Last Thursday 16th August I was fortunate enough to attend my first (of many I hope!) of Girl Geek Dinner’s. The special 2nd year anniversary event was hosted by SKYPE who amid the fairy cakes (sponsored by Unboxed Consulting), blowing up of balloons, and helium related challenges provided a wonderful space to talk and smoose about all things geeky.
The panel discussion really bought to the fore some of the issues that have been blogged about here on Girly Geekdom. One of the most potent of these related to education and the cultivation of the next generation of Web designers, media users and geek enthusiasts. Alongside this was a related and more fierce discussion about the lack of women at the higher end of the technology industry. Where talks were running into danger of becoming about only a ‘them vs us’ divide, from the floor Alexander and Candice, as well as Sarah stepped in for a more positive spin on the opportunities that ARE available to women. Not least events such as the Girl Geek Dinners themselves!
One point that did raise some interesting resonances was the reluctance to be labeled as a ‘geek’. Only Sarah herself on the panel embraced her ‘geeky’ identity, with the most popular reason to shy away from such a label as ‘lacking’ the required geek knowledge.
There’s an interesting dynamic about what it means to be ‘geek’ here. Talking to some of the GG attendees the consensus was that this related to programming skills and ‘hardcore’ computer language. Which strikes me as rather a masculine defined category.
I think that the key is to make your own interest and use of technology/media as the benchmark for your own geekiness. This means that you CAN identify yourself as a ‘geek’, and one whom is grounded and confident about the information and tools that you use. A classic example of denouncing her geekiness from the panel was Claire Meakin who represented the education and technology side of things. Her background as ‘only a maths teacher’ in her eyes did not fit with the geek label. Ironically, as Claire spoke about educational attainment through a combination of white board, software programmes etc that she uses with her student, its clear, she’s a geek – and one that clearly ‘knows her stuff’! Proof indeed that you needn’t be a ‘hardcore’ programmer to share the label ‘geek’!
So in sum, the key to embracing your inner geek is to recognise that it’s not about seeming all ‘software savvy’, or HTML confident, but instead being a geek comes from a willingness to play around with new media that will go on to project a smart, coolness and dare I say geekiness whether you intend to or not.
Of course it doesn’t really matter if you accept or reject the ‘geek’ label. The important thing is to get involved and enjoy engaging with the techno world. So come to some Girly Geek Dinners and put your own views across!
Oh and did i mention there was cake!…
Related Links:
- Mary Branscombe on the Girl Geek Dinner
- BlogNation on the Girl Geek Dinner
- Astraware on the Girl Geek Dinner
- Images from the Girl Geek Dinner on Flickr
- And another video courtesy of Improbulous
If you could let me know who it is we can help do something about it, and have a word with them. Please feel free to get in touch with me directly.
We try to discourage such behaviour.
Funny thing is – and why this is anonymous – is that a guy I met at the dinner (great time by the way) tried to pick me up and has proved bit of a cell pest since!
Hi, great write up! Just to mention that the videos of the panel discussion etc are up now, see my blog post or blip.tv page.
Cheers, Imp. (not a real geek or even a nerd, really! a pretender, perhaps)
anon, katie and fumbles! so pleased to hear of your proud geek status!
myself i think i tend to fluctuate between nearside nerd and geeky chic – one of the wonders of the multiplicity of web 2.0 users identities i guess! whatever ‘guise’ i have on though there’s always the geek within to enthuse about technology
i’ll happily wear the title of geek, but unfortunately I believe I fall short on the nerdiness side of things.
It was a great night, and I highly recommend anyone thinking of attending just get along to the next one to see what it’s all about…
Interestingly enough, I connect the word “nerd” with hardcore programming, math and science skills… I tend to identify geek more as a social category. You can “geek out” to just about anything.
Good post!
I’m a geek and proud of it!
oh i loved the cakes too! but best part was meeting all the other geeks!