Girls In Tech

Pink is bubblegum. Pink is cotton candy. Pink is definitely Barbie. But laptops? iPods? Gadgets? Widgets? Gizmos? Please – stop it already. I may have to reach for my Pepto Bismol if this all this pink doesn’t stop. Yes, I’m a girl, but, no, I don’t need my tech toys to match my gender.

Don’t get me wrong, aesthetics play a huge role in purchasing decisions. This is why Apple’s art-deco avant garde designs go hand in hand with cult like following. This is why the question, “Are you a Mac or a PC?” has everything to do with superior design and superior technology as much as it has to do with a sound and functional OS. But it is the aesthetics of design, not color choice or “gender typing”, which make Mac such an attractive product.

Aesthetics are one thing and “gender typing” a tech device is another. Why do companies insist on splattering shades of pink on their products when selling to a female audience? Since when did women like only pink? Case in point: Blackberry. Last year, RIM released the Blackberry Pearl in a soft baby pink hue. If the words “pearl” and “pink” aren’t girly enough, I don’t know what is. Most women, in an effort to be taken seriously, stay away from pink. Just take “Legally Blonde” for example. Almost everything Elle Woods owned was pink. People found her juvenile and automatically assumed she was “too dumb” for Harvard Law. Her love for the rosy color kept people from taking her seriously–yet it helped her stand out (read: pink and scented resumes). As laughable as it sounds, pink is instantly associated with juvenile tendencies and a “dumb blonde” stereotype—one that has been broken too many times to name.

It’s not pink, but it might as well be. The purple-hued Hannah Montana PSP is another sexist technology device. The fact that I think Hannah Montana isn’t the best role-model for today’s pre-teens is beside the point. But honestly, does the console a girl plays with have to be purple? Lilac to be exact? And the Hannah Montana game is definitely not aimed at boys. Instead, it just reinforces the stereotype that women can’t play more complex and intricate games like Zelda or Final Fantasy and that there is suddenly a need to develop “girly” games that teach cooking, fashion design, singing, and dancing. I understand the lilac PSP is Sony’s attempt to recognize and capitalize on the female market and turn them into gamers as well, but I am very confident they can do it with neutral tones of whites, greens and yellows.

Since the 1920s pink has been a gender-associated color. Initially, pink was for boys and blue was for girls. This was because pink was thought to be more masculine since it was in same spectrum as red. It wasn’t until the 1940s that pink made the switch to a “feminine color” and since then it has been evolving and taking on many meanings.

I have mixed feelings about the color pink in the technology world. On one hand I am happy to see that tech companies are realizing the strong and savvy female audience they now have. On the other, I dislike the color for what it commonly stands for: fragility, daintiness, the absolute girly-girl just to name a few. However, the color is evolving to mean more, and pink can also stand for strength (it is the official color for Breast Cancer Awareness) but these uses are few and far between.

We here at Girls in Tech strive to be a voice in an otherwise male-dominated field and we are making it known and putting it on blast – pink isn’t just pretty, but pretty powerful.

Tags: Gadgets, girls in tech, Natasha, Pink
Posted in Orange County | 5 Comments »

I normally do not write a post-event blog, but due to the success of our Tech Etiquette event Monday night, I felt it was necessary. It wasn’t the fact that we had a massive turn out, because it was Yom Kippur and a chilly Monday night. It was the fact that the topic was so interesting on multiple levels that it made for one of the most lively, dynamic panels we have had for the LA Chapter.

I felt our panel represented women in key areas of the technology sector. Marsha Collier has been in the tech industry since Web 1.0. She is the foremost author on eBay having written 15 eBay For Dummies books, selling over 1 million copies worldwide. We also had Lynn Langit, Developer Evangelist for one of the largest technology corporations in the world, Microsoft. Finally, Brette Borow is a young entrepreneur who founded Girlsguideto.com to give 20-something women a destination to share their stories, ask their questions and get advice in an environment that they feel safe being open and honest.

The topic was “Tech Etiquette – How Much Can You Say Online & Not Tarnish Brand”. The event started at 7PM with some mixing and mingling and the panel started at 7:45. The plan was to talk for about 30-40 minutes, then do a Q & A. Well, we decided to incorporate the Q & A as we went along and before I knew it, it was almost 9PM!

