Belongingness (part 1)

Have you ever tried to use a tech tool and thought, “Is this for me?”

Maybe it was hard to work with. And you may have even felt so frustrated that you walked away from it altogether. Or, maybe it came with a good guide that made you feel like

the tool was designed with you in mind. And maybe you were even invited to suggest a new feature. By welcoming you and taking you seriously, this might have contributed to your larger sense of belonging as a person in tech.

Your sense of belonging is the feeling of whether you are being respected and valued. Decades of research show that feelings of belonging allow us to be more motivated to persist through challenges. But there are times when we doubt our belonging -- what can we do to increase our sense of belonging then?

First, we can notice where we feel a strong sense of belonging, and where we feel like we are trying too hard to fit in or do not feel valued for who we already are. And, although belonging is felt within ourselves as individuals, it is the messages that our surrounding environment sends us that contribute to our sense of belonging. Sometimes we enter a space and feel like we need to change who we are to fit in, maybe it’s because those in the space treat us differently or don’t give our ideas the same respect. These messages move us further away from the task at hand and discourage us from making contributions, some of us may even decide to leave the space entirely.

But! even when we’re missing that sense of belonging, we can recognize that our contributions are still valuable. And often there is someone who is eager to support us. That support is what fosters inclusive environments where people are more likely to feel a sense of belonging, which we need in tech to attract and retain the variety of perspectives needed for creating truly impactful solutions for all.

In tech, we often find ourselves using new/unfamiliar tools.

Have any of you heard of vim or its predecessor vi?

• Vim is a command line tool for editing text files, which means you can only use keystrokes and not the mouse.

• Vi(m) is notorious for being user “unfriendly,” but also is sometimes used to establish how “hard-core” a tech person is.

You'll be in pairs or trios to try out using vim. One of you will take on the role of a "newbie" while the other(s) will take on the role of an "expert." Then you'll swap roles.

1. Open the “Vim Genius” site on different computers. You should not share a screen.

2. Pick one person to be the newbie and the other(s) to be the expert(s).

3. The newbie should use the button at the bottom to start Level 1.

4. The expert(s) should keep the initial screen with commands open to provide help.

5. The newbie should work through the initial level(s) for about 4 minutes, asking for help from the expert(s) as needed.

6. After 4 minutes, switch roles and repeat!