Girlie Geeks

This deserves a thumbs up - there is a definate lack of women in IT and the sciences in general.

As a bit of a girlie geek, I was encouraged as I started to read the article that this initiative is being introduced in a number of schools and then I got to this paragraph:

"Run in community centres, schools and other venues, it gives girls the chance to take part in a wide range of computer-based activities, from designing their own celebrity posters to creating a fashion show or mixing music."

Ahh ... six paragraphs and we're back to gender stereotypes again.

Fair enough, computers can do this and I'm sure that might sound like fun to teenage girls. The point is though, most teenagers are PC literate these days and probably already know more than their teachers. How is manipulating images or using off-the-shelf DJ software going to turn girls on to proper IT?

I'm not suggesting server configuration or advanced .Net programming, however they need to be encouraged to see the real power of the hunk of wires and circuits in front of them; to see what cool stuff it can do. I think that most sucessful techies began as self-taught dabblers. There are many applications out there that enable you to create cool applications with little programming knowledge. Perhaps presentations recorded by real techies in the industry. Seeing IT in action - how it plays an important part in different sectors ...

Hmmmm, then again, I'm thinking as a thirty year old. Perhaps posters and fashion shows are what it will take.

Happy Journeys.