Women becoming programmers is hyped for the same reason women becoming doctors and lawyers was hyped decades ago: diversity fuels innovation. They're interested in other professions because the culture surrounding programming is such a "boy's club", it's like a nigh-impenetrable shield. And it's not so much they're interested in other professions as they are pushed away from programming.

The lack of women in programming isn't their fault. It's ours.

Please name a couple of diversity-fuelled innovations

Here are a couple of links to lists of contributions by women to various fields.

Medicine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_medicine#Pioneering_wo...

Computing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Computing#Timeline_of_...

Engineering: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_engineering#Notable_wo...

Geology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_geology#Female_geologi...

Hopefully it's apparent that having a fresh viewpoint on a problem or in a profession is valuable.

Surely you can see that those lists doesn't answer the question. "Nineteenth century British geologist" isn't an innovation, and a woman contributing to a field does not mean that "diversity fuels innovation".

I'm sorry. I don't have a list of innovations that happened because an underprivileged person joined a profession and used their world view. I could say the rise in Facebook/casual gaming proves there was a market going untapped, but I'm not sure if that was done by a woman/casual gamer, so I'm hesitant to use it.

I was hoping it would be apparent that bringing in a different perspective would help a brand or profession appeal to a wider audience, but if you would like hard evidence this happens, I'm afraid I don't have the patience to research it. If that means my point is null-and-void, so be it.

I'd agree that bringing in a different perspective helps a brand or profession appeal to a wider audience. What's not apparent is that diversity fuels innovation. They're different statements.

I believe innovation is the next logical step to widening your appeal. You make new and interesting advances when the work you're doing is for a different type of person or project.

I'm not sure what you're saying, and even less sure of how it relates to the question at hand.

What's not to understand? When you work on something new, or take a new perspective, you make new advances. That seems pretty straight-forward.

How are women different?

They are few and far-between in a lot of the tech industry.