Funny enough, the shorter programmers were generally much more competent from having to actually earn their place. If you have to pick a doctor or lawyer on looks alone, I recommend picking the shorter guy (or the woman!)
Multiple people have told me I surprise them with how tall I am when we finally meet in person, mostly because I keep my camera at the top of my computer, which gives a slightly down-leaning angle, as if they were looking down at me.
This could be used to a real advantage by putting the camera under the monitor. It's also not quite a flattering look so I avoid it, but I wonder if this is to my detriment...
Let’s also imagine hypothetically that in many situations, the speed and strength of consensus itself has value beyond the quality of the decision reached, so eg. quickly reaching a strong consensus on the 2nd-best solution would be better than fighting a drawn-out battle to reach a strained consensus on the best solution.
In this (very hypothetical) world, it’s optimal to favour, by some amount, tall males over higher-performing non-tall-males.
Well, there is a consideration for management positions that says an appearance that evokes deference is a genuine qualification for the job.
And while it would be difficult to make that argument for doctors, it's not at all difficult for lawyers.