Our panelists spoke about how employers are going beyond the resume when hiring young people and checking them out online. Lynn specifically mentioned how important it is to do a search on your name to see what comes up. If you are careful about what you display online about yourself, nothing incriminating will pop up. She said and I quote “when in doubt, keep it out”. Then the discussion turned to using the different platforms and which ones people preferred – Facebook vs Twitter. Both Marsha and Brette felt that they can have a much more dynamic, engaging level of communication on Facebook. Someone in the audience asked, “well then, is Myspace dead”. Marsha said no, because she also uses the MySpace platform to engage with that audience. Then the next question was “is it important to use all the different social media platforms for your business?” The answer, “use the ones where your target market lives”. We also spoke about having a personal Facebook account versus having a “professional” one. Also, is discussing politics online or getting involved with political issues, such as what went on in Iran during their elections, proper protocol, our panelists’ opinions were a resounding no.

In light of this event and how great it was, we are looking forward to organizing a part II some time early 2010. I not only want to thank our panelists for making this event such a success, but also a big thank you to Fox Audience Network for allowing us to have our event at their offices. Finally, a massive thank you to Epicurean Umbrella who provided the most amazing appetizers. For those of you that live in LA and love food, you must check out their Underground Chef Tastings. There is one tomorrow night which is $48 per person and you experience a three course meal with wine and a DJ! To RSVP, email info@epicureanumbrella.com with the following information -  your cell number, either the 7PM or 9PM tasting, if you want to eat steak, pork or fish, and they will respond with the location details.

And remember, mind your online manners …

Tags: epicurean umbrella, facebook, Myspce, tech etiquette, twitter
Posted in Los Angeles | 2 Comments »

Guest Post by Sara Czyzewicz: Sara Czyzewicz is a creative technologist and Co-Founder of DandyID.org – a service for managing online identities. Learn more about her on Olive Juice.

A few weeks ago I spent one Tuesday evening participating in lesson on building with microcontrollers. I arrived with no experience , and after 3 hours left with my own mini video game console running a simplified version of Space Invaders. The workshop was put together as a part of Maker Faire RI and Mitch Altman (creator of TV-B-Gone) lead our group. Mitch taught us how to solder recognize LEDs and resistors, and handed out the kits for building our chosen projects.

It was a wonderful learning experience and everyone had a blast. It reminded me how fun “hacking” is, and how everyone can participate – and should! It isn’t defined by being technically challenging – projects can involved soldering and circuits, like mine did… or glue and cloth, or food and household items. Get together with friends or kids for an evening or weekend afternoon, and enjoy some creative DIY time learning, exploring and playing!

Need ideas? Make Magazine, Instructables and Lifehacker have extensive and diverse projects, and many submitted by community members.

- Have an old clock? Take it apart and recreate this version using an Altoid’s can!
- Can you sew? How about a Where the Wild Things Are hat!
- Stop wondering what’s in your soda. Make your own Ginger Ale!
- Prepare for flu season! Make your own eco-friendly hand sanitizer.

Electronics kits like the one I used at the faire can be purchased online, and usually come with step-by-step instructions. Check out:
- Projects and kits by Ladyada
- Fundamental components kit from Sparkle Labs

DIY hacks are guaranteed fun and great practice for thinking “out of the box” in all realms of life.

Tags: DIY, Do it yourself, Instructables, Maker Faire, Mitch Altman, Sara Czyzewicz, Space Invaders, TV-B-Gone
Posted in Boston | 1 Comment »

It’s that time again: The 2nd annual Silicon Valley Rocks! takes place on Wednesday, December 9 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

Silicon Valley Rocks! is a music showcase featuring performances from Silicon Valley’s tech community – from VCs and entrepreneurs to bloggers and software developers – to raise money for Music in Schools Today (MuST), a Bay Area non-profit that is looking to rescue school music programs from budget cuts.

Right now, their Call for Bands is open. If you’re in a band (or know someone who is), please submit your/their information here.

