I've been a professional programmer for 15 years now as well as a published computer security researcher. I've worked extensively in both academia and the corporate world. In that time I've worked with about a dozen of female programmers. Of that pool the vast majority were just as competent as the average male programmer with a very few being exceptional. In my experience the talent distribution among female programmers is very similar to that of male programmers. What has always puzzled me is that the best female programmers I've encountered have always been asian in origin. I've never met an exceptional caucasian female programmer. This is most likely to due with US immigration requirements and cultural factors. Just my two cents.
I've been a professional programmer for 15 years now as well as a published computer security researcher. I've worked extensively in both academia and the corporate world. In that time I've worked with about a dozen of female programmers. Of that pool the vast majority were just as competent as the average male programmer with a very few being exceptional. In my experience the talent distribution among female programmers is very similar to that of male programmers. What has always puzzled me is that the best female programmers I've encountered have always been asian in origin. I've never met an exceptional caucasian female programmer. This is most likely to due with US immigration requirements and cultural factors. Just my two cents.