Women in Technology: Hear Us Roar

Archive

September 4, 2007
Tatiana Apandi is the Women in Technology series creator and is an associate editor at O'Reilly Media Inc., where she has worked since December 1998.

“We are volcanoes. When we women offer our experience as our truth, as human truth, all the maps change. There are new mountains.”
Ursula LeGuin

The animal that I’ve chosen to represent this series is the lioness. Although the lion is often called the King of the Jungle, lion society is actually ruled by its females. Lionesses are the ones primarily responsible for providing sustenance for their entire pride. She is a natural leader. When hunting, each lioness plays to her strengths. She even adjusts her individual role in the hunt depending on the prey to ensure capture for the pride. She can adapt to suit the task at hand. A lioness also will nurse any cub, indiscriminate of whether that cub is her own. She will give with the greater good in mind.

Thank you to all the women who have given their time and effort for these articles and interviews. And thank you to the many, many other women pioneers who have struggled personally to prove that a woman can get any job done.

- Tatiana Apandi

Series Articles

To Sir, with Love: How To Get More Women Involved in Open Source by Selena Deckelmann
09/28/2007
Selena Deckelmann shares her suggestions for how to make some positive changes.

Then = Now + 1 by Nikki Downes-Martin
09/28/2007
You may take the woman out of programming, but you'll never take the programming out of Nikki Downes-Martin.

We Have the Technology to Change by Michelle Levesque
09/27/2007
Michelle Levesque fell into programming when she saw someone use technology to change a virtual world. She now sees how she can use it to change this one.

The Power Users of the Internet: Forging a New Women's Movement Online by Elisa Camahort, Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone
09/26/2007
BlogHer encourages you to stop waiting for your ship to come in; go out and build your own.

The Advantages of Networking Offline by Audrey Eschright
09/26/2007
We can become very accustomed to socializing via the computer. Audrey Eschright talks about how you still can't beat face-to-face interactions.

A Woman, in Search by Jessie Stricchiola
09/25/2007
We've all been in search of something at one time or another. But how many among us can say that the search led to a career-changing lawsuit? Jessie Stricciola talks about how she took on a well-known Search Engine.

Taking the Startup Plunge by Sandy Jen
09/24/2007
The success of meebo has been through sheer hard work and talent. The fact that Sandy Jen and co-founder Elaine Wherry are women is a small detail that neither has seemed to notice.

My Fabulous Geek Career by Carla Schroder
09/24/2007
Carla Schroder talks about how her thick skin helped her create her own fulfilling career.

Interview with danah boyd by danah boyd and Tatiana Apandi
09/21/2007
Tatiana Apandi asks danah boyd questions ranging from the fascinating work danah did to determine that Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) is sexist to what danah does when she encounters sexism first hand.

Slouching Toward Tech by Jill Dyché
09/21/2007
Jill Dyché is an English major who finds herself in the mysterious world of technology and who realizes that being able to analyze Milton actually still comes in handy.

Lowering the Veil by Kirsten Jones
09/20/2007
Making yourself visible can be one of the hardest tasks in any profession. Kirsten Jones shares her experience of coming out from the shadows.

Tech Startups: A Safe Bet by Shaherose Charania and Shivani Sopory
09/20/2007
How can the riskiest professional venture be the safest personal route? Shaherose Charania and Shivani Sopory take you through the upside of risking it all.

Process Geekiness: The Role of Face-to-Face Collaboration in Thriving Tech Communities by Kaliya Hamlin
09/19/2007
Obsessed with process, Kaliya Hamlin explains how this particular skill set can help build stronger tech communities.

Living with Technology by Mitchell Baker
09/19/2007
Mitchell Baker takes a "what have you done for me lately" approach to technology.

Stretching Yourself by Juliet Kemp
09/18/2007
Personal growth usually happens when you're feeling slightly uncomfortable. Juliet Kemp urges you to keep plowing through that feeling.

From Princess to Goddess: Female Success in IT by Molly Holzschlag
09/18/2007
Molly Holzschlag offers herself as living proof that just being who you are will bring its own sweet success.

Women Who Risk: Making Women in Technology Visible by Tara Hunt
09/17/2007
Where are all the women? Tara Hunt will tell you where we all are and why she thinks it is harder to find us than it should be.

Interview with CJ Rayhill by CJ Rayhill and Tatiana Apandi
09/14/2007
Tatiana Apandi interviews CJ Rayhill, an amazing woman who was among the first female graduating class of Annapolis Naval Academy...and that's not CJ's only impressive accomplishment.

Inspiration: Pass It On by Gabrielle Roth
09/14/2007
Gabrielle Roth speaks to how just one person being a role model can make all the difference to helping you realize your potential.

Proud to be a "Geekette" by Julia Lerman
09/13/2007
They say that "the clothes make the man." Read Julia Lerman's account of her personal growth being reflected outwardly.

Advice on Careers in Technology for Geeky (and not so Geeky) Women by Dawn Foster
09/13/2007
Dawn Foster shares her own methods for building (and keeping) a successful career--even if you're not half the geek that she is.

I Don't Like Articles about Women in Technology by Amy Hoy
09/12/2007
Amy Hoy writes candidly about why she thinks that asking about the lack of female presence in technology is asking the wrong question.

Bringing Up Girl Geeks by Jeni Tennison
09/12/2007
Jeni Tennison discusses what a mother can do when all she wants is for her girls to grow up to be geeks. And proud of it.

Charming Pythonistas by Anna Martelli Ravenscroft
09/11/2007
Are certain languages more "female-friendly" than others? Anna Martelli Ravenscroft talks about the merits of Python for women.

Tagged by Erica Rios
09/10/2007
Erica Rios is a minority within a minority. In this world of categorization, Erica talks about her journey embracing her "tags."

Tatiana Apandi Interviews Dru Lavigne by Dru Lavigne and Tatiana Apandi
09/07/2007
Tatiana Apandi asks Dru Lavigne if gender has had any effect on her career and how open source can help more women get involved.

Working for Standards by Lauren Wood
09/07/2007
The benefits of working on a standards committee can be both personal and professional. Lauren Wood wonders aloud why more women don't consider reaping those benefits.

So What? by Shelley Powers
09/06/2007
Why should we care about gender inequality? Do we care? Is there even a problem? Shelley Powers forces you to ask yourself where you stand on these questions.

Be a Part of Influencing the Future by Nelly Yusupova
09/06/2007
What do you do when you become intimidated and don't feel capable? If you're Nelly Yusupova, you dig in deeper and don't stop until the fear subsides, and then you pass that courage along to other girls.

A Fifty Year Wave of Change by Maria Klawe
09/05/2007
The technology field is so focused on what's new that we don't always consider that many issues within it--including the gender inequality issue--have been around for a long time. Maria Klawe, President of Harvey Mudd College, takes us through her decades of experience.

Social Engineering by Leslie Hawthorn
09/04/2007
An increasing number of women serve technical projects in what’s often perceived as a nurturing role: building community and advancing discussion and communications with an inclusionary style. Leslie Hawthorn, Google's self-professed "geek herder," explains...