1. IT is a meritocracy, you are awarded contracts or jobs based upon proven performance.
I have long said one of the reasons I've done well in IT, depsite being of the female persuasion, is this. And it's not just women - if you have face piercings and spiky hair, or come from a different country and speak with a funny accent, but you have the relevant skills and can get the job done then - great!
But discussing this theory with a boss once he said to me "yes that's all very well until something goes wrong - then the funny looking person is more likely to end up in the firing line, even if they did nothing wrong themselves".
So while I'd like IT to be a proper meritocracy the fact remains that people will often go for the most familiar looking, non-threatening choice even if it isn;t the "best" one. How else can we explain the success of microsoft?
Most women in college tend to go for some sort of humanities based major or business/communications. Out of my group of IT majors that I graduated with, there were only about 4 females.
Back in the late 80's when I did Comp Sci there were lots of girls in the course - but I don't know where they all went. I've always worked in IT and I never ran into any of them. Meanwhile numbers going into Comp Sci and IT courses have dropped and dropped. Sometimes I talk to girls who are good at maths and encourage them towards IT. They smile and shrug and say they just can't see themselves doing it. I guess when I started the boy geek image was not so entrenched as now.
Historically, boys, rather than girls, were encouraged to play with computers in the, "let's take it apart and upgrade it," sense. This encourages boys through their adolescent years to play with computers themselves as opposed to just using them. These boys grow into young men with knowledge and experience that fills though few slots above the average user, ie, the exact knowledge needed for entry-level service, like fixing PCs, setting up equipment, and other things that small service companies do for revenue.
I don't know if it's as simple as childhood encouragement. As a 42 year old female who's been working in IT for more than 20 years you can imagine I encourage both my son and daughter to be interested in maths, science and computers. Boy loves it all and is very interested; girl does not want to know. Why is this? Maybe just natural tendencies - I don't know. Wish I did.
You're right. I've noticed I ofen disagree with others on the gree-blue spectrum. None of us can be at all sure about what another person's brain is seeing.
Personally, I'm far more concerned about global cooling than global warming.
I met this really interesting permafrost expert on a plane last year - boy did he have some great stories! He was also of the opinion that global warming is preferable to global cooling.
OK let's think about the parents. After seeing my step-mother shouting herself hoarse trying to get my then teenaged half-brother out of bed in time to get to school every day, I think both of them would have welcomed the extra hour!
As a parent myself, with a son about to go into high school next year, I'd have no problem with going off to work and leaving him to get himself to school. I think the opportunities for mischief are less in the morning, and they've got to start taking responsibility for themselves sooner or later!
When I was in High School, I was up at 4AM every day (and still am) to do my homework and/or study for tests.
I've always been a morning person too - never needed an alarm clock, that sort of thing. But I certainly remember it wasn't like that for most of my friends when I was a teen!
I was with Dreamhost a few years ago, too. I switched away to a VPS around the same time some doofus there ran a script that charged everyone for a full year's worth of hosting
I've been with dreamhost for 10 years and I was effected by that, but it didn't really bother me because they sorted it out quickly and the card was re-credited pronto. They had another nightmarish dns disaster a few years back that took them a couple of days to sort out - but look, stuff happens, and I've always appreciated their honesty and regular status updates.
Fact is, if your website is mission-critical you shouldn't be going with shared hosting anyway - but for my purposes (personal and a not-for-profit club site) it's been just fine. The support is excellent - I have just been emailing with them over the last couple of days about some plans for the club site, and I even got responses back over the weekend.
Actually - I once went to slashdit.org by accident and there were ads there. Don't know who is making money from that.
It also displayed that tired old assumption that only "guys" come to slashdot. It's bad enough going to an ad site without being called a "computer-type guy".
Oh we exist, it's just some of us would never, ever go out with a geeky guy.
Don't get me wrong - I love geeky guys... as friends. Just never been attracted to one. All boyfriends and eventual husband have worked in non-tech fields. I get enough computers at work - don't need to talk about them at home too.
