Diversity...

Post date: 16-Feb-2013 04:34:10

I'm writing this mostly to remind myself that, despite the frustrating lack of gender diversity among technical workplaces, I think it's getting better, and I should remember the positives while working to overcome the negatives (like the men I've had to remind not to use the word 'rape' casually...)

For instance, in my career as a web developer:

• The first place I worked (Fraynework Multimedia) was a technical company run by and mostly staffed by women,
• The second place (MyInternet) had a female sys admin,
• The third place (Obsidian) had a female developer,
• My current workplace (Red Ant) recently acquired a female developer,
• I've worked with quite a few power-house female project managers who were very tech savvy, and
• I've just discovered two very technical women working in quite different fields - Doctor Kristen Stubbs of the Toymaker Project and Garann Means (a web developer who I discovered via her work with Node.JS) - who together inspired me to write this post.

So I'd like to applaud all the technical women in my life who've stuck it out in what can be a less than inviting field - I think our work is a lot richer for your participation.