The New Programmer Generation: An Autoethnographic Podcast

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Cheryan, S., B. J. Drury, and M. Vichayapai. "Enduring Influence of Stereotypical Computer Science Role Models on Women's Academic Aspirations." Psychology of Women Quarterly: 72-79. Print.


"Computer Science Job Market Outlook." Department of Systems and Computer Science. Howard University. Web. 26 Mar. 2015. <http://www.scs.howard.edu/jobs>.


Frink, Brenda. "Researcher Reveals How "Computer Geeks" Replaced "Computer Girls"" The Clayman Institute for Gender Research. Stanford University, 1 June 2011. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.<http://gender.stanford.edu/news/2011/researcher-reveals-how-“computer-geeks”-replaced-“computergirls”>.


Marsch, Laura. "What some fastest growing jobs pay" CNN. Cable News Network, 26 Jan. 2006. Web. 26 Mar. 2015. <http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/Careers/01/26/cb.top.jobs.pay/index.html>.

Wilcox, Abby. "Do SF Programmers Have A Life Outside The Cubicle?" The Bold Italic. 2 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2015. <http://www.thebolditalic.com/articles/2923-do-sf-programmers-have-a-life-outside-the-cubicle>.

The New Age of Gaming

Washington, Kate (2013) "The Gamer Subculture in Lacy, WA," Anthós: Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 7.
DOI: 10.15760/anthos.2013.67
Available at: http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/anthos/vol5/iss1/7

"Cultural Sociology vs Videogames: Are We Gamer-Geeks a (Middle-Class) Subculture?" The Geek Anthropologist. 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 5 Mar. 2015. <http://thegeekanthropologist.com/2014/10/24/cultural-sociology-vs-videogames-are-we-gamer-geeks-a-middle-class-subculture/>.

Robertson, Adi. "Trolls Drive Anita Sarkeesian out of Her House to Prove Misogyny Doesn't Exist." The Verge. 27 Aug. 2014. Web. 5 Mar. 2015. <http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/27/6075179/anita-sarkeesian-says-she-was-driven-out-of-house-by-threats>.

Dewey, Caitlin. "The Only Guide to Gamergate You Will Ever Need to Read." The Washington Post 16 Oct. 2014. Web. 5 Mar. 2015. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/10/14/the-only-guide-to-gamergate-you-will-ever-need-to-read/>

"The Gender Inequality in Core Gaming Is Worse than You think." VentureBeat. 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. <http://venturebeat.com/2013/09/19/gender-inequality/>.

Interview Excerpt - The Antisocial Programmer

The following is a small excerpt of an interview in which Cameron and I discuss some of the stereotypes surrounding programmers. This is just a sneak preview of the what I will be discussing in my upcoming ethnography, “The Antisocial Programmer”. Here, Cameron and I discuss how programmers socialize and communicate with one another. The bolded text is spoken by Cameron, and the remainder are my responses.

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“So, writing computer programs is sort of like talking to a computer?”

“Right”

“So, how well do you believe computer programmers communicate with other people?”

“Well, I know the stereotype, and I’m sad to say that I think a lot of the time it is true. People think programmers are very introverted.They think they are not good at public speaking and that they may be able to write programmers but if you ask them to explain it they are going to stumble and fumble, and it is going to be terrible. The sad thing is that from my programming classes is that a lot of kids are like that.”

“I think that is why here at NC State in your engineering classes they emphasize working in groups, communication skills, and public speaking. These things are something a lot of people have to do in the work place. I think when most of your work is done via isolated communication with a computer, by yourself, typing loads of code it is easy for programmers to lose some of their communication skills. These skills just seem less important.”

“What do you think about computer programmers social skills? What groups do they like to socialize with and be around?”

“The odd thing about computer programmers is that a lot of the time they don’t even want to socialize with each other. At least, that is a stereotype people have. I know certain cliques and groups of programmers that have formed in classes.”