I could not care less about valentine's day. Maybe it's because I'm not american but I've always thought it the most worthless piece of blatant commercial bullshit. Mother's day is only slightly less pointless (and I'm also a mother).
I expect a bit of fuss on my birthday, and hubby and I always, always book a babysitter and go out on our anniversary, and we both have a thing about starting the first second of the new year with a big kiss.... but valentine's day? Fergeddit - I don't need hallmark to tell me when to be romantic!
while they're stuck indoors wasting all of their money and hard work on nagging, domineering wives and screaming, crapping, defiant kids.
On the family negativism - it's not all bad. The other night I was reading Hitchhiker's to my 10yr old and he laughed so hard he fell off the couch. Then we went to youtube and watched some of the old tv episodes. He's also starting to get interested in computers and what I do for my job. Sure it can be hard when they're little, but having a kid around who gets a huge kick out of all my nerdy interests, and is also good fun to take camping, bike riding and x-country skiing, is worth all the sleep deprivation and potty nightmares he put me through years ago.
It's amazing how much crap is going on in their heads during sex.
Shopping lists, did the kids do their homework, did I put the bin out, what time do I have to get up tomorrow, something I watched on telly that night.... hmmm George Clooney, my husband is George Clooney.... no that doesn't work, I wouldn't want to be married to him anyway... I know, George Clooney being fucked by Brad Pitt, now there's an image, yeah baby, do it!
Slashdot Mirror
1. IT is a meritocracy, you are awarded contracts or jobs based upon proven performance.
I have long said one of the reasons I've done well in IT, depsite being of the female persuasion, is this. And it's not just women - if you have face piercings and spiky hair, or come from a different country and speak with a funny accent, but you have the relevant skills and can get the job done then - great! But discussing this theory with a boss once he said to me "yes that's all very well until something goes wrong - then the funny looking person is more likely to end up in the firing line, even if they did nothing wrong themselves".
So while I'd like IT to be a proper meritocracy the fact remains that people will often go for the most familiar looking, non-threatening choice even if it isn;t the "best" one. How else can we explain the success of microsoft?
Most women in college tend to go for some sort of humanities based major or business/communications. Out of my group of IT majors that I graduated with, there were only about 4 females.
Back in the late 80's when I did Comp Sci there were lots of girls in the course - but I don't know where they all went. I've always worked in IT and I never ran into any of them. Meanwhile numbers going into Comp Sci and IT courses have dropped and dropped. Sometimes I talk to girls who are good at maths and encourage them towards IT. They smile and shrug and say they just can't see themselves doing it. I guess when I started the boy geek image was not so entrenched as now.
Historically, boys, rather than girls, were encouraged to play with computers in the, "let's take it apart and upgrade it," sense. This encourages boys through their adolescent years to play with computers themselves as opposed to just using them. These boys grow into young men with knowledge and experience that fills though few slots above the average user, ie, the exact knowledge needed for entry-level service, like fixing PCs, setting up equipment, and other things that small service companies do for revenue.
I don't know if it's as simple as childhood encouragement. As a 42 year old female who's been working in IT for more than 20 years you can imagine I encourage both my son and daughter to be interested in maths, science and computers. Boy loves it all and is very interested; girl does not want to know. Why is this? Maybe just natural tendencies - I don't know. Wish I did.
undo
You're right. I've noticed I ofen disagree with others on the gree-blue spectrum. None of us can be at all sure about what another person's brain is seeing.
In the Vietnam war colour blind soldiers were in demand for spotting the vietcong from helicopters. The weren't distracted by all the jungle green.
An old friend of my mother's had this job
Personally, I'm far more concerned about global cooling than global warming.
I met this really interesting permafrost expert on a plane last year - boy did he have some great stories! He was also of the opinion that global warming is preferable to global cooling.
Studies reveal 87% of AC posters on slasdot can't spell.
As opposed to the non-AC posters, of course. :)
Yeah that's probably 88% Talk about hubris! :-P
I did hear he lives with his mother and sister though - you wonder what they have to say about it.
