Listening to the many sides in the great tech debate

Anti-gentrification protesters temporarily block a shuttle bus full of tech workers on Dec. 20, 2013, in San Francisco's Mission District. Anti-gentrification protesters temporarily block a shuttle bus full of tech workers on Dec. 20, 2013, in San Francisco's Mission District. Photo: Kurtis Alexander, The Chronicle Photo: Kurtis Alexander, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Listening to the many sides in the great tech debate 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

Well, that struck a nerve.

Last Sunday, The Chronicle ran a front-page story with the headline "S.F. tech companies' civic image at stake as backlash grows." More than 1,000 comments on SFGate, 1,000 Facebook shares and a bursting e-mail inbox later, it's clear this is a touchy topic, with anger coming from all sides.

Plenty of tech workers and their supporters say vilifying so-called "techies" for the city's skyrocketing rents and housing prices is no different than deciding to hate all Asian Americans or gay people.

"But remember, San Francisco loves diversity and tolerance! What hypocrites," Sunsetmom wrote on SFGate.

Others say the hordes of mostly male, mostly white coders who pack those controversial Google buses to get to their jobs in Silicon Valley are taking over the city's neighborhoods and making them boring and homogenous.

"Live closer to your work and create your own Mission District in Mountain View," wrote tuttut.

One of the most thoughtful responses came from Travis Beauvais, a 27-year-old transplant from South Carolina who works as an engineer for Knotch, a 10-person startup on Kearny Street.

The company makes an app that allows people to express their opinions using one of 10 colors (red if you love something, blue if you hate it).

When it comes to the city's tech boom, Beauvais sees the many shades of gray.

The real problem, he said, is that many of San Francisco's politicians and longtime residents have been so antidevelopment they've created a city with far too few housing units that can't accommodate the new workers who come during boom times. That means housing prices go, um, through the roof and people are squeezed out.

"Google is not evicting anyone," he e-mailed. "Facebook isn't doubling anyone's rent."

We chatted later, and he pointed out that it's not like tech workers want to be paying exorbitant rents either. After living in Santa Clara and Fremont for a few years, he spent nine months checking Craigslist daily and going to open houses to score a studio in Hayes Valley for $1,600 a month last year.

"I admittedly got very lucky," he said.

He said he's overheard plenty of conversations about how the tech industry is destroying the city. He just keeps his mouth shut.

"Obviously I'm not going to speak up and tell them I'm the person they blame for the destruction of San Francisco," he said.

That said, he does think "the tech community needs to be a lot less douchey" and blames people like former AngelHack CEO Greg Gopman for fueling the flames of tech hatred.

Gopman recently posted a mean screed on Facebook about homeless people. When he took down the rant and apologized, his Facebook friends said he shouldn't have - and one said homeless people should be forced to work in labor camps. Douchey indeed.

A San Francisco native who works as a consultant for tech companies said he sees both sides of the debate, too. He didn't want his name used for fear of alienating his tech clients, but said that while their success is benefiting the city economically, some of their entitlement is off-putting.

He's told his father, who worked in a cubicle for 30 years and whose sole perk was free coffee, about the tech offices he works in that sport free organic meals, masseuses and executive suites bigger than his own home.

"He says, 'Wow, you're so spoiled!' " he said, adding that when the raft of single twentysomething men the consultant works with find out he lives near Lake Merced with his two kids - and likes it - they say, "Where is that? Why would you live there?"

Some tech companies are trying to combat that oblivious frat guy image.

Scripted.com, which pairs freelance writers with businesses that need written content for their websites, is based at Sixth and Bryant streets near St. Vincent de Paul's homeless shelter.

Its 20 employees just completed an orientation session there and will be volunteering at least four hours a month to serve food to homeless people and fold linens.

Kati Voluntine, the company's operations manager, said she and her co-workers feel "a little bothered" when the tech sector is described negatively and as one amorphous group.

"All we can do is counter that with actions and try to represent ourselves the way we want to be viewed," she said. "That's on us to some degree."

Mayor Ed Lee would be proud. He told a group of tech executives at a private lunch Monday that he's grateful for their help in shoring up the city's tax base and bringing down its unemployment rate.

But there are almost 1,900 tech companies in the city now - and he wants to see 1,900 foundations that contribute to the betterment of San Francisco.

He wants them to advocate for changes to the Ellis Act and a higher minimum wage, provide technology and mentorship in the city's public schools, and help come up with ways to deal with the surging cost of housing and improve public transportation.

Who knows? If the companies comply, their critics' opinion of them could move from blue to red. Or at least purple.

Quote of the week

"It's a miracle someone wasn't hurt, that the building didn't slide down the hill and land on a dog-walker or a fancy car."

Stephen Williams, attorney for neighbors of a Twin Peaks home that collapsed and slid down a hill Monday night