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The problem with getting women into tech is that so few women finish school with a tech degree, so no matter what you do, there's going to be a huge imbalance u
by oppositelock 12y ago
The problem with getting women into tech is that so few women finish school with a tech degree, so no matter what you do, there's going to be a huge imbalance until this changes. It's very difficult to change career later in life, for both men and women.
I think the greatest benefits come from getting girls excited about STEM careers, but this is a much longer term approach. I'm really dismayed at the peer pressure I see in school that steers boys and girls in different directions, since this is something you have to fight at home and de-program your children. Get your daughters a microscope, telescope, computer, whatever. Use it with her, show her all the cool stuff in the world and talk about how it works. Don't go for "girl-friendly" approaches, since IMO, those are condescending. Treat her like a curious little scientist, not little Suzie homemaker with a science hobby.
Having kids, it really pisses me off that people say boys are "smart, strong", and that girls are "cute, friendly". Freaking double standard.
- tptacek 12y agoI'm not sure why this is such a problem; a tech degree isn't necessary to be successful as a software developer. It may not even be all that helpful.
- tryanother 12y agoAgreed. I am only one data point, but i have no degree and I am a female dev. We're out there.
- tptacek 12y agoAs data points go: male developer, serious systems programming background, 1 semester of college. Maciej Ceglowski is, I think, even worse off than I am. He went to art school. Now he controls the Internet from his perch atop Pinboard.
- idlewords 12y agoI went to a liberal arts college and got so well-rounded I can't stop rolling.
- oppositelock 12y agoI've worked in this industry for a long time, and while I have worked with fantastic self-taught developers from non-tech degrees, it seems to me that they're the exception rather than the rule. I would not hesitate hiring someone without a tech degree based on their experience, but they seem fairly uncommon. Most of the developers I've worked with seem to come from CS/EE backgrounds.
- tptacek 12y agoGood developers are all exceptions, not the rule. The majority of CS grads are not in fact effective programmers.
- wglb 12y agoIt's very difficult to change career later in life, Perhaps I am showing my age, but a significant fraction of the seriously good developers that I know do not have CS degrees and sometimes even university time. Heck, I am quite happy with my career, and I went to university before there were even CS degrees to be had. I think this is more true in this field than any other.