HEXUS Column: Females in the IT Segment?

[DR]

Loads of sites host columns from male IT hacks, posting their opinion on IT situations and disseminating their thoughts on the world. HEXUS has thus decided to approach a familiar thing in the opposite direction, by talking to a chard of diamond in the IT industry from one of the only places us hacks get to meet the women of IT, public relations. We asked one of the popular faces of UK IT PR to put fingers to keyboard, enabling her to release all her pent up frustrations with the industry in which she works.

We won't be releasing any email addresses before you all get excited, however you can communicate back via the forums, and hopefully this particular lady ill be joined by others writing regular columns for us in the future.

Let's start off with the obvious; What does a woman know about computers and IT? Probably as much as they know about football rules and cars - right? Wrong! Can you believe it, girlies like computers too, and cars and football....

So what does this miss really think about the industry in which she works?

I have been working in the IT industry for 5 years now, and admittedly it is part of my job description to make sure that I know what’s new and what’s not, but I actually get some enjoyment out of it all. Keeping up with technology is just like trying to keep up with fashion; it is damn near impossible. You can read all the latest magazines, but you can almost always guarantee that something newer, better and more ‘cool’ has already been released and probably something better than that is already being talked about! But that is what I like about it all – it is fast paced, non-stop action.

Take gaming for example. I am one of many women that enjoy computer games. I have recently spent some of my hard earned cash on two new PS2 games; GTA San Andreas, and Need for Speed 2, which I could rant and rave about for hours, (who would have thought it, a woman with an opinion on games) and honestly, would rather talk about them, than about what J-Lo wore at last night's awards ceremony!

But (and this is why I am writing this article) I wouldn’t, because would a man really value a woman’s opinion? I have spoken to loads of girls that have the same enthusiasm as me for games, and we all agree on one thing – men don’t think that girls are interested in the latest game or the latest bit of hardware to play it on.

Now, I don’t want any man reading this article to sit their swearing at me saying – “what is this bird on about?” …It isn’t actually Joe Public's fault that woman like me are given the opinion that men don’t know that girls like ‘boy's stuff’. Have you ever walked into a computer games shop and seen any huge posters aimed at women gamers? A nice hunky half-naked man would be a good example of what would float my boat (shallow I know, but not all to dissimilar from seeing a huge poster covered in half naked ladies! Point made I hope). No, you haven’t. The developers, the marketers, the managers, they don’t have a clue about how involved woman are, and as a woman myself I laugh in their face. There has been an opportunity for the gaming industry to take note and begin to do something about the niche market waiting anxiously to be noticed for some time, but until they wise up, they are missing out on a potential goldmine.

I hope to be able to give an insight into what a woman thinks about the industry, how it works and the people involved, over the coming months. I'll also delve into gaming in more detail and explain why us woman, especially in IT, feel hard done by, my first official comment being…

"I think all men believe the only woman in this industry are the ones walking around at trade shows with nothing but a logo covering their bits."

http://www.hexus.net/content/reviews...lld19JRD05Mzg=

[tiggerai]

Yes, it's true - i am so with this girly!

Can someone make a game of the film Fight Club please. With plenty of Brad Pitt / Edward Norton semi naked scenes.

The other thread has already got my back up, so i'm not gonna comment further on this one until i've calmed down.

[shiato storm]

girls like cars? never knew that.

[Stewart]

You go girl. Sisters are doing it for themselves. Girl power.

Seriously though, isn't this a bit 1996? Does every woman have to act like she's on a constant hen night \ Spice Girls appreciation society night out, every single second of every single day, or risk being a gender traitor? Yes, we know women can type as well, we know they can work in the IT industry, and we know they can even give valid opinions on which GPU to buy next.

What I don't know is why you get a woman, every now and again, who feels the need to shout about it, or why Hexus felt the need to find a woman to shout about it.

