Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Heather Hesketh <heather AT hesketh.com>]

At 04:06 PM 6/6/2000 -0400, Gina Norman wrote:
>
>Well, America does have an issue with wide-scale devaluing of women,at
>least in "high technology" based on both salary ranges for equivalent
>positions and the dearth of women entering technology degree programs at
>the college level.  And I would've still left "ookie" if someone had
>wanted me in Internetworkers just 'cause I'm a girl.*

They didn't want you "just 'cause" you're a girl, but there *was* a 
concerted effort in the beginning to increase the number of women involved 
in the organization. The group of guys and one girl that made up ING back 
in the day scratched their heads and said, "how can we get more folks 
(including girls) involved." That's how I got here. I was also asked to 
spread the word amongst the local network I've built--both women and men, 
but I knew more Web women than the original group, because of my 
involvement with TWG.

That I wasn't included in the original group probably has more to do with 
either 1) them thinking I was too busy (which I am :) or 2) me not being 
in front of them as much because I don't frequent the Carrboro haunts that 
they do. That I was included when I was has a lot to do with my being 
involved in TWG (i.e., me being a woman) and ING wanting to spread to word 
to more than those people they hung out with in Carrboro.

Am I offended? No.

Do I wish they'd thought of me earlier? I never really thought about it, 
but maybe.

Do I think they still just want me around 'cause I'm a chick? No.

Do I think anyone from ING would say they did/didn't want Gina around 
because she's a chick? No, they want you around because you're fun.

Did ING invite you because you're a chick? Perhaps partly, but that's not 
the only reason.

Do I think this discussion about increasing ethnic diversity within the 
group should be viewed as "getting minorities involved because we want to 
increase our minority quota"? No.

Do I think it was introduced because we want to continue to grow the ING 
community and part of that is outreach to folks that aren't in the 
community yet, which includes minority ethnic groups? Yes.

Do *I* know how to outreach to minority ethnic groups? No.

Do I wish I did? Yes.

Is there a way to change that I don't know how to outreach to them? Yes, 
by the group becoming ethnically more diverse and giving me the 
opportunity to meet new/different people :)

Hope this didn't make any of you chicks ookie.

/h

--
Heather A. Hesketh           !       hesketh.com/inc
Web consultant               !       vox: 919.834.2552 x12
http://www.hesketh.com       !       fax: 919.834.2554

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