“I just think programmers are naturally more inclined to be small friend group type of people, as opposed to extremely social party goers. I can say for certain that I am this way. I would rather have four close friends than go to a part and know everyone. I think that is just a little overwhelming and odd.”

Interview Excerpt- The Potential downfall of Gaming

In preparation of my upcoming podcast regarding Gamer subculture and how I associate myself within it, Ryan interviewed me and we had some good discussion about how stereotypical gamers are viewed by society.  We talked about how society judges and draws stereotypes to the whole gamer category. I suggested that the underlying characteristic of competitiveness could be the fuel that feeds a gamer in his quest to defeat others. I know that I am incredibly competitive and for that reason I enjoyed testing my skills against others whether it be on the battlefields of Call of Duty or under the Friday night lights of the high school I attended. This competitive aspect of my personality has led me to search for methods of testing my worth against others, in which I have found athletics and gaming.

"So what about other people beside the gamers, when they talk to you about things like this (gaming), if you ever talk to someone who is not a gamer about games, how do they react?"

"They are sort of put off by it. People who are not gamers and do not understand gamers kind of look down on the subculture as the gamers are inferior to them because the gamers enjoy this thing that is not really real. But, the truth is not all gamers are stereotypical gamers and they enjoy a lot more things than just gaming and gaming is simply a manifestation of their competitiveness, and things like that."

"So do you find that your competitiveness brings you into other subcultures too?"

"Absolutely. I've always played sports. I think my main thing is competitiveness, like everything branches off of that. I played baseball and football my entire life, up until recently, coming to college I had to stop, and that is part of the reason why gaming has come by into my life to fill the void left by sports."

"Right. So gaming is more of an avenue to get towards a deeper cause."

"Yeah, I need to beat people."

"Do you think that is common in the subculture?"

"Absolutely, people who play video games love the competitive aspect of it. In the end they just want to be better than someone else."

Interview Excerpt - Being a Member of the Gaming Community

The following is an excerpt from an interview performed by Ashton Larkin and Brodie Ford on me, Charlie Luo. I am currently a freshman at NC State University, and I identify myself as a member of the gaming community. I enjoy gaming as a pastime, and I like the challenge of finding the best approach to a game. The following discussions are about my views on being a member of this group.

“Do you think that the term “gamer” pretty much applies to video games, or are there other things that it can apply to?”

"Umm, I feel like right now it’s mainly video games, because I do know people that play board games and card games a lot, and they’re not really accepted as much as video game fans, but this might change."

“So umm, sorry to interrupt you, but by video games, do you mean kinda like online, or like PS3, PS4?”

"Yeah basically, all of those"

“Do you have a preference on what type of gaming you prefer, or do you think that there is some type that is better than the others? I guess what I’m trying to say is that overall, from the people I’ve experienced with it kinda seems like when they say video games they just mean xbox, or playstation, but when I actually talk to people who really play games or are into it and not just, don’t do it for casually, it sounds like computer gaming is the best type of gaming. What are your thoughts on it?”

"Yeah, hmm I guess it really depends on the person and preference, I know some people who would never play games on the computer at all. I’d really prefer online gaming because it really gives you a better, I guess, interaction with other players, and there’s a very nice variety. I want to say that online gaming is the best, but it really just comes down to preference."

“Do you like, more of like, the ‘shooting’, like umm, Modern Warfre or Halo, or is it more like, World of Warcraft?”

"I’ve actually never been able to get into shooters, I can’t really see the appeal to them but I do know lots of people like them. I’m more into games like World of Warcraft or things like turn-based strategy games.”

“Do you think that the time commitment is worth like, what you get back playing games?”

"Yeah, playing games, it’s a fun pastime but it also keeps your mind active, like, strategy games – you’re constantly thinking about what you’re doing. It’s not really about what you’re getting back, it’s mainly about how you’re spending your time and doing stuff you like doing, but if we’re really talking about investments and stuff, then you get some pretty valuable stuff back, mainly just keeping your mind active but also thinking analytically, umm, maximizing efficiency, and just figuring out stuff like ‘why something is’; things that let you ‘play the game’ to always beat it."

