It's official: The Internet is Owned by White Dudes
Last edited Sat Oct 29, 2022, 08:29 AM - Edit history (7)
Disclaimer: I realize I make broad-brush statements below, and I do intend to write a more fleshed-out blog post about this with specific references and links, but the gist of it all is what I'm trying to convey here. It's official to me, the fact that white guys own the Internet. This may in essence be my first draft.
EDIT TO ADD FOR CLARITY: CliffsNotes Version
My point is about CULTURE: values, priorities. Young(ish) white dudes, even though they are not a monolith as no demographic group is, in general have different values and priorities. The Internet initially was pretty much a playground for young white male geeks.
That is the culture -- the values and priorities -- upon which the Internet was built and is infused in it even now. Even though the face of IT is changing, I'm speaking to the now ingrained culture and how that will take time to turn around.
I'm not focused, in this OP at least, on where VC goes nor on who has coding skills. (Even though VC definitely goes largely to men...and then of course some will then say only white men are generating the ideas. Most people are missing the entire point of this post.)
I absolutely believe that the lack of diversity at the very core, the very root, the creation of these ventures -- which are the new institutions of this modern era -- has contributed to the increasingly overtly disrespectful, often outright bigoted, racist and misogynistic culture.
Diversity and equality must to be part of the creation -- the foundation -- or else nothing is ever going to change. Not really. Not meaningfully.
* * *
As a 52-year-old woman who has been focused on exploring funding options for my online ventures over the last few years, I've come to realize how much the Internet is -- and, more importantly, always has been -- dominated by men. Usually younger men (or at least they were when they created whatever entity has made them millions or sometimes billions of dollars).
I don't mean the Internet is dominated by men as the users, as that has become a more level playing field in the last five years with women having an equal presence online, but as those who are creating the business entities themselves and thus profiting off of them. Even when the websites or apps are created with women being the target audience, the founders are men (Pinterest).
Specifically, fairly young white men.
Now, I'm not knocking white men. Nor am I personally criticizing the individual men who created the vast majority of the most successful websites/apps. I do not know them personally and they may be wonderful souls.
What I do know is that the life experience of a white man, IN GENERAL, is different from the life experience, in general, of men with black and brown skin, and it is a life experience that is very different from women, of any color. And while youth has a a lot to offer, especially in today's rapidly changing, wired world, there is also a need for wisdom and perspective borne of life experience.
I just did another search (I was immersed in this topic earlier this year before crises intervened) of the most popular sites (top 100 or so on Alexa) and apps, with the most traffic/usage. Disregarding the more programming-oriented and country-specific sites, I made a list of 30, including Facebook, twitter, Amazon, Pinterest, Wikepedia, reddit, Paypal, instragram, kickstarter, HuffPo. I also included sites liberals tend to prefer, like DailyKos and Salon. DU is included in my list as well.
(First, I did NOT know that HuffPo was actually created by Arianna and 3 other men, including ANDREW BREITBART!!! Wow, that explains a lot, eh?)
Except for Gawker Media (created by 6 men and 4 women) IN EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE THE CREATORS|FOUNDERS ARE ALL MEN, PREDOMINANTLY WHITE MEN with a smaller percentage of the men being Asian.
Aside from the lack of diversity in general and the concentration of "new" wealth in the hands of a specific demographic...continuing what has been the norm for ages...here is why this disturbs me:
I adore the Internet. So much good has been done yet I do not believe we have even scratched the surface of the altruistic potential. We can reach critical mass toward transformation (positive or negative) much faster now. I search for the good, but the nastiness -- the culture of the Internet as a whole -- inevitably gets in the way. Look at the comment section of nearly any site and you'll see what I mean. The misogyny, racism and other forms of bigotry is STRONG.
I am not blaming the founders of any of the many websites for this culture of hate. I highly doubt any of them set out to create or contribute to a Petri dish of suck, but there is another aspect I believe is at play in this culture as well: a strong libertarian and anarchist vibe. These traits/values are embodied by many of the founders of these most successful sites (successful by Wall Street standards). The tone of a company's culture is set early on and manifests on the front end as well as the back end of the business.
Free speech, hands off, individualism.
