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How To Be A Geek Goddess
stoolpigeon writes "The geek world is dominated by those of the male persuasion. For those of us working in a technology related field, or who spend a considerable amount of time pursuing high tech leisure, we usually find women to be in the minority. I've seen considerable discussion over the years on how to change this imbalance but I think it is safe to say that right now that it remains. Many women are interested in using technology, they just don't want to dive in to quite the same depth. Or they may not be interested in the way most men approach it. Columnist and tech-writer Christina Tynan-Wood has attempted to come to their rescue with her book How To Be A Geek Goddess." Read below for the rest of JR's review.
How To Be A Geek Goddess
author
Christina Tynan-Wood
pages
343
publisher
No Starch Press
rating
7/10
reviewer
JR Peck
ISBN
978-1-59327-187-9
summary
Practical advice for using computers with smarts and style.
I have to say that the title misled me. I picked this book up thinking that it would be perfect for my wife. I wouldn't call her a geek, she doesn't have the same passion for working with tech stuff that I have. But she is knowledgeable and knows quite a bit more about IT than many of my guy friends. She is very comfortable working with vi and has written a decent amount of C over the years for various embedded shops. Unfortunately she found the book to be overly basic and wasn't too interested. This book is about becoming conversant in the very basics, explained with an attempt to frame everything in terms of a woman's perspective. So if you are a woman who is already very comfortable in the IT space, or if you are thinking of buying this for someone like that, you may want to dig through a copy and see if it will be useful. My guess is that it wont.
The other group that may still find this book to be useful, but to a lesser degree than they may like is anyone using any operating system other than windows. The first chapter, which discusses how to purchase a computer frames the operating systems question as "Apple or Windows?" There is no mention of any other option. As far as the options given, the author lands pretty firmly on the side of Microsoft and so when platform plays a role in topics covered later in the book it is pretty much from a Windows perspective. There are plenty of topics covered that are not really OS dependent, such as anything web related (which is a lot of the book) or the non-computer sections covering hardware like digital cameras, monitors and PDAs.
Someone who is an avid computer user and die hard fan of Linux or Apple systems may look at what I've just said and decide that this book is completely useless. And for them that is going to pretty much be the case. That leaves the question of who could use this book. It is quite possible that this could be an absolute God-send to someone who is just about computer illiterate and quite content to stay on the dominant platform of the day. By extension this could become a useful tool for the true Geek that wants off the support treadmill.
There are probably some out there who are really tired of answering questions about what type of PC to buy. Or having to drop by a relative or friend's house to set up wireless or the new printer. It could even be worse, being dragged into Frys Electronics or Best Buy and participating in purchasing a new Vista machine. The solution to busting out of that cycle could be handing over a copy of this book, and if it brings true freedom it could be worth every penny.
The topics covered in the book are dressed up in analogies to what may be considered more traditional female fare. If you find this to be bothersome, don't blame me, I'm just the messenger. Tynan-Wood discusses for instance, building a software "wardrobe." And I'd like to note that within the Windows space she does offer up many free (as in speech and beer) applications including the likes of The Gimp, Pidgin and Audacity. Tech accessories are handled in a section on "The Lust for Luxury Gear". Setting up a new system and getting things dialed in is part of the "housebreaking" process. In fact if you've ever flipped through an issue of Cosmo or Vogue, you should have a decent idea of the tone and style of discourse in this book.
All of the basics are covered including setting up a home network and how to set up proper security. Each section gives basic and practical advice on making decisions on hardware and software, almost always offering multiple options. And while the packaging is different than anything I've ever seen in a tech book, the underlying information is the same. Someone who reads this through will come away knowing the difference between adware, spyware and viruses as well as what a botnet is.
Dispersed amongst the regular text, which is accompanied by many black and white illustrations, are little "Dear Abby" type questions and their accompanying response. These give a good insight into the level of reader the book aims to help. One question answered is the following, "When my sister-in-law emails me files, the filenames always have three letters at the end that mean nothing to me. Files on my own computer don't seem to have them, so I thought it was one of her crazy systems. I deleted the letters and gave the files names I liked. Oops. You are probably laughing at me because I obviously did something stupid. Now my computer can't open any of those files. It gave me a good excuse not to read her novel or look at 2,000 blurry vacation photos but what did I do wrong?" The answer goes on to explain file types, extensions and some basics on managing them in windows.
Along with covering how to purchase and set up hardware the book covers the same for software. There is also information on security, not just local but also how to think about safely navigating the web and what is available there. The last two sections cover the social web and relationships on line, with everything from dating sites to cyber sex. There is also an entire section on watching over children and helping them to use computers safely.
