From bad bosses to work-at-home scams

Where are all the women in technology?
When it comes to women in technology, the numbers are actually dwindling, and experts have been scratching their heads over why.

Some people blame the school systems, others say it’s the image technology portrays. Most of you had some strong opinions on the subject and my approach to the topic:

I am 41 years old (female), and have been in technology since 1991. IT's been a bumpy road, with the tech boom and bust. My mother, more interestingly, has been programming computers in the 1950's and has been in technology since then (completing her Master's in Computer Science in the early 70's), and is still working! She's about to turn 70 and I still go to her for help with certain technology issues!

But what I wanted to say about technology is that a woman is NOT RESPECTED in technology. I have story after story of myself and other women who have been shut out because technology is a man's world, and women haven't infiltrated it. Although your article more focused on how to find qualified women and that women aren't going into the field now, there are women who are already here, who don't get the opportunities that men do for career advancement, training, and on the job learning.
— Denise, Maryland

While I applaud your efforts to bring this subject to the forefront, I feel that you made the exact mistakes that you are advising against. I understand you were trying to point out the benefits women can bring to a field.

Quoting directly from your article: "Men, he says, largely don't do a great job making the products easier to use because they concentrate more on the 'geek' factor of technology. 'I think women have more of an intuitive sense of designing interfaces.'"

To put it another way, that's like saying that men are good at building a house while women are good at decorating it! I'm sorry, but I find that point of view offensive. Women can be just as good at the "hard," techy, "geeky," and logical stuff as men can. And saying anything different does women injustice.
— Lindsay H., Bowling Green, Ky.

Good thing women are strictly superior to men in every conceivable fashion. Otherwise there'd be articles on industries dominated by females, and the relative lack of male participants. Oh wait there already are. Diversity is over-hyped bullshit spread by the same dogma used by religion.
— Lance B.

Work-at-home scams rising
I probably get more mail about work-at-home opportunities than any other career topic. Many of you are desperate to find a job that allows you to work from home because it’s flexible, and some of you hope it can provide you with some extra cash until the economy turns around.

Well, this desire is causing many of you to fall for the endless work-at-home scams that end up in your e-mail boxes.

This column prompted, as expected, a flood of e-mails — and some of you had no sympathy for the victims in my story:

You know, I’m sorry when anyone who’s trying to make some extra money loses so much but, for God’s sake, these scams have been around for ages! I can’t believe people keep falling for them, and I think they, deep down, are just trying to find the easiest way to make a few extra bucks. “Handicapped” people have tons of resources through local agencies to help them find work; why did Bonnie go to work for a company she knew nothing about? That’s just ignorant. And I heard about the package-mailing scam over a year ago on Oprah, and a few months ago there was a case in one of the courtroom reality shows. I really think the people who get taken like this are, unfortunately, lazy. Not greedy, not dishonest…just lazy.
— Jane S.

I’m just writing to say thank you for your informative article. I’m one of many who have been considering some form of work-at-home opportunity. Your article showed up at just the right time to let me know exactly how prevalent scams are in the work-at-home field.
—Ethan

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