Gosh, everybody, way to form your opinions about human nature in its relation to computer ability from 2 (maybe 3) personal experiences.
If there's one thing you can learn from this discussion, it's that PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT and there is no reliable way to tell the strengths and weaknesses of any given person.
"I've heard that girls are bad at math, but I know two girls who are really good at it."
"My school's ratio is 90-10. I think it's because women inherently don't like machines." "Well, my school's is 50-50! That means the genders are equal!"
Why bother making the generalizations at all? It won't benefit you or anyone else, and it also has a chance of hurting someone (including you).
As a society, we can pay attention to the statistics without perpetuating them by acting as if they imply something about human nature. As any sociologist can tell you, it is extremely difficult to separate the effects of "nature" from those of "nurture". Don't complicate their jobs any further by perpetuating scientifically unsupported stereotypes. (The claim that "women's brains aren't as analytical as men's" is a gross oversimplification, and just as suspect as "men aren't as good at social interaction.")
As for me? I'm getting out of the computer racket for pretty non-gender-related reasons. I'm still a sucker for anything computer related, and I'm perfectly at home with the "geek" moniker. I just want to get away from the "computer lifestyle".
The average career length of a good programmer seems to be 8 years, after which there is a swift burnout. During those 8 years, you get paid an above-average but uninspiring salary to sit around all day letting your eyes and muscles atrophy.
As not only a woman of the female persuasion but also a Human Being who has only one life to live, I can think of far more pleasing, more sustainable ways to earn a living.
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Gosh, everybody, way to form your opinions about human nature in its relation to computer ability from 2 (maybe 3) personal experiences.
If there's one thing you can learn from this discussion, it's that PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT and there is no reliable way to tell the strengths and weaknesses of any given person.
"I've heard that girls are bad at math, but I know two girls who are really good at it."
"My school's ratio is 90-10. I think it's because women inherently don't like machines." "Well, my school's is 50-50! That means the genders are equal!"
Why bother making the generalizations at all? It won't benefit you or anyone else, and it also has a chance of hurting someone (including you).
As a society, we can pay attention to the statistics without perpetuating them by acting as if they imply something about human nature. As any sociologist can tell you, it is extremely difficult to separate the effects of "nature" from those of "nurture". Don't complicate their jobs any further by perpetuating scientifically unsupported stereotypes. (The claim that "women's brains aren't as analytical as men's" is a gross oversimplification, and just as suspect as "men aren't as good at social interaction.")
As for me? I'm getting out of the computer racket for pretty non-gender-related reasons. I'm still a sucker for anything computer related, and I'm perfectly at home with the "geek" moniker. I just want to get away from the "computer lifestyle".
The average career length of a good programmer seems to be 8 years, after which there is a swift burnout. During those 8 years, you get paid an above-average but uninspiring salary to sit around all day letting your eyes and muscles atrophy.
As not only a woman of the female persuasion but also a Human Being who has only one life to live, I can think of far more pleasing, more sustainable ways to earn a living.