4 ms·

I don't know why you assume that 50/50 is the desired ratio when acceptance is supposed to be self-selected and merit based. This CS professor from MIT explain

by codexon 13y ago

I don't know why you assume that 50/50 is the desired ratio when acceptance is supposed to be self-selected and merit based. This CS professor from MIT explains why fewer females choose engineering studies like CS. http://philip.greenspun.com/careers/women-in-science http://philip.greenspun.com/careers/women-in-science Specifically this quote. > What about women? Don't they want to impress their peers? Yes, but they are more discriminating about choosing those peers. I've taught a fair number of women students in electrical engineering and computer science classes over the years. I can give you a list of the ones who had the best heads on their shoulders and were the most thoughtful about planning out the rest of their lives. Their names are on files in my "medical school recommendations" directory.

davorak 13y ago
> I don't know why you assume that 50/50 is the desired ratio when acceptance is supposed to be self-selected and merit based. I was not trying to communicate my desire. Rather what is optimal? I need strong evidence to operate far from 50/50. > Specifically this quote. This counts as evidence, but not enough evidence to get me to think the optimum is close to having 14-18% female CS degree recipients(2010). Nice graph over time: http://blogs.computerworld.com/sites/computerworld.com/files/u28/women2.jpg http://blogs.computerworld.com/sites/computerworld.com/files... from article: http://blogs.computerworld.com/it-careers/21993/women-computer-science-visual-trendline http://blogs.computerworld.com/it-careers/21993/women-comput... Summary statistics: http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/BytheNumbers09.pdf http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/BytheNum...
- codexon 13y ago
  You prefer 50/50 but you have no evidence to even suggest that this is the "best" distribution for CS let alone any other major. Why can't you accept the possibility that females do not like CS as much as males do not like things like nursing or human resources? If there is a social stigma, should we really force people who normally wouldn't choose it so we can have a 50/50 ratio just because that is the probability to be born as? Who are you to say that they are happier doing CS instead of what they would've chosen without all this influence?
  - davorak 13y ago
    > You prefer 50/50 but you have no evidence to even suggest that this is the "best" distribution for CS let alone any other major. 50/50 is the default with out additional information. Again I am not trying to statement my preferences. > Why can't you accept the possibility that females do not like CS as much as males do not like things like nursing or human resources? I did not say I can not. Like any idea I want good evidence and solid understanding to make strong claims. > If there is a social stigma, should we really force people who normally wouldn't choose it so we can have a 50/50 ratio just because that is the probability to be born as? I have not seen anyone make the argument to force people to take CS courses. > Who are you to say that they are happier doing CS instead of what they would've chosen without all this influence? Trying is better then not trying. Influence exist weather intentional or not. Unintentional influences are not inherently better then intentional.

by codexon 13y ago

davorak 13y ago

> I don't know why you assume that 50/50 is the desired ratio when acceptance is supposed to be self-selected and merit based. I was not trying to communicate my desire. Rather what is optimal? I need strong evidence to operate far from 50/50. > Specifically this quote. This counts as evidence, but not enough evidence to get me to think the optimum is close to having 14-18% female CS degree recipients(2010). Nice graph over time: http://blogs.computerworld.com/sites/computerworld.com/files/u28/women2.jpg http://blogs.computerworld.com/sites/computerworld.com/files... from article: http://blogs.computerworld.com/it-careers/21993/women-computer-science-visual-trendline http://blogs.computerworld.com/it-careers/21993/women-comput... Summary statistics: http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/BytheNumbers09.pdf http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/BytheNum...

codexon 13y ago
You prefer 50/50 but you have no evidence to even suggest that this is the "best" distribution for CS let alone any other major. Why can't you accept the possibility that females do not like CS as much as males do not like things like nursing or human resources? If there is a social stigma, should we really force people who normally wouldn't choose it so we can have a 50/50 ratio just because that is the probability to be born as? Who are you to say that they are happier doing CS instead of what they would've chosen without all this influence?
- davorak 13y ago
  > You prefer 50/50 but you have no evidence to even suggest that this is the "best" distribution for CS let alone any other major. 50/50 is the default with out additional information. Again I am not trying to statement my preferences. > Why can't you accept the possibility that females do not like CS as much as males do not like things like nursing or human resources? I did not say I can not. Like any idea I want good evidence and solid understanding to make strong claims. > If there is a social stigma, should we really force people who normally wouldn't choose it so we can have a 50/50 ratio just because that is the probability to be born as? I have not seen anyone make the argument to force people to take CS courses. > Who are you to say that they are happier doing CS instead of what they would've chosen without all this influence? Trying is better then not trying. Influence exist weather intentional or not. Unintentional influences are not inherently better then intentional.