I have to wonder if this happens the other way around - do you get men in female dominated industry’s, like hair dressing or fashion, writing articles entitled - "Think all male make-up artists are camp? Well I set fire to a Badger den yesterday with my mates for a laugh and sometimes I watch cricket!"

Its great that in these enlightened times we have clamped down on unacceptable racism, sexism and the like, but now that we've established that man, woman, straight, gay, black or white we are all equal, surly this means that we should all shut up about what we are and what we can do, to an equal extent.

Like being gay. No big deal nowadays, so why do we need a gay pride march? I don't feel the need to have a straight pride march, or as a white male a 'I can't really dance' march. If you are truly to be equal, you need to stop marching about telling everyone how proud you are to be <insert completely normal thing here>. After all, something that is completely normal deserves no special attention.

I have no problem believing you when you say women are more than capable of working in the IT industry - in fact, I assumed they were, everyone knew it and was happy about it. Now that you seem to feel the need to tell me, I wonder... why?

However, one final point, I am forced to wonder if, like PC, we sometimes go too far? Just as PC has developed, or been developed by Guardian reader types into positive discrimination, where we have gone way past treating everyone equal, and ended up with a situation where a majority has no rights and a minority has them all.

For instance, if I were to say in this thread "Phwoor! Those girls at the ATi stand with just a logo covering their bits were a couple of right tasty pieces" its very possible that the Spice Girls appreciation society members would be all over me, calling me a sexist and the like.

However, should IT Woman say "A nice hunky half-naked man would be a good example of what would float my boat" or Tigs say "Can someone make a game of the film Fight Club please. With plenty of Brad Pitt / Edward Norton semi naked scenes" then you'd expect not a word to be said, apart from maybe the Spice Girls appreciations society saying - isn't it wonderful in these enlightened times that a woman can openly state what she finds attractive without fear of being repressed by men \ Geordies \ Leeds fans.

Again, like PC, its equality or nothing - so, if you can say it, I can say it.

[shiato storm]

women going about and beyond the call of equal rights, to 'change the world'...a bit of reverse descrimination: i see where you're coimg from, and why should women feel the 'need' to make more of a name for themselves in certain circles? sure everyone knows girls play games, and? want a medal? a cuddly bear perhaps?
its nothing new at all to see girls doing more, and I'm all for that, i'v no problem with a woman designing computer games or the computers themselves (lets not forget the "all woman designed car"). I coach a squad of women rowers so i get head-strong opinions all the time, but its really nothing new and I personaly see no reason to make a statment about the fact a girl plays games and is into computers. blokes don't do this all the time to be honest, although the odd sig might display their enthusiasm.
if it boils down to whats interesting to them then great, its an open market for them to express themselves - but to force themselves on us in such a way that says 'look at me doing what you all do', really that isn't going to impress us much is it? better to add your enthusiasm to a group than try and stand out and seemingly make yourself appear better.


p.s. you burn one more badger and I'll come round with my hair-dressing mates and give you a right going over you'll never forget.

[Zak33]

best 2 edged sword in the industry: the debate about whether girls/ladies/women/females/lasses should vocalise their thoughts AS ladies, or as people.

Simply put a lot of ladies need to vocalise it because it would get ignored if they didn't. BUT in doing so, it makes the potential of looking like a libber al the more real which it often isn't.

One of the things about Forum life is sometimes you dont KNOW you're discussing something with a lady or a fella. It's just a forum member. However by the very fact that we have so few ladies on the forus in relation to the amount of blokes, and yet there is no discrimination involved, MEANS that there are less ladies in the market place FOR hardware/gaming/IT stuff....and so they haveno CHOICE but to make a louder noie to fil the gap.

I still feel confused as to which I accept. A lady who deliberately makes an attempt to BE a lady online, or one who delberately tries NOT to be a lady, but just a member.

As yuo all know I avoid the girly picture threads like the plague cos I simply dont grasp the concept of having a "hot totty" thread ir the like AND I dont particularly like sigswith semi naked lasses on them. I dont know WHY I dont like them. I just don't. So maybe I'm gonna have to try to decide if I stand either side of the fence...or on it!

