Suprised by # of conversative here, thought most Tech geeks would be liberal!

[unseengundam101]

Reading this politics forum, I am really surprised that it seem like conversation are balanced between conservatives and liberals. I have always assumed any tech geek, who know how build a PC, would be actually liberal. Probably, because everyone I know who build their PC are liberal.

I will be pretty honest, I just didn't anyone with conservative philosophy would be curious/enthusiastic about high tech stuff. Always imagine most Republican/Conservative as not having clue about computers, smart phones, etc. Of course, really consider them as people who loved old tech, like typewriters, and hated technological advances!

Guess that means I be less judgmental about conservatives and maybe let go of this bias...

 

[yllus]

The technically minded have a good chance of being conservative politically: Engineering and the hard sciences tend to appeal to those who believe strongly in a rule-based, measurable universe.

 

[Texashiker]

Punk kids get off my lawn

 

[brandonb]

As a software engineer working several places over the last 15 years or so, I've come to the conclusion that 75% of IT and Software engineers are conservative, and 25% are liberal.

Sometimes its hard to tell though, most people aren't that vocal, and sometimes you need to make assumptions ... There was a software engineer who was gay at a previous job of mine. I lumped him in as Liberal, even though I don't believe he mentioned one way or another what his stance was over the 6 years I worked with the guy.

 

[Greenman]

Reading this politics forum, I am really surprised that it seem like conversation are balanced between conservatives and liberals. I have always assumed any tech geek, who know how build a PC, would be actually liberal. Probably, because everyone I know who build their PC are liberal.

I will be pretty honest, I just didn't anyone with conservative philosophy would be curious/enthusiastic about high tech stuff. Always imagine most Republican/Conservative as not having clue about computers, smart phones, etc. Of course, really consider them as people who loved old tech, like typewriters, and hated technological advances!

Guess that means I be less judgmental about conservatives and maybe let go of this bias...

You're confusing conservatives with Luddites.

 

[Phokus]

As a software engineer working several places over the last 15 years or so, I've come to the conclusion that 75% of IT and Software engineers are conservative, and 25% are liberal.

Sometimes its hard to tell though, most people aren't that vocal, and sometimes you need to make assumptions ... There was a software engineer who was gay at a previous job of mine. I lumped him in as Liberal, even though I don't believe he mentioned one way or another what his stance was over the 6 years I worked with the guy.

I don't know about software engineering as a whole, but at more elite silicon valley companies (like google), tend to skew towards liberal. The 'conservatives' at those firms tend to be of the libertarian type, not mainstream republican/conservative.

See here: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/02/silicon-valley/

Hillary Clinton
Microsoft $129,734
Google $46,610
Yahoo $15,600

Barack Obama
Google $97,771
Microsoft $68,005
Yahoo $24,288

Ron Paul
Microsoft $54,111
Google $41,342
Yahoo $9,435

Mitt Romney
Microsoft $19,805
Yahoo $600
Google $0

John McCain
Microsoft $8,210
Google $1,550
Yahoo $0

Mike Huckabee
Microsoft $750
Google $400
Yahoo $0

Science is overwhelmingly liberal.

 

[Jaskalas]

Science is overwhelmingly liberal.

We might argue that government funding is overwhelmingly 'liberal'.

 

[Steeplerot]

We might argue that government funding is overwhelmingly 'liberal'.

Yet, conservatives are the vast majority of those who support corporate handouts and military contractor big government boondoggles, liberals tend to want a few bucks for workers who are on hard times.

Ever notice how obsessed conservatives are with the 1% or so of welfare recipients that are gaming the system? Because conservatives are gangster mindset individuals that would gladly take all the money for themselves and feel jealous that others could be gaming a system that they could get some of.

It is plain jealousy that others may get some of their action THEY are entitled to scam since their inherent philosophy is me me me.

Welfare = ok for conservatives since "They deserve it and everyone else is getting it, so Im gonna get mine"

Funny how when you run into someone conning the welfare system in real life, they are always conservatives. It never fails. (I have been a social worker for 12+ years)

The whole meme that liberals want free shit from everyone is just more sour grapes and projection from the cult of conservative stupidity, too foolish to realize everyone else sees right through the bullshit double standards they make for their own little tribe they set aside from American culture.

 

[BoberFett]

I find computer types to be very independent and lean that way politically: classicly conservative libertarian types.. The remainder seem to be more left leaning than right wing religious nutjob types, though there are a few here and there.

Many techies also seem to really like guns.

 

[Matt1970]

Yet, conservatives are the vast majority of those who support corporate handouts and military contractor big government boondoggles, liberals tend to want a few bucks for workers who are on hard times.

Ever notice how obsessed conservatives are with the 1% or so of welfare recipients that are gaming the system? Because conservatives are gangster mindset individuals that would gladly take all the money for themselves and feel jealous that others could be gaming a system that they could get some of.

