Note that sports didn't really aspire to be a meritocracy before professionalism. The most meritocratic sports combine inclusiveness with professionalism i.e. a lot of people can enter the sport and the best are recognized as such. Programming often favors amateurism[0] like open source, side projects and being "the right kind of nerdy", while at the same being elitist in regard to things like education.
I also think a lot of the problems in regard to equality are latent effects of many who got started in the early days of the personal computer did so because of their dad [1] (and that gender roles where much stricter at the time).
[0] Which isn't necessarily about skill, while it do tend to change the meaning of skill.
I also think a lot of the problems in regard to equality are latent effects of many who got started in the early days of the personal computer did so because of their dad [1] (and that gender roles where much stricter at the time).
[0] Which isn't necessarily about skill, while it do tend to change the meaning of skill.
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7677309