Views on female programers
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Good for you!Jade wrote:Reason behind my post:
I'm female and thinking about going into programing as a career.
Very different imho. At my work, they (sounds bad, 'they'... oh well you get it) are more than welcome and he overall thought is that they are a good compliment to the rest of us. Does not entirely mean that they compliment the rest of us just in the aspect of programming.Jade wrote:I need to know if female programers are shoved aside (like they are in many jobs) and chosen over male programers.
Harsh truth tho, is that the world still is kinda back in the 20's with the "fetch my dinner woman" thinking... =/
You should never give up. Easy for me to say as male regarding this subject perhaps, but I think that the world is slowly changing and that today you have a greater chance of making it than brekaing the leg.Jade wrote: I mean think about, whats the use of coming into a career field thats 98% male and then trying to get work if people are so eager to take male programers over female ones?
When I help out in the IT/IS, Corporate Communications and Operations departments my boss is a mid 30's woman that everyone likes. Sales companies in 50+ countries, 9500+ persons employed, and she has the final word on alot of programs before they ar deployed.
If she can make it, I just think you can ;)
And good luck.
this is the internet.
Gender is merely a tick in a form, 2 letters difference in a profile.
As to the general idea of female programmers... i think its kinda similar to car mechanics
most women seem to think its boring (or at least think its not lady-like, so suppress any desire for it)
Yes there is alot of sexism out there, but i would have thought that most programming houses, with the nature and the age of the market, have more modern principles regarding such. Having never programmed in anything other than a one-man-band tho i cant be authoritive
Personally i feel prejudice is something that belongs to the manual labour markets. Doesnt take much strength to lift a piece of paper. Make-up sessions and unceasing chatter apart, there is no real difference in ability.
Gender is merely a tick in a form, 2 letters difference in a profile.
As to the general idea of female programmers... i think its kinda similar to car mechanics
most women seem to think its boring (or at least think its not lady-like, so suppress any desire for it)
Yes there is alot of sexism out there, but i would have thought that most programming houses, with the nature and the age of the market, have more modern principles regarding such. Having never programmed in anything other than a one-man-band tho i cant be authoritive
Personally i feel prejudice is something that belongs to the manual labour markets. Doesnt take much strength to lift a piece of paper. Make-up sessions and unceasing chatter apart, there is no real difference in ability.
- twigletmac
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I have been programming for about 5 years. In every IT department so far I have been the only female. Not much of a problem for me. I love sports, computers, and other geeky persuits, but also work out and try to keep myself in attractive shape.
Most people are surprised when they hear what I do because I do have a bubbly and rather friendly attitude (add to that a voice that makes me sound 10). Users are always surprised because they have a very stereotypical view of an IT person (think SNL).
I hope as I climb the ladder I can be a mentor for a female programmer. I have only felt insane amounts of prejudice once in my career where a supervisor was convinced I was going to leave my job and have babies any day now. (nevermind I am not having kids, or that I was single.) That was difficult to deal with because he did not take me seriously.
You'all sound very fair and no one on this board tends to be bothered about gender so it's pretty cool! Anyways..thought I would add my thoughts. ^_^
Most people are surprised when they hear what I do because I do have a bubbly and rather friendly attitude (add to that a voice that makes me sound 10). Users are always surprised because they have a very stereotypical view of an IT person (think SNL).
I hope as I climb the ladder I can be a mentor for a female programmer. I have only felt insane amounts of prejudice once in my career where a supervisor was convinced I was going to leave my job and have babies any day now. (nevermind I am not having kids, or that I was single.) That was difficult to deal with because he did not take me seriously.
You'all sound very fair and no one on this board tends to be bothered about gender so it's pretty cool! Anyways..thought I would add my thoughts. ^_^
Jade: I am getting in kinda late, but I think I might have something to add.
Female programmers/male programmers, doesn't make a difference to me. It's how they represent themselves, and how much of a quality programmer they are. Take twigletmac here. She is by and far this forums show person, and I've pretty much handed her the reigns of this board. Not because she's female, but because she earned it.
Also, the fact that my girlfriend Piera is into computers, Linux, and well, computers, also helps my point of view. When it comes to hardware, I let her handle it, she is the queen.
