Yes, and that disturbing plot line was present in a number of other contemporary movies, so I acknowledge your point. How much of direct line you could draw to CS in particular is debatable though, especially as it was hardly the glamour degree at the time, versus say aerospace. Were there similar drop-offs in women enrolling in other engineering degrees? (Honest question, I don't know. But there were only about 4 women in my introductory physics class, so the intake funnel was clearly broken.)
I do think the author's premise that PC culture was seen as a "boys club" (or solitary macho hackers, as they perhaps saw themselves) is a simpler and more direct explanation. Which is to say I'd rather point at the actual nerds rather than the movie portrayals.
Comments
Yes, and that disturbing plot line was present in a number of other contemporary movies, so I acknowledge your point. How much of direct line you could draw to CS in particular is debatable though, especially as it was hardly the glamour degree at the time, versus say aerospace. Were there similar drop-offs in women enrolling in other engineering degrees? (Honest question, I don't know. But there were only about 4 women in my introductory physics class, so the intake funnel was clearly broken.)
I do think the author's premise that PC culture was seen as a "boys club" (or solitary macho hackers, as they perhaps saw themselves) is a simpler and more direct explanation. Which is to say I'd rather point at the actual nerds rather than the movie portrayals.