Not trying to be a dick here, but in the hypothetical "on the internet nobody knows who you are", why would you need to specify if you're a man or a woman?
I've personally always loved the interactions I've had on the internet back in the 90s-early 00s because someone's opinions/contributions could be analysed objectively without having to fall into the trap of subconscious biases based on the person you're speaking to rather than the object of discussion.
This is not to negate your feelings of being under-appreciated or respected because of your gender, but I am genuinely curious as to why your first response in this scenario would be to fake your gender rather than not caring about it.
The point is presumably that online interactions do not form the totality of a career or working life in software.
Yeah, here on HN you don't need to care whether I'm a man, woman, chocolate bar or UFO. In the real world when I take a CS course, go to a conference, take a job etc, having my physical form is pretty useful.
