What a Web We Weave: Enhancing Conferences with an Online Community

I gave a lightning talk at MidWiC09 on how online communites are used at GHC. Below is my abstract and script.

In 2008, I decided to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC). SInce I had not submitted a BOF, technical paper, or poster during the call for participation, I volunteered to contribute to the online community. THe GHC online community includes blogging, note taking via a wiki, tweeting on Twitter, sharing photos and videos via Flickr and YouTube respectively, and utilizing the social networks of Facebook and LinkedIn. This participation absolutely made my GHC experience, and I returned again in 2009 as one of the YouTube group coordinators. In this Lightning Talk, I will explain how the different online mediums are used and the benefits they provide beyond the conference.

LinkedIn and Facebook allow distribution of information over pre-established networks. More importantly it allows interaction between those in the networks that wouldn't happen if the info was solely sent in an email newsletter distributed via blind carbon copy.

Mediums used before the conference in addition to LinkedIn and Facebook were the GHC Blog, YouTube, and Twitter.

Before the conference, bloggers posted advice on how to make the most of the exhibits and recruiters, on what to pack, on networking. The blog allows for sharing of personal perspective, and bloggers shared why they feel GHC is so important, how GHC has affected their life, and what they hope to get out of the conference. Organizers also blogged to share some of the behind the scenes work done at the conference.

I was a coordinator of the YouTube group this year. I started a video blog with a classmate at GHC08 where we did two pre-conference videos introducing ourselves and going over what to pack. This year we did a five episode series that included introducing ourselves for anyone new to our show, providing tips to first time attendees, and going over the eight session tracks.

Twitter was used to distribute announcements of new blog posts or video or new information about the conference. It's also used as a networking tool. Many of the GHC09 official Twitterers did not know each other. At the conference, when we ran into one another (and realized it), we weren't meeting a stranger. I discoverer a Twitterer who works for Sun is from my home town after I tweeted about a Fort Wayne issue.

At the conference, all these mediums were used as was a Wiki for note-taking. While at the conference, a conflict arose, and I was unable to attend a session I felt would be beneficial to my career. However, I was able to access the Wiki at a later time to see notes not just from the presenter, but also the audience Q&A.

The blog was used to share personal reactions to sessions, as well as session summaries.

The YouTube group was used to video record attendees that may not be presenting as well as interview presenters.

Twitter was used extensively. The conference center actually had a Twitter account that followed those using the hashtag, and responded to requests for stronger WiFi, turning down A/C, and providing other venue-related q's. It also allowed people following the back channel at one session to tweet questions to people at other sessions to ask. For example, I was note-taking one session, and someone tweeted an interesting quote from another session. I replied with a question, which the woman was able to ask on my behalf.

Beyond the conference I use Twitter to keep in touch with the new members of my network. After seeing one woman invite my old roommate to a Girls Geek Dinner, I tweeted my jealousy. In response, the Su employee from my hometown declared we would have a geek dinner of our own over the winter holiday.

This post was originally published on Ashley's personal blog, Let's Eat that Big Fish, at http://organizefish.com/blog/archives/149.

How does biology explain the low numbers of women in computer science? Hint: it doesn't.

I'm tired of people saying, "Oh, it's statistically proven that women are worse in math than men, so that's why there aren't more women in computer science."

My first degree is in mathematics. So I looked up the studies. I did the math. And it just didn't add up. Biology doesn't explain our gender gap.

I used to do this presentation on whatever paper was handy when someone tried to spout this misconception in my hearing. But I thought it might be more useful if I put it online, and I'm sure lots of other women from the Grace Hopper Celebration would like these slides to use and share.

So here it is. A quick presentation that explains why biology cannot explain the gender gap in computer science:

How does biology explain the low numbers of women in computer science? Hint: it doesn't.

View more presentations from Terri Oda.

Like it? Hate it? Catch the Mathnet reference? Let me know.

The slides have also been posted to My personal blog and Geek Feminism... Feel free to pass them on!

Motivación e Inspiración: Latinas en GHC09

El grupo de Latinas participó en GHC09 activamente con: 1F2W4Pa1R3P4B1L1T. Pueden decodificar este número en un blog anterior de Gilda.
Una de las primeras actividades fué el día Miércoles, justo con mi presentación en el PhD Forum 3, en la cual ahondaré mas en otra nota.
Una de las charlas mas esperadas y con mayor asistencia (incluso hubo asistentes que se sentaron el el suelo) fue la impartida por Cecilia Aragón y Justin Cassell titulada Para Investigadores que inician su carrera: Cultivando/Aumentando tu programa de investigación (For Early Career Researchers: Growing Your Research Program).
Cecilia Aragón nos explicó la importancia de tener una red de profesionales para mejorar nuestra visibilidad y nuestra investigación. Nos dió varios consejos para comenzar/aumentar esta red, informal o formalmente en conferencias, congresos, etc.
Algunos tips fueron:

• Participar en discusiones con conferencistas después de su charla.
• Hacer planes para el almuerzo o la cena.
• Hablar, no tener miedo de usar el micrófono si es necesario.
• Conocer a la gente que está sentada a un lado tuyo o se te acerca.
• Dar seguimiento a los contactos después de un evento.
• Dar pláticas y conferencias en tu departamento/escuela.

