This reminds me of another discussion regarding women in technical fields. I have a physics degree, so I am experienced in another aspect of North American (probably world) culture where there is a larger percentage of men then there are women.
Studies have been done in physics asking "Why are there so few women? Is it because women aren't 'naturally' technical/math oriented?". This is essentially the same question we are talking about in the computer gaming culture as well. The answer to the physics question seems like it would also apply here: "There are so few new women in the culture (read physics or gaming geek) because there are so few current women in the culture." Basically, while 'old school' men are running most aspects of the gaming industry, any women who try to enter into programming games, writing for gaming magazines, talking with fellow gamers about things they like, etc., will be immediately marginalized. I know many women who have technical skills and are really interested in computers and gaming, who can't enter the culture because every time they try they are told things like, "Girls don't like first-person shooter games", and "Girls wouldn't buy that anyway, even if the ad wasn't digital porn (as in Lara Croft selling Tomb Raider)".
Even if it is only the idiots who say things like that, think back to when you started playing. When you got killed repeatedly in your first networked game of Quake, did you hear something like this, "Ya gotta be faster, punk!", or something like this, "You keep getting killed because you're a girl, and girls suck at these games." The first option includes you, and challenges you to do better. The second option has no humour in it, and no challenge. There is no room to improve: the judgement has already been made that you will never be on par with those already in the game.
That's a surefire way to make sure that women don't join the culture, be it a technical field such as physics, software or hardware development, auto mechanics, etc., or gaming.
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This reminds me of another discussion regarding women in technical fields. I have a physics degree, so I am experienced in another aspect of North American (probably world) culture where there is a larger percentage of men then there are women.
Studies have been done in physics asking "Why are there so few women? Is it because women aren't 'naturally' technical/math oriented?". This is essentially the same question we are talking about in the computer gaming culture as well. The answer to the physics question seems like it would also apply here: "There are so few new women in the culture (read physics or gaming geek) because there are so few current women in the culture." Basically, while 'old school' men are running most aspects of the gaming industry, any women who try to enter into programming games, writing for gaming magazines, talking with fellow gamers about things they like, etc., will be immediately marginalized. I know many women who have technical skills and are really interested in computers and gaming, who can't enter the culture because every time they try they are told things like, "Girls don't like first-person shooter games", and "Girls wouldn't buy that anyway, even if the ad wasn't digital porn (as in Lara Croft selling Tomb Raider)".
Even if it is only the idiots who say things like that, think back to when you started playing. When you got killed repeatedly in your first networked game of Quake, did you hear something like this, "Ya gotta be faster, punk!", or something like this, "You keep getting killed because you're a girl, and girls suck at these games." The first option includes you, and challenges you to do better. The second option has no humour in it, and no challenge. There is no room to improve: the judgement has already been made that you will never be on par with those already in the game.
That's a surefire way to make sure that women don't join the culture, be it a technical field such as physics, software or hardware development, auto mechanics, etc., or gaming.