Definitely a fun read, but the author has an axe to grind with the references to "who gets bitches" and the unnecessary footnotes. Take what you will from it.
The author (who is on HN, btw, too) does go into a more substantial difference of the nature of the two endeavours too, but the whole post is in a jocking tone. And yes, it has "an axe to grind", but it's not about who gets the girl. It's about taking down essays they consider pompous and self-congratulatory.