A lot of people live up to the stereotype though, and that's where the author of the article is coming from. To repeat a saying I heard a lot during my undergrad at a Stem-heavy school that had male-dominated ratio - "The odds are good, but the goods are odd."

I think there is a stigma.

When single I remember the intense look of an interested girl, that switched off at hearing what my job was.

However, I also think that is offset by some positive bias towards looking for wrll paid professional partners.

The stigma exists. I do think it is fairly easy to avoid its effects (don't be the "undesirable" stereotype). I also think most jobs have a stigma, with negative reactions from some people.

If someone only sees you as your job, that is their problem!

Maybe try telling her you’re a plumber and seeing what the reaction is as a comparison.

For this thread, there is no difference.

Poor her. She should move to a city with less intelligent and successful men, I suppose.

Luck is a great factor. He might have dodged a bullet, she might have made the wrong choice. Frankly I don't give a damn about them. I've turned down worthy people, I've been turned down by less-worthy ones, and reverse. It doesn't matter. I don't have any regrets.

Programmers, like all people, can be good looking, physically fit, not socially awkward(?:, successful, financially stable/rich, confident, healthy, faithful, non-promiscuous, happy, etc., etc.)? and good in bed. The exact opposite can also happen. Most times it's a variable combination and that's just the way it is. That is how nature works.

Tastes and opinions (not only prejudices) can change and people can find themselves compromising as they grow older. This is what matters to me, I don't want to see myself regretting choices related to my love life.

I’ve been in the industry my entire adult life and have never met one of these mythical creatures. After all, the term started off as a joke developers themselves would use then got co-opted by anti-tech people and used literally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuIOGazSmHg

(It's from the 90's.)

Though, I guess he's also a rich playboy who happens to build robots powered by advanced AI.