Interview Excerpt - Living with a Spanish Background

The following excerpt is from an interview performed by Brodie Ford and Charlie L. on me (Ashton Larkin). I am a current freshman at NC State University, and I come from a Spanish background. My mother lived in Granada, Spain for about 20 years (she was born there) before moving to the United States and marrying my father, who is an American. The following questions talk about how I feel to have this background, and also the experiences I have had because of it.

“What do you like the most about having a Spanish background?”

“Probably the food I eat at my house. My mom always cooks some really good food. We eat a lot of pork, fish, and tortilla (which is kind of like Spanish pizza; it’s made out of potatoes and eggs) … so that’s pretty good. I also like the later schedule because I myself am not very hungry in the morning, so I just eat later. That is just something I have grown accustomed to … so for me, eating early is kind of weird for me although that is something common here in America.”

“Have you experienced any advantages or disadvantages by coming from a Spanish background?”

“I have definitely experienced more advantages than disadvantages. When it comes to things like applying for jobs, I always can put down that I am bilingual. For school applications, I can put down that I belong to the Hispanic race, which gives me a minority advantage. Overall, I would say that the fact that I have that Spanish background along with being confident or comfortable in the American economy and society in which I live in right now is an advantage just because I am able to succeed here in the United States, but I can also hold my own whenever I do visit Spain. I was actually able to do that this past semester; I didn’t even go to school but I lived there for two months on my own.”

“Did you take the semester off in order to do that?”

“Yes, I lived on the island of Palma which is near Barcelona. I definitely picked up on a lot of stuff over there. “

“So when you visit family in Spain, does anybody over there give you a hard time for living in the United States for so long?”

“Not really. I haven’t seen my mom’s side of the family in a long time. But I remember going back over there to see my mom’s mom when we were younger … it wasn’t really much different for her to see us. She kind of just treated us like we always lived there. She would always invite us into the house, and we would stay there with her. She would cook food for us and we would always watch the news in Spanish, go to the parks and stuff like that … when you are a younger kid in Spain, It is kind of typical to have the female parent to be a house cleaning lady if the family doesn’t have a lot of money. So that is what my grandma did (my mom’s mom in this case). Whenever we went to see her, she would be out all day cleaning houses. The kids would always spend the day at the park, so my brother and I always went over there to play soccer. You would see the same kids at the park all the time, so that was a really easy way to make friends over there.”

Unit 1 Project: Italian Stem-Cell Clinical Trial Controversy

Davide Vannoni
Photo by collanedilana

Stem-cells set the stage for one of the most controversial topics in Biology. These cells have the potential to become any cell in the human body, repair any tissue in the human body, and can replicate themselves for an unlimited amount of times. Recently, Nature journal critics stirred up some tension between Davide Vannoni’s (an Italian researcher) work on a stem-cell related treatment and the Italian government; the latter wishes to conduct a clinical trial to test the treatment’s validity. Even though the Nature journal argues against the Italian government conducting a clinical trial with Vannoni’s work, due to the flawed nature of Vannoni’s findings, progress with discovering a revolutionary stem-cell-related cure for diseases, like cancer, outweighs the trial’s financial expenses and must be conducted.

Stem-cells distinguish themselves from other cells in the body with their ability to replicate themselves indefinitely, and can become any cell (“The Stem Cell Controversy”). Under specific conditions, stem-cells can become the cells for a specific organ and insert themselves into that organ, which heals the tissues in that organ (“Frequently Asked Questions”). In certain parts of the body, like the stomach and bone marrow, the stem-cells can divide freely, while in other organs, like the heart and pancreas, the stem-cells can only divide under specific conditions (“Frequently Asked Questions”).

