Are most programmers male?

[David LeBlanc]

Perhaps a holdover from WW II? Probably 90% of the "data processors" during
the war where female. In fact, in... oh, say 1943, if you asked for a
calculator, you would be introduced to one of the hordes of young women who
ran the tabulating machines that produced all sorts of information
(ballistics tables for artillery for one) that was needed. Of course, add a
year, and ENIAC was starting to produce the same sort of product.

Isn't progress grand? Today you can put your hand on a calculator's butt and
it won't slap your face ;-)

(You would be amazed to know how much machinery was involved with data
processing even during WW II.)

no-i'm-not-old-enough-to-remember-ww-ii-l'y-yours,

David LeBlanc
Seattle, WA USA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: python-list-admin at python.org
> [mailto:python-list-admin at python.org]On Behalf Of Kristian Ovaska
> Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 0:05
> To: python-list at python.org
> Subject: Re: Are most programmers male?
>
>
> mertz at gnosis.cx (David Mertz, Ph.D.):
> >I've reflected on this a bit lately.  It's kinda sad about the
> >overwhelming male bias of programming and related areas.
>
> I have read that in the early years of computers, in the 50's and
> possibly 60's, a considerable proportion of programmers were female.
> In fact, if I remember correctly what I've read, there was a time when
> over 50% were female! That's a huge contrast to today.
>
> --
> Kristian Ovaska <kristian.ovaska at helsinki.fi>
> --
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list