Comments on: “IT’s a mad men’s world” http://blog.gingertech.net/2008/02/21/its-a-mad-mens-world/ Silvia's blog Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:38:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Tim http://blog.gingertech.net/2008/02/21/its-a-mad-mens-world/comment-page-1/#comment-620 Tim Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:37:17 +0000 http://blog.gingertech.net/?p=56#comment-620 great post i like this statement "half of humanity" i was raised in a very rural area with very clearly defined male and female stereotypes. It wasn't until i was 18 one day i had a revelation while in the back seat of a car with three woman friends that I blurted out that "woman were humans also". After the laughing stopped I finally realised that they were the other half of humanity, not some sub/other species. I tell you that story of myself only to point out the other side, Men are raised seeing woman in a stereotypical role that often excludes seeming masculine behaviours, roles and abilities. The cartoon says it all. The filter we are given says that woman cant do stuff. Even now when I come across woman in IT I often am amazed by their ability and have to remember my lesson from when i was 18. Now i am even more annoyed when men in IT continue to further the ideas that women are not capable when they so clearly are. Nice article! By the way, this is one of the reason we are running the geek girl blogger series on www.spyjournal.biz - thanks for participating Silvia. great post
i like this statement “half of humanity”
i was raised in a very rural area with very clearly defined male and female stereotypes. It wasn’t until i was 18 one day i had a revelation while in the back seat of a car with three woman friends that I blurted out that “woman were humans also”. After the laughing stopped I finally realised that they were the other half of humanity, not some sub/other species. I tell you that story of myself only to point out the other side, Men are raised seeing woman in a stereotypical role that often excludes seeming masculine behaviours, roles and abilities. The cartoon says it all. The filter we are given says that woman cant do stuff. Even now when I come across woman in IT I often am amazed by their ability and have to remember my lesson from when i was 18. Now i am even more annoyed when men in IT continue to further the ideas that women are not capable when they so clearly are.
Nice article!
By the way, this is one of the reason we are running the geek girl blogger series on http://www.spyjournal.biz - thanks for participating Silvia.

]]> By: chiz http://blog.gingertech.net/2008/02/21/its-a-mad-mens-world/comment-page-1/#comment-570 chiz Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:10:42 +0000 http://blog.gingertech.net/?p=56#comment-570 Good post. You make some great points that most people do not fully understand. "What do I really want to say with this? It’s not just a matter of changing men and indeed societal attitudes towards women. It’s also a matter of building up women’s self-confidence, teaching women how to be competitive and independent. And you have to start at school with encouraging and introducing women into IT. Because really: “Computing is too important to be left to the men” (quote from Karen Sparck-Jones)." I like how you explained that. Very helpful. Thanks. Good post. You make some great points that most people do not fully understand.

“What do I really want to say with this? It’s not just a matter of changing men and indeed societal attitudes towards women. It’s also a matter of building up women’s self-confidence, teaching women how to be competitive and independent. And you have to start at school with encouraging and introducing women into IT. Because really: “Computing is too important to be left to the men” (quote from Karen Sparck-Jones).”

I like how you explained that. Very helpful. Thanks.

]]> By: Jean-Marc Valin http://blog.gingertech.net/2008/02/21/its-a-mad-mens-world/comment-page-1/#comment-562 Jean-Marc Valin Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:32:55 +0000 http://blog.gingertech.net/?p=56#comment-562 Keep in mind that computers, as a means of communicating are no longer restricted to IT jobs. So, while IT people communicate too (using a computer or otherwise), the job itself is about machines and still involves relatively little social aspect (e.g .compared to any health-related job). What I also always found interesting is the ratio of women in various sciences. It goes from nearly none in physics, to a large number in biology. Surely, there's something else there than just the social aspect. Keep in mind that computers, as a means of communicating are no longer restricted to IT jobs. So, while IT people communicate too (using a computer or otherwise), the job itself is about machines and still involves relatively little social aspect (e.g .compared to any health-related job). What I also always found interesting is the ratio of women in various sciences. It goes from nearly none in physics, to a large number in biology. Surely, there’s something else there than just the social aspect.

