IT Demographics: Finger Length, Gender and IT

There’s an awful lot more male software developers than women. It’s a truth so self-evident that it would take some-one of delusional levels of political correctness to deny it. Therefore counting the number of ladies of a coding persuasion in your office will lead to blinding obvious results i.e. there ain’t that many. However counting the number of man brains in your office may well be of more importance to the nascent science of IT demographics.

Logic would dictate that if you’re a man then it’s a man brain for you and visa versa for women. Not so Horiatio. A significant minority of men have lady brains and the converse for women.

You will be gladdened to know that there is no need for radical surgery to identify a man brain. A none-invasive technique is available. Simply look at a person’s hand and measure the relative lengths of their forefinger and their ring finger (nearest to the little finger).

• If the ring finger is bigger than the forefinger – you are a proud owner of a man brain.


• If the ring finger is shorter than the forefinger – then you are well endowed with a fashionable ladies’ brain.

So get out there and do it. Seize the hands of all the coders in your office and get measuring. I won’t sully the scientific endeavour by speculating on the result however I wouldn’t be surprised if coders of either gender orientation excel at tasks such as reading maps and putting together flat pack furniture.

IT Demographics and Logan’s run

I have a few baseless theories about the IT workplace – here’s one.

Logan’s Run is an old sci-fi film starring Michael York and the much loved (by me anyway) Jenny Agutter. The basic premise is that in a post apocalyptic society youth is prized above all else. So much so that when a citizen reaches 30 they are executed. And don’t try to run off because Michael York will don his leather pants, run after you and shot you to bits. Ouch!

I’ve often thought that software development must work in the same way. When you reach a given age, probably about 40, you’re taken quietly into a room for a bit of professional development and quietly exterminated. What else can explain the lack of older developers in a profession that’s been going in strength for 30 years or more.

Ok, there may be other explanations.

1. Lot’s of people leave the profession after 5-10 years. The plasterer that did my dining room was an ex-IT worker. I think he was happier with his trowel.


2. People get rescued into management/project managers etc…. But there aren’t that many management positions.


3. People go into related position because the rate of change in IT is too much. I’ve known a few testers in that position. There are undoubtedly IT trainers in the same position.

Alternatively maybe Michael York is stalking the older members of the profession. Beware of blond actors in leather pants everyone.