Stem-cell research monumentally influences developing new cures. The unique traits of stem-cells, like their ability to develop from generalized cells to cells with specialized functions, and their ability to divide without limit, make them a possible cure for difficult-to-treat diseases, like heart disease and diabetes (“Frequently Asked Questions”). Continued research furthers our understanding of how organisms develop from cells at early stages, and how stem-cells can replace damaged cells in adults.

Photo by hellaslive

Recently, the Italian government announced plans to watch over a clinical trial about a controversial stem-cell therapy method, which a Nature journal article avidly speaks against (“Trial and Error”). The article explains, because flaws exist within the data that researcher Davide Vannoni collected, the clinical trial, which will essentially waste all the money it requires, should not be carried out. (“Trial and Error”). The trial will cost roughly €3-million, or $3.9-million USD (“Trial and Error”).

In a clinical trial, participants receive experimental variables according to the research procedure (“Learn About Clinical Studies”). Experimental variables can include medical drugs or procedures, and behavioral changes, such as one’s diet (“Learn About Clinical Studies”). Clinical trials compare new medical procedures with traditional ones, determining the most effective and efficient products or treatment methods (“Learn About Clinical Studies”). The Italian government’s stem-cell therapy clinical trial tests the validity of Vannoni’s stem-cell treatment; if no compelling evidence supporting Vannoni’s method emerges, his work will lose credibility.

The Nature article asserts that this trial should not be conducted. This article mentions how Vannoni’s research is flawed, and even mentions how there is, “no good reason for [the trial] to be carried out” (“Trial and Error”). Statements like that represent only a single opinion; including it in an article takes away from the article’s credibility. The article acknowledges the opposing side by mentioning how those favoring Vannoni organized demonstrations with the patients’ families’ help, but the article fails to expand on this topic or connect it with the other ideas the paragraph, creating an impression that the author only included the statement for the sake of including it, and fails to comprehend how much it impacts the topic. Progressing through the article, the reader notices how the author only discusses one standpoint until the last paragraph; opinionated language appears, like when the author mentions the government taking a “pragmatic” approach to the topic, unlike Vannoni’s methods, and even refers to Vannoni’s practices as “scanty’ (“Trial and Error”). No matter how well the article hides it, name-calling always detracts from someone’s standpoint through reducing a reliance on facts when that person argues a point. This article’s opinionated tone requires an examination for consistency and validity among the facts presented.

After review, the data Vannoni bases his stem-cell procedure (known as Stamina therapy) on is flawed, and the Nature article establishes its argument upon this idea. The Stamina therapy procedure involves removing patients’ cells from their bone marrow and manipulating those cells in vitro (in a laboratory). Ideally, this should make the bone-cells into nerve-cells (“Abbott”). The Nature article mentions how Vannoni fails to provide adequate details regarding his procedures, and consistently refers to his patent (“Trial and Error”). Another source mentions this and explains an error with a picture on Vannoni’s patent (“Abbott”). The picture of a nerve cell Vannoni uses on his patent bears a

striking resemblance with a picture of a nerve cell used by another researcher named Elena

Schegelskaya, showing the inconsistency of Vannoni’s position (“Abbott”). Schegelskaya based her publication, with that photo, around turning bone-cells into nerve-cells, like Vannoni’s position, but both researchers used very different procedures (“Abbott”). The Nature article references this inconsistency, and while Vannoni’s findings are flawed, this does not imply that utilizing stem-cells from bone marrow is impossible, or that nothing will be learned if the government carries out the clinical trial.

