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Comment by tptacek | Hacker News Reader

I've been a Go programmer for many years, and I like the language and the community, but I have not found it to be uniformly welcoming. "Aggressively pedantic" is a good way to put it.

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I have been to 4 Go conferences (two gophercons). Despite being first generation mediterranean-descent (my father is the exact immigrant story touted in many circles), because I fit the 'white christian male' bill, I have felt anything but welcome in the Go community. Actually, many times, I feel like it is actively hostile towards me. I remember one of the closing keynotes, a man stood up on the stage and said "Come take a picture with me out back if you look like me, you know who you are" which left me with my jaw dropped.

Not looking to put a bunch of negative energy out about it, but I know what you mean and you're right.

I've been to 2 Go conferences myself, and had an absolutely fantastic time. Great people all-around.

But ... the online experience here is a bit different from the conference experience.

I am missing something. Do you mean you feel there is a hostility toward those who fit the "white christian male" bill?

I think he means the opposite, which is that he fits the "white christian male" and feels that there is hostility towards towards people who fit the "white christian male" bill.

To the contrary, I am usually assumed to be middle eastern (egyptian, oddly enough, although it may not be that surprising considering the hellenistic period and where my relatives are from) and despite being Christian, I am not one of the accepted mainstream forms of Christianity in the US, so I face double prejudice, on the one side from those who think Christianity is the cause of all the worlds problems, on the other side from other Evangelical types who think we are idol worshipping heretics. It is only when I correct people, that I get the "oh" reply, usually in disappointment that now I don't qualify for one of their acceptable groups of people who experienced prejudice or a lack of acceptance.

(I meant nothing like what the other replies to this comment said.)

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