Hi, I'm a computer scientist with an IQ of 156 (Otis-Lennon test, others have tested me at higher) working in the field of UNIX Systems Administration. I have been raised in the math and science fields, and without regard to my gender. I plan to continue my life in pursuit of my career, and never plan to have children. Oh yes, and I am a woman.
I detest anyone who assumes my qualities based on my gender. I detest mind games. And, I like dating nice guys who help me be the best me (and I them).
Partnership is a two-way street. You are correct in your assertions that men should pick their women to enhance their qualities, not detract from them. But realize women should be picking their men accordingly as well -- good qualities enhance each other to a mutual benefit. You are incorrect in your presentation of the assertion, for you are showing yourself to be an inadequate partner yourself by giving only blame and distrust to the relationship, not a partnership where you also enhance their qualities.
I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who'd be willing to take it on for the sake of keeping some part of the perl community alive.
Personally, I'm really taken aback by this news. I've considered TPJ to be one of my more valuable resources; I'll be crushed if it's gone.
Re:think about the future of our inflated economy.
on
CS vs CIS
·
· Score: 1
One of my parents' friends pointed out that a fancy degree only buys you your first job. After that, you get to prove you can do it.
When the layoffs come, most companies will be laying off the people who aren't essential to staff. In all of the companies I've worked with or in (contracted for a year, got to see quite a few in Silicon Valley), many of the essential people have no degrees, CIS, CS, or otherwise, beyond HS. Now, granted, I work in Systems Administration which puts me in the ops departments, not development; but these are the jobs that pay the same regardless of CIS or CS degrees, and are the sort this guy would probably get to with his attitude.
Now, which degree is better? I'm going back to school for CS, not CIS, after being in this field for the past few years. Why? I don't need any degree for CIS; I get better training in that on the field for that. The conferences and journals are my lectures and texts. I actually want a degree *because I like math*; I want to know far more about good design and algorithm theory than I can learn hacking up perl scripts for emergency bandaid purposes.
Besides, even as a sysadmin, the difference between good coding and adequate hacks makes a huge difference -- anyone can learn the latter, but in the end, the former stands tests of time, efficiency, and portability. All three of these *are* important in that long run. And coworkers, bosses, everyone notices who makes the code that lasts the longest (back to the original "who is essential" argument).
I guess my points are really: don't threaten with incoming layoffs... those will turn out to be as unpredictable as the entire history of this industry has been. However, the CS degree does indirectly effect that -- since it means a more solid understanding of the underlying essentials that makes what you do in the workplace mean so much more.
While he does have an interesting point that virtual communities are not the egalitarian democracies they're heralded to be (something I've posited for quite a while), it sounds to me like his perspective of "virtual communities" is limited to the AOL and sixdegrees type of forums, perhaps with an occasional sprinkling of UO or EverQuest.
However, those of us who have been on the net from before the time of heavy graphics involvement realize that the communities that have solidified online are surrounded around the chatlines, the IRC channels, the MUDs. People find long-term and good friendships there; social groups of people they are a part of with the same set of in-jokes and politics you'll find in real life groups; and many find love (crushes, dates, or sometimes marriage) there.
People barter information and goods (the post office's rise in shipping reflect this); material possessions are not only the physical but also the virtual web spaces, mail spaces, shell accounts. Understanding the less tangible form of this (information and virtual space) requires realizing that these things are still considered the same sort of possessions by the human psyche with the same sorts of prestige and usefulness to the people that own it as the more tangible material items. I.e., on the net having a large web site (or house on UO, etc) is equivalent to having a large house irl; or having a large mp3 collection to having a CD collection irl. It's just shifted focus for how to access it.
Virtual communities are still communities. They are not as diverse in social class and structure as real life communities, but that does not render them non-existant (else the religious communities within the real world should not be considered as such either). People still act and react to these virtual communities with the same sorts of emotions and ideals.
So, if you're such a fan, have you realized that WWGS has put out a Revised edition in the past few months that has, in fact, brought up to date the Mage plotline?