También nos dió consejos para formar equipos de colaboración y cómo escribir propuestas para solicitar financiamiento.

La presentación de Cecilia puede ser consultada aquí.

Posteriormente, Justine Cassell nos contó algunas anécdotas personales de cómo inició sus colaboraciones y redes de investigación y nos compartió un ejercicio que realiza con sus estudiantes y colaboradores: Hacer una lista de 20 personas que entiendan/estén interesados en tu área de investigación e ingeniártelas para conocerlas. Algunos tips para concerlos es enviándoles correos acerca de tu investigación, compartiendo con ellos extensiones o nuevos resultados obtenidos con su investigación, enviar estudiantes graduados a visitar colegas, etc. El objetivo es disminuír la lista cada año. "Pasión es algo que compartimos como investigadores" mencionó Justine.

Algo que no deja de sorprenderme es la honestidad con la que investigadoras exitosas como Justine y Cecilia nos comentan que no fue del todo fácil para ellas comenzar a crear su red de colaboración. Esto es muy común en GHC y aliciente para las asistentes el saber que no somos las únicas con un poco de temor al comenzar este tipo de actividades.

Una de las actividades que más disfruté fué el almuerzo de Latinas, para el cual se registraron 119 asistentes. Curiosamente, lo menos que hicimos en este almuerzo fué almorzar. Como buenas latinas, hablamos, hablamos y hablamos. Fué realmente enriquecedor conocer a otras mujeres con las que comparto las mismas metas, inquietudes y preocupaciones, no sólo a nivel profesional, sino también a nivel personal. Motivación, inspiración y alegría definen el ambiente que se vivió en cada una de las mesas. Un buen lugar para formar nuevas amistades y nuestra red de colaboración. Ésta es una imagen con algunas de las Latinas con las que almorcé, cortesía de Natalie Gil:



No puedo dejar de mencionar la actividad Speed Mentoring, organizada por Dilma Da Silva, Nadia Anguiano-Wehde, Cecilia Aragon, Claris Castillo, Gilda Garreton, Patty Lopez y Mara Silva. Siguiendo la idea de Speed Dating, en esta sesión se asignó a cada una de las participantes una mentora durante cierto período de tiempo para discutir algún tema de nuestro interés. Al término de este período una nueva mentora era asignada y aquéllas que no tenían mentora dado que el número de participantes era mayor que el de mentoras, esperaban fuera de la sala mientras discutían temas mas generales. Esta actividad me pareció fabulosa.

En este blog encontrarás otras actividades organizadas por Latinas que omití por motivo de espacio, pero no por ello menos importantes. Mi participación en GHC09 se enriqueció con las actividades de Latinas. No sólo encontre inspiración en otras mujeres, sino que fué muy emotivo el saber que algunas de las actividades que realizo pueden inspirar a otras.

Si tu eres una Latina en Computación, únete al grupo Latinas in Computing a través de la lista de distribución de correo electrónico o en Facebook. Te aseguro que no te arrepentirás.

Publicado orignalmente en mi blog.

Valerie's Thoughts on GHC09!

I knew in advance that the conference had sold out, but that did not prepare me for what I encountered once I arrived: the largest, most diverse, most intelligent gathering of women I've ever been surrounded by. The women were students, industry luminaries, open source hackers, coders, program managers, managers, CEOs, directors, mothers, and everything in between. I swear the age range of attendees was probably 16 to 80. I met more women from Africa during that conference than had ever in my life before. Several from Nigeria and Kenya, in particular.

The conference schedule, as always, was intense. There just are not enough hours in the day for all of the stuff we all wanted to do.

I attended a full day of sessions Wednesday, each room just as packed as the last, even though official conference launch wasn't until 7PM that evening. I met with most of my panelists on Wednesday night, which did mean I missed most of the poster session, which was disappointing - but I had so much fun talking to the interesting women that were going to present with me on Thursday, that I couldn't see any other choice! The conference was off to a fantastic start!

