# Enrolling in "cybersecurity bootcamps" to meet women? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 20, 2024, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901 "2024-12-20T03:03:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/21 "2024-12-22T02:30:29Z")
This is a zombie thread. @Gatopescado revived it to assure me that he’s okay. I don’t think anyone is still looking for advice about meeting romantic partners at an IT boot camp. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/22 "2024-12-22T02:43:16Z")
Sure that wasn’t meant for a different thread? This one was started two days ago by @MW_Degen_Gamblr . ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/23 "2024-12-22T02:50:41Z")
Oops, my mistake. It was. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/24 "2024-12-22T03:15:13Z")
No it wasn’t! And so is my wife! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/25 "2024-12-22T04:13:34Z")
So, i agree that going to a cybersecurity boot camp to meet women is a bad idea. I know women who have gone to IT boot camps, and they were looking for jobs, not to socialize. And cruising there is going to feel creepy. But i think dance is a great idea. There’s often a shortage of men, and the straight women like to dance with men. I am involved in “challenge square dancing”, which gets very technical, by the way. (Also, like IT, the sex ratio leans towards men as you get into the technical stuff, but it’s probably still 40% women.) And knitting is a good idea, too. My son has gotten into very technical knitting, and he’s attracted a certain number of female friends who appreciate that he’s really good at knitting. Of course, most of his knitting friends are already partnered and not looking for romance. But since he’s looking for friendship, not a partner, that’s fine. Anyway, the odds are pretty decent for a straight guy in that venue. Makerspace is also a good choice. I have no idea what the sex ratio is, but people work together and chat and share space on a regular basis. And everyone there is pretty technical. Fwiw, my local friends who help run their makerspace are women. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/26 "2025-01-02T17:49:24Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Yeah. What I know of cybersecurity is 90+% male and not at all social. The weirder the better. > > For a specific / cynical desire to meet women “in their element where they’ll feel safe”', you’d do one hell of a lot better to take up knitting and hang out at yarn stores. Midwest women love that stuff. Really. I would stick hot sizzling chicken skewers in my ear before I would take up knitting. As for dancing, i’m not good enough to take classes. I do like to twerk on the dance floor to Lil Wayne and headbang to Metallica, but I think most of my clubbing days are behind me. Im genuine when I say im interested in cybersecurity and computers in general. Not just to pick up chicks. It doesn’t have to be bootcamps specifically. Just about anything tech related where women show up. I know there’s DEFCON in Vegas every year. It’s a social thing and some women attend. But well, it’s once a year for just a week. And it’s in August. It will be hot as balls. I dont think I would be that thirsty to meet women at that con, because in that climate I would be literally thirsty. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/27 "2025-01-02T18:05:26Z")
> [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > I would stick hot sizzling chicken skewers in my ear before I would take up knitting. “knit 1, brain 2…” ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/28 "2025-01-02T18:31:08Z")
if my 50+ yo me could give advice to my 15 yo me: boy, take up social dancing (who cares if you suck at it, clumsy could still be passed off as _cute_) … and horseback-riding, as 16 yo girls seem to outnumber boys by 1:5 … its a number’s game … even if in a IT bootcamp you have 20% females, you still have a 4:1 male ratio, so chances ain’t in your favor. (bookmarked just for the off-chance of the whole time-machine thingy actually working some day) ---
**Author:** ![raspberry\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@raspberry\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raspberry_hunter)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/29 "2025-01-02T18:38:27Z")
> [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > As for dancing, i’m not good enough to take classes. I do like to twerk on the dance floor to Lil Wayne and headbang to Metallica, but I think most of my clubbing days are behind me. I… don’t think… you understand what the point of classes are? They are supposed to be for people who aren’t good at the thing, so they can get better! Anyway, yeah. Classes in ballroom dancing. That was the tried-and-true way to meet chicks at my very-lopsided-gender-ratio technical school. Like @puzzlegal said, there’s a shortage of men (so any lack of skill will be excused), and women like it! (Indeed, I would go so far as to say that most women find a guy who can dance – or is learning how to dance – rather romantic!) ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/30 "2025-01-02T19:14:21Z")
> [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > we should meet women in settings where we are in our “element” Some of these replies seem to be missing the point. If the idea is to meet a woman in a place where you are in your element, suggesting things the OP has no interest in is not at all what the dating guru had in mind. **MW\_Degen\_Gamblr** , I am admittedly extrapolating based off of limited information, but here are my thoughts: if you “thrive better in technology than athletics,” then you may be an introverted, homebody sort of person. The dating guru’s advice is excellent for extroverted people who like to get out of the house and do stuff, because you are likely to meet other extroverted people who don’t like to sit at home. But from what I’ve seen, men who are quieter and into more isolated activities really do best meeting women online, because that is where they are in their element. People who like to stay home and don’t like being around groups of people are going to be on a website or app, not out mingling with strangers. If you are a social, get-out-of-the-house person, then a better option than trying to figure out which events attract more ladies may be to attend whatever events interest you and focus on getting to know whoever’s there. I’ve had some great luck with going to an event, making a platonic friend, keeping in touch with the friend, and then later meeting a romantic interest through the friend that I initially made. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/31 "2025-01-02T19:44:06Z")
I would stick hot sizzling chicken skewers in my feet before I would take up dancing. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/32 "2025-01-02T20:08:12Z")
So you’d take up dancing to avoid taking up dancing? (I’ll show myself out…) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901/33 "2025-01-02T20:16:05Z")
> [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > If that dating guru is right, things are adding up. I have a lot of fun playing sports but I’m not that good at them. Perhaps the reason why I didn’t thrive was because I wasn’t a star player. I did not expect this outside of high school, but as they say “high school never ends”. I think most people join these leagues to meet people to date, not recruit an all-star team. I just happened to finish listening to a video by some woman on social cues and body language and building charisma and whatnot. Not specifically for meeting women / dating, but a lot of it applies. Anyhow, there could be a million women at an event where you share the same interests but it won’t do you any good if you don’t know how to communicate with them. It’s not really about building a resume (athletic, IT, or otherwise). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enrolling-in-cybersecurity-bootcamps-to-meet-women/1011901.md?page=1)