04. 24. 2008
Let's celebrate women in tech

There aren't many things that annoy me about writing about technology for a living. Having permission to ring the founder of Postsecret and ask him about his vision for the site? Not horrendous. Being offered new gadgets to trial before they are even on sale? I can deal with it. Writing about a fun topic I enjoy learning more about as time goes by? Two words spring to mind: cushy gig.
But one thing is hard to cope with, and that's being patronised on a regular basis.
When you say you're a woman who writes about technology, you still receive looks of astonishment or disapproval, even in 2008. When you put out a call for technology press releases of interest to women, you'll still be inundated with cellulite zappers and baby monitors (what, women don't like games consoles, laptops and cellphones?) even in 2008.
Things are getting better, and one of the reasons I love Popgadget is that it's woman-friendly - which doesn't mean it features pictures of half-naked women straddling new technology while giving seductive looks to the camera. Unlike some places I could mention (but won't).
The number of tech-savvy women does thankfully seem to be growing, online at least, so here's my shout-out to some of my favorites:
Cali Lewis: gadget goddess of Geekbrief TV, the podcast that makes tech exciting and accessible to all.
Natali del Conte of CNET's Loaded - another young woman making tech more accessible.
Elizabeth Spiers. Innovative launch editor of New York gossip site Gawker.com and former ed of Mediabistro, she's since set up (and sold on) her own blogging network, Dead Horse Media, and become an accomplished commentator on all things Internet and business-related (did I forget to mention she used to be a financial analyst?) Oh, and her first novel is out later this year, too...
Susi Weaser from UK tech site Shiny Shiny, who makes great video reviews for the site, as well as blogging about gadgets and technology on a daily basis. Shiny Shiny is also currenty running a great series, "You're a Girl? And you work in technology?" where you can read about more women making their mark in tech.
Who are your favorites, and why?
Posted by diane
Category:
culture
| current affairs
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Tags: women in tech
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