4 ms·

Ignoring everything else wrong with your post, I'll just point out that most software developers were originally women before about 1960 -- it was seen as "woma

Ignoring everything else wrong with your post, I'll just point out that most software developers were originally women before about 1960 -- it was seen as "woman's work" because it didn't require physical labor. Women were significant contributors to the development of computing from the very beginning -- in fact, "software" as a concept was invented by a woman [1]. The profession didn't become high-status or highly-paid until after men took over (and shut out the women by redefining it as "men's work"). [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace

Ohn0 7y ago
How does this refute the previous position that women in general aren't currently as interested in computer science as teaching or nursing?
- standardUser 7y ago
  One does not need to refute the position that woman are less interested in computer science than nursing or teaching because asserting the personal interest of a hundred million people you've never met is nothing more than made up nonsense. There is of a course a lot of information out there about how societal expectations, existing power structures, gendered use of language, workplace dynamics and many other factors influence things like education and career ambitions. But ascribing it to the idea that "women are more interested in people" is lazy and meaningless.
  - wayoutthere 7y ago
    I was more addressing the habit of colonial power structures to use violence and intimidation to push women and minorities out of positions of economic prosperity. "Violence and intimidation" in a modern context is exactly what #MeToo was about, so it didn't stop just because women have equal rights under the law. Frankly, a lot of women don't want to put up with that kind of crap and so choose careers in industries where they feel safe (which often pay way less).
    - nkkollaw 7y ago
      Social studies degree..?
nkkollaw 7y ago
I'm well aware of that, but now women can choose, and don't choose that. What is your point?
imtringued 7y ago
Back then software development was split over a much bigger amount of roles. The idea of a single person sitting in front of a screen is a modern invention.
downerending 7y ago
The story is far more complex than this, and the history makes interesting reading. As one might imagine, what we call software development today was really split into an array of roles: some more like mathematicians, some like engineers, some typists, etc. The idea that women were somehow shut out of the industry doesn't really hold up. My programming classes in the 80s, for example, were about 50-50, and in my early career, I worked under several senior women programmers/technologists.

Ohn0 7y ago

How does this refute the previous position that women in general aren't currently as interested in computer science as teaching or nursing?

standardUser 7y ago
One does not need to refute the position that woman are less interested in computer science than nursing or teaching because asserting the personal interest of a hundred million people you've never met is nothing more than made up nonsense. There is of a course a lot of information out there about how societal expectations, existing power structures, gendered use of language, workplace dynamics and many other factors influence things like education and career ambitions. But ascribing it to the idea that "women are more interested in people" is lazy and meaningless.
- wayoutthere 7y ago
  I was more addressing the habit of colonial power structures to use violence and intimidation to push women and minorities out of positions of economic prosperity. "Violence and intimidation" in a modern context is exactly what #MeToo was about, so it didn't stop just because women have equal rights under the law. Frankly, a lot of women don't want to put up with that kind of crap and so choose careers in industries where they feel safe (which often pay way less).
  - nkkollaw 7y ago
    Social studies degree..?

nkkollaw 7y ago

I'm well aware of that, but now women can choose, and don't choose that. What is your point?

imtringued 7y ago

Back then software development was split over a much bigger amount of roles. The idea of a single person sitting in front of a screen is a modern invention.

downerending 7y ago

The story is far more complex than this, and the history makes interesting reading. As one might imagine, what we call software development today was really split into an array of roles: some more like mathematicians, some like engineers, some typists, etc. The idea that women were somehow shut out of the industry doesn't really hold up. My programming classes in the 80s, for example, were about 50-50, and in my early career, I worked under several senior women programmers/technologists.