
Watch the Inspiring Movie ‘CODEGIRL’ for Free on YouTube Until November 5th - doppp
http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/01/watch-the-inspiring-movie-codegirl-for-free-until-november-5th/
======
xteo
When i was a much younger lad in my schooling days, programming was not a
popular hobby. It was not one you broadcast to your peers, and certainly not
one that you took pride in. What you created, was yours. And if you were lucky
enough to have surrounded yourself with friends that understood your
obsession, you could share with them what you were learning.

One thing i observed, is that ignoring the social conventions of what you are
"supposed" to enjoy, is much easier for prepubescent and pubescent males than
it is for females of the same age bracket. Females stress far more over
'fitting in', and the approval of others. Unfortunately, this means that in
those critical formative years, females are missing out on the growth and
development needed to make great programmers. Great programming requires long
established brain development in the required disciplines, a deeply laid
foundation of logic, and this is best established very early on.

Much of the bias in information technology, is not because of discrimination
or sexism, but because females aren't in an environment that cultivates the
necessary skills. This is not necessarily something that requires intervention
from educators, or politicians. It's something that teenagers need to value,
and to appreciate.

When i was a young lad, anti-intellectualism was a religion, and was heavily
practiced in the social fabric i was required to navigate. I'm unsure if that
trend has been corrected, but i am sure that we're seeing the side effect of
that in the professional landscape with the amount of qualified females with
an interest in the STEM fields.