The information is accurate and covers the basics very well, within the parameters I've described above. For the proverbial grandmother or mom at home, this book is probably going to give them all they need and probably just a touch more than they may want. I guess that is the bottom line. I think this book will give a novice a strong sense of confidence and independence. I am sure there are women out there who don't want to rely on anyone else to help them with computer issues but they don't want to really dig deep into highly technical information. This may be exactly what they need.
On the other hand, and I guess this comes from my more cynical side, I've dealt with plenty of men and women who don't know much about computers and they don't want to know. They seem to revel in their ignorance and are quite happy to just rely on others to keep things working for them. Unfortunately I am unaware of any way to make them read this or to make the information their own. Reading books to learn tends to fall into a geek category of its own. Until there actually is a series on this in Cosmo or they find a way to fit into American Idol or something, there will still probably be those who call on us to take care of their gear.
All that said, sometimes I forget that I'm a statistical anomaly. Most people don't run Linux, or OS X for that matter. Even more could care less about why they difference between ogg and mp3. For that mass of folks out there, especially the women, this may be the only computer book they ever find interesting. Someone like that would probably rate it a ten. I found the focus too narrow and the title set up expectations I didn't think it met so I've knocked it down to seven.
You can purchase How To Be A Geek Goddess from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
The other group that may still find this book to be useful, but to a lesser degree than they may like is anyone using any operating system other than windows. The first chapter, which discusses how to purchase a computer frames the operating systems question as "Apple or Windows?" There is no mention of any other option. As far as the options given, the author lands pretty firmly on the side of Microsoft and so when platform plays a role in topics covered later in the book it is pretty much from a Windows perspective. There are plenty of topics covered that are not really OS dependent, such as anything web related (which is a lot of the book) or the non-computer sections covering hardware like digital cameras, monitors and PDAs.
Someone who is an avid computer user and die hard fan of Linux or Apple systems may look at what I've just said and decide that this book is completely useless. And for them that is going to pretty much be the case. That leaves the question of who could use this book. It is quite possible that this could be an absolute God-send to someone who is just about computer illiterate and quite content to stay on the dominant platform of the day. By extension this could become a useful tool for the true Geek that wants off the support treadmill.
There are probably some out there who are really tired of answering questions about what type of PC to buy. Or having to drop by a relative or friend's house to set up wireless or the new printer. It could even be worse, being dragged into Frys Electronics or Best Buy and participating in purchasing a new Vista machine. The solution to busting out of that cycle could be handing over a copy of this book, and if it brings true freedom it could be worth every penny.
The topics covered in the book are dressed up in analogies to what may be considered more traditional female fare. If you find this to be bothersome, don't blame me, I'm just the messenger. Tynan-Wood discusses for instance, building a software "wardrobe." And I'd like to note that within the Windows space she does offer up many free (as in speech and beer) applications including the likes of The Gimp, Pidgin and Audacity. Tech accessories are handled in a section on "The Lust for Luxury Gear". Setting up a new system and getting things dialed in is part of the "housebreaking" process. In fact if you've ever flipped through an issue of Cosmo or Vogue, you should have a decent idea of the tone and style of discourse in this book.
All of the basics are covered including setting up a home network and how to set up proper security. Each section gives basic and practical advice on making decisions on hardware and software, almost always offering multiple options. And while the packaging is different than anything I've ever seen in a tech book, the underlying information is the same. Someone who reads this through will come away knowing the difference between adware, spyware and viruses as well as what a botnet is.
Dispersed amongst the regular text, which is accompanied by many black and white illustrations, are little "Dear Abby" type questions and their accompanying response. These give a good insight into the level of reader the book aims to help. One question answered is the following, "When my sister-in-law emails me files, the filenames always have three letters at the end that mean nothing to me. Files on my own computer don't seem to have them, so I thought it was one of her crazy systems. I deleted the letters and gave the files names I liked. Oops. You are probably laughing at me because I obviously did something stupid. Now my computer can't open any of those files. It gave me a good excuse not to read her novel or look at 2,000 blurry vacation photos but what did I do wrong?" The answer goes on to explain file types, extensions and some basics on managing them in windows.
Along with covering how to purchase and set up hardware the book covers the same for software. There is also information on security, not just local but also how to think about safely navigating the web and what is available there. The last two sections cover the social web and relationships on line, with everything from dating sites to cyber sex. There is also an entire section on watching over children and helping them to use computers safely.
