Nothing special about Tech...
The male/female ratio is equally skewed when it comes to car mechanics, plumbers, astrophysics, washing machine repairs etc. Essentially, any activity that involves yes/no answers and places zero emphasis on feelings and emotional reactions is skewed towards men.
When your washing machine floods your kitchen or your starter motor locks up (or you smell burning rust) it doesn't matter what anyone feels about it. There are no "safe spaces". The equipment will not negotiate, it will not be reasonable it will not compromise. You come face to face with the ghastly reality that what you want, think or feel does not matter.
Given that the above is presently immutable, it is unsurprising that inter-personal aspects tend the same way and I'm not at all convinced it is worthwhile to try to change that. If I am going to have to tackle vicious hostility from the Linux operating system, what is the advantage in toning down Linus himself?
I don't want my code being called "questionable" or "suboptimal" if the OS is going to throw it back at me with an ID10T error. Tell me I'm an idiot. Tell me to RTFM. Don't spout euphemisms to spare my feelings because the end user won't ... it's a machine.
IT has (what is being characterised here as) a 'macho' culture because the profession is dedicated to managing and sometimes fighting a bunch of Terminators. "Emotional intelligence" doesn't have any utility when your opponent has no emotions.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
