> The author isn't saying that biological differences are the _only_ factor; only that that they are _a_ factor...
This is true, but as /u/taysic pointed out elsewhere, Damore dedicates the majority of his memo on this this one factor and wishes to change corporate policy because of it.
> ... and that Google has been completely neglecting that factor with the current implementation of their efforts to improve diversity within the company
Perhaps Google is evaluating more factors than Damore? Perhaps Google concluded that social issues and gender bias play a larger role in workforce disparity than biological issues, and therefore decided to prioritize attacking the larger problem over the smaller problem?
> Damore dedicates the majority of his memo on this this one factor and wishes to change corporate policy because of it.
Right. I explained why that was in the previous part of my comment.
> Perhaps Google is evaluating more factors than Damore? [...]
Perhaps so. They made no such claim in their response to Damore's essay though. In fact, they didn't address any of his points at all; they just fired him, thus proving the main point of his essay:
> People generally have good intentions, but we all have biases which are invisible to us. Thankfully, open and honest discussion with those who disagree can highlight our blind spots and help us grow, which is why I wrote this document. Google has several biases and honest
discussion about these biases is being silenced by the dominant ideology. [...]
> Only facts and reason can shed light on these biases, but when it comes to diversity and inclusion, Google’s left bias has created a politically correct monoculture that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence.
> Perhaps so. They made no such claim in their response to Damore's essay though. In fact, they didn't address any of his points at all; they just fired him, thus proving the main point of his essay
Google's firing should be seen in the context of how it affects their workplace. This notion of "anyone can say anything" does not stick in a social gathering like a workplace. Free speech is relative, in this case relative to the workplace. This memo challenges that and that was addressed by google. This is similar to firing someone making a "I will gut you if you send me a poorly constructed pull request" threat. That is not free speech. That is unsettling a social gathering. The person making the threat may be right on his intentions, but context and how he puts across matters.
> Perhaps Google is evaluating more factors than Damore? Perhaps Google concluded that social issues and gender bias play a larger role in workforce disparity than biological issues, and therefore decided to prioritize attacking the larger problem over the smaller problem?
If Google has done the research on it, I'd really like to see because it is likely to be much more extensive than what this one guy has collected in his free time. That said, I suspect bias was simply assumed as the major factor by default, since that has historically been true in lots of professions (some of which are now dominated by women).
It's funny. I often have the same reaction as you. Yet last summer I went to the dentist to have an old filling replaced with a crown. They took a 3D scan of my teeth and used that scan to mill a crown on site in about an hour. It fit perfectly and I could scarcely distinguish it from the rest of my real teeth.
20 years ago, all of this would sound like science fiction to me.
I would argue the easily-exploitable 911 infrastructure is the larger problem. Concerns about police militarization aside, I don't fault their low threshold for response. If I report a violent crime in progress I don't want the 911 operator saying "That's a pretty bold claim, sir. Is there anyone else I could speak to?".
This is true, but as /u/taysic pointed out elsewhere, Damore dedicates the majority of his memo on this this one factor and wishes to change corporate policy because of it.
> ... and that Google has been completely neglecting that factor with the current implementation of their efforts to improve diversity within the company
Perhaps Google is evaluating more factors than Damore? Perhaps Google concluded that social issues and gender bias play a larger role in workforce disparity than biological issues, and therefore decided to prioritize attacking the larger problem over the smaller problem?