The tech industry bends over backwards to get women involved. Putting them on a pedestal only worsens the divide rather than closing it.

a) there are efforts to get women involved in the tech industry, but there is still a lot of discrimination b) the article describes programmers from the 1960's

Weren’t many of the programmers in the 50s and 60s women? The gender divide didn’t start to get really bad until late 80s, from what I understand.

A 'computer' was a predominantly female job role until.. I don't know, but some time post-war when we got bored of saying 'automatic computer' to describe the increasingly dominant method of computation.

Being a computer is different from being a software engineer or coder/programmer. Even when women were computers, they generally weren't the coders/programmers - this task was usually up to mathematicians or other subject matter experts who were generally men.

Women computers were replaced by software definable processors, not by software engineers.

I don’t think this is accurate.

The mathematicians/engineers were more like architects, and the women programmers weren’t merely compilers or input technicians. They actually wrote code, though this was also considered a drudge task back then (a view that was corrected later). Also, proximity to the hardware allowed many to grow out of their original job descriptions.

Until the invention of the phrase "software engineer", is my theory.

I'm still fairly new to the industry so I realize I'm likely missing historical context, but the only discrimination I've seen has been against men and in favor of women.

In my experience you learn much more about discrimination in tech by having open minded conversations than by seeing it firsthand. Much of it is subtle and happens out of view from others.

encouragement != being put on a pedestal.

Special treatment != Encouragement.

Can you please point me in the direction of this special treatment because I've never received any. I would love to fly through a FAANG interview because I'm a woman.

I'm not even being facetious, where is all this special treatment? Clearly I'm missing out.

The amount of "let's help women/minorities specifically" programs and scholarships are numerous, but this one caught my eye a few months ago.

> I'm going to give 40 women $9000 stipends to cover their living expenses while they take Lambda School's programming course.[0]

[0] http://foundersatwork.posthaven.com/women-learn-to-program-t...

Take a few minutes to create a gmail with a female sounding username or even an HN handle that clearly belongs to a woman. Send 10 emails or comment here for a few days and see how differently you’re treated.

Look even at the disrespectful comments Jessica got in response to that announcement. How often, if ever, have you seen those sort of comments on HN directed towards male partners at YC?

I’m not even saying this facetiously. I wish more men in tech had the courage to see what it’s like to be a woman in tech. I think it would do everyone a lot of good.

I already have my degree (in CS).

btw shout out to Jessica Livingston! Amazing program.