winscape 2183

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One more point I meant to respond to:

I already said that people with a really compelling interest might not care. Others, though, probably *do* care -- okay, not about fitting in with others at a workplace they can't really imagine at some distant future time, but about being snickered at by their fellow students in the present.

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I think the point I've been trying to make is something like this:

The goal is to winnow out from the population at large the few people who can, and want to, contribute to the field of computing. The current winnowing-out process produces a lot more males than females. Maybe that's because there's something about computing that appeals more to males, or because males have more of the needed abilities. But maybe it's because the winnowing-out process is flawed, and selects based on some criteria other than well-informed interest and actual ability. I think it's good to ask which of these explanations is closer to the truth.

You seem to be saying that CS is a true meritocracy, in which people with genuine interest and ability will find their way into the business and be successful there. I'm skeptical; I think most people are inclined to be biased toward "people like me", which in CS means that the winnowing-out process may be biased in favor of people who fit the current stereotype of what CS types are like. Maybe that's good, or at least harmless, but .... I wonder.

-- B. L. Mbuttingill ObDisclaimer: I don't speak for my employers; they return the favor.