I'm not sure it's so much "respecting the career", as the stereotype of the nerd with poor social skills is still strong enough to raise red flags for many. No

I'm not sure it's so much "respecting the career", as the stereotype of the nerd with poor social skills is still strong enough to raise red flags for many. Not all of course, and it probably depends a lot on how you interact with others before they learn what you do. I can't say if that's fair or not, but it doesn't seem any less so than any of the other ways people choose partners or friends.