The information is accurate and covers the basics very well, within the parameters I've described above. For the proverbial grandmother or mom at home, this book is probably going to give them all they need and probably just a touch more than they may want. I guess that is the bottom line. I think this book will give a novice a strong sense of confidence and independence. I am sure there are women out there who don't want to rely on anyone else to help them with computer issues but they don't want to really dig deep into highly technical information. This may be exactly what they need.
On the other hand, and I guess this comes from my more cynical side, I've dealt with plenty of men and women who don't know much about computers and they don't want to know. They seem to revel in their ignorance and are quite happy to just rely on others to keep things working for them. Unfortunately I am unaware of any way to make them read this or to make the information their own. Reading books to learn tends to fall into a geek category of its own. Until there actually is a series on this in Cosmo or they find a way to fit into American Idol or something, there will still probably be those who call on us to take care of their gear.
All that said, sometimes I forget that I'm a statistical anomaly. Most people don't run Linux, or OS X for that matter. Even more could care less about why they difference between ogg and mp3. For that mass of folks out there, especially the women, this may be the only computer book they ever find interesting. Someone like that would probably rate it a ten. I found the focus too narrow and the title set up expectations I didn't think it met so I've knocked it down to seven.
You can purchase How To Be A Geek Goddess from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
I think she passed that class with flying colors.
Think Deeply.
Many women are interested in using technology, they just don't want to dive in to quite the same depth.
When it comes to technology you have to be balls deep.
Joking aside (nice one, though), you make a very good point. That was the one part of the article that struck me regardless of gender. This is why we even have different levels of geeks (from script kiddie to Ubergeek). It's all a matter of dedication and passion.
That being said, perhaps there is a parallel between the gender dominance and the dedication and passion it takes. I'm not saying that women don't have the dedication and passion, but true Ubergeeks tend to sacrifice a lot (like a social life and even personal grooming habits to varying degrees) to get to and stay on top of their game.
If you found the focus to narrow, does the book claim to cover more ground? If not, then that issue can simply be explained by the fact that you are not their targeted audience. If you think that the title set up certain expectations, it is simply a case of you judging the book by its cover. That you are not their intended audience is not any fault of the book, if they did not claim that you are their intended audience.
If you think it's a 10 for their intended audience, then rate it a 10, with the caveat that the book has a specific type of audience in mind (which you have done very well throughout the review). I just don't see why you would possibly lower its rating simply because you are not their target audience.
About ten years ago I halted a lecture at a major physics department to haul out a post-doc cad who was dissing a female guest lecturer. She was presenting a Nobel-replacement lecture, and this dick would not shut up. You want to attract women into science, and actually see them in the halls? Shut the fuck up, and treat them with respect. They know more than you.
I question the approach of books like this. The underlying assumption here, whether or not the reviewer agrees with me, is that women will use a computer differently. But from what's described, that's not what's in this book. Most people, men and women, need the exact same things out of their computer. (Internet, word processing, basic tasks--I'm not including gaming because I think most people not slashdot readers have use a X-box/Playstation/Wii for that these days.) These same people don't want to spend a lot of time doing what's in the setup part of the book. The extra chapters on social networking and keeping children safe online are again concepts that everyone needs. Keeping that embarrassing photo of you at last year's party (LAN or not!) private is universal. I would honestly get a female friend a book that was NOT specifically geared towards women. (God help my boyfriend if he ever gives me this!) At least I would know that it would have sound advice without all the "Gee, you're female, so this must be a Brave New World for you" marketing/targeting. The debate about the lack of women in computer science/tech/geek is separate from this. The book here is meant to get women who are non-computer literate adults able to set up a wireless connection and accessing their Facebook account safely at home. There's quite simply more to being geeky than that. If women are interested something, we'll look into it--just like men do. (As a final note, I'm sure this book will sell very well--not because it's a valid idea, but because it's an easy way to look thoughtful.)
not only do i find this book insulting to women, i also find the ridiculous sexism touted by many members of this site to be appalling.
i fired a few men like the lot of you, once. it was the best thing i ever did for my small firm. grow up, boys, and put your balls away. no one needs to see them.
Ridiculous assertion. Men and women approach problems differently, but that is not too say one is better than the other. For starters, distill out the socialization aspect, and then compare. I'm sure some researcher has tried, but I have not the time to look.
I will say, however, I am often surprised by the trepidation with which women approach electronic devices. Perhaps because of a male-designed UI, or maybe learned helplessness, or it could just be that a man is more likely to push a button, pull a lever, or stick a finger in something that gives us an edge in certain areas. I don't know...