It is plain jealousy that others may get some of their action THEY are entitled to scam since their inherent philosophy is me me me.

Welfare = ok for conservatives since "They deserve it and everyone else is getting it, so Im gonna get mine"

Funny how when you run into someone conning the welfare system in real life, they are always conservatives. It never fails. (I have been a social worker for 12+ years)

The whole meme that liberals want free shit from everyone is just more sour grapes and projection from the cult of conservative stupidity, too foolish to realize everyone else sees right through the bullshit double standards they make for their own little tribe they set aside from American culture.

You are soo far out of touch with reality. I understand why most people completely ignore you. You are so far extreme the extreme left don't want to have anything to do with you.

 

[Craig234]

Guess that means I be less judgmental about conservatives and maybe let go of this bias...

Terrible idea.

I'd say it's more an issue of how many people get better informed. There's less a streak of 'conservative' in IT IMO than the ignorant, ideological 'Libertarian'.

A lot of IT people have no use for politics - and are vulnerable to the appeal of propaganda about 'freedom' and not taking their money for the benefit of the poor.

Also, not so much on these forums, but there's a correlation between IT funding and the 'military industrial complex' that can create a bias for supporting that industry.

The IT worker has to make an effort to get involved, concerned, informed about political and social issues of the greater society, and only so many make that effort.

For the lazier, there is a large amount of seductive propaganda available encouraging them to just adopt the right-wing ideology, 'a little information in dangeous'.

Individual citizens are not forced to consider 'what's best for society' - they can be attacked by constant 'tidbits to be outraged about' guiding their views, what Fox does.

I caught a minute of Fox last night flipping channels, and quickly saw things like 'up next - what the Octomom did lately, you won't believe this!' and other 'outrage' pieces.

Also snide references to the the straw men they make up to create outrage about the left. Of crouse the point of each of these is to reinforce their ideology.

 

[BoberFett]

As for me personally, I'm not liberal because I hate Craig.

 

[werepossum]

Reading this politics forum, I am really surprised that it seem like conversation are balanced between conservatives and liberals. I have always assumed any tech geek, who know how build a PC, would be actually liberal. Probably, because everyone I know who build their PC are liberal.

I will be pretty honest, I just didn't anyone with conservative philosophy would be curious/enthusiastic about high tech stuff. Always imagine most Republican/Conservative as not having clue about computers, smart phones, etc. Of course, really consider them as people who loved old tech, like typewriters, and hated technological advances!

Guess that means I be less judgmental about conservatives and maybe let go of this bias...

Always good to be less biased. I had much the opposite reaction - in Tennessee I'm considered a raging liberal, although I consider myself pretty conservative, and very few people I know who are more liberal are engineering, accounting, tech or hard science types. Mostly they are lawyers, therapists, and sales people. Were I in, say, Massachusetts I'd likely think that most tech types were liberal.

The technically minded have a good chance of being conservative politically: Engineering and the hard sciences tend to appeal to those who believe strongly in a rule-based, measurable universe.

This is true - although government funding goes a long way toward reversing that for the hard sciences. Hard to believe in smaller government if that's where your bread is buttered.

As for me personally, I'm not liberal because I hate Craig.

How can you hate Craig? He's just code, it's not like he has free will to choose to not be a total proggie tool. And occasionally he makes some good points. (True, in much the same fashion that occasionally there's an ice age or a pole reversal, but still, the points stand.)

 

[Steeplerot]

Conservatism is fine with science -as long as it knows it place.

 

[dmcowen674]

Suprised by # of conversative here, thought most Tech geeks would be liberal!

Reading this politics forum, I am really surprised that it seem like conversation are balanced between conservatives and liberals. I have always assumed any tech geek, who know how build a PC, would be actually liberal. Probably, because everyone I know who build their PC are liberal.

I will be pretty honest, I just didn't anyone with conservative philosophy would be curious/enthusiastic about high tech stuff. Always imagine most Republican/Conservative as not having clue about computers, smart phones, etc. Of course, really consider them as people who loved old tech, like typewriters, and hated technological advances!

Guess that means I be less judgmental about conservatives and maybe let go of this bias...

Can explain why.

Many have made good money in Tech.

Money corrupts. If you have ever been around someone who didn't have money and they came into money you would personally witness a change in their personality.

It is ugly as evidenced by the posts from the rabid right rich religious Republicans you see posting on here.

You witness hate coming out of them for those that don't have money.

You witness them hide their hate behind the veil of religion.

You get the idea.

It's the worst in human nature.

 

[kami333]

Almost every Conservative I've met in the sciences has been a YEC or some other religious fundie. I know a couple of PhDs in biology related fields that are YECs, they somehow make it through.

I find it interesting that non-crazy conservatives don't do more to distance themselves from the religious fundies that tout themselves as "conservatives", I stopped identifying with liberals due to the crunchies, freeloaders and anarchists being more vocal than the mainstream elements.

