BORN FOR IT? How the image of software developers came about A - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

@ b i r g i t t a 4 1 0 BORN FOR IT? How the image of software developers came about

A programmer is…

“The computer boys take over” Nathan Ensmenger, 2010

1940s The ENIAC “girls”

http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/birth-of-the-computer/4/78/2258

Computers Operators Coders

1966 1950 1968

1962

Programming is hard It was with some shock and dismay that he realized that “a good part of the remainder of my life was going to be spent in fi nding errors in my own programs”. Maurice Wilkes, memoirs

Programming is error-prone Mariner 1 1962

View of programming in 50s/60s “Magic” (“Black art”) “Programmers are born, not made” “When a programmer is good, he is very, very good. But when he is bad, he is horrid.” (IBM, 1968) “Software crisis”

8 6 9 1

1962: 80% of businesses used some form of aptitude test Half of them used IBM PAT 1967 alone: 700.000 individuals

1966

1966 Programmers… …are crazy about puzzles, …tend to like research applications and risk-taking, …dislike routine and regimentation, …don’t like people

SDC & the “SAGE” Project 1956: 700 programmers 700 = 3/5 of available programmers in US By 1961: 7000 more

! e s i r p r u S

There are people who are born to do this, and I am not one of them. And it’s de fi nitely not one of those things that, like, “Oh, with practice, you will become one who is born to do it.” … You just gotta be born to be like, ‘ Computers! Yeah! They are awesome!! They are my life! ’ You know, a lot of computer scientists, that’s all they do.” s 0 9 e t a L Female Computer Science student

“Unlocking the Clubhouse” Jane Margolis / Allan Fisher 2002

“ I don’t live to program. I know guys who live to program, or at least they seem to. You fi nd them on the weekends doing nothing but programming and I just think, ‘How can they do that?’ I guess I think I’m more balanced. ” “I enjoy computer science, but it’s not my life.”

Passion! “I guess I think I’m more balanced…” “I enjoy this, but it’s not my life” 26

Passion “If we are using a single model to identify potential programmers, we will miss many potential students.”

What is the “vocational interest scale” in OUR heads?

“The other side of diversity” medium.com/@ericajoy 2 0 0 0 s

Don’t think the status quo is “just natural” Bed sheets ad ALDI

“Stop acting so surprised” https://modelviewculture.com/pieces/stop-acting-so-surprised-how-microaggressions-enforce-stereotypes-in-tech

Challenge your image of the “real programmer” 1940s 2 0 1 4

martinfowler.com/articles/born-for-it.html @birgitta410 Sweepstakes at ThoughtWorks booth 34

@birgitta410 “The computer boys “Pioneer Programmer” “Unlocking the “Let IT go” take over” Jean Jennings Bartik Clubhouse” Dame Stephanie Nathan Ensmenger Jane Margolis / Shirley Allan Fisher https://medium.com/this-is-hard/ https://modelviewculture.com/ http://devslovebacon.com/ the-other-side-of-diversity- pieces/stop-acting-so-surprised- conferences/bacon-2013/talks/ 1bb3de2f053e how-microaggressions-enforce- bacon-is-bad-for-you stereotypes-in-tech