As individuals, it is up to us to create a positive impact on those we influence and to instill in them that gender doesn’t play a role in what we are capable of. As a female programmer, I feel like it is part of my duty to get other women and young girls excited about programming. With so few women in STEM careers, part of our goal should be to introduce those around us to the idea of computer science as a career path.
I’m not going to point out everything wrong in the Googler’s manifesto, because, frankly, it was all wrong. The poor soul that wrote that obliviously needs help… a lot of help. However, I will admit that he outlines a valid point — The non-discriminated group needs more insight and education on what us, minorities in tech, are challenged with and what we can (and have) overcome despite those hurdles. It’s these challenges that bring us to seminars and meet up groups. It’s these hurdles that drive us to find others in our same situation. However, it should also be our responsibility to bring these experiences to the majority’s attention to prevent ignorance. I’ll start by sharing my story and hope that this can help someone, minority or majority.