Do people hate "techies"? (San Jose, San Francisco: middle-class, transplants, tech job)

[pixelperfect3]

Hi all,

I recently moved to the South Bay (for a tech job of course). I am currently living in San Jose and I like it, but I love visiting SF and spending time there. I keep thinking I want to move there in the near future, but...

...what is the general attitude of long-time residents towards "techies" who are transplants to the city? I've been reading about all the fuss in the news recently and whatnot.

I also HATE the fact that lower-to-middle-class people are being priced out of the city. I make six figures so I could probably afford to live in the city (though I would never do that - paying $2600+ for a 1-bedroom in the Mission is too much), but I keep wondering what it is like for people who cant afford all that (the south bay isn't too different).

A lot of techies also commute from SF, and it seems like they also dont "contribute" a lot to their city and just want to enjoy it. is that true? Do long-time residents feel like that is true and the city is losing it's identity?

[04kL4nD]

Depends on who you ask. Personally, I try to treat people with kindness and respect, so I don't really care what people do for a living as long as they are kind and respectful to me. There are lots of other threads on this topic, but I expect this one to devolve into a pro-tech and tech apologists vs anti-tech and tech haters thread fairly quickly...

[18Montclair]

I dont hate techies because I work with them.

[ccm123]

If people see the "big picture", tech companies create jobs for non-techies also. Business support functions (management, accounting, finance, law, HR, etc) employees are needed by tech companies and techies must have other needs (food, groceries, etc). If tech companies were gone in the Bay Area, this place would be in a serious depression.

[clongirl]

Nothing wrong with people in the tech industry (and it's huge and varied). I'm also married to one. I'm also from San Francisco but was "priced out" many years ago before this past wave of huge hiring sprees.

My main problem with "techies" (I hate that term since it's just so generalized) is that the vibe and culture of the City has changed because for some reason the only people you see nowadays are twenty somethings that make very good money for their age/lack of experience. It's like families, locals, and anyone over 35 just don't exist in the City anymore. It's sad, but blaming a specific industry isn't the right thing to do either. Job growth and a healthy economy are good things.

Anyone that "hates" the tech industry probably is using their laptop/cell phone right now to express themselves! It's just the way it is and it's silly to block Google buses. Those people are most likely transplants also.

On a positive note, I'm in the East Bay now and it's great and handy for me to get over to Oakland and Berkeley for great food and entertainment. What may be bad for San Francisco in terms of culture and cost are all making Oakland a whole lot more attractive to more varied groups of people.

[ccm123]

I wonder if these people who hate techies have ever used the following: e-mail, smartphone technology, the internet, etc

These inventions have made the world a lot more productive as a result. Thank the techies!

[felinius]

Originally Posted by ccm123

I wonder if these people who hate techies have ever used the following: e-mail, smartphone technology, the internet, etc

These inventions have made the world a lot more productive as a result. Thank the techies!

I feel like what qualifies someone as a "techie" is working in this "wave 2" of technology ... not e-mail, internet, smartphones, but working for a start-up, working on apps, etc. We should thank the government for the internet anyways.

OP, you work in the South Bay. Take this motto and think about trying to move to SF: "Live close to where you work for happiness." You will not want to take 101 (parking lot) and CalTrain is not always reliable.

[bmw335xi]

Most people don't hate techies, in fact, the majority of people I meet in bars, events work in tech. I live in San Francisco if that helps. most of my friends work in SV and live in San Francisco.

[jade408]

mod cut

It is hard to have a vibrant city if everyone has the same point of view.

[Ceece]

I don't think everyone in SF has the same point of view. People see what they want to see. If they want to see nothing but 20-somthings in SF that's what they THINK they see. THEY are obviously incorrect but there is no point arguing with that kind of person.

Nobody hates techies, how would they even know by looking at you?