Ummm, I think you guys are missing the point. The point is that guys live, breath and eat this stuff, but to most women, it's just a job. I am the only female technical person in my (admittedly small) company. One of the guys once described me as "being very good at my job, but it's just a job". I have no problem with that discription, when I go to lunch, I'm not interested in talking "tapes, hard drives and wiring", I do that at work. And yes, I have very little in common with these guys. Most of them go home where there are more computers than people, all networked together and play for hours (by play, I don't mean games, I mean they write programs and expirement with new technology). They *love* this stuff. I go home and don't even look at my computer unless I'm beeped. In a previous job, (again, the only woman) I was invited to stay and play networked doom with the guys one Friday night. I played for an hour, ok, it was fun, I'm done now. They played until 3am. Personally, I always thought it was just me, but maybe it is a gender thing. Is that bad? I really don't know. Sheryl Chapin CommTel Internet At 08:24 AM 8/7/00 -0500, Richard Irving wrote:
<rant>
So, anybody want to take bets ?
I bet the young lady, in the interview, within her first 2 years, makes a BEE-LINE for management, and starts -insisting- everyone wears a tie, so they look professional.
Remember, IBM salesman -rammed- "dark tie, and white shirt" down the industries throat.. You weren't -professional- unless you dressed, in this fashion.
Corporate America's management bought into this load of malarkey, wholeheartedly. (I suspect their ties were too tight..) So, soon corporate America was looking down their nose at anyone who couldn't play the management conformity game...
After all, your not a -professional- with out a dark tie, and light suit.
Meantime, back at IBM HQ, at the Watson Research center, the top IBM techs , such as Benoit, were running around in cut offs, and pony tails.
Seems, to IBM, this rule was only true for -salesmen-, and trivial technicals, and IBM had a pioneer in their company who went -way- out of his way to make sure R&D TECHNICALS were -not- required to conform. According to his research, good technicals rarely enjoy conforming.
It is management, and sales, that admire conformity.
Nonetheless, a reality as sold by -salesman=, bought into by -management-, and propogated by -recruiters-, became the norm for technicals... it took us 20 years to throw that perspective out the window... and some big companies -still- by into that load of "stuff".
Meanwhile , IBM kept running that research center, -without- such codes.... pointedly.
Yes, I feel almost -positive- this young lady will seek management. I really do.
Shortly thereafter, she will attempt to correct these errors in the industry, and set us all straight. She will recruit people who cannot stand discussing "tape drives, hardware, and wires", and management will back her wholeheartedly.
I just know it.
:\
</rant>
rdobbins@netmore.net wrote:
News flash, lady - IT -is- "tape drives and hardware and wires and machines". So, if you have nothing in common with people who are
interested
in such things, go do something else.