Ladies Killing it in a Boys Club: Software Engineering
Photo Courtesy of Kode WIth Klossy (mentioned later in post)
Programming is Freedom
No one can stop me from building software. Well okay thats not fully true, someone could easily steal my computer right now... something could happen to my internet... but lets forget about the real world for a minute and lets talk about one that is easy to write about.
No one can stop me from building software. With my computer and my mind, I can take the things people think and do, and translate them into something a machine can understand and complete.
That's right, I speak to machines, and no one can stop me. The crazy part (if that isn't crazy enough) -- the words spoken to the machines can be billed... by the word. By that I mean software is incredibly lucrative since you are effectively replacing Mythical Woman Hours.
if (Printer.PaperTray.hasPaper) Printer.print("USD", "ALL OF THEM")
Though this might not have been my first*
program, it might as well have been with
how lucrative this industry is.
Demand for software is high
There is a lot of money being thrown at building software. Getting a very well paying job is very likely. Even if you think your job has nothing to do with programming, I'd bet that if you learned what you could do in your job with programming, you will make a lot more money. I don't know how exactly, but you will.
Lack of gender diversity
Why is it such a sausage fest in here? I have had very few female colleagues both in work and in academia. It is a cause for concern among many, and there are active groups trying to solve this issue.
Programming is now officially cool
I think that one of the most effective solutions to the problem has been in giving programming a better image. Programming doesn't have to bring the idea of dark caves and no sleep into the mix. A great example of a high power initiative is Karlie Klossy's coding camp and scholarship for girls who want to learn how to program. I think that these types of efforts can be extremely effective, but just learning to code isn't enough.
Most people just want to use what they already know to be successful
People in general just think programming is hard. It really isn't any different than most things, you just actually have to try to learn it. To quote a good friend's post:
- Pick a project you're passionate about
-@superfreek/how-to-become-a-self-taught-programmer.
This has to be the most important thing in learning to code. I think lack of mentors that can help girls materialize the things they are already interested in as a means to learning to code is a big reason we see less girls in software jobs. To say that the world needs to stop having girls taught that makeup is cool and that they should like barbies or whatever is obvious, but also never going to happen. Too much money involved. Instead, we need people that can make a difference right now by showing girls the amazing things that software and code can enable them to do within the domain of things they find interesting. This is different for every kid, but if you understand how software works, with relative ease you can suggest projects to take on that they will find rewarding to complete.
Learning just plain code on its own isn't fun for most. The fun is imagining what you are assembling as if it was real and tangible. When you create something that you show your friends and they think its amazing, I assure you this moment will be exhilarating.
Let me know what you think, Why are there so few women in software engineering?
Thanks for the love and comments, you guys rock!!
V
It's because men in software care mainly about the software.
Women in software seem to mainly care about why there aren't enough women in software...
The men in software are hardcore specialists, they are not very social creatures on the whole. They really don't give a damn about your genitals, to them only your code quality matters. They will absolutely worship you and the ground you walk on, if you are an attractive girl that can actually do real work in software on her own, instead of just winging it to signal dubious progressive can-do woman status, while relying on the men to do all the actual work.
Not gonna earn much respect that way with any devoted hacker, and you can expect to hear about it from them, because they're autistic, stifled, and don't understand social grace or that you're supposed to kiss up to a woman just because she's a woman.
You are completely delusional. The issue is that you think woman can't produce code that is high quality.
You say they don't give a damn about gender, but then you go on to say that attractive girls in software engineering have the ground they walk on worshiped. Whats more, those two sentences are right next to each other.
Please try harder to make a decent point next time you try to troll.
you are the delusional creature here veer, face it
I do know of a couple women who can produce very high quality code, and 1 that actually designs her own hardware from scratch too AND is successful in selling it worldwide for eyebrow-raising $$$. You can't fake that. But my dear Veerprit, these are gems picked out of hundreds and hundreds of other women, who are predictably useless at it - yet all seem to think they're "women in software" too. Somehow having a vagina ought to automatically make them equal to the above women who actually know what they're doing. We, the men and women of software, are tired of the entitled arrogance.
Sure, my propellerhead-bitches can code their way around me with one hand tied behind their backs. But here's the big difference: they're not on social media trying to push for more grrrl-power in software. It wouldn't even enter their minds to try. They're busy coding. Invariably, they've been coding ever since they were tiny tots, just like the boys. Because it's their passion and they eat,breathe, and sleep this stuff. This is who you're going to have to compete against after your "women-friendly coding course" at the elite "Rockefeller Easy Sail College for The Social Justices" MacSchool ("Would YOu Like Fries With THat Tech Degree?") has finished milking your parents for easy cash. Wishing you the best of luck! 'Cause grrl-power will not help any, and I want you to avoid easily prevented bitter disappointments - it really isn't the men's fault this time.
"but lets forget about the real world for a minute and lets talk about one that is easy to write about."
"but lets forget about the real world for a minute and lets talk about one that is easy to write about."
OMG
this made my day veer,
THANK YOU
" I'd bet that if you learned what you could do in your job with programming, you will make a lot more money. I don't know how exactly, but you will."
hmmm, right
"Programming doesn't have to bring the idea of dark caves and no sleep into the mix."
any real programmer can code for 24 hours straight,
if you cannot do that, you cant compete, plain as that
"To say that the world needs to stop having girls taught that makeup is cool and that they should like barbies or whatever is obvious, but also never going to happen"
okeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
this is becoming surreal
"Learning just plain code on its own isn't fun for most. The fun is imagining what you are assembling as if it was real and tangible. When you create something that you show your friends and they think its amazing, I assure you this moment will be exhilarating."
This is why you will never make it, real coders need no external validation
"Thanks for the love and comments,"
You're welcome