Regular non-Google, non-finance software engineers face this dilemma of either staying silent and never getting to interact with the community, saying something that’s been said before, indulging in one of their biases, or unfairly criticizing existing works and members.
I’m glad you point this out. I think it is both real and important. However, I don’t think it has to be that way! It’s always been sort of a pet peeve of mine. “Normal” people can participate in so many ways. Here is what comes to my mind right now but definitely isn’t exhaustive:
As Garrett Baker says, joining or creating in-person or online communities. There are tons!
I think the issue is that there’s not enough social proof for this sort of stuff. Not enough other people doing it. My theory is that too many other people writing insightful stuff makes it feel like the bar is set somewhere around there and thus it is taboo to start “lesser” conversations.
I’m glad you point this out. I think it is both real and important. However, I don’t think it has to be that way! It’s always been sort of a pet peeve of mine. “Normal” people can participate in so many ways. Here is what comes to my mind right now but definitely isn’t exhaustive:
Contributing examples, analogies and lingo
Non-expert explanation
Asking questions (example)
Starting discussions about things
As Garrett Baker says, joining or creating in-person or online communities. There are tons!
I think the issue is that there’s not enough social proof for this sort of stuff. Not enough other people doing it. My theory is that too many other people writing insightful stuff makes it feel like the bar is set somewhere around there and thus it is taboo to start “lesser” conversations.