All posts by Julie

TechEd BOFs – viewing and voting

Ineta

HEre’s the deal

When you first go to www.ineta.org/bof you will see a choice of TechEd 2004 or Tech-Ed EUrope 2004.

Select one of those BEFORE you click on the Proposed Topics, Submit a Topic or VOte on a Topic links.

Also,  you can vote from within the proposed topics or by selecting “Vote on a Topic” from the topline menu.

THere are 4 pages of topics right now. Be aware that there are two for Tablet PC, but one of them is cancelled (Brad Abrams). Instead, I am doing one, so if you want a Tablet BOF, that’s the one to vote for.

K.C. Lemson on Women in Tech -not just coders

Just Rambling

Inspired by Ted Neward’s posts, K.C. chimes in with her experiences in Tech and her ideas to add to the discussion. One of the points she makes is not to only talk about women programmers, but women in tech. Yes, the bigger picture is very important. When K.C. was trying to figure out what to do with her interests in tech, she kept getting pushed towards programming – as though that was the only thing in all of computer sciences as a career – or as if this is all there is in C.S. that’s appropriate for a woman (?).

In my conversations, I have  explicitly chosen to focus in on the programmers for a few reasons. First is that “women in I.T.” is an area that is well covered on a more general basis. There are many organizations that exist that address i.t. more generally., or even still with a broader sweep: “women in computer sciences”. This doesn’t mean that the book is closed on that, just that I don’t know what I can specifically add to that particular conversation that his new. Secondly, I am a programmer and that’s what I know, who I know, who my community is and where I think I can personally have an impact. So that’s what happens to work for me. But I don’t think I have total tunnel vision.

This is one of the reasons that the MVP summit was such a great eye opener. Developers only made up a portion of the group of MVP’s.

I definitely have an interest in enabling anyone of any gender into any field that they are interested in.

Anyway, I feel redundant here. I really have said a lot of this in the interview that is online at DevSource. There is even a forum there for talking about some of the things I said if anyone is interested. devsource.ziffdavis.com

Grigg on Bowie

Purely Personal

Elizabeth Grigg recently saw David Bowie in concert. Reading her post gave me excuse to think about my Bowie event in 1998. I drove 300 miles to see Bowie in a small club in Philly. Not a theater, but a big open bar with two levels and a capacity of, I think 2000. I stood up on the 2nd level and was right up against the balcony railing with Bowie not 200 feet from me. I think I spent the first 1/2 hour just saying "oh my god, oh my god!" (not that I think he is a god – well, almost) but I just could not believe that I was in the same room with him, that close after over 20 years of having him as my a#1 favorite rock star.

What was interesting was waiting in line to go in there were more people in their 30’s 40’s and 50’s then the usual concert goer and quite a number of them were bringing their kids with them to see and experience this legend.

Free Weekend Code Camp at Microsoft Waltham (Boston area) Office May 15-16

dotNET

This is a great idea that Thom Robbins, the New Englend DE for Microsoft, put together. It is a weekend (9a – 9pm!!) full of many training classes on a variety of .NET topics to help developers get up to speed over the weekend.

There will be three separate tracks during each session, so coders can pick and choose throughout the day what they want to focus on.

The schedule is here.

There is someone coordinating anyone from our area (Burlington VT) that wants to make the trip to share rides and hotel/motel rooms. Comment on this post if you would like that email information.

New Jobs at one of my favorite Vermont software companies

Jobs

Synergy Software is looking for 2 or 3 EXPERIENCED developers. That experience needs to be in multi-tier development, VB6, SQL Server, Crystal Reports. These are not junior level training positions. They need folks who can come in and roll up their sleeves and start working.

This is a SOLID company with a SOLID product with a great social mission, to boot.

I worked with Synergy for 6 months when I first moved to Vermont. It is a small company and you get to work with some wonderful, fun and f’in SMART people.

Their products are based around tools written for social services agencies. Their software gets deployed statewide once a state chooses to go with them. They work very closely and maintain phenomenal relationships with their clients. The products are very high quality and there is so much heart that goes into what they are doing.

This is a really FUN group of geeks. It is where I got my daily dose of South Park and learned all about Napster! For some reason (ahem, Dave?) their website does not have the jobs listed, but they did email me this morning about these jobs. So to find out more, email Dave Dapkiewicz (sounds like dap-ko-witz) and make the subject: “Jobs – Julie Sent Me!“

They are hoping to get local people, but if you want to BE a local (live in vermont, ski, hike, bike, paddle), it could be worth the move (no they won’t move you). But they want someone who isn’t going to just use the job as a quick stepping stone. That doesn’t help the products or the clients. If you like a company that thinks this way, these are the folks for you.

(note to Camey. Sorry. I know you can’t move east. I swear I am *not* trying to torture you… 🙂 )

More quotes from the current conversation on women in i.t.

Just Rambling

”Matthew” who is linkless, comments in Ted’s post and I find this notable:

It’s a simple fact, there are fewer assertive female programmers than men. If you don’t like it change 30,000 years of human biology. Change the fact that men are more likely to be sexual predators. All these factors figure into the likelihood of a woman getting up and getting noticed and becoming an MVP

Definitely part of it…

Also, Avonelle makes a very important point (in the comments of the same post) that she and I have discussed before:

As a woman who has attended conferences with thousands of people where most of the participants are men, I can tell you that this has never bothered me one bit. I don’t feel like I have to work harder to close the gap. Well, let me restate that. I work hard. When I attend a conference – I’m not worried about competing with the men. If there is any feeling of competition, it is with other developers – their gender is not really an issue to me.

Her take on this is very different than mine, but equally important – though I agree with Avonelle in that I don’t feel that I am competing with anyone – men, developers or other women. I have met a number of women who are also wondering “so what’s your point? It’s just the way it is.“

 

Kurds and Rwanda

Purely Personal

This is just about perspective.

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the genocides in Rwanda.

Rich brought home an unbelievable film called “Marooned in Iraq”. It is by Kurdish director, Bahman Ghobadi, and it is a beautiful, funny and heartbreaking tribute to his people. If you get a chance to see this, the interview of Ghobadi that is on the DVD is equally inspiring. It was made before the u.s. invaded Iraq and is not about that.