[vox_mollis]

the one with the paperwork is going to have a far easier time getting a job through traditional channels.

We're definitely in the minority, but some of us in hiring positions actively discriminate against the didn't-learn-until-college demographic for software developers.

[ghaff]

So, you believe software should be treated differently from the norm in just about every other category of engineering (and even science for the most part)?

Of course there's nothing wrong with an early interest in computers and programming. However, "actively discriminating" as you put it has the effect of effectively selecting for males from a background that enables an early interest in computers.