Huge props to Github for their support of other humans (especially those who are under-represented in the tech community): https://github.myshopify.com/products/2017-pride-and-trans-shirts

Having communities like Github and Dockerhub which enable developers to share code, learn, and build on the shoulders of others are essential to the modern tech landscape.

Honestly I can’t even imagine a world without open source software. From Linux to Postgres, Apache and Docker, the guts of the modern internet are run with open source software.

One of the best things about open source is accessibility. The low financial and technical barriers of entry (theoretically) allow people from many backgrounds and experiences to join the community and contribute.

I freely admit that the tech world is not as diverse as it could be, which means it is not as good as it could be; diversity makes us smarter

Here are some of my favorite quotes from that article I just linked:

“when we hear dissent from someone who is different from us, it provokes more thought than when it comes from someone who looks like us.”

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“Being with similar others leads us to think we all hold the same information and share the same perspective. This perspective…is what hinders creativity and innovation.”

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“When disagreement comes from a socially different person, we are prompted to work harder. Diversity jolts us into cognitive action in ways that homogeneity simply does not.”

source

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Challenge to myself: what are some ways that I can work to improve diversity in the tech community?