Probably we want practical things, not playthings, ways to simplify our lives, like concierge service to pick up dry cleaning or shop for food. Fear of Computing After 15 years working in all-male world of submarine combat control systems for Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, R.I., din of foosball and table hockey tournaments does not faze Donna Paparella. But I've been in male world for so long, I hardly notice it. At Undersea Warfare Center, she saw difference women can make. As for women's IT aversion, Paparella thinks problem is based on perception, ignorance and lack of exposure.
Women think it's boring, uncreative.
But I wrote code and loved it. Similarly, Paparella sees women friends with distorted views of tech careers. Still, the agency, arm of Department of Defense that specializes in protection of U.S. information systems and production of foreign signals intelligence, and reportedly employs some 40,000 code breakers, eavesdroppers and others, headquartered at Fort Meade, Md., has fared better than most in hiring and retaining IT women. These things are big sellers, very enticing to women. Deborah Bonnani, director for human resources at NSA, says agency's overall attrition rate of 5 percent to 6 percent is low in today's economy.