It is also in the University.

Most university schedules are unforgiving as regards the possibility of scholars in the sciences also being mothers.

However, with the advent of more and more classes being offered over the Internet, we should see this as being less of a barrier.

Sir Tim was rather vague about just what part of the "stupid male geek culture" he's referring to.

Actually, Sir Tim doesn't appear to have given any hints whatever regarding what he'd like to see changed.

Does anyone here have ANY clues? Are we supposed to enjoy technology less? Work fewer hours? Stop being fascinated by elegant programming? Something else?

Sigh...

I similarly note the lack of any concrete comments here. Cite specifics or it's just complaining - not feedback. Too much like politics.

From my personal experience, I would posit that the work habits in IT go against what many females want in a job. Most females want a job that has a high amount of interaction with others and has a social atmosphere. IT is the opposite of this in many cases, dictating primarily independent work and little socializing. That's just part of the job and it isn't likely to change much.

I don't think you're going to find an equal number of men and women in IT because of the job itself, just as you're not going to find an equal number of men and women as nurses. I think worrying about it is a waste of time. I have 5 daughters and 1 son, all of which spend copious amounts of time on the computer when allowed, but only my son talks about it as a future career path, even though my daughters are also very good at math.

Bob Beilstein :
Sir Tim was rather vague about just what part of the "stupid male geek culture" he's referring to.

Well, Bob, I think most women would be happy if the men didn't shake up softdrinks and then spray it on everyone. Or, the ending day networked "war game" that everyone has to play with appropriate whoops and screams as someone is "killed."

What do those have to do with the job? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Too a large degree (generalizing) I have seen that much of the web technology has a 'cool' factor that goes beyond being useful and takes away from true project management which includes thorough testing of new enhancements. I think to a large degree women do not relish in this sense of nonsensical coolness that has inflicted technology.

Again we find that we come across people trying to blame a situation on some sort of overt or even covert discrimination by one segment against another. I'm only commenting on the IT space now but I've been in IT for over 25 years and have never seen anything that would lend itself to come to that conclusion. Poster wti spewed a bunch of unsubstantiated rhetoric. Yes, sometimes a jerk does try to take advantage of a woman, but those idiots exist in all work environments. Discrimination can exist in all work environments as well (and does as affirmative action shows).

I think that it isn't as bad as it used to be; that we have evolved and made progress as a society and I think we have.

As far as roles at home, hey, decisions that couples make in each individual homes are just that. If a woman let's her husband tell her that she needs to work a full time job and then cook and clean, then I'm sorry, but she is letting that happen. I love my wife far too much to put the entire burden of house work and cooking, etc. on her as she is trying to run her business.

Poster Blair really hits the nail on the head:

"...work habits in IT go against what many females want in a job. Most females want a job that has a high amount of interaction with others and has a social atmosphere. IT is the opposite of this in many cases, dictating primarily independent work and little socializing. That's just part of the job and it isn't likely to change much."

Is it sexist to actually make the comment that perhaps the reason why there are so few women in IT is that most (now calm down, not all) women are more into people types of jobs? That they may not want to get into IT in the first place? I mean I spend a LOT of time in front of the computer and dislike most interactions with people. One job I was on actually said I must have the ability to work independently on my own for long periods of time so people skills were not high on the list of skills to have. I'm not a people person. I'm not the one you want to have in customer service that's for sure.

My wife still likes to write (as in pen and paper) letters to friends and family. Me, email only. If I do get a card I tape a type written note because not even I can read my hand writing. That's one of the many and wonderful ways girls are different than boys. It's great that we have or were (insert evolved/created as believed) so that there is the spice of life and not all are like many computer folks I know including myself.

None of this means that anyone should ever be denied doing what he or she wants. There is no place for that in any society. And that's the bottom line. When I do technical interviews (and I hate doing them), I ask the same questions of all candidates whether they are male or female. I don't care what the person looks like, what their plumbing is, what their skin tone is, how many gray hairs they have, etc. I just want the person to be able to do the job that they are being asked. I want the brightest and the best.

I'm a little disappointed in Tom Espiner's article here (as reported by Deb Perelman) as it doesn't have a link to the original lecture material.

Assuming the comment is accurate, Sir Tim Berners-Lee's call for an end to the "stupid male geek culture" is a bit off. First of all, I don't consider most of the men in the STEM feilds as being stupid; overly focused on the job and field to the point of excluding consideration of other things maybe, socially inept in many cases, but not stupid. And I'm not sure that it can be solely attributed to males either. Many of the women I've met in the I.T. field are just as focused and just as geeky as the guys.

"I would posit that the work habits in IT go against what many females want in a job. Most females want a job that has a high amount of interaction with others and has a social atmosphere. IT is the opposite of this in many cases, dictating primarily independent work and little socializing. That's just part of the job and it isn't likely to change much."

You have your cause and effect reversed. The IT culture you describe is a result of the people that developed that culture, not the other way around. It is this culture which has created some of the most horrific user interfaces ever conceived. Sure, the alogrithms may be stunningly elegant, but unfortunately, the software is useless to the end user. In my experience as a developer and manager, women make the best developers because they have the ability to connect to the user and understand the user's needs.

It appears that wti is stating that there are no substantial differences between men and women and how they work. It really makes me wonder how observant this person is. Women are more people oriented then men. That's a generality and there are exceptions on both sides. It's not an issue of one being better than the other but of how can both types work and co-exist in the work place.

As for independent work, we're talking about the actual work on the many parts of a solution. Of course no one person develops a solution or application by themselves. But the realities of today's IT is that many times most parts are done by discrete individuals rather than teams of individuals. We are one deep in so many areas and that means that sometimes a person has to have the ability to work for long periods without social interactions. That's not for everyone and many people don't like it. I enjoy it. Some men don't but it is a truth that most women do not.

That's the way it is. You can say that you are an enlightened man and deny that the genders are generally different but that doesn't wash with reality. It's really almost a cultural difference. It's also why men and women often have a problem communicating (remember the book about men and women being from Venus and Mars or whatever?). Lot's of truth in that-I've got 23 years of marriage that proves it.