Re: [OT] Valley of the Boyz

[Sheryl Chapin <schapin () ctel net>]

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.