Sorry, I was an ArM fan (still am) back in the early 90's, I did start RPGs back in the mid-80's, I used to have the attitude of "White Wolf sucks for stealing ArM" or "Old is better, man." But I've really been impressed with a lot of the work and creativity put into the revised edition plotlines. People are creating a story in these things that goes beyond gaming -- they're good stories!
Besides. I used to *hate* mage the most for just the reason of "Man, I'd rather play ArM".. but I was roped into reading the Mage Revised and Technology books for various reasons, and was entirely impressed with the ideas. I would heartily recommend going back for another read if you know the old books, and reading anew if you're new to White Wolf lines.
If this were done by a professional PR person, it would not have contained the phrase, "intellectually property in-order", among other indiscretions of grammatical editting. In fact, his entire submission stinks of an amateur attempting to sound legal when he's not, punctuated with occasional "talking to the audience" measures that are inadequately placed.
I suspect someone told some geek to talk to the geeks on/. "in their language" to "explain the problem". He probably also believes every word of what he's said -- it feels like his work is on the line. However, he has no basis in history to prove that protecting his device like this actually helps (consider Apple vs "M$" in the 80's for just one example). Unfortunately, when your work is on the line, it's hard to realize this.
I just started working for Inktomi. In the interview, my boss asked me what my perfect office would be -- I had just come back from a camping trip where I'd taken my laptop and done some coding while seated on a lake beach staring up at a mountain, so I responded, "Off in the woods below a mountain!" He replied, "Well, we could plant trees around your cubicle..."
Truth be told, that camping trip was the most astounding work environment I've ever been in... quiet, peaceful, beautiful.. but I didn't really have the bandwidth to do that all the time of course. As in, I had none, and therefore no communication.:)
The cubicle I was given, however, is absolutely phenomenal. It's large and open (I have all of my computer books stored in one of the cabinets currently!), and has this phenomenal view of the SF Bay with distant views of SF and Oakland. Plus, it's got the wall to the aisle practically absent, which has been absolutely wonderful for talking with my coworkers when I need to (yay training!), or just being shot at by their nerf weapons.:)
If I don't really want to deal with my coworkers for a bit while dealing with something, I often crawl under my desk where I'm keeping a sleeping pad and bag. Dark, cozy, warm, and coworkers often don't know I'm there unless I tell them.
Also, on telecommute days I'll be found out on my front balcony, laptop in lap, enjoying my plants and neighborhood trees while working. It's still not the mountains, but I have better bandwidth (yay 50 ft cat5s!)
But the thing that impresses me the most in all this is that I now work for a company that truly appreciates my idiosyncracies for work environment. I'm not going to like my surroundings the same way as my officemates; in fact, I'm not always going to like the same surroundings I did a few minutes ago! Being in a place of work that allows me the freedom to work as I work the best is key. And that is probably the most important thing to consider when trying to decide for others -- they need the space and freedom to decide what they like the best.
Erg, in my "I believe that music sales are higher", I meant that I've seen that recently but unfortunately don't have the time to dig that information back up for this posting. I'd love it if someone could confirm or deny that, however.
I believe that music sales overall are actually higher than they've ever been. Most of the "studies" released show specific sales in a slump here and there and are very quick to blame mp3s (which are logical in some cases, not in others.. but there is not really a way to firmly prove it either way). It's also truly interesting to note that when computers were first introduced into the homes, people extolled the virtues of a paperless existance -- however, it seems that paper consumption is also up with the rise in computer use. People just like to have physical evidence of things in their hands, in general. CDs are very real, hard, possessions that can be put on display in the rec rooms for all to know what music you like. Vanity is a tremendous motivator in human consumption, and it cannot be removed.
I really wish that the music industry would realize this and remember that every so often, it is time for a change in how to deal with the environment. What Blair Witch Project really told us is how to use the "power of the internet" to their easily publicized advantage for a tremendous profit... this can also be done with music! It's the idea of the compilation CDs that the underground major labels have been doing forever (such as Projekt or WaxTrax).. I would say it's time to have compilation promo mp3 sites where bands can promo their upcoming CD. People will love to be the first on the block to get it when it comes out, that's the nature of vanity.
