&gt; I was able to go into technology with confidence and social support that many other groups will not have.<p>Where I grew up (in 1980s US), white males were almost universally derided for being into technology. It wasn&#x27;t until the 2000s that it became &quot;cool&quot;. There was no privilege associated with being a geek. It was something many of us did despite the social stigma. That&#x27;s why it&#x27;s humorous to see people claim there was some sort of privilege associated with those who where early in tech. Yes it turned out to be economically viable but there was huge social pressure against participating.