Again, please don't get me wrong -- free speech is a core value of democracy. But what happens when the most vicious of voices are all that are heard because they live to attack and troll and drown out (and drive away) voices of reason? This nasty online culture has influenced the larger societal discourse, and we've all noticed the growing inability for people to engage in respectful discussion. Even though I respect the role twitter plays in our world, I don't consider tweets back and forth meaningful conversation. I'm talking about ongoing, meaningful, respectful discussion. And, let's face it: There is very little distinction between "online" and "IRL" now. Online IS a significant aspect of our daily lives.
Of course, financial profit is the goal and drives everything. It often encourages the "hands off" policy or perhaps encourages a cultivation of nastiness by said businesses in order to bring more eyeballs to their content which equals mo' $$$, y'all. So, there's that.
Even the so-called Sharing Economy ventures -- Airbnb, Lyft and Uber -- were founded by fairly young, white men. DUer Eridani's OP about the Sharing Economy, and how it's basically another word for capitalism, prompted this most recent search and this post.
So while I can appreciate what these innovators and entrepreneurs have offered the world, and have no animosity toward men (young men, old men, white men, men of color...it matters not), I am struck by the fact that WHO has created the foundations of the spaces which are influencing our culture is, by far, younger white men.
I absolutely believe that the lack of diversity at the very core, the very root, the creation of these ventures, which are the new institutions of this modern era, has contributed to the increasingly overtly disrespectful, often outright bigoted, racist and misogynistic culture.
Diversity and equality must to be part of the creation -- the foundation -- or else nothing is ever going to change. Not really. Not meaningfully.
That's the change I'm trying to bring to the table, so if you know anyone who wants to support such a social enterprise, please send them my way.
= new reply since forum marked as read
(Love the quote in your signature, btw)
Regarding #1, that is very interesting. I got the impression that over the last five years or perhaps more, fewer website ventures are being funded (though mobile apps are a different story, yes?). Many of the sites which are the most popular now received huge sums for funding many years ago, but such investments have dissipated over the years. Yes, I do realize that.
Timing is everything.
Regarding #2 -- yep, I hear you. On one hand, I am a good investment (if I wanted to go that route...I'm very torn about it still) in that I have diligently built and continued to improve what I've created in spite of the hurdles life has thrown at me. On the other hand, one of the reasons younger people are more attractive investments is that they usually have fewer responsibilities which could interfere with their work. This is rather obvious because most of the incubator challenges and whatnot require that you live on site for 3-6 weeks or longer. Commitments few people I know are able to make.
I have invested a lot of money over the years, not to mention time. But I hear you that that isn't what investors want to hear.
Regarding my own funding, it's a Catch-22. I need to raise funds to hire help in order to move forward -- and that is because the site became very popular very quickly and I never had a chance to catch my breath -- but because one of the core intentions is to come together to explore ways to diminish the need for money in our daily lives by helping one another in creative ways (many of the tools offered within Wishadoo 9 years ago are now commonplace standalone businesses, like kickstarter, gofundme, etc...but I hold onto the need for community, not drive-by help), and to diminish worship of the Almighty Dollar, it's a bit of a conundrum when seeking monetary investment! lolol That's also why I continue to envision the structure being a member- and worker-owned cooperative. Educating people about that continues to be an uphill climb, but at least Bernie Sanders is making that a more visible alternative structure.
Lastly #3. How very sad about the three gentlemen you mentioned. 
Again, I hear you about the environment for such businesses as far as investments.
Thank you again so very, very much for this. You've pretty much removed any lingering doubt (or hope) I had about pursuing large-scale investment. It's not a world I'm comfortable in anyway, so it never would have worked.
I'll put all of my energy into crowdsourcing and the co-op structure.
So rare, the study found, that less than a third of venture capital firms in the United States employ a single woman to conduct business or participate in investment decisions, underscoring a long-standing problem with the VC industry’s diversity.
~~~~
Venture capital firms and angel investors are largely responsible for funding Silicon Valley startups, which have also been critiqued for their lack of female and minority representation. Because it’s been proven time and again that investors tend to fund entrepreneurs who look like them — this news is unlikely to shock female, black and Latino entrepreneurs who have tried to start their own companies.
~~~~
Last year, the National Venture Capital Association created a task force to address the industry’s dismal diversity numbers. Its goal, the association said, was to “develop a clear and measurable path” to increase diversity among both venture capital firms and the entrepreneurs they fund.
So far, the study found, that hasn’t happened.
Shocking, I know...
