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Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
> Sierra: a brain that thinks about thinking
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| linux.conf.au keynote speaker Kathy Sierra on reaching 'brains'
>| instead of 'minds'
> `----
>
> http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id%3b390929563%3bfp%3b16%3bfpid%3b1
>
> I know that some people (Mark?) don't care for this, but I think it helps
> kill some damaging stereotypes.
>
>
Oh, I don't have any problem at all with female or male speakers. As
I've been presenting recently, there are more and more females
presenting in technical fora, so no surprise.
My issue is that I don't want /more/ females in engineering or computing
or ICT, I want more people who /want/ to be in engineering or computing
or whatever, be they male or female.
I do get sick of the views on damaging stereotypes, though. If you want
to be a mechanic, then you /will/ get your hands dirty. If you want to
be a telecoms technician, then you /will/ get your hands dirty. If you
care more about having perfect nails than about your job, be you male or
female, then there's no point in your trying to be a gardener or
builder or plumber. Come to that, if you want to have long pretty
fingernails, then don't bother being a pianist, either.
Conversely, if you believe you can solve complex problems, have a real
feel for how machines work, can take them apart and reassemble them and
they work as well or better than they did before, can fix them when
they're broken; if when faced with a picture which isn't straight you
straighten it; if when faced with a box of electronics bits you build a
radio out of them; if when faced with a soldering iron, you know which
end gets hot and how to connect wires with it; if you know what #include
means; if you know what an oscilloscope does; then, irrespective of your
gender, you could be a good scientist or technician. If you can do all
of the above, *and* understand what things cost, what things are worth,
and basic economics and finance, then, and only then, could you be a
good engineer, again, irrespective of your gender.
That's my point.
--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
"Not only is God dead, but just try to find a plumber on weekends."
--Woody Allen
|
|
