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0 pointsJensson1y ago0 comments

> Nearly every woman I know in the sciences or engineering has a large number of stories of aggressive and inappropriate sexual advances, and in many cases outright sexual assault or rape in the workplace

That happens about as much in any field as long as you mix genders, so that is no reason to not want a software job.

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5 comments · 2 top-level

consteval1y ago· 3 in thread

I disagree, men in computer science are uniquely awkward, unaware, and often rude. I say this as a man in software. It's hard to have a conversation about the weather that doesn't end with me being a bit frustrated. A lot of these guys really don't know how to speak to women, or how to speak in general in a welcoming, calm, non-offensive way.

Maybe it's just the company I'm at but be aware this was also the case in college. It was hard to make friends when it seemed everyone was cosplaying an anime character while simultaneously bragging and trying to make me feel bad for my achievements, or lack thereof.

jasonm231y ago

> A lot of these guys really don't know how to speak

to anyone.

zahlman1y ago

It's always struck me as absurd that the same group of people can be described like this and then simultaneously blamed for an epidemic of "aggressive and inappropriate sexual advances". (See also: https://slatestarcodex.com/2015/01/01/untitled/)

consteval1y ago

There are multiple reasons why. You'll notice that I mentioned they're typically rude and self-absorbed. To me, a man, I perceive that as such. But for a woman that could be seen as aggressive.

Keep in mind also the media they might consume. I mentioned anime cosplaying in real life - and I mean it. Now, look at how anime depicts women. They're sexual objects for men's enjoyment and entertainment.

But perhaps the biggest reason is men tend to get... overly confident in male-dominated spaces. This is something I've noticed since I was a child. All bets are off in locker rooms or at the poker table or in an online game. It's an opportunity to say the vilest things imaginable.

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_yb2s1y ago

I doubt that, as the less women in a field of work, the more likely an individual woman is to stand out and be targeted. Situations that put you frequently alone in closed offices with a single other person also contribute to the risk. Do you really think kindergarten teachers experience these things at work as often as software engineers?

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