On Thursday, I was lucky to catch up with Dr. Susanne Hambrusch and the students she had brought from the Purdue Computer Science Department. As a graduate of that great university, it is always so rewarding to meet these ambitious and intelligent students. For some of us, we have met at other Grace Hopper Celebrations - others, it was our first time. We all had so much to talk about and I really could've spent a lot more time with them, too!

You can see my blogs for most of the sessions I attended for the rest of the week, but I just wanted to say something about both receptions.

Thursday night's dancing was deejayed in the style of 80's Wedding Dance Party, but sometimes it's a lot of fun to just get out and dance to those old silly songs! He did mix in some fun Indian and Arabic music to mix it up, and I've never before seen a woman dancing the Macarena with a baby strapped to her front in a snuggly. Dancing with hundreds of women with total abandon is good for the soul!

Friday night was sponsor night! Thank you Microsoft, Google and Intel for the delicious dinner, t-shirts and additional opportunities to meet and talk with amazing women from all over the world. This evening's deejay was playing much more current music, and you could see the college students dancing like there was no tomorrow. Well, as this was the last evening of the conference, that did kind of fit the bill...

I was very impressed with the technical support staff in the conference center at the JW Marriot Starr Pass Resort. One of their staff members followed tons of women at the conference on Twitter, so he (or was it a she?) knew instantly if there were networking or temperature issues and they were addressed so quickly! Everything just worked and help was always a tweet away. The resort itself was lovely with lots of nice dining choices, and even free tequila shots on the patio every evening. I was very impressed with all of the staff and would attend another conference here in a heartbeat.

The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is more than just a professional skills and technical conference. It is a place where I can reconnect with old friends and companions from industry and academia. I get to meet so many interesting women, that every one of them inspires me in some way.

This year, I even got to meet a lot of the women I follow on Twitter right there at the conference!

I've seen a lot of blogs and tweets lately on Women in Technology vs Women Who Do Technology. Personally, as a women who designs and developers software, I am happy having women around me in any capacity. Yes, it is very nice to have technical conversations with other women, which I find often focus more on how a solution to a problem was found instead of what the final solution was, but at least knowing I'm not alone in the organization or on my team is worth something, too. I'm lucky, I know. I work with several women who are also developers on my team, as well as females on the management team. The last project I was on, 2 out of 3 developers were women. :-) I met lots of women at the celebration who are not so fortunate.

I am thankful for the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing that it brings me closer to my peers and more women like me. I've been inspired to try to start an affinity group for Women in OpenSolaris, and to try to inspire younger women to investigate technology careers. Any suggestions or any one that wants to help, please share or let me know!

Valerie Fenwick

Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges Faced by Women in Computing

Communication skills are very important. I can't stress that enough. I recently graduated with a master's degree and have been looking for a job for several months now and I've seen it: employers want you to have communications skills. If you are very smart but you can't communicate or get along with others, you are of no use to them.

In my opinion, you can read about communication all you want but it still won't be the same as actually putting it into practice. What I recommend is, whenever you can, do presentations, network, write blogs or e-mails or articles... even if you don't want to. That's why I decided to become External Affairs Executive of CU-WISE. I did it because I was an introvert and I wasn't a great communicator. Not to mention I never liked speaking to someone for the first time. It drained me. But after 2 years in that role, here I am writing blogs, speaking at high schools, networking at conferences, and promoting CU-WISE everywhere I go. By the way, a great way to socialize is to wear something goofy (like a funny hat), to be a photographer (approaching people by taking their pictures), or carry something funny (like the duckies in the picture). The CU-WISE executives approached her just because of those silly things!

My notes on this session don't give the panelists justice because I couldn't always keep up with typing what they were saying. They did spend a fair bit of time speaking about different kinds of communication norms in different kinds of cultures. That is definitely something to watch out for. I remember I met a young Iranian lady through CU-WISE and she told me about a concern she had. She asked me why the males in her classes didn't take her seriously. She was in engineering. I asked her to explain because I never felt that way in my undergrad. She told me that when she asks a guy a question about a course, let's say about a formula or something, he always ends up laughing or joking and never answers the question. I thought about it and asked her to explain exactly how she asks these questions. She was a very kind young lady with a very low voice so I thought that maybe she just didn't speak loud enough. In the end I found out that it was in her culture to not look a man in the eyes while speaking with him and to many people here that could show anywhere from lack of confidence to disrespect. I personally feel uncomfortable when someone doesn't look me in the eyes when they are speaking to me. I would assume that they just don't respect me or the conversation we are having.

So I would like to close by reminding you all again to practice, practice, and practice! Does anyone have any comments or suggestions about this topic? About the notes?