I started out with BASIC at the age of 8 on a TI99/4a. I believe my first coding enterprises were to the effect of making print statements form ASCII pictures, later becoming "if someone types this, then that is returned", later some simple text adventure games. However, I'd also been exposed to Hunt the Wumpus on my dad's HP calculator, so I didn't think all programs should look like Qbert.
I guess my thought on this is that I really enjoyed making things that were as simple as "Hello World!" at the first, and used that bottom framework to move onto the next concept. Creating something that simple isn't always as simple to a child on their first program -- make sure you're proud of them if they do make something say "HI DAD!" only! On the other hand, they might also think they can create QuakeIIIArena starting out... if you find they're blocking at that point, perhaps introducing them to more simple games like text adventures or "fish" from/usr/games could aid them in learning to code something more immediately available.
In the end, it's really up to how you interact with them as a parent to a child that helps them learn the most out of it. Be supportive and helpful and always proud.
Btw, both my brother and I are in computer fields -- I'm a SysAdmin and he's developing networking protocols for wireless networking as they pertain to mobile robotics. We are both very grateful to our father for showing us BASIC at young ages now; but more importantly we're glad for the time he spent with us as he passed away before he could even see the results of his forethought in his children.
From what I've gathered in the short time I've been in this Valley, it's really not that different here than as presented in the article overall. Remember that the Valley is a lot more than just a bunch of/. people -- and the article extends to a lot of the 30-40-something single men I've seen in and around the area. And the non-native folks. The first month I was here, I went to a lunch where I was the only person born in the US. There were both male and female engineers present, and it was clear that while a couple of them were making google eyes at each other.. there really wasn't much time for dating. Most of them seemed to generally just work 24/7.
And frankly, the closing line made me laugh, since I'm generally the "female SysAdmin" talking about OS preferences with others at what few parties I get to anymore. And yes, it does seem to be a mating ritual in geek life.. of course, I like it that way.:)
5 months ago I left Pittsburgh for Silicon Valley as a young UNIX Systems Administrator. I loved the place I worked for (pair Networks), but was a disgruntled Pittsburgh resident. Ironically, I'm sitting in the new offices of pair right now during my holiday visit back to Pittsburgh, and found this/. article at the top of the page. Since this has been pre-eminent on my mind this first return, I feel I should note some of the differences between living in the two areas.
On the positive side for Silicon Valley. It does have a lot of young professional people in my age group (25+), there are a lot of stores (Fry's, Weird Stuff, Halted) geared towards my interests, and I'm constantly surrounded by the Industry and learning a lot for it. It is exciting to walk down the street and run into Trimble technologies while seeing the military planes flying into Moffett airfield next to Lockheed, or get lost and find myself in Netscape's compound. Or just play the driving game of how many times you see Sun/HP/Cisco buildings in your 10 mile commute home. The place is also very dynamic and powerful when reading the San Jose Mercury News and seeing familiar companies that either you've worked for or know friends who are listed among the technologically elite. But most of all, it's great to sit around with a bunch of friends discussing the latest finds in computing over a glass of wine. I love it!
However, on my return home, I have noticed a few things I do miss. For one, last night I had a bunch of my old friends over -- non-geeks in a large part so far less homogenous than those I am hanging out with in the Valley. The topics never touched computers or money, but strayed from politics to philosophy and morality and back touching a number of issues current and historical. The variety of opinions on the subject were from people with vastly different personal experiences and I realized just how homogenous the Valley can be and where this is, at times, a disadvantage.
Also, I miss working at pair Networks. It is not a company looking for IPOs and Get Rich Quick, so they are all earnest in keeping the company together and the people on board. It makes for a more bonded *team* of employees, and less sense of temporary company holdings. (Not to mention that pair is doing very well, it often makes me reflect if I did make the right decision in leaving). The problem is that so many of the companies out in the Valley are oriented towards selling out and making money that many of them have lost the sense of personal touch. Even the employee resources step into offices with the attitude of temporary staying power. That makes for a lot more sense of transience and less settled.