Also their registration & donation center is open. Event tickets include entry to the showcase and the after-party featuring the best networking, drinks, and dancing. Ticket purchases are tax deductible. VIP tickets include free drinks & food. For all the information you need including FAQ’s & ticket purchase, see their website at: http://svrocks.com/ or
Straight to tickets click: here. & to get $5 off any price level, use discount code: girlsintech5off.

Hope to see you there!
(submitted via Alison Murdock
Founder/Producer, Silicon Valley Rocks!)

Posted in San Francisco, Silicon Valley | No Comments »

A little over a year ago, Helen De Michiel in an editorial to the SF Chronicle suggested something very interesting in light of today’s economy and the technological ranking of the US among other countries of the world: What this country needs, she claimed, is a “Digital New Deal.”  So, what exactly did she mean by this?
She founded this proposal on the fact that, although one of the world’s wealthiest countries, the US ranked surprisingly low in its Internet infrastructures. We ranked “4th – in network readiness to compete globally” and only “24th among industrialized nations in broadband.”  This was shocking to me; and I thought – How is this possible — We are in the Silicon Valley, the home of nearly every other Internet start up, right?

To change this, she suggests that we need to encourage the youth of this country to engage widely in an effort to create a “new online public sphere” or a national public media depository, if you will. Thus, after graduating college they can become part of the solution to create an even greater and larger social networking/information exchanging/fully- connected online community. This in turn will create jobs, bolster the sharing of ideas and innovation, and create a new generation of broadband access.  This can be achieved by teaming with more experienced specialists in the area, and will hopefully also bolster community-building and multi-generational participation.

De Michiel invited us to “Imagine after the 2008 election, a swarm of arts and culture leaders, public interest and policy advocates, energetic young software developers, philanthropists, media reformers and forward-thinking politicians banding together in a broad coalition to construct this Digital New Deal.”

“Creative potential will be unleashed through new media and social networking pathways in ways we have never experienced, influencing where we live and how we work.”
With Twitter, the iPhone & its many apps on the App Store, among other applications to do what we want in this realm…perhaps we are getting there!
- quotes copyright SF Chronicle, 2008
(To read De Michiel’s full OpEd, go to www.sfgate.com, Opinion, & search archives: “Digital New Deal” -or- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/11/EDJU103F1U.DTL)

Tags: digital, social networking
Posted in All Chapters | No Comments »

Originally posted on the Geeks on a Plane blog

While traveling on a 4-hour journey from Berlin to Prague, we had a lot of down time to think, write, talk, read and listen to music. Inspired by my book, White Tiger and the Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D. album, I consistently found myself thinking about how grateful I am to be healthy, happy and part of the GOAP family. I am grateful for GOAP.

This trip has offered a lot of eye-opening experiences and learnings. The ones that stand out the most include:

1.)  Never underestimate the power of “adapting”: You’re traveling around Europe for over 2 weeks, it’s important to keep it cool, adapt to the diversity of personalities and characters on the trip and enjoy people. This will make it easier for people to connect, understand each other and develop flexibility throughout the journey.

2.)  Less is more. This is important however you interpret the statement. Less is more when it comes to luggage, conversing, being “that American traveler,” bringing boat-loads of money, spending that money on unnecessary souvenirs that your friends and family will throw away eventually.

3.)  Down time is important. It is crucial that everyone take time out of each day to have their own “quiet time”. This time will help you reflect on the day’s activities, learnings, experiences and also think about what you miss from back home, what you’re grateful for, your family/friends, etc.

4.)  Keep the curiosity going from the moment you land to the moment you leave. Be very curious. As much as I love GOAP for allowing me to learn about the tech industries throughout various cities in Europe, it has, more importantly, enabled me to learn about new cultures, see new places, meet new people – opening eyes to creating connections on a global level and providing a platform for us to serve as “ambassadors” for the tech community, abroad. The power to change the world through social influence, social good and social entrepreneurship is upon us. We can only create a massive impact if we continue to be curious, learn and grow with our brothers and sisters around the world.

