Because these comments were left on Medium (a platform that lets you comment by paragraph rather than whole post), the context for them may be a little hard to follow. However, this is an important article about the gender politics of programming.
This “beginner” part is really tough. It is almost like others are expecting you to have battle scars to show you are experienced. Apparently, those scars should come in the form of facial hair and not a portfolio of accomplishments.
I feel like Mansplaining is a real problem that can’t just be set aside. Respect for women in academic or rigorous settings isn’t optional. We ignore female voices at our peril.
I also think it is important to understand why we are giving the feedback in the first place. Feedback should be in the service making something better or for the one who is giving feedback to better understand the content. If it is doing neither of those things, why say it?
Yes! The way in which we lead is more important than the position we hold or strategies we implement. If we are investing in people (as a core leadership competency), empathy and encouragement should be non-negotiables. And yet, so many times, leadership is synonymous with abrasive assertiveness and a lack of self-reflection. We can do better.
Without question, we need to see the true diversity of gender that is possible within this industry. It seems silly that masculine is associated with technical experience, and yet it is an expectation at this point. Activism by both men and women can work to change this.