I could mention the issue of cost-of-living, but that's been discussed to death here and elsewhere. Though, I will note that I drove down a street yesterday looking at brick 3-story 1890 homes that sell for 1/5 the cost of a 1950's post-WWII tract house with maybe 2 bedrooms in Sunnyvale.
Lastly, everyone is a workaholic in Silicon Valley. To the point where one of the first articles I read in the San Jose Mercury News was a headline Sunday Paper about "How to Know You're a Workaholic" pointing to a big branch of Workaholic's Anonymous. The culture there reflects this greatly in that the valley shuts down after 9pm, and going to the movies is the biggest thing to do (and not much else). Or hosting a LAN party.:)
Summing up: I do miss a lot about Pittsburgh -- for personal reasons not applicable to this discussion, I am not moving back, however I will encourage those who remain to recognize the advantages they do have. Silicon Valley is not for everyone, but neither are Pittsburgh-like places. Seriously consider the options, and reflect on the advantages you do have where you are at. I am glad that I moved 5 months ago, but I do sorely miss a lot of the things I left behind.
This sort of question comes up continually I've noticed, and hasn't really been answered concretely. The main reason I think *I* have noticed is that the support for young girls doing computing is virtually non-existant.
See, realize this. Most of you linux hackers were doing this since your early days of high school -- at the very worst since you hit college. In the adolescent social setup, there is often a congregation of people around a theme.. those who get into linux or computers are largely male "geeks". And the most known thing about male "geeks" is that Women Are From Mars.
No, it's not a "women can't do it" problem at this point, it's an "OH MY GAWD THERE IS A GIRL HERE!!!" phenomenon. Girls who do try to play with computers when they're younger have to constantly navigate this.. as a result they're either scared off or they simply don't get the same exchange of information because they're scaring the geeks.
So, take this girl who was actually interested in computers and throw her into college now. Suddenly she's behind all these guys who've been geeking for years with each other, meanwhile she's been forced to learn it on her own, and she feels the disadvantage strongly. Only now it's worse.. suddenly she's "one of the few geekgirls out there" and thusly desirable by all geeks. And she's STILL not getting the information exchange like everyone else.
A lot of women navigate this by hitting online with male monikers and personas to try and circumvent that attitude (btw, someone recently went to the newsgroups posting roughly the same thing under both male and female names, the male got more respect, the female got hit on), or they just quietly duck back into the mold of "learning it for themselves" as they've always done.
It's a bad situation, really. What *I* would like to see as a strong female geek (who is also trying to avoid hiding either myself or my femininity) is more women helping women, and more women helping the young girls. I don't advocate complete separation.. but having support systems and role models for those starting out is vital. I also don't think that trying to change the geek mindset of "OH MY GAWD THERE IS A GIRL HERE" is going to work, that's just too much a part of being a geek.
As for "why aren't there women in open source support sites out there?".. uh, very recently there was an article posted here about linuxchix.org.
I, personally, would love to start a branch for women in FreeBSD.. an even rarer phenomenon in my experience.:)
UNIX Systems and Network Administrator and FreeBSD chick,
As for NetSol -- So what happens when their competition overwhelms them with competence? Will the license plates then read, "The state formerly known as the Internet C@pital"?
I had actually wondered about the Pepsi logo part -- it would explain the Principal's resistance to change. I mean, break a contract or fight the law? Hrmmm, Pepsi might have more money...
Slashdot Mirror
Hi, I'm a computer scientist with an IQ of 156 (Otis-Lennon test, others have tested me at higher) working in the field of UNIX Systems Administration. I have been raised in the math and science fields, and without regard to my gender. I plan to continue my life in pursuit of my career, and never plan to have children. Oh yes, and I am a woman.
I detest anyone who assumes my qualities based on my gender. I detest mind games. And, I like dating nice guys who help me be the best me (and I them).
Partnership is a two-way street. You are correct in your assertions that men should pick their women to enhance their qualities, not detract from them. But realize women should be picking their men accordingly as well -- good qualities enhance each other to a mutual benefit. You are incorrect in your presentation of the assertion, for you are showing yourself to be an inadequate partner yourself by giving only blame and distrust to the relationship, not a partnership where you also enhance their qualities.