Next, the Nature article discusses Vannoni’s relation with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). GMP encompasses regulations that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration erected, including ones regarding recordkeeping, personnel qualifications, and process validation (“What is GMP”). The Nature article warns that, “The very unlikeliness of the Stamina story should have made the Italian government extremely wary” (“Trial and Error”). Utilizing a retrospective statement this way, which mainly states the author’s opinion, alerts the reader about a possibly biased data presentation ahead. Even though the author of this Nature article presents truthful information, the author’s presentation style draws attention away from the facts presented, and even weakens claims, shown in this paragraph about Vannoni’s response to GMP. The paragraph explains how he prefers oversight-free environments, provides no detail regarding his procedures when prompted by authorities, asserts that the therapy can only function without GMP, and moves often to escape his opponents (“Trial and Error”). While the reader might assume that the author presents truthful information about Vannoni, this paragraph’s accusing and one-sided tone, established by the poor opening sentence, invokes a skeptical mindset within the reader, and makes the author’s claim, that the Italian government should not conduct the clinical trial, less creditable. This paragraph reminds the reader of Vannoni’s flawed research, though, and reinforces the author’s position.

Human stem cells
Photo by California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Vannoni’s Stamina therapy may be based on flawed data, but the Nature article poorly explains why the Italian government shouldn’t look further into a topic like Stamina therapy by conducting a clinical trial. The author acknowledges the incredible potential that stem-cells possess, but falters when stating that a trial that could challenge some topics regarding stem-cells will hinder progress within that field (“Trial and Error”). Even if conducting further research on Stamina therapy yields no breakthroughs, new information about stem-cells can still be learned. If Vannoni’s Stamina therapy falls flat, we could wonder, “what made it not work in those conditions?”, even if the therapy stemmed from false data. Avoiding a potential conflict between a clinical trial and stem-cell research won’t benefit anyone. The trial demands a hefty amount of funds, but the finances are well worth getting closer to finding a cure that can save and improve millions of lives.

Stem-cells greatly impact the medical world as we continue to learn more about them. Bone marrow-based stem-cell procedures, similar to Vannoni’s Stamina therapy, currently aid cancer treatment (“Bone Marrow Transplantation”). Inside the bone marrow (sponge-like material inside bones), hematopoietic stem-cells can be found (“BoneMarrow Transplantation”). These stem-cells divide to produce more blood-producing stem-cells, and are used with peripheral blood cells (cells found in the bloodstream) in bone marrow transplant operations, called Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation (PBSCT) (“Bone Marrow Transplantation”). These procedures allow patients to receive high levels of chemotherapy and radiation therapy by replacing destroyed stem-cells in the bone marrow during these processes (“Bone Marrow Transplantation”). This is just one revolutionary way that stem-cell treatments have helped people overcome diseases, and the more familiar we are with stem-cells, the more uses we’ll find for them.

Human embryonic stem cell
Photo by California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

The Italian government should conduct the clinical trial for Stamina therapy, even though Vannoni constructed the Stamina therapy method using false data. The Nature journal argues against conducting the trial, citing Vannoni’s flawed data and the financial aspect of the trial as reasons why, but suffers from a highly opinionated presentation style, costing the article some credibility for its claims. The information we could obtain from the trial, even if Stamina therapy doesn’t get us anywhere, goes towards finding a cure for several, currently, un-curable diseases, and spending the finances towards saving and improving the lives of millions of people is well worth it. 

Works Cited

"Trial and Error." Nature 499.7457 (2013): n. pag. Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 09 July 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2015. <http://www.nature.com/news/trial-and-error-1.13346>

"Frequently Asked Questions." Stem Cell Basics: Introduction [Stem Cell Information]. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. < http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics1.aspx>

"The Stem Cell Controversy." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/innovation/episode6_essay1.html>

"Learn About Clinical Studies." Learn About Clinical Studies. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2015. <https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/info/understand>

"Bone Marrow Transplantation and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation." National Cancer Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2015. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/bone-marrow-transplant>

"What Is GMP." What Is GMP. N.p., 09 Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2015. <http://www.ispe.org/gmp-resources/what-is-gmp>

Abbott, Alison. "Italian Stem-cell Trial Based on Flawed Data." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 02 July 2013. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. <http://www.nature.com/news/italian-stem-cell-trial-based-on-flawed-data-1.13329>