(security_vulnerabilit...

Re:Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer by m90 on Monday August 26, 2019 @06:29AM (#20798629)
I think your example rather exemplifies what kind of cliches "Disney and Coca Cola" have established. This kind of role models is the universal monoculture, not a nurse called Vladimir.
Re:Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer by ranie93 on Monday August 26, 2019 @11:07AM (#20800466)
Re:Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer by wool_gather on Monday August 26, 2019 @11:58AM (#20800882)
Certainly:

- Dr. Sofia Cerny, the brilliant Czech topologist

- Vlad, a fifth-generation Ukrainian dairy farmer

and

- Jeb, a favorite of the patients at his clinic, who is not on speaking terms with his Southern Baptist pastor father