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I'm glad you have concerns about programming as a field and I feel as though they are valid. It's not my fight, though, so I wish you luck. I agree it isn't equ
by Einstalbert 13y ago
I'm glad you have concerns about programming as a field and I feel as though they are valid. It's not my fight, though, so I wish you luck. I agree it isn't equal, in many definitions of the word, but I wouldn't necessarily associate it with manly or womanly in terms of sexuality/identity. It's simply a field. A field that has, up until now, been primarily men and perhaps even primarily negative men and perhaps, again, men who are negative towards women because they are insecure about it. I think it says more about them than the field, but I could be wrong. I still stand by the thought that programming is inherently nothing other than a field, ripe for societies to use or abuse as they will. I could say the same about any field, teaching children I guess is the opposite at least in terms of number by gender.
Not sure what the large, burly man colleague of yours has to do with my point, though. He could be a four foot tall waif and I wouldn't think any differently of the field. I work with many said waifs and I make no distinction.
Sexuality, as I've found, can be fluid even within the boundaries of something like being straight. Your bottom line is interesting, but mine is more or less, "Don't feel bad about falling short of something you have complete control of." There's no reason to feel as though you need to live up to some definition of sexuality when it involves identity. Carve your own identity. It isn't easy, and it isn't straightforward, but I trust humans to be more than simple creatures.
- guard-of-terra 13y agoWRT boy's club: my main idea was that of all behaviours associated with men, not every one is perceived masculine. "Boy's club" isn't for example. That programming is male-dominated doesn't imply that programming is perceived masculine.
- wlievens 13y agoI've never met these elusive mysterious men in the software industry that are negative towards women, or towards the idea of women working in the software industry. I have however met plenty of women (high school era mostly) who were very negative about the software industry because it "is not about people" and involves "sitting at a desk all day". So I guess these same women today just work some other desk job that just pays half as much, so they complain about gender income inequality. Don't want to be sexist here; I would strongly encourage anyone (male or female) to work in our exciting industry. I just don't think men are more to blame for the imbalance than women.