[tiggerai]

I'd just like to add a clearer 2pence to this.

I don't see the need for girls to be girls in IT industries, yes i do internet engineering at a ratio of about 25:2 but i don't expect to be treated any differently just coz i have boobs and no dangly bits. As far as i'm concerned IT people are IT people.

I'm just getting on with my career.

I like cars too... I'd have a nice meaty Evo anyday.

[TeePee]

There is no such thing as equality.

This girl is writing a column simply because shes a girl, rather than because she might have something interesting to say.

Th media is filled with stories of 'Institutional Racism' within the police force, and 'Positive Discrimination' towards recruits.

And does anyone really think it's 'No big deal' to be gay? Just how many times have you heard people insulted by being called gay in the last week? I'm guessing more so for the school-age hexites.

People naturally and always try to identify with the majority group, and see minorities as a challenge to them. The IT sector is dominated by young middle-class white males. I have never and would never expect to see a racist comment on here, but sexist comments, anti-homosexual comments and comments towards lower income and minority groups are common. How many threads have we had insulting Chavs? A Chav is basically a follower of the popular culture of the youth of the working class. Would we insult an African man for wearing tribal dress?

Everyone discriminates, like it or not. Because we all want to have an identity as part of a group, and that means defining who is and who is not part of that group.

Personally I would try to welcome anyone, and I do think more women would be a benefit both to Hexus and the IT industry, so let her shout. Let everyone shout, if they want to. Because shouting about yourself is better than complaining when one minority group becomes too vocal.

[Diamond]

You go girl. Sisters are doing it for themselves. Girl power.

Seriously though, isn't this a bit 1996? Does every woman have to act like she's on a constant hen night \ Spice Girls appreciation society night out, every single second of every single day, or risk being a gender traitor? Yes, we know women can type as well, we know they can work in the IT industry, and we know they can even give valid opinions on which GPU to buy next.

What I don't know is why you get a woman, every now and again, who feels the need to shout about it, or why Hexus felt the need to find a woman to shout about it.

I have to wonder if this happens the other way around - do you get men in female dominated industry’s, like hair dressing or fashion, writing articles entitled - "Think all male make-up artists are camp? Well I set fire to a Badger den yesterday with my mates for a laugh and sometimes I watch cricket!"

Its great that in these enlightened times we have clamped down on unacceptable racism, sexism and the like, but now that we've established that man, woman, straight, gay, black or white we are all equal, surly this means that we should all shut up about what we are and what we can do, to an equal extent.

Like being gay. No big deal nowadays, so why do we need a gay pride march? I don't feel the need to have a straight pride march, or as a white male a 'I can't really dance' march. If you are truly to be equal, you need to stop marching about telling everyone how proud you are to be <insert completely normal thing here>. After all, something that is completely normal deserves no special attention.

I have no problem believing you when you say women are more than capable of working in the IT industry - in fact, I assumed they were, everyone knew it and was happy about it. Now that you seem to feel the need to tell me, I wonder... why?

However, one final point, I am forced to wonder if, like PC, we sometimes go too far? Just as PC has developed, or been developed by Guardian reader types into positive discrimination, where we have gone way past treating everyone equal, and ended up with a situation where a majority has no rights and a minority has them all.

For instance, if I were to say in this thread "Phwoor! Those girls at the ATi stand with just a logo covering their bits were a couple of right tasty pieces" its very possible that the Spice Girls appreciation society members would be all over me, calling me a sexist and the like.

However, should IT Woman say "A nice hunky half-naked man would be a good example of what would float my boat" or Tigs say "Can someone make a game of the film Fight Club please. With plenty of Brad Pitt / Edward Norton semi naked scenes" then you'd expect not a word to be said, apart from maybe the Spice Girls appreciations society saying - isn't it wonderful in these enlightened times that a woman can openly state what she finds attractive without fear of being repressed by men \ Geordies \ Leeds fans.