Survey detects idiots are plenyful. What next??!?
Studies reveal 87% of AC posters on slasdot can't spell.
I was kind of shocked to see he's also an MVP. There seems something .... wrong about that.
OK let's think about the parents. After seeing my step-mother shouting herself hoarse trying to get my then teenaged half-brother out of bed in time to get to school every day, I think both of them would have welcomed the extra hour!
As a parent myself, with a son about to go into high school next year, I'd have no problem with going off to work and leaving him to get himself to school. I think the opportunities for mischief are less in the morning, and they've got to start taking responsibility for themselves sooner or later!
When I was in High School, I was up at 4AM every day (and still am) to do my homework and/or study for tests.
I've always been a morning person too - never needed an alarm clock, that sort of thing. But I certainly remember it wasn't like that for most of my friends when I was a teen!
Thanks - I'll check 'em out.
Books. I am an avid reader of sci fi and fantasy, and man, most recommendations out there just BLOW.
Hey do you fancy being a personal recommendation engine for a minute? I love Neal Stephenson - who else should I check out?
I'm living in a non-english speaking country at the moment so rely on amazon for book buying, and I'm waayyyy out of touch.
I was with Dreamhost a few years ago, too. I switched away to a VPS around the same time some doofus there ran a script that charged everyone for a full year's worth of hosting
I've been with dreamhost for 10 years and I was effected by that, but it didn't really bother me because they sorted it out quickly and the card was re-credited pronto. They had another nightmarish dns disaster a few years back that took them a couple of days to sort out - but look, stuff happens, and I've always appreciated their honesty and regular status updates.
Fact is, if your website is mission-critical you shouldn't be going with shared hosting anyway - but for my purposes (personal and a not-for-profit club site) it's been just fine. The support is excellent - I have just been emailing with them over the last couple of days about some plans for the club site, and I even got responses back over the weekend.
Guilty as charged ;-)
Actually - I once went to slashdit.org by accident and there were ads there. Don't know who is making money from that.
It also displayed that tired old assumption that only "guys" come to slashdot. It's bad enough going to an ad site without being called a "computer-type guy".
I would agree - nothing sexier than a man who can cook!
In fact even if you can't cook - an array of yummy finger foods from a fancy deli with a nice bottle of wine is just fine.
Link?
Oh we exist, it's just some of us would never, ever go out with a geeky guy.
Don't get me wrong - I love geeky guys... as friends. Just never been attracted to one. All boyfriends and eventual husband have worked in non-tech fields. I get enough computers at work - don't need to talk about them at home too.
I could not care less about valentine's day. Maybe it's because I'm not american but I've always thought it the most worthless piece of blatant commercial bullshit. Mother's day is only slightly less pointless (and I'm also a mother).
I expect a bit of fuss on my birthday, and hubby and I always, always book a babysitter and go out on our anniversary, and we both have a thing about starting the first second of the new year with a big kiss.... but valentine's day? Fergeddit - I don't need hallmark to tell me when to be romantic!
I could bite, but really, what's the point?
Carol the female slashdot reader
while they're stuck indoors wasting all of their money and hard work on nagging, domineering wives and screaming, crapping, defiant kids.
On the family negativism - it's not all bad. The other night I was reading Hitchhiker's to my 10yr old and he laughed so hard he fell off the couch. Then we went to youtube and watched some of the old tv episodes. He's also starting to get interested in computers and what I do for my job. Sure it can be hard when they're little, but having a kid around who gets a huge kick out of all my nerdy interests, and is also good fun to take camping, bike riding and x-country skiing, is worth all the sleep deprivation and potty nightmares he put me through years ago.
It's amazing how much crap is going on in their heads during sex.
Shopping lists, did the kids do their homework, did I put the bin out, what time do I have to get up tomorrow, something I watched on telly that night.... hmmm George Clooney, my husband is George Clooney.... no that doesn't work, I wouldn't want to be married to him anyway... I know, George Clooney being fucked by Brad Pitt, now there's an image, yeah baby, do it!