[groby_b]

Hm. I worked on the European space program. I contributed to a bunch of AAA games with fairly big names. I currently work on a fairly large OSS project. I think I can claim I created one or two things that have a tiny bit of merit.

And yet, I write about gender inequality - because it actually exists. I'd be very happy if it were a non-issue, but it isn't.

It's very rarely the big ticket items that are the problem, even if they grab all the attention, though. It's all the small things that say "you're not quite welcome here". The constant barrage of sexist jokes, followed by "present company excluded". The eternal "you're a programmer?" question at conferences. The media portrayal of computer scientists. And yes, the constant denial that there even is an issue.

Yes, I know the jokes are not meant to hurt. And the question is honest surprise. And media in general sucks. But at every step, women do get told they're "not part of the club". It grates, occasionally.

So please, do listen a tiny bit to the women who do talk about gender inequality. Don't assume a priori we're just doing it for the attention. I'd rather discuss the latest awesome CS paper, too - so please assume instead that we talk about a problem because there seems to be a problem.