One more thing - being good with money has nothing to do with gender. In fact, I would lean towards women being more fiscally responsible.
Help fight poverty: Punch a poor person.
Sit in front of the computer with webcam focused on cleavage
You are confusing masculinity with misogyny. The two are quite different. You clearly possess the latter rather than the former.
I don't care what gender or race you are, you can try to act like a geek, but won't ever be one if you aren't already (in which case it's not acting) - that only puts you up against people who really are geeks/nerds/tech heads/etc and shows just how much fail you really are...
No, it's pretty much true. Most women do not use logic or reasoning. They can't even manage money properly. I for one do not want the vast majority of women to be programmers that would be working on anything of mine.
Looking at your comments page (out of vague curiosity to see if you're a genuine troll or just an ordinary user saying something vaguely trollish), I notice that this is your second comment. Your only other comment was made way back in June 2005.
WTF? You came back after three years to say that? Or did the original owner, realising that despite its relatively high number it was more desirable than a new seven-digit account and flog it to you on eBay for $3.27?
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
I've always found it puzzling how a group of people (geeks/nerds) who have traditionally been given such a hard time as a kid growing up (picked on at school, picked last for the kickball team, etc) seem to be almost universally intolerant to women within the geek domain. It seems almost counter intuitive. If you have felt the pain of ostracization and lack of acceptance why turn around and inflict it on others? Is it a simple lack of social skills? Regressing to playground "pull the hair of the girl you like" behaviour? I don't get it.
- Toby
Does being at the top of the geek game seriously require the lack of a 15 minute shower or a 10 minute trip to the washer/dryer for laundry? Isn't there some sort of larger personality issue involved there?
"If you have felt the pain of ostracization and lack of acceptance why turn around and inflict it on others?"
It's the same reason 70% of black people voted for Proposition 8 in California, after dealing with segregation and anti-miscegenation themselves: intolerance only breeds further intolerance. It's a sad fact of life.
Social retardation knows no bounds, particularly amongst the /. crowd. The sad truth is that most of us could do with a copy of Women for Dummies (which, suprisingly does not exist. Hmmm, maybe there's a product opportunity there)...
1. Write Women for Dummies. /.
2. Post review to
3. Profit.
I thought the IT guy was going to cry for joy when he saw that not only had I brought my own computer for the new lab, but I had managed to set it up by myself and was reading Slashdot when he came to turn on my phone jack.
It makes me sad. I am not a computer geek. Not even a little. Why is it that having a uterus somehow means you can't do VERY BASIC THINGS?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I've always found it puzzling how a group of people (geeks/nerds) who have traditionally been given such a hard time as a kid growing up (picked on at school, picked last for the kickball team, etc) seem to be almost universally intolerant to women within the geek domain. It seems almost counter intuitive. If you have felt the pain of ostracization and lack of acceptance why turn around and inflict it on others? Is it a simple lack of social skills? Regressing to playground "pull the hair of the girl you like" behaviour? I don't get it.
One persecuted minority taking out their frustration by persecuting an even smaller/weaker minority is common and universal through humanity. And, even if there is no active persecution, there is often an apathy to the struggles of others.
Hollow words will burn and hollow men will burn.
Why the sigh? It sounds like her innate interest and enjoyment govern her activities more than an external society's established biases. IMHO, a result like this is the main reason you'd want to raise a child in as gender-neutral enviornment as possible. So far you have taught her that she can be the person she actually wants to be, and not just live within other people's expectations. If anything this is a significant success not something to regret!
Which is a good thing for those in power, because if all the people in minority groups actually helped each other out, there's a lot more of us than them.
guy asks question, girl gives answer, guy nods and asks again, guy2 gives exact same answer as girl, guy listens to guy2
BTW, if this is happening to you a lot the problem is probably that the way you describe things is different than the way your audience learns things. The annoying third party is an impedance bridge, and can translate between the two communication styles.
These impedance bridges often do not even realize they are doing it.
while (sig==sig) sig=!sig;
Welllll
..shall we say individualism that ends up pushing people into love of machines or math over their peers at an early age is encouraged in boys while discouraged in girls.
Think of it this way. While most people are computer-illiterate, most of the computer-literate are men. They're just not used to seeing girls like them, so surprise is understandable. The insult is to the female gender, if anyone, not you specifically. In fact if you think about it, the insult is to the female gender excluding you and other tech-savvy girls.
