Friday, September 17, 2004
It is almost a quarter after four in the morning, and I'm in the office writing to you. Seems appropriate, doesn't it? After all, where else would I be after an evening of socializing with my peers from the office? Even if there were fifty of us, and only four of us were women.
Sometimes working in a software development environment leads to social situations where one would think women would be welcome, but which turn out to be mainly opportunities for displays of testosterone poisoning. These guys are all young, and very smart, and pretty well off, and so they think the world should bow down before them. Until they get to be a certain age, when others of their ilk begin to torment them about moving to India for an arranged marriage. The manager who is leaving is such a man. He is a very nice guy, lots of fun to spend time with, and very good at what he does, but they tease him an awful lot about his inability to find a girlfriend.
Tonight was one of those occasions, for the most part. They were glad to have us there, but not because we are women - just because we are part of the team. To them, we're guys with different bits. Sometimes refreshing, and always welcome inside the office, but not designed to make you feel better about yourself as a person. Oh well... if I wait for someone to tell me I'm okay, I'll still be waiting at the turn of the next century.
Sometimes working in a software development environment leads to social situations where one would think women would be welcome, but which turn out to be mainly opportunities for displays of testosterone poisoning. These guys are all young, and very smart, and pretty well off, and so they think the world should bow down before them. Until they get to be a certain age, when others of their ilk begin to torment them about moving to India for an arranged marriage. The manager who is leaving is such a man. He is a very nice guy, lots of fun to spend time with, and very good at what he does, but they tease him an awful lot about his inability to find a girlfriend.
Tonight was one of those occasions, for the most part. They were glad to have us there, but not because we are women - just because we are part of the team. To them, we're guys with different bits. Sometimes refreshing, and always welcome inside the office, but not designed to make you feel better about yourself as a person. Oh well... if I wait for someone to tell me I'm okay, I'll still be waiting at the turn of the next century.
