[alid]

Amen! Thank you for highlighting this. I've been following threads such as these on HN - I'm surprised and saddened at the level of sexist (sometimes even misogynistic) comments they seem to procure. To me, the overall weight of comments show an undue amount of skepticism. They'll fastidiously pick apart the research or article semantics, and keenly pull out standard diversionary or derailing tactics. Strange considering we're far from living in a meritocratic society (as illustrated by studies such as these: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/unofficial-prognosis/201...). On the upside, I've created a program to log everyone who flaunts sexist comments on HN and elsewhere - they will never do business with me. All the best!

[Tichy]

I think you have to take into account that people value their personal experiences. We all have encountered women in our lives and sometimes in Tech. Since I never attempted to rape a tech woman, or diminished their achievements, I tend to find the typical portrait of male tech environments insulting. From my personal experience they are not true, and you have to provide a lot of arguments to override people's personal experiences.

[rayiner]

Discussions of gender equality: the only subject on Hacker News or Reddit where someone will, with a straight face, try to refute an empirical study with anecdotal evidence.

[Tichy]

I think you exaggerate. Most of these discussions are not about empirical studies but about opinion pieces.

[rayiner]

You were replying to an article involving an empirical study.

[Tichy]

I did not say the study is false or anything. I just tried to explain the sentiment of people accused of fostering a sexist industry.

For what it's worth (although this is tangential), I think the study is interesting but I can still think of a lot of questions to ask. And it wasn't about IT, the experiment was done with lab jobs.

[rayiner]

That's a great article. The takeaway is right here:

"Whenever the subject of women in science comes up, there are people fiercely committed to the idea that sexism does not exist. They will point to everything and anything else to explain differences while becoming angry and condescending if you even suggest that discrimination could be a factor. But these people are wrong."

boom headshot.