3.11.2005

eyeroll

Slashdot | Women Leaving I.T.

What a pathetic piece of journalism. And yes, I'm referring not only to the original article but to the buffoon that thought it was worth posting on slashdot. Memo to all aspiring journalists out there: If you really don't have enough numbers and statistics to write a story, Don't Write It! Perhaps you should get off your lazy arse and do some real investigative work before attaching your name to it. Some precious gems from the article:

"For male workers, the challenges inherent in I.T. jobs create a feedback loop -- a balance that must be maintained and managed, but that has basically one dimension. For women, however, the very job qualities that strong I.T. employees crave -- challenging projects and rapid, successive skill acquisition -- are causing even more stress."

Oh poor pitiful me, I can't possibly be challenged, do you actually expect me to acquire new skills? Such nerve.

"In addition, noted Armstrong, many of the networking and training opportunities offered to I.T. professionals occur in the evening hours. Men are much more likely to be able to attend these than women."

Uhh... ok. Apparently I turn into a hideous toad after sundown and couldn't possibly attend to anything other than my knitting. Maybe the author is referring to women with children, you say. Okay, fine, you mean to tell me that the father can't spend some quality time with his offspring for a few hours?

Grr. Obviously things like this make my blood boil. I have no problems when it's stated tongue in cheek. But there's just no excuse for this. Don't forget to check out some of the idiotic comments made by the slashdot community.

4 comments:

pandabear78 said...

Your ire is well-deserved, because that article is a travashamockery of journalism. The author makes claims that are never substantiated or even fully explored. Based on the article, it's still mysterious to me exactly what the "cyclic nature of the work-family balance" is. The "contradictions within their relationship to I.T. work itself" that women are forced to balance in addition to work and family manage to stay an enigma too.

The worst thing that the article manages to do is generalize women and men alike based on the results of a study whose details we are never told about. If one goes around making such inflamatory claims, they ought to be at least backed up with something.

pb78

Anonymous said...

I think you misunderstood the point of women not being able to make the evening thing. It's not that they can't because of children; it's because it isn't safe for them to be out of the house in the evening. Especially when those IT women who are married need to be home making dinner, so that it's piping hot when the man gets back from the training opportunities.

Anonymous said...

That is re-damn-diculous. That kind of thing makes my blood boil too. Now do you see why I avoid Slashdot like the plague?

- Amber
http://amber.tangerinecs.com

sangeet said...

Actually, I've started to give up on slashdot for other reasons. I've found that most posts fall under two categories. 1) I don't care about it or 2) I do, and I've already read the news a few days earlier on some other site. But I still scan their feed, out of habit, and occassionaly come across garbage like this. That'll teach me.