Really, it's not your gender that makes you a good programmer. That's the great thing about programming, computing, and the open source philosophy: everyone's invited!
Female programmers/male programmers, doesn't make a difference to me. It's how they represent themselves, and how much of a quality programmer they are. Take twigletmac here. She is by and far this forums show person, and I've pretty much handed her the reigns of this board. Not because she's female, but because she earned it.
Also, the fact that my girlfriend Piera is into computers, Linux, and well, computers, also helps my point of view. When it comes to hardware, I let her handle it, she is the queen.
Really, it's not your gender that makes you a good programmer. That's the great thing about programming, computing, and the open source philosophy: everyone's invited!
I wouldn't worry too much about it. I think you'll be fine. Look at me: I'm the soul brother of PHP and I've managed. If we (most of us) as a people have been able to get over the race issue, I suspect we (most of us) will get, or have gotten over the sex issue as well.Jade wrote:Reason behind my post:
I'm female and thinking about going into programing as a career. I need to know if female programers are shoved aside (like they are in many jobs) and chosen over male programers. I mean think about, whats the use of coming into a career field thats 98% male and then trying to get work if people are so eager to take male programers over female ones?
Now for the cliche, if they don't want you, they don't deserve you!
Now for the humor part.
Women should make great programmers. Based on how they talk to each other, all of them rattling off at the same time, yet still coming to some meaningful end and actually communicating with one another to boot, dames should be real good at multi-threading. The inability to focus on one thing at a time will be a tremendous boon.
But that's just a joke Jade.
Now for the honest vulnerable part.
Honest women, in artistic or scientific endeavours, add a dynamic or depth to the creation that men never reach, phathom, or appreciate. What that is I've never been able to put a finger on!
But I like it!
Rock hard, ride free...,
BDKR
- evilmonkey
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Re: Female Programmers
Hey Dani. If you lived in Canada, I'd reccommend Waterloo, they're considered one of the best (if not the best) technology schools in North America. Get good marks (95+ in Math, English, and all your tech courses) and you're a shoo-in. And high-school isn't that bad (yes, I'm a high-school student).daniworldwide wrote:I probably want to make a living off programming too. Know any good colleges I should aim for in my high school career? (Going into high school in a month. eep!) Girls programmers are just as good as guy programmers, as stated in the other posts.
-Dani
Good luck.
my personal experience at brandeis when i was working as an fte is that when it comes to computers, 99% of the time the only thing they are interested in is if you can do the functions required of he positions, because even there 80%+ of the time you're a voice on the phone, nothing more. your gender matters not, your ability on the other hand, matters. my expereience while interviewing: so far every place has had an obvious preset form of questions. every single question is geared towards abilities. finding the limitations of the person being interviewed.
being a relatively new feild in the world, computers are probably one of the most open feilds to women, the problem is most women consider it a place for all the übergeeks that they never want to associate with due to what they are taught by society from the earliest days, so it's rare to find a female that's interested AND willing to try.
being a relatively new feild in the world, computers are probably one of the most open feilds to women, the problem is most women consider it a place for all the übergeeks that they never want to associate with due to what they are taught by society from the earliest days, so it's rare to find a female that's interested AND willing to try.
Re: Views on female programers
Jade, Where in VA are you?? and what company do you work for??
Jade wrote:Okay, i know this is a male dominated forum, so what ARE your views on female programers?? I dunno, just thought this might be an interesting topic.... an open a bottle of testosterone and see where it takes you idea.
And if you haven't already noticed, yes, I am female.
Jade
- trollll
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I don't know, I've interviewed at places where the peons had a y chromosome each (as far as I knew) and the lead developer had two x's. And she definitely knew a hell of a lot more than the others! Definitely in agreement that sex (as defined by genetics, sexual organs, mind or whatever) really doesn't matter! if you have the know-how and the logic then you have what it takes! i know males that can code rings around females i know and i also know females that can bury males i know in tech-speak. just as i know males who can knock the socks of females i know as far as interior design goes.
my wife got me into this business. she started coding before i even contemplated coding as a profession let alone wanted to pursue it.
my wife got me into this business. she started coding before i even contemplated coding as a profession let alone wanted to pursue it.
