Men value social relationships...they just have a different view on it..conferences enable them to chat about the work and daily life and throw in a dose of bits-bytes chat in the middle..

There aren't many women in the field because nobody will hire them..simple as that..

If I remember correctly the majority of women are in Art Director positions and the creative field.

From my experience, East Coast, the trend seems to be that the majority of male tech workers are located in other countries...or temp workers who have arrived here in the US and will work for less pay.

Tech male workers of the future will have to know multiple languages to keep up with global technology. That is my guess...

Patty writes,"We value social relationships and have more well-rounded lives than our male counterparts. That's why you don't see us at JUGs or at conferences. There's way more to life than bits & bytes."
In other words, let these male geeks gather in the evenings discussing bits and bytes, so us, well-rounded ladies, will have something to do during business hours :)

I am a female Java architect who has been developing Java systems for more than nine years. I have served as a technical lead on several successful projects and devote at least an hour a day to keeping current with trends. The thing is, I do all of this during work. In the evenings and on my own time, I DO NOT log on, talk about computers, Java, or anything else technical. At the risk of over-generalizing, I think women have better and more interesting things to do. We value social relationships and have more well-rounded lives than our male counterparts. That's why you don't see us at JUGs or at conferences. There's way more to life than bits & bytes.

Leah McLean has lots of talents. As well as being a leader in the coaching world, Leah is one of those people who not only understands technology but can explain it to the rest of us. Her always eminently readable Working Solo blog is dedicated to providing information to women who 'don't want to let a lack of technology understanding stunt the growth of their business'.

Last week, Leah launched the first of what is to be an annual survey of 'the uses and challenges women have with technology in their business'.

And there are some excellent prizes which will enable the winners to tap into Leah's knowledge and coaching skills.

The survey is open till May 15, with prizes to be drawn May 19. From a quick look, I would say the survey could be completed unhurriedly in five to seven minutes at most. The survey, with details of the prizes, is at the Working Solo website. Here's the link: http://www.workingsolo.com.au/techsurvey2006.htm

Technology is, by most people's estimation, a "male" field. With lots of women as senior staff members at top tech companies and as well as women "behind the scenes" in making technology happen, women still face huge obstacles even in this day and age. According to a report by Purdue University's School of Technology, women in traditionally male industries face challenges that women in more integrated areas do not. And, believe it or not, more hiring of women isn't necessarily a perfect thing:

"Many traditionally male industries are beginning to see the value of a diverse work force, so women are beginning to be hired more frequently," says Wasburn, who studies gender issues in the workplace and teaches a professional preparation course for women. "Unfortunately, male coworkers often view these women as 'Affirmative Action' hires, and they have to prove themselves to their male colleagues."

Technology is, by most people's estimation, a "male" field. With lots of women as senior staff members at top tech companies and as well as women "behind the scenes" in making technology happen, women still face huge obstacles even in this day and age. According to a report by Purdue University's School of Technology, women in traditionally male industries face challenges that women in more integrated areas do not. And, believe it or not, more hiring of women isn't necessarily a perfect thing:

"Many traditionally male industries are beginning to see the value of a diverse work force, so women are beginning to be hired more frequently," says Wasburn, who studies gender issues in the workplace and teaches a professional preparation course for women. "Unfortunately, male coworkers often view these women as 'Affirmative Action' hires, and they have to prove themselves to their male colleagues."