The author raises several points, but uses the word "lone" six times:
> I was frustrated because the course consisted of lone work...
> Despite the cargo shorts and the loner attitude, I learned like a girl..
> Instead of a lonely computer lab...
> The rise of the archetype of the lone, antisocial hacker...
> Does the idea of being a lone hacker appeal to some women?
> Computer scientists are no longer universally considered to be ‘80s-style loners...
I take this as the emphasis of the piece.
Perhaps the author belives that individual work on unambiguous projects is amenable to women. The explanation you've offered excludes this possibility.