Sure, ellyagg, there are other reasons. And to be honest any female with half a brain doesn't go into a tech community proclaiming her gender. But there are def

Sure, ellyagg, there are other reasons. And to be honest any female with half a brain doesn't go into a tech community proclaiming her gender. But there are definitely attitudes and comments that you get when people know you're female that don't really encourage you to stick around and become a member of the community. Assuming a woman overcomes whatever other social/educational/evolutionary factors enough to start participating in the first place, it really doesn't help the balance that she's driven off due to the behaviour of apes with keyboards. Of course, as I allude, most of us have learnt to let the gender thing stay under wraps and, when it does come out, are used to the general comments caused by JGGIFT. But there are plenty who get really upset by such things and won't hang around.