VR Industry Leaders Launch Pro-Diversity Non-Profit SHIIFT

SHIIFT is a new non-profit organization conceived to address a pressing problem with the virtual reality industry: A distinct, near-total dearth of people who are not young white men. As I wrote in the WSJ on Monday, I strongly suspect VR will become a niche of the hardcore gamer niche (i.e. mostly dudes), but its best (only?) chance to grow much beyond that niche is bringing in more women and more people with diverse backgrounds. Fortunately SHIIFT has heavy hitter advisors from Oculus, Valve, and other industry leaders. Read this Medium post from SHIIFT founder Helen Situ, explaining more about this drive:

So excited to introduce @SHIIFTorg.

“This Has To Happen Before Virtual Reality Can Succeed” https://t.co/hC1j4gUn5o

— Helen Situ (@HelenSitu) March 31, 2016

In fact, since the SHIIFT site itself is just a placeholder so far, good idea to follow Helen on Twitter for updates.

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Comments

[Ciaran Laval]

They have some good people involved so that is definitely encouraging.

[Slud]

Or we could just let the people who want to use VR, use VR.

Why do we need social engineering?

[sirhc deSantis]

Interesting initiative, although I have an allergy to tech evangelists going back to the Byte days ( no offence its just my tic! ).
I see in the comments that there seems to be some backlash and I think I can guess which segment that would be from. Usual suspects spring to mind.

Oh and @slud - if it bothers you so much that something intended to offer balance in any area that you cry 'social engineering' then just take it as 'industry wants to sell lots to lots of people'. That fit better?

[Batters Box]

I don't know if its a good idea to offer VR and oculus rift to non white young men just more stuff besides iphones will get stolen

[pussycat catnap]

When you are a person who has societal privilege, equality looks like oppression - because either everyone else gets up the hill with you, or you have to come down it to them, or even halfway on both. Either way, you're no longer king.

Thus you get opinions like sirhc's: they view having to share their privileges with others as an oppression against them.