That paragraph, used to explain "horrifying steeplechase" describes every tech interview I have ever been on, ever. I'm a man, it's not a thing we do to women just 'cuz. We're insensitive, socially inept clods and that is the defining culture in highly technical fields. I would think a woman would appreciate this MOST, we're purely and entirely interested in her brain and what it can do. I would have been far more disgusted with my peers if they were leering or chatting her up, trying to use this as a first date scenario... THAT would be unacceptable.
If these women are unable to tolerate geekdom, they probably will not enjoy working in their job. I'm sitting in a building with 120 people right now, it's quiet as a graveyard but everyone is here. I have an IM conversation going on with the guy in the cube next to me, not about football or his wife, but about cool compiler tricks. This is our job, this is also who we are. If you are a woman in tech, this is how you too must be, or else you're applying to the wrong sort of job. If you want to be tech-savvy marketing, apply to marketing. if you want to make business decisions, get an MBA. But if you want to DO technology, and be a practitioner, then we're looking for you and you should be happy to answer repetitive mundane questions about C calling conventions or the various drawbacks of exception handling. It's a calling, not everyone fits. I don't see it as mutually exclusive with women, just exclusive with women who want to be above it all. Much like men who wish the same, you need not apply, we're weeding you out.
I'm going to interview a woman in about 40 minutes. HR put on my agenda to make sure I ask if the candidate needs water or a restroom break. Because I trust HR (in this instance) I will do that, when someone tells me what to do in social scenarios I do it. But if they don't, I probably won't remember. In fact I may not remember if my computer shuts off during the interview. If you've been in tech school for the past 4+ years, or in the industry, you're used to this and don't think about it, you want to know about the job details and what I'm working on. If you're not really interested in being an engineer, but just want the paycheck and a shot at management, no one is going to want to hire you, including my female manager. First and foremost we're interested in your technical output, if it's not there and we don't think it can be there, go away. And if you are serious about doing this job, and understand what it means to be on a team, and to produce a product, you would be the same way. People who don't pull their weight crater the company, prove to us you're going to pull your weight.