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From: bormanp@stolaf.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.social,net.women,net.singles
Subject: Re: Is Computing Gender Specific?
Message-ID: <1172@stolaf.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 30-Aug-83 05:39:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: stolaf.1172
Posted: Tue Aug 30 05:39:31 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 31-Aug-83 12:56:36 EDT
References: <527@houxm.UUCP>
Organization: St. Olaf College, Northfield MN
Lines: 28

I have noticed that CS classes seem to be around 60/40 or 50/50 for
gender (male/female), but it stops there.  I can't say I know of a
signel female hacker at Olaf.  All the females in CS seem to take the
classes, do the assignments, and that's it.  There are a few exceptions,
but no hackers (could it be they are just smarter?).  In highshool a
friend of mine and I tried to teach a couple of girls BASIC (Hey, that's
all we had available at the time) upon their request.  It never really
got anywhere, as they didn't mind the idea of knowing how to program, it
just was that they did not want to practice it.

I have always contended that CS is a combination of Math and Mechanics.
I am not sure what the last study showed, but the last major study I saw
(about 2 years or so ago) stated that ON THE AVERAGE, males had a higher
apptitude in those areas then females.  NOTE, THIS DOES NOT MEAN IF YOU
ARE FEMALE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE AS MUCH ABILITY IN THOSE AREAS AS MALES,
JUST THAT THERE ARE MORE MALES WITH THOSE ABILITIES THAN FEMALES.
Actaully, I think that the differences wern't great, but noticable.  Have
they disproved this study in the last two years?

Now, to all you flamers out there, I do not contend that sex should be used
to determine if someone has Math and Mechanical abilities, each person MUST
be looked at on an individule basis as there are a LOT of females out there
that are VERY good in these areas.

				-Paul R Borman
				 St. Olaf College
				 ihnp4!stolaf!bormanp