I have no direct experience, but I would be surprised if that were true. Emulator development is the perfect intersection of, like, three different communities (low-level tech, video games, and open source) that are (at least on HN) perceived as extra-unwelcoming to women. I don't see why combining all three would cancel that out.

I would also note that writing an emulator is not something you just stumble into because the people are friendly or whatever. It requires an extremely honed set of quite niche skills. I think it takes something more to become successful at it than just "I guess I'll stick around because everywhere else is even meaner."

Is that really the case? I think Silicon Valley is perceived as _specially_ unwelcoming to women, not necessarily every computer subculture out there.

My personal guess is that as a traditionally underground community the ROM/emulator scene was more welcoming to certain groups due to the use of pseudonyms. It's easier to not draw attraction when you don't walk into an office every day and meet people face to face.

At this point i find it hard to separate honest problems from SJW shit storms over bike sheds.

That said, the valley's VC fueled death marches, and the resulting bravado and "machismo" probably do not help.

I found the opposite was true - People in gaming communities and on anonymous message boards (such as 4chan) are usually very egalitarian.

Most conversations do not require any information about a person's identity, so every idea stands on it's own merit.

The perceived hostility emerges when a person tries to support their viewpoint by irrelevant factors (gender, sexual orientation, race, etc.).

This works fine if you're willing to let everyone believe you are who they assume you are. If you correct someone, you're likely to "perceive hostility."

In the words of the /b/east itself:

(Warning: VERY harsh language)

>If I can pontificate a bit for your edification, one of the rules of the internet is "There are no girls on the internet". This rule does not mean what you think it means.

>In real life, people like you for being a girl. They want to fuck you, so they pay attention to you and pretend what you have to say is interesting, or that you are smart and clever. On the internet, we don't get a chance to fuck you. This means the advantage of being a "girl" does not exist. You don't get a bonus in a conversation just because I'd like to put my cock in you.

>When you make a stupid post like "hurr durr i'm a gurl" you are begging for attention. The only reason to post it is because you want your girl advantage back, because you are too vapid and stupid to do or say anything interesting without it. You are forgetting the rules, there are no girls on the internet.

By correcting someone, you are breaking the unspoken rule of anonymous communities - ideas standing on their own merit, regardless of who you are.

It's the equivalent of walking into an anonymous alcoholics meeting with booze, telling everyone how great it is to drink.

There is no reason for them to cater to you, therefore they want to get rid of you in a fast or fun way. Hostility can be both funny and gets rid of people who do not fit in.

Why are there so few biologically born women in those same communities, then?

I would also add that with the number of online communities there are, you could almost 'expect' to see at least one community that's largely made of transgender people even when it doesn't really have anything to do with stuff related to being transgender. Emulators probably aren't the only scene like this. That said, it's not like there can't be other factors as well.