But, hey, quit making bad decisions and get those priorities in line!!!!
Thank you for this, JTFrog.
they'll try to have you believe men are the victims of women.
and all kinds of other crazy stuff.
truth doesn't work so well on them.
I no longer recognize names and can't tell who is part of which contingent with an agenda, but it sure felt like that was happening.
Thanks, CreekDog!
That, too.
Now that I'm aware there is a "them," I will try not to beyond one reply...lol
Hard to believe that they harbor them here now, but it's been that way for a couple of years. And it tends to get a little gross and messy when they spew their views into the main forums.
Said every right-wing victim-blamer throughout history. The powerful and privileged aren't at all responsible for why the powerless and marginalized are disenfranchised, right? It's the responsibility of the underrepresented to say "Please" and "Thank You" very nicely, to be polite and courteous in what they ask for so their social betters don't get upset at them.
then I choose to respect your opinion on that but still disagree.
I don't have an aversion to coding; I know a wee bit, enough to create a basic website, which I have done quite a few times over the last 10 years. But coding knowledge isn't my point.
This OP is an observation -- my opinion -- as to why the Internet culture is all too often mean-spirited and sometimes downright vicious, with an abundance of bigotry of all stripes. THE CULTURE.
I get the impression many here deny that cultures and cultural environments don't even exist. I wasn't expecting that.
I actually do offer a solution to that...one solution, one tiny step in a direction I personally believe offers an alternative and perhaps a template of sorts for a more caring, just, sustainable culture. An alternative for those who recognize the need for social, racial and economic justice and those who long to employ compassion and empathy as we collaborate in a variety of ways to reduce suffering and increase joy.
This OP wasn't intended to be an advertisement for my work, so I'll refrain from saying more but you can always click the link in my sig line.
and I agree. Good insight.
The libertarian ethos is pervasive in the Silicon Valley tech culture, and it is an ever-present feature of the Internet. We accept it, because it's "normal." But it is eroding and warping who we are as human beings.
Thanks for the thread, once again!
and thank YOU for the wonderful comments you're sharing here.
That will give you context to that comment.
I've been engaged in many entrepreneurial groups over the years, and many have observed the sexism and ageism involved.
It's similar to the proven phenomenon that if a resume is submitted and the name sounds African American it's put aside while the very same resume with a more Anglo-sounding name is reviewed and accepted. Same thing happens in the VC world in various ways which come down to sexism and ageism.
But, yes! I'm a huge fan of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing and see that as one significant way to level the playing field. Agreed on that point.
Yet my original point about the general culture that has been created and is influencing all of us in a variety of ways stands.
either the original intention of FB or what you speak of in the second paragraph. I honestly don't know much about the early years of Facebook or why it was created. I should watch "Social Network" one day.
BTW, the current 64th most visited website in the entire world is pornhub.
I think you said somewhere above that the bias which has been ingrained in our culture and systems and institutions from the start isn't going to disappear in a few years. True that. The bias continues to be extraordinary when you peel back even the first layer of the proverbial onion.
Another example of the core values and worldview steeped into Internet culture via the founders of some of these mainstay sites.
I know it's possible to change a company's culture over time as the workforce (at all levels) becomes more diverse, but the founders' values are the foundation of that culture. I suppose it also evolves as the founders themselves get older and have a different perspective.
They may be the ones to turn this shit around.
I just don't know.
Many women are nerds/geeks themselves. SHOCKING, I know!
Maybe if more of those men stopped longing exclusively for women who looked like supermodels (and furthermore, stopped feeling entitled to attention from women in general), they just might surprise themselves. 
that life is one big meritocracy and women and the issue is POC don't care enough to be excellent, LOL. (If they could hear themselves!) As if there weren't proven widespread discrimination by the white men who've held the check books for way too long, as if business people make all their decisions without a hint of personal bias.
What's interesting to me if that a few of my favorite sites are incredibly well moderated for trolling and the experience is so much the better for it. It is not creating an echo chamber in the least, as these spaces have amazing comments sections where the discussion gets much deeper and broader than it does in most sites where sexist and racist rants are left up to disrupt the flow. You can go on all day long about "freedom of speech" but some guys add nothing but insults and disruption and I'm fine excluding people based on that.
