Newspaper article about growing backlash against SF tech companies (rent, condo)

[phoenixmike11]

S.F. tech companies' civic image at stake as backlash grows - SFGate

This is an interesting read- what do Bay area folks on this board think about it?

[ccm123]

Some of the backlash is due to envy, but a growing technology industry drives and creates jobs in other industries that support the technology industry.

[bmw335xi]

From a previous post, but this addresses why some people are hating on tech guys.

If companies like Google, Facebook, Zynga, Wells Fargo etc are the enemy, well then without them we would probably be like Detroit. Sure rent would be cheap, but our city would suck and would most likely be forced to file for bankruptcy considering our massive spending habits and bleeding heart pet projects. These companies provide good wages, yet people complain their employees are the reason why rents are so high. These same people then condemn companies like Walmart because they don't pay their employees enough. Well, what do they want then! LOL

[04kL4nD]

Repost:

This tech-apologist narrative is just as tired as the anti-tech one. The reality is that when people who are in a position of privilege fail to acknowledge their blessings and flaunt their wealth, others not only notice, they get very angry/resentful. If you're in tech making lots of money in SF, don't cry victim when your 'working class' neighbors express their outward hostility. Go live in a rich suburb with a gated community if you want to avoid interaction with people that think you're the enemy.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

This tech-apologist narrative is just as tired as the anti-tech one. The reality is that when people who are in a position of privilege fail to acknowledge their blessings and flaunt their wealth, others not only notice, they get very angry/resentful. If you're in tech making lots of money in SF, don't cry victim when your 'working class' neighbors express their outward hostility. Go live in a rich suburb with a gated community if you want to avoid interaction with people that think you're the enemy.

Tech guys are usually the less flaunty than most people in similar paying professions... Usually they dress like nerds who could pass off as making less than $35k.

According to you, if you work in tech and aren't willing to listen to your neighbors talk crap about you, then you should be forced to move to a gated suburb?

WOW...

This is the Bay Area... if you don't like tech, then you should move somewhere else. If you don't approve of homosexuality, don't live in the Bay Area. It's like saying, well if you don't want to be attacked for your sexual orientation than go move to a gated suburb. Crazy.

God help America lol

[04kL4nD]

Go back and actually re-read my comment, word for word. Try sounding out the words if they are difficult. Eventually, if you try hard enough, I think you might be able to get it.

And while you're at it, try reading the actual article. It brings up a number of salient points.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

Go back and actually re-read my comment, word for word. Try sounding out the words if they are difficult. Eventually, if you try hard enough, I think you might be able to get it.

And while you're at it, try reading the actual article. It brings up a number of salient points.

It's very plain and clear what you wrote...

[04kL4nD]

Not to you apparently. Let me break it down for you:

This tech-apologist narrative is just as tired as the anti-tech one.

- BOTH sides have valid points, but are EQUALLY annoying.

The reality is that when people who are in a position of privilege fail to acknowledge their blessings and flaunt their wealth, others not only notice, they get very angry/resentful.

- I don't see what's difficult to understand about this. I never said ALL techies were obnoxious, but some are. READ THE SF GATE ARTICLE.

If you're in tech making lots of money in SF, don't cry victim when your 'working class' neighbors express their outward hostility

I don't see what's difficult to understand about this either. If you move into a gentrifying neighborhood that used to be full of working class people, you get what you pay for, and sometimes resentful/angry neighbors comes bundled with your luxury new condo. Also, when you have no social skills and don't make any effort to get to know your neighbors and brush them off, their resentment might even grow more. AGAIN, you should REALLY read the SF Gate article, since it discusses this very same phenomenon. Even tech companies are acknowledging the problem and are trying to come up with ways to help their workers assimilate into their communities. This isn't some imagined problem that came out of nowhere.

Go live in a rich suburb with a gated community if you want to avoid interaction with people that think you're the enemy.

If you feel threatened by your 'working class' neighbors (note: I'm putting working class in quotation marks to suggest that it's a somewhat arbitrary definition, given that a previous poster stated 250k salaries= working class) and you don't want to assimilate or get to know them any better (AGAIN, read the article), then maybe you should live in place where you won't encounter hostility. Like a suburb with a gated community.

[felinius]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Tech guys are usually the less flaunty than most people in similar paying professions... Usually they dress like nerds who could pass off as making less than $35k.

Because they spend all that money on electronics and $6 toast with coffee.

[NorCal Dude]

I work for a tech company in eville. Yes most techies are totally obnoxious, closet republicans, from back east, with parents who live backeast.

I know, I have to deal with them.

But they are insular and keep to themselves.

And if sf has such a problem maybe they should not vote for people who give twitter tax breaks.

And lastly, if you don't own property, you don't have a right to live any where.

You are a peasant who pays a monthly homage to your land lord. If u don't like it, find a new lord.