Ladies : Wow a hobby with ladies and pretty ones too

[michigander]

Reminds me of my career as a whole. I started programming in 1967 (one of the first generation of commercial programmers) and I'd get one of two receptions from new clients

- the dropped jaw - positive - it gave me a chance to get in there and set the tone that I was in charge and was about to interview HIM about his requirements

- the patron - negative - but sometimes caused amusement. I remember one client who was VERY patronising, asking me if there was a Mr. Clarkson (yup - my dad) and was there anything he could do to help me understand his Initial Requirements Spec. I smiled sweetly, accepted his offer and proceeded to demolish his spec and his ego by asking for clarification on every mistake, omission and inconsistency in his spec. He visilbly wilted while my salesman tickled my ankle with his foot under the desk. Our off-line post-meeting drinkiepoo was a hoot.

Sadly in later years it changed into patronisation from co-workers. Young kids who thought I was just an ante-diluvian wrinkly, but didn't realise I'd been in the business for 40 years and started out programming right down on the bare metal of the beastie.

LOL - Now I just leave it to the younger generation to go to h**l in their own sweet way.

Marion (Michigoose)

[lukebl]

But every hobby I have had has been a blokes hobby.

Motorbikes (Pleasure and racing)

Remote control planes / helicopters / cars

Fishing

Photography (Mainly men)

Probably opening up a can of worms and rather off-topic and off-forum, but am I the only bloke who isn't even remotely (and I really mean not remotely) interested in Motorbikes, RC gadgets, Fishing or, I would add, football, and finds all of those things interminably dull, dull, dull?

Ok, I am heavily into photography and astronomy, but I am happily married with kids so must have something going for me!

Cheers,

Luke

[lulu57]

Judging by what I've read on this forum over the months, there's no set type for an astronomer.

An astronomer is more likely to be male, but I think that's just about the only generalisation I can think of.

Although, I suppose all the astronomers I met at SGL4 appeared to be intelligent and they all had a sense of curiosity.

I don't think there's such a thing as an 'odd one out' on this forum, Luke.

So you're in good company, mate!

[lukebl]

I don't think there's such a thing as an 'odd one out' on this forum

I wasn't thinking that I ever feel the 'odd one out'. Far from it. Just that everyone else is!

L

[ashenlight]

You should see me in my pjyamas and no make up observing Jupiter at unholy hours of the morning. Now that is unattractive!

[Astro_Baby]

Marion - I started life as a Cobol prog years ago and back then a lot of application teams were female. I dont really know when it changed but I seem to see very few women in IT these days unless its on a help desk.

[brianb]

I started life as a Cobol prog years ago and back then a lot of application teams were female.

So was the inventor of COBOL, we used to joke that was the reason why it was so wordy

ADD CHEQUE-VALUE TO RUNNING-TOTAL

Also the extra keystrokes kept more girls employed, in the card punch room. In most places. Our outfit didn't have enough punch girls so we had to do most of our own; which is why I learned to appreciate the terseness of C.

[Ant]

I like bike racing and riding bikes (motorbikes), but agree on RC / Fishing and Football really don't interest me one little bit.

Ant

am I the only bloke who isn't even remotely (and I really mean not remotely) interested in Motorbikes, RC gadgets, Fishing or, I would add, football, and finds all of those things interminably dull, dull, dull?

[Catanonia]

Lol,

I started programming on a BBC B 32k with BBC Basic.

The moved to COBOL, ADA, PASCAL and eventually C and C++

Only ever seen a punch card in the museum though

Although a room full of ladies punching out my commands is a nice dream

[ashenlight]

Reminds me of the time I went into a camera come telescope shop in Swindon looking for a red light torch.

I'd been browsing, couldn't find one, so went over to the desk to ask the assistant (male) who was stood there. I asked, he asked me if it was for "star gazing, love" I replied "yes, thank you, astronomy." To which he seemed a little put off, ha. He then went on to tell me about someone he knows who is in the trade and is connected to a supplier if I ring a number he can get one for me cheap... He was going on and on so I asked him to write down the number and I'll get on to it myself. At this point my partner Karl came along to look into the cabinets near by, fitted into the desk. As soon as Karl appeared, the man started talking to HIM as if HE was the amature astronomer, completely assuming that I had merely been asking as the 'little woman' for my boyfriend. He then wrote the paper down, handed it to Karl, saying "there you go mate, give them a ring and they'll be able to get that red torch for you no problem" Karl looked very surprised, looked at me, handed me the paper, I looked at the man very flustered and quite upset said thank you and walked out. I was absolutely mad on the way home. I know this may seem trivial but it was so wrong of him to assume that just because I was a woman the only hobby I may need a red light torch for is a spot of 'star gazing' whilst my boyfriend is the only one in this relationship who would need a red light torch for astronomy.