"We hired a crack team of crafty crack monkeys..."
/. pool.
I think they just hired from the
Personally, I'm really taken aback by this news. I've considered TPJ to be one of my more valuable resources; I'll be crushed if it's gone.
When the layoffs come, most companies will be laying off the people who aren't essential to staff. In all of the companies I've worked with or in (contracted for a year, got to see quite a few in Silicon Valley), many of the essential people have no degrees, CIS, CS, or otherwise, beyond HS. Now, granted, I work in Systems Administration which puts me in the ops departments, not development; but these are the jobs that pay the same regardless of CIS or CS degrees, and are the sort this guy would probably get to with his attitude.
Now, which degree is better? I'm going back to school for CS, not CIS, after being in this field for the past few years. Why? I don't need any degree for CIS; I get better training in that on the field for that. The conferences and journals are my lectures and texts. I actually want a degree *because I like math*; I want to know far more about good design and algorithm theory than I can learn hacking up perl scripts for emergency bandaid purposes.
Besides, even as a sysadmin, the difference between good coding and adequate hacks makes a huge difference -- anyone can learn the latter, but in the end, the former stands tests of time, efficiency, and portability. All three of these *are* important in that long run. And coworkers, bosses, everyone notices who makes the code that lasts the longest (back to the original "who is essential" argument).
I guess my points are really: don't threaten with incoming layoffs... those will turn out to be as unpredictable as the entire history of this industry has been. However, the CS degree does indirectly effect that -- since it means a more solid understanding of the underlying essentials that makes what you do in the workplace mean so much more.
However, those of us who have been on the net from before the time of heavy graphics involvement realize that the communities that have solidified online are surrounded around the chatlines, the IRC channels, the MUDs. People find long-term and good friendships there; social groups of people they are a part of with the same set of in-jokes and politics you'll find in real life groups; and many find love (crushes, dates, or sometimes marriage) there.
People barter information and goods (the post office's rise in shipping reflect this); material possessions are not only the physical but also the virtual web spaces, mail spaces, shell accounts. Understanding the less tangible form of this (information and virtual space) requires realizing that these things are still considered the same sort of possessions by the human psyche with the same sorts of prestige and usefulness to the people that own it as the more tangible material items. I.e., on the net having a large web site (or house on UO, etc) is equivalent to having a large house irl; or having a large mp3 collection to having a CD collection irl. It's just shifted focus for how to access it.
Virtual communities are still communities. They are not as diverse in social class and structure as real life communities, but that does not render them non-existant (else the religious communities within the real world should not be considered as such either). People still act and react to these virtual communities with the same sorts of emotions and ideals.
Sorry, I was an ArM fan (still am) back in the early 90's, I did start RPGs back in the mid-80's, I used to have the attitude of "White Wolf sucks for stealing ArM" or "Old is better, man." But I've really been impressed with a lot of the work and creativity put into the revised edition plotlines. People are creating a story in these things that goes beyond gaming -- they're good stories!
Besides. I used to *hate* mage the most for just the reason of "Man, I'd rather play ArM".. but I was roped into reading the Mage Revised and Technology books for various reasons, and was entirely impressed with the ideas. I would heartily recommend going back for another read if you know the old books, and reading anew if you're new to White Wolf lines.
I suspect someone told some geek to talk to the geeks on /. "in their language" to "explain the problem". He probably also believes every word of what he's said -- it feels like his work is on the line. However, he has no basis in history to prove that protecting his device like this actually helps (consider Apple vs "M$" in the 80's for just one example). Unfortunately, when your work is on the line, it's hard to realize this.