 

[Moonbeam]

Political affiliation has to do with developmental issues, whether one has identified with victimizers and become one or identified with victims and seeks to protect them. All of these things have to do with how one was tortured as a child, whether there was one parent who was safer and one not, etc.

My understanding was that conservative organizations sick mad dogs on political forums to depress folk and make them lose faith in humanity and thus not vote, leaving the psychos to carry on.

 

[davmat787]

Terrible idea.

Only a douchebag of Craig234's magnitude would think it is a bad idea to be less judgmental of people and to let go of a bias, and have the nerve to say so and then try to justify it. That is would be terrible to replace being judgmental towards your political adversary with understanding. That might lead to compromise!!

Thinking conservatives would not be interested in tech is like thinking liberals would not be interested in guns. The other day I posted some graphs and articles showing that simply isn't true, would it be a bad idea to hold onto that false bias as well Craig?

OP, I am guessing you are late teens to early twenties? Maybe age of your friends has something to do with it? Or perhaps since you are liberal, you are more likely to have liberal friends. Just a thought.


No insults or personal attacks.

Re: "Only a douchebag of Craig234's magnitude"

Administrator Idontcare

 

[Iron Wolf]

I think it has more to do with that many more young people frequent forums like this one than do older people. Younger people tend to be more liberal than conservative, if for no other reason than that their parents are conservative and they want to be different.

And I'm not sure what part of the forums you're reading OP, but it seems to me that this place is a veritable haven for liberals, just like [H] is.

 

[Craig234]

Only Craig234 would think it is a bad idea to be less judgmental of people and to let go of a bias, and have the nerve to say so and then try to justify it. That is would be terrible to replace being judgmental towards your political adversary with understanding. That might lead to compromise!!

Thinking conservatives would not be interested in tech is like thinking liberals would not be interested in guns. The other day I posted some graphs and articles showing that simply isn't true, would it be a bad idea to hold onto that false bias as well Craig?

Let's be clear, I'm opposed to letting go of opposition to a group when the opposition is justified. No need to stop being biased against rapists or Nazis, for example.

There are plenty of valid reasons to oppose conservatives' views, and it's a well justified 'bias', so it would be a mistake to 'let that bias go'.

Hopefully we don't need to explain the semantics of 'bias' between justified bias - I'm biased against liars - and unjustified bias like bigotry.

 

[Craig234]

I think it has more to do with that many more young people frequent forums like this one than do older people. Younger people tend to be more liberal than conservative, if for no other reason than that their parents are conservative and they want to be different.

And I'm not sure what part of the forums you're reading OP, but it seems to me that this place is a veritable haven for liberals, just like [H] is.

I'd suggest a better reason for young people to be more liberal is that the poisonous ideology of conservatism is less likely to have infected them yet.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Terrible idea.

I'd say it's more an issue of how many people get better informed. There's less a streak of 'conservative' in IT IMO than the ignorant, ideological 'Libertarian'.

A lot of IT people have no use for politics - and are vulnerable to the appeal of propaganda about 'freedom' and not taking their money for the benefit of the poor.

Also, not so much on these forums, but there's a correlation between IT funding and the 'military industrial complex' that can create a bias for supporting that industry.

The IT worker has to make an effort to get involved, concerned, informed about political and social issues of the greater society, and only so many make that effort.

For the lazier, there is a large amount of seductive propaganda available encouraging them to just adopt the right-wing ideology, 'a little information in dangeous'.

Individual citizens are not forced to consider 'what's best for society' - they can be attacked by constant 'tidbits to be outraged about' guiding their views, what Fox does.

I caught a minute of Fox last night flipping channels, and quickly saw things like 'up next - what the Octomom did lately, you won't believe this!' and other 'outrage' pieces.

Also snide references to the the straw men they make up to create outrage about the left. Of crouse the point of each of these is to reinforce their ideology.

You have become what you hate. A common tragedy.

 

[davmat787]

Let's be clear, I'm opposed to letting go of opposition to a group when the opposition is justified. No need to stop being biased against rapists or Nazis, for example.

There are plenty of valid reasons to oppose conservatives' views, and it's a well justified 'bias', so it would be a mistake to 'let that bias go'.

Hopefully we don't need to explain the semantics of 'bias' between justified bias - I'm biased against liars - and unjustified bias like bigotry.

The subject at hand, that you responded to, is conservatives and interest in high tech/computers. Are you opposed to that? Or are you hijacking a thread to rant against conservatives, an opportunity you rarely fail to miss even if it leads to derail?

And I love how you throw rapists/nazi's out that as a comparison.

You see conservatives as a single monolithic thinking group, but are always the first to split hairs regarding liberals when it is needed for political expediency.

 

[cybrsage]

Many techies also seem to really like guns.

I actually am not surprised by that. Guns are a technological marvel, and they can be both deadly and beautiful at the same time.

 

[Icepick]

I've been working in the IT field for 14 years now and in my experience the overwhelming majority of my co-workers have been conservative/Republican.