5.)  The DMC Factor. I had to add this to my list because I’ve had some time to observe a certain character, Dave McClure, throughout the Geeks on a Plane Asia and Europe trips, and I’ve got to give some props. He’s a flip-flop sportin’, casual person, proud of his risk-taking abilities, his witty story-telling and geeky/x-rated jokes (not sure how those can mesh, but somehow he pulls it off). Nevertheless, Dave McClure continues to be our teacher, a stellar entrepreneur, investor, presenter and that “smart guy that everyone wants to know”. I truly appreciate the opportunity he has provided me by exposing me to the Geeks on a Plane excursion. The connections that I’ve made, information that I’ve collected and ideas that have been shared or generated make every second of this trip worthwhile. Thanks Dave.

Tags: Dave McClure, Geeks on a Plane, Grateful, Prague, Startonomics
Posted in Prague | 1 Comment »

aSc Award-winning Timetabling software

How do you convince a population that is comfortable with tools that still exist to put them down and instead use something that is totally foreign to them—a new software product? It is nearly impossible.

Here at GIT we often talk about the Gender Divide, which is very prevalent in a male dominated country such as Greece; but, the biggest surprise to me has been my experience with an entire staff who was accustomed to doing time schedules by hand—paper and pencil. I had the unfortunate experience of introducing aScTime Tables (a scheduling software) to my school’s staff this year.

So, if you find yourself in a similar situation of trying to convert pencil and paper lovers to software usage, below are some tips for making the impossible possible or just a bit smoother:

1. First, make sure all human processes are in line and as accurate as can be. If not, despite the reality of pre-existing poor enterprise communication and poor practices of streamlining and creating a reusable content…the software will be seen as the culprit of enterprise malfunction.
2. Paper products: Sorry trees, unfortunately, seeing is believing. As with marketing, simply having a product that the older population can see can make all the difference.
3. Color laser printer: Producing a colorful output with familiar logos and/or designs instantly helps with appeal of product.
4. Accuracy in product: Make sure your output products are accurate and presentable. As programs only do what they are programmed to do, there are often inaccuracies in hidden data or human err that will standout when a printed document is produced.
5. No viewers: Learn your product well and magically produce outcomes.
   1. Showing a reluctant population the fallacies of a software and the procedure of entry may give your observers other reasons to avoid using advancing technologies:
      1. i.      Software glitches and that is why there are new versions, next gens, improvements, etc., but that is not always understood by those who do not use new software products regularly.
      2. ii.      Data entry can be confusing and what looks normal and “clear” to us, may appear incomprehensible and confusing to new viewers.

Though these steps could apply to any computer reluctant population, the goal in the end is to have your target population understand the mission. The end goal is to create consolidated systems, easily accessible information, reusable content and an easier mission of delivery the next time around—and eventually, less paper usage! Good luck, because creating change is not easy.

Tags: aSc, generational divide, GIT, timetabling
Posted in Athens Greece | No Comments »

Originally posted on the Geeks on a Plane blog

After a brief stint in Berlin, the GeeksOnaPlane crew flew in for a day and a half to feast on a typical German dinner with the Atoms & Bits conference crew and Felix Fidelsberger, entrepreneur and former Seedcamp UK winner for his start-up, Toksta. Severalthought-provoking discussions led me to believe that Berlin is the hub for innovation in Germany – the fact that East Berlin is relatively cheap in terms of real estate, creative resources and developers – makes it the perfect place to cultivate a tech start-up. One theme that came up over and over again was the fact that Germany is about 18 months behind the US in development and adoption of social media and internet innovation; not 1 year or 2 years, just 18 months. I heard that from a few engineers and entrepreneurs, which made me curious to learn more about this unusual 18-month cycle.

According to several independent observers, there are some “copy cat” innovators in Europe. Basically, these guys wait until technologies are innovated and new products are launched in Silicon Valley, tested out, and begin gaining buzz and user traction. After a few months in beta-mode, these folks start investigating whether or not it would be a good technology to essentially “copy” and bring to Germany and eventually, greater Europe. While this may seem like cheating, a few entrepreneurs have made quite a bit  of money using this technique and have been acknowledged as very successful as what they do.