These guys obviously have disdain for females, but their surprise is that you don't fit that image of the female they disdain. The attention isn't as negative as you may think. And don't discount sexuality.. maybe the surprise and jaw dropping should be considered positive, if annoying.
By the way I don't think I'm wrong in saying most "geeks" are male. A significant factor in development is the influence of society. Socializing forces push girls together into interactive, close-knit groups whose values include loyalty, kindness, and beauty. Boys are taught to be self-sustaining and competitive, and value hard work, strength, and intelligence. The
Obvously most other factors are equal, but girls (and boys too) have to fight or reject those social forces to end up on the other side
Getting married is not a biological function, having children is. Did you somehow fail biology AND english?
> Why does a 14 year old need a blackberry?
For the usual reasons (media, PDA functions) but primarily because it has the best keyboard for texting.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
The real problem (anoning this because I'm a female geek) is that geeks somehow think they're entitled to a gorgeous geek girl when in my experience, this is rarely the case. Any geek could get a female geek if he didn't expect a thin, gorgeous girl who (geek or not) is ENTIRELY out of their league.
Looks and leagues are a reality, here. Start looking for female geeks instead of gorgeous female geeks and you will find a woman. Unless you, yourself, are a gorgeous male geek (and let's be real, how many geeks qualify in this department?), stop looking at only pretty girls.
If you can't conscion being with an overweight or ugly (or both) geek, then it should be a logical step that you are very unlikely to meet a woman who shares your indulgence in geekery.
> >2. Put out.
> In my experience (hi there, female type person here, yes we do read this stuff), that's not at all necessary.
No. You just lead the poor, socially maldjusted geek guys to BELIEVE you MIGHT. Then your power over them is complete. Even if you never so much as look at them again.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
2. Never use, or even think of, the word "goddess" in reference to yourself or other women.
He said, "You'll be able to tell your grandchildren that you helped assemble the first NT supercomputer," and I cringed.
They shouldn't be more impressed that I can do it with a uterus.
It's not inpressive it's just novel.
There aren't many people like you and until that changes you will continue to be a sideshow attraction.
It's not that you CAN'T do very basic things. It's that on the whole, females reject these things as "stuff for the guys to handle".
Meanwhile, I think I speak for the majority of guys working in I.T. when I say that we're tired of being asked/expected to do such "technical" things as burning a CD for you, or showing you how to install the drivers for the new inkjet printer you bought.
Now that I'm 30, I realize why, as a young geek, I was, at least for a little while, mistreated.
Because I was CREEPY.
And, let's face it, people don't like creepy people.
This is doubly-true for members of the opposite gender. It's not that girls don't talk to nerds because they have something against people who are smart. They don't talk to nerds because nerds act creepy all the time!
I eventually learned how to not be creepy, and girls stopped treating me like a creep. Didn't get any dumber, didn't act any dumber, and in fact, my intelligence became a great asset - once I stopped acting like a creep.
Now, don't feel bad, I didn't become consciously aware of the problem until about a month ago, and I'm 30. But here are some signs that the real reason girls don't interact with you is because you are a creep:
- Do you regularly find yourself staring at girls you don't ever muster up the balls to talk to? Creepy!
- When you do eventually try to escalate a social relationship with a girl, to you find yourself asking someone who you've said a few sentences to in the course of the past week "Would you like to go out some time?"
- Do you arrange your movements to constantly "accidentally" run into a girl where you know where she'll be?
- Do you think every girl you happen to work with (class work, real work) who isn't mean to you must really like you?
So to bring this back on-topic, why is it that there are not more women in geek fields?
Because geek fields are the refuge of the socially inept, and the socially inept are creepy!
The only thing that needs to be done to get more women in geek fields is just teach geeks how to talk to the opposite sex without being total creeps about it.
paintball
"Umm, no, they voted for Prop 8, because Gay people can no more get married than a car can fly. Planes fly, cars drive, both are vehicles, but both are very different. Did you fail biology or something?"
It isn't about biology. It's about hospital visitation, medicial decision-making, inheritance rights, and not being treated like an inferior human being for something beyond your control. Did you fail compassion?
Luckily, as the old die and the young mature, the world will progress -- with or without you. It always has, and always will. I feel sorry for the shame your future grand-children will feel when they ask you how you could support the discrimination of minorities.
The joke is that black men have large penises. While standing on a bridge trestle many feet above the water, they are still able to reach it.
Kwisatz Haderach
Sell the spice to CHOAM
This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
Girls don't listen to this, just be yourselves dammit!
But... the future refused to change.