Happy Ada Lovelace Day!

I have always been astounded by the lack of women in technology. First off, because the first teachers who introduced me to tech were all women. I had already written my first Apple BASIC programs in grade school by the time I ever saw a grown man write any code. Secondly, it's surprising because women tend to be so great at it.

Perhaps I'm having difficulty in distinguishing between the cause and the effect, but I've noticed that the ladies in tech that I know, all tend to be on the front of the bell curve. It may be that there are so few women who pursue technical fields that only the standouts ever decide to make a career of it. It may also be that women are more sharply divided than men; either they have it or they don't. Personally, I don't think that either is true. I think that women aren't encouraged to be tech geeks the way men are.

When I look back at what brought me to a tech field, it was never a question of job prospects or financial gain. I became a programmer because I liked that there was something in this world that I could control and be creative with. I know that many of the smart girls I knew back in the day must have felt the same thing, but so few of them followed that feeling the way I did. If I have to point a finger, I'll blame the existing culture, where tech centers are boys clubs. When you get into an area where the vast majority are men, I can't blame women for not wanting to fight their way through their careers in what seems like an unwelcome arena. I don't actually think tech is unfriendly to women, but it's difficult to see that from the outside looking in.

Well, for whatever reason, there are less girls in tech than there are guys. It's sad, but true. So, what better reason to celebrate the women who do choose to live the geeky life! You bring some much needed perspective to the tech landscape, and the world owes you big time! Thanks.