The document discusses the concept of legitimacy and argues that it is not a finite resource that is hoarded by privileged groups. It asserts that legitimacy is unequally distributed and there are many barriers that prevent underrepresented groups from gaining legitimacy through traditional routes like coding bootcamps, self-teaching, or higher education. It proposes refactoring how legitimacy is determined to make knowledge more accessible and distributed, such as by providing free undergraduate education, compensating community event organizers, and not requiring others to vouch for one's knowledge or skills.

1. Legitimacy is Infinite
Nikki Murray
@nikkilizmurray
github.com/jdax

2. There is only so much legitimacy to go around
There can only ever be X amount of legitimacy, to be shared among
everyone unequally
“If someone else has legitimacy, it must mean I don’t”
Black/white thinking or zero sum game
Legitimacy is hoarded
White, straight, cis, able-bodied, men at the top hoarding it
Like wealth, some people are “born with it”
As some people say of talent, some people have it “innately”
Legitimacy as a finite resource
@NikkiLizMurray

3. If legitimacy is finite and needs to be hoarded by those who already have it,
how can we control the flow of it to other people?
def has_legitimacy
if cis_white_able_bodied_straight_man
return true
else
return false
end
end
Control Flow

4. What are the routes to legitimacy if you happen to not have been “born” with
it?
namespace :legitimacy do
:codeschool, :selftaught, :bachelors, :community
end
Routes to Legitimacy

5. For-Profit and Non-Accredited
Expensive, inaccessible to people with historical barriers to wealth
White / men / straight /cis / able bodied founders making profit off of
marginalized people attempting to gain access
No Pell Grants, or subsidized loans, at mercy of predatory lendors
Student-As-Consumer
Many best-practices left out to fit in 10-12 week course
Hire on potential vs hire on achievement
Like many start-ups,
Hire people who look like them as instructors
Enroll people who look like them (as they have higher chance of getting
hired)
Code Schools

6. Certain books or tutorials become “canon”
Emphasises certain styles of learning, disadvantage to those with
different learning styles
Books that get canonized are often written by people from over-
represented groups
Policing who gets to be self-taught
Self-taught is legitimacy speaking to legitimacy
Men can vouch for their own trustworthiness in being self-taught, as
they are inherently legitimate
Underrepresented groups are not considered “legitimate” enough to
vouch for their own knowledge
Self-Taught

7. The entire student debt crisis is massive and isn’t going to get better any
time soon
CS departments are awful to underrepresented groups
If cis white able bodied straight men can get legitimacy for free, why do
others need to put themselves tens of thousands (if not hundreds of
thousands) of dollars in debt?
Traditional College

8. Community lead initiatives to get under-represented groups into tech
RailsGirls, PyLadies
Hack The Hood
Groups that are considered to be innately illegitimate, attempting to bestow
legitimacy on people who are also considered innately illegitimate
To keep these meet ups free, and open to everyone:
Tend to 101 or novice in nature (planning intermediate to advanced
events is hard)
Volunteer reliant
Burn out
Placing burden to fix diversity on those who are left out
Community Taught

9. def has_legitimacy
if cis_white_able_bodied_straight_man
return true
elsif attended_code_school
return true
elsif knows_canon
return true
elsif has_CS_degree_from_MIT
return true
elsif went_to_every_meetup
return true
else
return false
end
end
Refactoring Control Flow

10. Refactoring Control Flow

11. Knowledge must be accessible
Accredited not-for-profit code schools and retreats with educated
instructs, child care, school sponsored health insurance, cost of living
More diverse writers being read and celebrated
Community events being able to compensate people who help
Free Undergrad
Don’t require others to vouch for someone’s knowledge
Hire diverse candidates
Legitimacy is Infinite