Truth be told, that camping trip was the most astounding work environment I've ever been in... quiet, peaceful, beautiful.. but I didn't really have the bandwidth to do that all the time of course. As in, I had none, and therefore no communication. :)
The cubicle I was given, however, is absolutely phenomenal. It's large and open (I have all of my computer books stored in one of the cabinets currently!), and has this phenomenal view of the SF Bay with distant views of SF and Oakland. Plus, it's got the wall to the aisle practically absent, which has been absolutely wonderful for talking with my coworkers when I need to (yay training!), or just being shot at by their nerf weapons. :)
If I don't really want to deal with my coworkers for a bit while dealing with something, I often crawl under my desk where I'm keeping a sleeping pad and bag. Dark, cozy, warm, and coworkers often don't know I'm there unless I tell them.
Also, on telecommute days I'll be found out on my front balcony, laptop in lap, enjoying my plants and neighborhood trees while working. It's still not the mountains, but I have better bandwidth (yay 50 ft cat5s!)
But the thing that impresses me the most in all this is that I now work for a company that truly appreciates my idiosyncracies for work environment. I'm not going to like my surroundings the same way as my officemates; in fact, I'm not always going to like the same surroundings I did a few minutes ago! Being in a place of work that allows me the freedom to work as I work the best is key. And that is probably the most important thing to consider when trying to decide for others -- they need the space and freedom to decide what they like the best.
Erg, in my "I believe that music sales are higher", I meant that I've seen that recently but unfortunately don't have the time to dig that information back up for this posting. I'd love it if someone could confirm or deny that, however.
I really wish that the music industry would realize this and remember that every so often, it is time for a change in how to deal with the environment. What Blair Witch Project really told us is how to use the "power of the internet" to their easily publicized advantage for a tremendous profit... this can also be done with music! It's the idea of the compilation CDs that the underground major labels have been doing forever (such as Projekt or WaxTrax) .. I would say it's time to have compilation promo mp3 sites where bands can promo their upcoming CD. People will love to be the first on the block to get it when it comes out, that's the nature of vanity.
And that is the nature of the internet.
I started out with BASIC at the age of 8 on a TI99/4a. I believe my first coding enterprises were to the effect of making print statements form ASCII pictures, later becoming "if someone types this, then that is returned", later some simple text adventure games. However, I'd also been exposed to Hunt the Wumpus on my dad's HP calculator, so I didn't think all programs should look like Qbert.
I guess my thought on this is that I really enjoyed making things that were as simple as "Hello World!" at the first, and used that bottom framework to move onto the next concept. Creating something that simple isn't always as simple to a child on their first program -- make sure you're proud of them if they do make something say "HI DAD!" only! On the other hand, they might also think they can create QuakeIIIArena starting out... if you find they're blocking at that point, perhaps introducing them to more simple games like text adventures or "fish" from /usr/games could aid them in learning to code something more immediately available.
In the end, it's really up to how you interact with them as a parent to a child that helps them learn the most out of it. Be supportive and helpful and always proud.
Btw, both my brother and I are in computer fields -- I'm a SysAdmin and he's developing networking protocols for wireless networking as they pertain to mobile robotics. We are both very grateful to our father for showing us BASIC at young ages now; but more importantly we're glad for the time he spent with us as he passed away before he could even see the results of his forethought in his children.
And frankly, the closing line made me laugh, since I'm generally the "female SysAdmin" talking about OS preferences with others at what few parties I get to anymore. And yes, it does seem to be a mating ritual in geek life.. of course, I like it that way. :)
On the positive side for Silicon Valley. It does have a lot of young professional people in my age group (25+), there are a lot of stores (Fry's, Weird Stuff, Halted) geared towards my interests, and I'm constantly surrounded by the Industry and learning a lot for it. It is exciting to walk down the street and run into Trimble technologies while seeing the military planes flying into Moffett airfield next to Lockheed, or get lost and find myself in Netscape's compound. Or just play the driving game of how many times you see Sun/HP/Cisco buildings in your 10 mile commute home. The place is also very dynamic and powerful when reading the San Jose Mercury News and seeing familiar companies that either you've worked for or know friends who are listed among the technologically elite. But most of all, it's great to sit around with a bunch of friends discussing the latest finds in computing over a glass of wine. I love it!