<calms down>

[michigoose]

Yup Astro-Baby. Women make MUCH better programmers than men. It's the better attention to detail (hey you guys out there, don't blame me - it's down to primal nest-building instinct). Of the 4 progs I ever knew who regularly got an error free 1st test, 3 were female. And the fourth (the male) ran clean only after the first failed run telling him to open his files before trying to read them.

Those were the days. Hail Hail Commander Grace! Ada, Lady Lovelace too!

Incidentally, my avatar is the first machine I worked on (machine code). ICT 1301 circa 1962. The barrel printer was housed in the east wing and the card reader and punch in the west wing and annex respectively.

Better get off here. I'm gate-crashing hubby's astro site.

[661-pete]

Probably opening up a can of worms and rather off-topic and off-forum, but am I the only bloke who isn't even remotely (and I really mean not remotely) interested in Motorbikes, RC gadgets, Fishing or, I would add, football, and finds all of those things interminably dull, dull, dull?

No.

Though I will occasionally sit down and watch a match, generally around World Cup time or whatever. I seldom remember which team is playing who, though. I dislike partisanship.

[albedo0.39]

Women make MUCH better programmers than men.

On the nail. My other half (actually more like three quarters) took early redundancy a good few years back from her job and since then has had a few "hobby jobs" to meet people, contribute etc when people ask what she used to do, they all assume she's always done these sorts of jobs but when she very calmly and discretely announces she was a senior aerodynamacist for military and civil aircraft doing FEA and modelling / simulation for 15 years at europe's largest aircraft research company, (or something like that) it always stops them dead in their tracks.

I'm certainly of the opinion that in sciences and many other disciplines, women not only have better skills that suit professions like this as standard, but are in fact much more organised to think in clearer ways c/w men. Women think differently to us blokes, but I guess we all know that already. I'm actually not that surprised we have girls / ladies / women / females on SGL.

FYI, I've just finished one of the most insightful books about men and women ever, called:- "Why men don't listen and women can't read maps" - it was brilliant.

[Catanonia]

Reminds me of the time I went into a camera come telescope shop in Swindon looking for a red light torch.

I'd been browsing, couldn't find one, so went over to the desk to ask the assistant (male) who was stood there. I asked, he asked me if it ... blah blah blah

2 sugars love.

/Cat runs and hides :D

[DemonicOmelette]

But every hobby I have had has been a blokes hobby.

Fishing

Photography (Mainly men)

I'm not sure where you come from, but around these parts photographing mainly men is not a bloke-ish hobby. We take pictures of lots of things, but photos of men are usually found at the other end of the top shelf, if you know what I mean....

[AstroTiger]

this is why i try to encourage more woman into the field of astronomy wherever possible.

As the years have passed i have noticed more female members, all making great contributions.

I comment of amanda for example that she has posted as many posts as me in such a short period of time.

Now i have never spoken to this lady, but even on msn or facebook, her enthusiasm is infectous.

Of course there is also Talitha (pardon spelling) now writing for S & N mag

Its nice to see more ladies enter the field.

I for one will do my very best to promote astronomy and get more females interested.

Even my wife, no real interest before, now shes hooked. perhaps its me

My nephew stunned me last weekend by what he remembered about the stars. He has always enjoyed coming out with me.

Sadly his sister is not as keen.

Each to their own i guess.

[digitaldave]

The barrel printer was housed in the east wing and the card reader and punch in the west wing and annex respectively.

That's a great quote, shows how big old computers really were, so big that they had wings and annexes!

Dave.

[661-pete]

That's a great quote, shows how big old computers really were, so big that they had wings and annexes!

To put it in perspective, my university mainframe (which probably had less computing power than a present-day mobile phone) occupied virtually an entire floor of the building. And the room containing the power plant thereof (out of bounds to us students of course) had a warning notice on the door saying "no more than two people in this room at a time". There was so much load on the floor, they were worried about it collapsing!