Enter “18 months” – It takes about half a year to see if a company is generating buzz and attention through social media and word of mouth, another half a year for that company to ‘really’ figure out its monetization strategy, business model and at least be heading in the right direction to profitability, and another six months to analyze the data and begin to build and brand the “copy cat” product in Europe, to eventually launch in alpha within that six-month period. One of the these products is called “Jamba.”

Jamba! is a mobile phone content provider, based in Berlin, Germany. In China and the company’s English-speaking markets, currently Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, the company trades under the name Jamster. Jamba!’s main line of business is the creation and marketing of ringtones for mobile phones. It is perhaps best known for the Sweety the Chick and Crazy Frogcharacters. The company also sells insurance for mobile phones and home electronics and runs online gaming and online datingservices. In 2005 it started doing business in the United States and China.

(oh, and the “guy who hates Twitter” is a fellow that is creating a Web MD type product in Berlin who is 100%, absolutely convinced that Twitter will go away in 4 years. I really tried to convince him that he is wrong, Twitter is the best thing since sliced bread, however, he was very stubborn and held his ground. I told him that I was going to DM him on Twitter and RT his updates and include him in my Twitter feeds until he decides that it’s a worthwhile product. After all, you won’t be sold on a product if you don’t use it, right?)

Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, Berlin, Felix Fidelsberger, Geeks on a Plane, Jamba
Posted in Berlin | 1 Comment »

An inspirational presentation given by Katrin Verclas, founder of MobileActive.org at PICNIC 2009 in Amsterdam sparked a lot of wide-eyed, open-minded discussions this afternoon around how people can use mobile to help global development, create awareness and provide assistance through new technologies and applications. I have been wanting to meet Katrin for some time now because I’m inspired by her passion and dedication to change the world through technology.

Now, I’m sure that this seems very high-level to a lot of people, and I’m sure many people claim that they are “trying to change the world,” however, she is actually DOING something, and that’s the main difference – she named her non-profit organization “MobileActive” for a reason.

Her discussion was based on statistics and analytics which underscore how mobile is positively impacting global development and communication in regions around the world including Africa, South East Asia and Latin America. With over 4.5 billion phones around the world, mobile is the most important media channel to make change.

I found the following blog entry on utilizing mobile to help women find prenatal care very intriguing:

ZMQ Software Systems case study

MobileActive.org’s vision is to help organizations make use of the most ubiquitous communications technology in the world with data, tools, and how-to resources; build a network of practitioners and technologists in a supportive community of practice; and highlight and explore the many innovative campaigns and projects — their lessons learned.

Posted in Amsterdam | 1 Comment »

BT or as folks in the US would know it – British Telecom, invited the Geeks on a Plane crew for a very elegant dinner (even though the majority of us were in ‘very’ casual attire consisting of flip-flops, jeans, t-shirts and sundresses). The BT executive committee wanted to engage with us to discuss the “cutting-edge,” new-ish innovations that they are integrating to their SME packages. The most prominent technologies or at least, the most popular, included the use of Ribbit in their mobile suite of services as well as CRM capabilities offered to the SMB’s to help organize their sales transactions and profits.

The view from the top of the BT tower was spectacular. It was a real treat to not only be able to see this amazing building looking over the city center of London, but also to mingle with some of the most powerful and intellectual executives of BT. The fact is that they embrace and encourage innovation within a very traditional telecom ecosystem. They understand that they have a long way to go, but are optimistic in creating a bridge between Silicon Valley and the UK and integrating more ways for the telecom industry to utilize the technologies that will optimize infrastructure, function and accessibility for SMB’s around the UK.

We had a total blast and thank JP and the BT executives for such a wonderful evening.

Here’s a litte more information about BT:

BT is the world’s oldest communications company, with a direct line of descent from the first commercial telecommunications undertaking in the world.  The Electric Telegraph Company incorporated in 1846, was the first anywhere to exploit leading edge telegraphy technology and introduce electrical communications to an astonished world. Within ten years an international  network had been developed, making communications possible within minutes and hours instead of days and weeks. The consequences for every aspect of society were dramatic and profound.

Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, British Telecom, BT, Geeks on a Plane, girls in tech
Posted in London | No Comments »