- You don't have to queue for the bathroom… the guys do! He he he!
- You get noticed.
- You can get away with asking those questions that all the guys are desperate to ask but daren't in case they look stupid.
- There are no expectations placed on you re: level of technical depth. (other than probably doesn't have a clue… which is always good coz you can make the idiots who think that change their minds in seconds ;) )
- You can get the best of the freebies by being a cheeky girly geek! Make the most of being female. :P
- You often get the chance to be able to talk to the senior directors because they are bored of talking tech to the guys, girls always have a funner fresher perspective on things!
- If you are a speaker you often get a good audience because your female and you MUST know your stuff to be a speaker.
- You can make the guy geeks all nervous and shy with one single glance and a smile.
- You are classed as "cool" when you have the latest gadgets.
- You are the centre of attention and conversation!
As "Unix-Girl" rigthly said earlier in the year... there are many reasons why girls don't go to conferences... Here are a few reasons why some females don't like going to conferences...
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They don't like being the only girl in a crowd of geeks
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They don't like all the unwanted attention
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They don't like having to prove themselves to the guys
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They don't like being hit on all the time
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They get annoyed by all the freebies being male focused. (Prime example XXL t-shirts...)
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They don't get to enjoy the social aspect of the conferences because they are either being hit on or are trying to justify why they are there, or they are ignored completely by the guys.
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They aren't expected to have an understanding of technology
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They are assumed to be press or marketing
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They are made to look stupid when they ask a question or their questions are dismissed as less important than their male counterparts
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They don't necessarily want beer and pizza!
I found a way of getting past all this... my answer, when no one is talking to you go and find the interesting conversations and start joining in. You soon make friends and foes. ;) Also the more people you meet the more you will know at other conferences. That way you know a few people and the events seem a whole lot friendlier!
If they are trying to hit on you... tell them to get lost! If they question your ability, question theirs! Complain about the freebies being male focused! If they assume you are press or marketing put them in their place and bring your own lunch if you don't like beer and pizza...
posted @ Friday, September 22, 2006 12:26 PM