]]> By: silvia http://blog.gingertech.net/2008/02/21/its-a-mad-mens-world/comment-page-1/#comment-561 silvia Sat, 23 Feb 2008 03:35:46 +0000 http://blog.gingertech.net/?p=56#comment-561 Jean-Marc, I believe you are right and women do indeed prefer socially-oriented jobs. However, I disagree with the common understanding that working in computing means locking yourself in a room and just interacting with the technology. I think the computer is not just a means to produce code, but it is also a communication means. Code hardly ever gets produced in total isolation - there are social interactions necessary, even if they may be "just" through irc, email, or VoIP. Maybe we need to change the societal perception of "computing" being a nerd's world to make it more attractive for women. Jean-Marc,

I believe you are right and women do indeed prefer socially-oriented jobs. However, I disagree with the common understanding that working in computing means locking yourself in a room and just interacting with the technology. I think the computer is not just a means to produce code, but it is also a communication means. Code hardly ever gets produced in total isolation - there are social interactions necessary, even if they may be “just” through irc, email, or VoIP. Maybe we need to change the societal perception of “computing” being a nerd’s world to make it more attractive for women.

]]> By: Jean-Marc Valin http://blog.gingertech.net/2008/02/21/its-a-mad-mens-world/comment-page-1/#comment-559 Jean-Marc Valin Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:10:12 +0000 http://blog.gingertech.net/?p=56#comment-559 I also understood the quote as “we should not trust men with computing”, but I really don't find that offensive unless the person quoted is dead serious (which I doubt is the case). About women in IT, I sort of always assumed that the main reason there were few is that women tend to be more "socially-oriented" and thus prefer to interact with people than machines. But I could be wrong. If IT is anything like the real world, I'm sure more women would lead to less messy software :-) I also understood the quote as “we should not trust men with computing”, but I really don’t find that offensive unless the person quoted is dead serious (which I doubt is the case). About women in IT, I sort of always assumed that the main reason there were few is that women tend to be more “socially-oriented” and thus prefer to interact with people than machines. But I could be wrong. If IT is anything like the real world, I’m sure more women would lead to less messy software :-)

]]> By: silvia http://blog.gingertech.net/2008/02/21/its-a-mad-mens-world/comment-page-1/#comment-558 silvia Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:20:04 +0000 http://blog.gingertech.net/?p=56#comment-558 Matt, Take it with a bit of humour ;-) Matt,

Take it with a bit of humour ;-)

]]> By: Matt Palmer http://blog.gingertech.net/2008/02/21/its-a-mad-mens-world/comment-page-1/#comment-557 Matt Palmer Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:54:48 +0000 http://blog.gingertech.net/?p=56#comment-557 "Computing is too important to be left to the men" Way to build bridges there, Karen. “Computing is too important to be left to the men”

Way to build bridges there, Karen.

]]> By: silvia http://blog.gingertech.net/2008/02/21/its-a-mad-mens-world/comment-page-1/#comment-555 silvia Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:37:26 +0000 http://blog.gingertech.net/?p=56#comment-555 Hey Pia, Cool - those reasons completely support my theory from above about things we have to change, and that right from school days on: get girls to feel technical jobs are normal for women and make them feel confident about it. Hey Pia,

Cool - those reasons completely support my theory from above about things we have to change, and that right from school days on: get girls to feel technical jobs are normal for women and make them feel confident about it.

]]> By: Pia Waugh http://blog.gingertech.net/2008/02/21/its-a-mad-mens-world/comment-page-1/#comment-554 Pia Waugh Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:05:14 +0000 http://blog.gingertech.net/?p=56#comment-554 Hey Silvia, Great blog post! Just to add something little, I think the reason the issues are less so in some Asian countries is because a) women are more encouraged into "technical" and "intellectual" jobs than in Western countries, and b) they don't have such a strong gender association with ICT anyway, and thus less pressure on women in the first place. Hey Silvia,

Great blog post! Just to add something little, I think the reason the issues are less so in some Asian countries is because a) women are more encouraged into “technical” and “intellectual” jobs than in Western countries, and b) they don’t have such a strong gender association with ICT anyway, and thus less pressure on women in the first place.

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