On another occasion I was taken on a tour of the vast ATLAS computer lab near Oxford - at the time one of the biggest computers in the country. I was staggered at the vastness of the place - like a giant warehouse or aircraft hangar, just to house a single computer.

(*sigh*) those were the days...

[661-pete]

Incidentally, some real eye-openers amongst the posts on this thread. Thanks for that. It seems we, the blokes, in this (still) male-dominated hobby, have a lot of catching up and divesting of prejudices, to do!

Other posts on this thread - well, less so. Best I can say to one or two, is, long past your bedtime!

I'm not sure where you come from, but around these parts photographing mainly men is not a bloke-ish hobby. We take pictures of lots of things, but photos of men are usually found at the other end of the top shelf, if you know what I mean....

I may be wrong, of course, but I think he meant: "Photography (mainly [done by] men)"

[brianb]

There was so much load on the floor, they were worried about it collapsing!

Such things happened .... one of the first automated cheque readers installed by a major bank went through the floor approximately thirty seconds after being switched on, seems that the idiots in management hadn't thought that a machine weighing 1.5 tonnes and containing enough mechanical components to vibrate might actually need a reinforced floor to stand on. Plus ca change.

[Matthew.Blake]

Maybe your just culturally programmed to assume women are less competent than men so you are suprised when you find this not the case and remember the competent women and forget the incompetent ones whilst forgetting the competent men and remembering the incompetent ones. I'd be willing to bet if you took 1000 men and 1000 women they'd do the job differently from each other but the end result would be just as valid and have taken the same amount of time (unless the job was parallel parking).

We don't notice things we expect, we notice the things we weren't expecting.

Yup Astro-Baby. Women make MUCH better programmers than men. It's the better attention to detail (hey you guys out there, don't blame me - it's down to primal nest-building instinct). Of the 4 progs I ever knew who regularly got an error free 1st test, 3 were female. And the fourth (the male) ran clean only after the first failed run telling him to open his files before trying to read them.

Those were the days. Hail Hail Commander Grace! Ada, Lady Lovelace too!

Incidentally, my avatar is the first machine I worked on (machine code). ICT 1301 circa 1962. The barrel printer was housed in the east wing and the card reader and punch in the west wing and annex respectively.

Better get off here. I'm gate-crashing hubby's astro site.

[FLO]

In retail they talk about customer 'profiles'. The typical profile of an astronomer is male, works in science or IT and an has interest in computers and/or photography. Of course, we all know that is only a guide.

I would not be surprised to find SGL has a higher percentage of female members than other astro forums and I am sure it is better for that

[lulu57]

Besides the women I met at SGL4, I know 3 other women who own telescopes.

We don't particularly get together and compare kit or rave about astronomy every time we meet. Our conversations are often sadly related to our professions.

However, one thing I notice about the four of us, is that astronomy is just one part of our bank of interests. It's not an all-consuming passion, it's an interest among many.

The only people whom I have met who have this very intense relationship with astronomy tend to be men.

I wonder if that is a gender difference?

Having said that, I know that Whippy is mad on tropical fish and several of the male SGLers seemed to be very family-orientated. And the thread about our other hobbies shows a broad interest base.

I seem to be contradicting myself here...but it's interesting. I'm a bit of a Jack-of-all-trades (since my career demands multi-tasking) and I tend to follow the same trends with my interests. However, Michigoose seems to be describing herself as someone who maintains focus on a single concept in her work, seeing all the details. I wonder if she is the same with her hobbies?

Actually, I've just shot myself in the foot, haven't I? What I'm describing is a raft of personality differences which seem to have little or no relationship with gender.

I'll get me coat....

[ashenlight]

Well this thread has been a real eye opener. I am so pleased that we have such a diverse range of people in this forum who can have an open, honest and frank discussion about quite a touchy subject.

My main hobby is astronomy.. but then I have be known to do a bit of knitting... I love gardening... and I enjoy fiddling around with my computer quite a lot. Go figure.

Sexism really annoys me and I am really pleased to have found a forum (that is, lets face it, for a hobby that is largely (and wrongly) regarded as traditionally 'male') that treats its members with respect and equality - an experience in traditionally 'male' hobbies and interests I have NEVER experienced before. Think a woman going into PC World... or trying to buy a red light torch...

Thankyou SGL

[brianb]

What I'm describing is a raft of personality differences which seem to have little or no relationship with gender.

Yup. We do have one thing in common, though - we're all nuts