However, on my return home, I have noticed a few things I do miss. For one, last night I had a bunch of my old friends over -- non-geeks in a large part so far less homogenous than those I am hanging out with in the Valley. The topics never touched computers or money, but strayed from politics to philosophy and morality and back touching a number of issues current and historical. The variety of opinions on the subject were from people with vastly different personal experiences and I realized just how homogenous the Valley can be and where this is, at times, a disadvantage.
Also, I miss working at pair Networks. It is not a company looking for IPOs and Get Rich Quick, so they are all earnest in keeping the company together and the people on board. It makes for a more bonded *team* of employees, and less sense of temporary company holdings. (Not to mention that pair is doing very well, it often makes me reflect if I did make the right decision in leaving). The problem is that so many of the companies out in the Valley are oriented towards selling out and making money that many of them have lost the sense of personal touch. Even the employee resources step into offices with the attitude of temporary staying power. That makes for a lot more sense of transience and less settled.
I could mention the issue of cost-of-living, but that's been discussed to death here and elsewhere. Though, I will note that I drove down a street yesterday looking at brick 3-story 1890 homes that sell for 1/5 the cost of a 1950's post-WWII tract house with maybe 2 bedrooms in Sunnyvale.
Lastly, everyone is a workaholic in Silicon Valley. To the point where one of the first articles I read in the San Jose Mercury News was a headline Sunday Paper about "How to Know You're a Workaholic" pointing to a big branch of Workaholic's Anonymous. The culture there reflects this greatly in that the valley shuts down after 9pm, and going to the movies is the biggest thing to do (and not much else). Or hosting a LAN party. :)
Summing up: I do miss a lot about Pittsburgh -- for personal reasons not applicable to this discussion, I am not moving back, however I will encourage those who remain to recognize the advantages they do have. Silicon Valley is not for everyone, but neither are Pittsburgh-like places. Seriously consider the options, and reflect on the advantages you do have where you are at. I am glad that I moved 5 months ago, but I do sorely miss a lot of the things I left behind.
(btw, on a less serious note, one word: snow)
See, realize this. Most of you linux hackers were doing this since your early days of high school -- at the very worst since you hit college. In the adolescent social setup, there is often a congregation of people around a theme.. those who get into linux or computers are largely male "geeks". And the most known thing about male "geeks" is that Women Are From Mars.
No, it's not a "women can't do it" problem at this point, it's an "OH MY GAWD THERE IS A GIRL HERE!!!" phenomenon. Girls who do try to play with computers when they're younger have to constantly navigate this.. as a result they're either scared off or they simply don't get the same exchange of information because they're scaring the geeks.
So, take this girl who was actually interested in computers and throw her into college now. Suddenly she's behind all these guys who've been geeking for years with each other, meanwhile she's been forced to learn it on her own, and she feels the disadvantage strongly. Only now it's worse.. suddenly she's "one of the few geekgirls out there" and thusly desirable by all geeks. And she's STILL not getting the information exchange like everyone else.
A lot of women navigate this by hitting online with male monikers and personas to try and circumvent that attitude (btw, someone recently went to the newsgroups posting roughly the same thing under both male and female names, the male got more respect, the female got hit on), or they just quietly duck back into the mold of "learning it for themselves" as they've always done.
It's a bad situation, really. What *I* would like to see as a strong female geek (who is also trying to avoid hiding either myself or my femininity) is more women helping women, and more women helping the young girls. I don't advocate complete separation.. but having support systems and role models for those starting out is vital. I also don't think that trying to change the geek mindset of "OH MY GAWD THERE IS A GIRL HERE" is going to work, that's just too much a part of being a geek.
As for "why aren't there women in open source support sites out there?" .. uh, very recently there was an article posted here about linuxchix.org.
I, personally, would love to start a branch for women in FreeBSD .. an even rarer phenomenon in my experience. :)
UNIX Systems and Network Administrator and FreeBSD chick,
As for NetSol -- So what happens when their competition overwhelms them with competence? Will the license plates then read, "The state formerly known as the Internet C@pital"?
(Former Pissburgher now on the left coast)
I had actually wondered about the Pepsi logo part -- it would explain the Principal's resistance to change. I mean, break a contract or fight the law? Hrmmm, Pepsi might have more money...