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Sexism and Computer Science: Where Are My Sister Coders? (2014)

8 points by edroche 12y ago

elwell 12y ago
There is definitely some amount of sexism in corporate and academic CS, but there is an entrepreneur that doesn't need funding and is entirely anonymous.
Someone1234 12y ago
That graph is misleading. You'd think that the number of women in CS was decreasing reading that when the reality is that they've gained, they've just gained slower than men. Using a % graphic (men:women) is a very political choice. It was picked to give the reader the impression that women were running away from CS and the situation was getting more and more dire. Contrast that with this article's data: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2474991/it-careers/women-computer-science-grads--the-bump-before-the-decline.html http://www.computerworld.com/article/2474991/it-careers/wome... Things could definitely be better. But at least the graphs in the above article give you a more realistic picture of things, rather than a misleading one.
coreyp_1 12y ago
In academia and industry, I've only seen one case of sexism, and it was from a visiting professor (from Turkey) and he was quickly removed. I have seen women that shouldn't be in CS, not because they are women but because they were only there because they had heard that CS was a high paying field. Then they washed out because they didn't have the interest nor mindset to learn the subject. But so what? I've seen men fail out the same way. The opposite is also true, I've seen women and men alike excel. In today's technology world, if you've got the skills, then you get the respect. I will not hire a woman coder just because she is a woman, and the same is true for a man. I want to see a demonstrated mastery of the requisite skills. If I have a daughter in the future, should I push her to be a coder just because there are fewer women coders overall? No. That, to me, is just sexist because it does not take my (hypothetical) daughter's interests or talents into account. If she likes it, then by all means do it and be the best! But I would not discourage my daughter from a woman-domineered field just because there are a lot of women in that field already, especially if it something that she is good at and that she enjoys! The same would be said to my son. I would not discourage him from CS just because there are a lot of men in that field already. Neither would I encourage him into a woman-dominated field, just to fill an arbitrary quota. Let him do what he is good at and enjoys!

8 points by edroche 12y ago

There is definitely some amount of sexism in corporate and academic CS, but there is an entrepreneur that doesn't need funding and is entirely anonymous.

Someone1234 12y ago

That graph is misleading. You'd think that the number of women in CS was decreasing reading that when the reality is that they've gained, they've just gained slower than men. Using a % graphic (men:women) is a very political choice. It was picked to give the reader the impression that women were running away from CS and the situation was getting more and more dire. Contrast that with this article's data: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2474991/it-careers/women-computer-science-grads--the-bump-before-the-decline.html http://www.computerworld.com/article/2474991/it-careers/wome... Things could definitely be better. But at least the graphs in the above article give you a more realistic picture of things, rather than a misleading one.

coreyp_1 12y ago

In academia and industry, I've only seen one case of sexism, and it was from a visiting professor (from Turkey) and he was quickly removed. I have seen women that shouldn't be in CS, not because they are women but because they were only there because they had heard that CS was a high paying field. Then they washed out because they didn't have the interest nor mindset to learn the subject. But so what? I've seen men fail out the same way. The opposite is also true, I've seen women and men alike excel. In today's technology world, if you've got the skills, then you get the respect. I will not hire a woman coder just because she is a woman, and the same is true for a man. I want to see a demonstrated mastery of the requisite skills. If I have a daughter in the future, should I push her to be a coder just because there are fewer women coders overall? No. That, to me, is just sexist because it does not take my (hypothetical) daughter's interests or talents into account. If she likes it, then by all means do it and be the best! But I would not discourage my daughter from a woman-domineered field just because there are a lot of women in that field already, especially if it something that she is good at and that she enjoys! The same would be said to my son. I would not discourage him from CS just because there are a lot of men in that field already. Neither would I encourage him into a woman-dominated field, just to fill an arbitrary quota. Let him do what he is good at and enjoys!