Enough with the Programmer Barbie, already. To assume that little girls need to be “inspired” to grow up to become programmers is at best insulting - in fact, the very thought lies at the heart of the problem. Neal Stephenson described the problem better than I ever could: “It was, of course, nothing more than sexism, the especially virulent type espoused by male techies who sincerely believe that they are too smart to be sexists.” Hiro Protagonist - Last of the freelance hackers and greatest swordfighter in the world So many of us delude ourselves and refuse to see our own culturally-inspired biases.  Thinking about this stuff is hard and painful and most just don’t do it.  The best we do is mobilize for some idiotic online vote for a freaking Barbie - that sates our need to show that we’re so much smarter and so much more evolved than the rest of the world, so we don’t need to think about this stuff and we sure as hell don’t need those stupid sensitivity training seminars… And in the end, we have a workforce that is antagonistic and hostile towards both women and the very idea that they are either. Women don’t become programmers because they lack the inspiration, or ability, or whatever.  They run from the profession because of us, and no Barbie is going to fix that.  Programmer, analyze thyself.

Enough with the Programmer Barbie, already.

To assume that little girls need to be “inspired” to grow up to become programmers is at best insulting - in fact, the very thought lies at the heart of the problem.

Neal Stephenson described the problem better than I ever could:

“It was, of course, nothing more than sexism, the especially virulent type espoused by male techies who sincerely believe that they are too smart to be sexists.”

Hiro Protagonist - Last of the freelance hackers and greatest swordfighter in the world

So many of us delude ourselves and refuse to see our own culturally-inspired biases.  Thinking about this stuff is hard and painful and most just don’t do it.  The best we do is mobilize for some idiotic online vote for a freaking Barbie - that sates our need to show that we’re so much smarter and so much more evolved than the rest of the world, so we don’t need to think about this stuff and we sure as hell don’t need those stupid sensitivity training seminars…

And in the end, we have a workforce that is antagonistic and hostile towards both women and the very idea that they are either.

Women don’t become programmers because they lack the inspiration, or ability, or whatever.  They run from the profession because of us, and no Barbie is going to fix that.  Programmer, analyze thyself.