Spaghetti, waffles, and their relevance to tech work

Recently, I read a book review about the differences between men and women. Don't ask me how that came to my attention, it's hardly the kind of stuff that I take an active interest in. In summary, the article claims that men's brains are like waffles and women's like spaghetti.

Spaghetti and waffles!

In essence, men tend to compartmentalize. Men tend to be focused. Each activity takes place in a space of its own - much like the squares on a waffle. There is little no no overlap. When a man is working, he's working. When a man is watching football, he's watching football.

Women, on the other hand, tend not to compartmentalize. Everything is interconnected. Everything affects everything else. This, of course, would be a neat explanation for why my wife somehow manages to talk about me spending too much money on insurance policies when I'm trying to talk about the correct way to brew chrysanthemum tea.

Or at least, it would be, if I bought this theory.

How this would play in tech

Is this accurate? Well, who knows for sure?

The more important question would be - what if it was? You see, in tech, there's a popular theory (which is way more popular than I feel it should be) that men are better suited to tech because they're more focused and logical, whereas women are more intuitive and emotional. And some women I know have even bought into this theory, claiming rubbish like "I'm a woman. I'm supposed to be emotional."

Look, I acknowledge that the following is merely an assumption on my part. Maybe not everyone gets out as much as they should. But most of us would know men who are sensitive and emotional, and women who are cold, clinical and rational. They may not be the majority of men and women, but they do exist. And they are no less men and women for that. At least, not in my eyes.

So let's say that this theory is true, and that men are generally more focused and prone to compartmentalization. Would that make them better programmers? Maybe. After all, a large part of programming is writing objects and methods, and what are the best methods? The ones that accomplish a single goal, no more. The ones that are largely separate from other methods. Loosely coupled. But would that mean men are better suited to tech? Only if you think software development is nothing but programming. And, if you have any substantial amount of experience in that area at all, you would recognize how laughable an idea that is.

More than writing code.

Tech also needs architects and system analysts. People who see the bigger picture, and can accurately point out how one area of the system potentially affects another. And who better for that, than the stereotypical woman? So if men are better coders and women are better system architects, wouldn't it stand to reason that both men and women are just as suited to tech, but perhaps in different roles?

Food for thought! Literally!

Again, the above supposes that I agree with the assertion that men are like waffles and women are like spaghetti.

I don't. I think human beings come with a staggering array of personality types, and it's these personality types that we need to look out for when determining suitability for a tech job.I think tech would be better served if we were to classify people based on their problem-solving approaches, rather than by their gender.

Quit waffling around!
T___T