The sad thing is it takes a lot more work to keep these sites up and free of trolling. Tons more work. The idea of women cleaning up the nasty shit in the comments sections is a really sad metaphor, I think. Not exactly sure where the need to troll women and poc comes from, but it's another irrational thing (like hiring less talented qualified people who are "like you"
that fucks internet communities as well as the RL job market and marketplace.
AS far as anonymity goes, I feel like many contributors (of both sexes) use it to be as a way to be more generous, vulnerable, honest, and needy than they find can be in real life. And it can be awesome. There maybe a resentment from some men who have internalized their gender roles too deeply that they have to heap shit on that because they were taught to loathe that kind of vulnerability. You have to feel a little sorry for them- but not so much that you put up with their bullshit.
'Cause if this is more along the lines of "this culture is bad/not as good as it could be" and that's it, then you can just skip the rest of this.
IMO, the fundamental problem is people have an unrealistic idea of what it takes to develop software. People believe it's a very "geeky" profession requiring vast amounts of math and science.
And it doesn't. At least, not anymore.
There was a time you needed to do a whole lot of the low level work to make software. You actually had to understand the calculus behind image compression because you had to write something to read or write an image. Now, you let someone else provide that work. You just do "LoadPicture()"
Writing software today is much more like assembling Legos. You don't form your own plastic blocks, you use someone else's blocks to build your castle. You don't even have to find a place to build your castle anymore, thanks to things like Amazon Web Services.
That mistaken belief that you can't possibly make software if you are not a "geek" causes a lot of people with good ideas to not even try. Intersect that with broader cultural mis-beliefs (ie. sexism like "girls aren't good at math" and a lot of the people just don't try when they are young and figuring out what they want to do with their life. So the young white men give it a shot, a portion of them like it, and then go on to write software. A girl who's interested gets misdirected to something else, never tries it, and grows up believing that door is closed.
There's also a large economic factor at play. You have to be able to afford a computer for the kids to play with and occasionally break, in order for them to play with software enough to want to write software.
Now, I do think this is gradually fixing itself - I used to see maybe 99% white male job applicants when interviewing people. There was nothing like "Irish need not apply" in the job listing, the pool of applicants was really damn white and male. We are seeing more women and more minority applicants now, but it's still a very white male pool.
I think this is partially due to the economic factors being a little easier (The original IBM PC cost about $4,000 in 2015 dollars) and partially due to computers being more "normal". But we still have a lot of very long-running battles against sexism and structural racism to overcome before we stop shutting doors for young people.
Btw, if you're* interested in actually creating a site or software or whatever, it is easier than ever to do so. That door is never closed. Get some books and start writing stuff. Just like building with Legos, you will be taking very small pieces and putting them together into larger and larger structures. Don't worry about "How do I make a site like DU". Start with "How do I store a post". Then "How do I show a post". Then "how do I write a post". And so on. Eventually, you have your own castle.
*Global "you", not you specifically
Thanks for that.
I mentioned that upthread several times. There is a definite evolution in that regard which is awesome.
But my OP is more about the culture that was created as a result of the founders of most of the mainstay, popular sites, and the lack of diversity in IT at that time.
Hopefully the culture will start to change as the face of IT changes.
excellent insight and wisdom -- thank you for sharing.
"One white man I know thinks it is a sign of immaturity and insecurity to refuse to admit it."
Great point. Thanks again.
Thank you for being brave enough to post about this issue. Last edited Thu Aug 20, 2015, 06:10 PM - Edit history (1)
I didn't realize it would require bravery. I'm rather taken aback by the onslaught of those disagreeing -- and gross misinterpretations of what I wrote (though I always take responsibility for the fact that perhaps I'm not expressing myself clearly enough). I'm also surprised by the seeming lack of support or interest (not sure which it is).
Still, it provides the perfect exercise for me to model the respectful, meaningful discussion I long for.
"cultural fit" -- so many of the men in IT DO acknowledge that a culture exists! LOL
One would never know that by reading the many dissenting comments in this thread. I was wondering if many people doubt that culture actually is a thing, let alone how it influences us.
Seriously.
we obviously suck at decision making.
you'll end up waiting a long, long time.
What exactly is stopping you from creating your own successful website?
What do you propose to do to step these "PREDOMINANTLY WHITE MEN" (sic) from creating things?
but you rather prove a point very clearly in your comment, telling me what I need to do.
But, thank you for the confidence that I can singularly transform the culture.
I will continue to work toward doing that very thing.