Again, like PC, its equality or nothing - so, if you can say it, I can say it.

Well said - and you have made many points that have opened my eyes a little further and my brain is slightly steaming. However would like to make clear that yes I took a slightly sexist view on the whole issue however the main point I was trying to make is that woman are very rarely seen as accepted (in their point of view - and mine) and that it is a shame that more woman do not stand up and say yes I play games and like IT. People like to shout about something they are proud of because it is not deemed the norm. I am merely standing up and saying that I find it hard talking about anything technical with a man, without him feeling as though he knows more than me. They cannot accept that as a girl I may just know more than he does. Oh and they find it really difficult to believe that yes, they were just beaten by a girl at their favourite beat-em-up. Would love to hear more about what you think about it all, and whether it is fair to say that woman are treated differently in this specific industry.

[Betty_Swallocks]

[Diamond]

BUT I'm not sure I understand what the article is trying to address. More women in the IT industry as Techies?, or more women playing games?. To me the two things are completely different things miles apart from each other. (Looking forward to the next articles already)

Yes I agree - It was slightly confusing. But I would say both. However my interest in woman in the industry is why there are not more! But my interest in woman in gaming is why they do not show themselves.
I know they are out there.

From that point the article confuses me, a women’s view on the IT industry is that they want games/gadgets etc that appeal to them?. While I understand mobile phones and handheld devices being designed with women in mind. Games designed for women would account for a minute amount of sales against total revenue. Phones designed for women on the other hand is rather different. PINK covers anyone?

Woman don't want specialist products for them - that would be singling them out. However marketing solely to men, I feel is unfair. And maybe why woman are only secretly out there playing the games.

Is that ever going to change?, no i'm afraid not. playing games where you kill people just doesn't appeal to the vast majority of the female population. Therefore they don't need to be interested in the technology that runs it. Hence the lack of females in the IT industry.

This is what we are discussing - Why do you think that woman are not interested in playing games where you kill people? It is that sort of comment that provokes my sexist opinions. Is this a fact or your opinion? One of my favorite game series is Resident evil.

To be honest one of the things I would like to discuss in the future is why woman don't like the technology behind the games - I am admittedly the same. I would rather play console games because even though I understand the technology and follow it closely, as a girlie girl I would rather spend my money on some new clothes and some make up (sorry about the
stereotype) rather than go and buy the latest DDR Ram or Dual Graphic motherboard to intensify game play. Also the industry moves to quickly - yes you can follow it, but nobody (surely) goes out and buys every new piece of kit out there. I would much rather spend #100 on a console and the odd #40 on a game, than buy a new graphics card for a few hundred quid because my PC may run slightly faster.

Games lead to interest in computing, computing lead to a job. What qualifications did our mystery writer get her job with? I'd put money on it not being a computing degree.

Are you saying that I need a degree in computing to get a job in the industry - that is slightly unrealistic? How many people go to college knowing what they want to do in the future? How many people in the industry have the computing degree that you feel they need to have to be qualified - Surely experience and passion counts for something?

Most importantly it surprises me that a PR person doesn't understand that marketing is done to areas of the market that will get you the best sales??.
Surely when you have a 100K budget you market something the majority of sales for games goes to the 13-35year old male?

I agree with this, and have dabbled in marketing in the past - all I am saying on this subject is why? Not even, why don't they market towards woman, but why purely to men - woman don't want the industry to change - I surely don't (I mean I don't want some silly game brought out especially for woman or anything - can you imagine it - no don't try) just a little recognition that woman are playing these games too (To be honest I don't know if that is even possible but a bit of effort may open a potential 13 -35 year old female market? .)

[Diamond]

isn't it good how well CD's work as a mirror

[yamangman]

So, based upon your last comment, what's your opinion on somthing like this:

http://www.fragdolls.com/