Woibex - Women and Technology

Women and Technology

Elizabeth Lane Lawley

Director, Lab for Social Computing

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY, USA

http://www.it.rit.edu/~ell/

Elizabeth Lane Lawley • 7th Woibex Women in Business Conference • 8 March 2005 • Dubai, UAE

Gender Breakdown for IT Workers with College Degrees

33% 29% 28% 26%

67% 71% 72% 74%

1990 1995 2000 2001

MenWomen

Source: US Bureau of the Census, Population Survey


Women and Education

''When I started in 1972,'' she said, ''there were three girls in calculus out of a senior class of about 50. Now there are three sections of Advanced Placement calculus, in a class about the same size -- in other words, about 75 percent of the senior class. This would not have happened if we had bought into the reigning mantra of the time, which was, 'Boys are naturally interested in mathematics; let them do it. Girls are more talented in literature and history; why ask them to change?' '’

-Ann Pollina, principal of a girls’ high school

NYT “Where the Girls Aren’t” Jan 2003


IT Workforce Statistics (ITAA)

72%

57%

69%

40%

15%

28%

43%

31%

60%

85%

0% 50% 100%

Computer Systems Analysts &Scientists

Operations & SystemsResearchers & Analysts

Computer Programmers

Computer Operators

Data Entry

WomenMen


Women and Technology

“.... One wonders how many ideas that could have been contributed by female talent will never surface to enrich academic computer science. More broadly, what are the repercussions to our increasingly computer-oriented society if women – more than half the population and workforce—are not as prepared in this discipline as are men?”

-Karen Frenkel


Mari Matsunaga QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

She knew nothing about Internet technology, but she did know consumers - especially women in their twenties, who were identified early on as a key market. [She] made sure the service had features they'd like - shopping sites, horoscopes, […] easy email capability


Meg WhitmanQuickTime™ and a

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As wonderful as [their] business model may be, that didn't guarantee a viable business. [She] made the model work. She paid attention to […] community, allowing it to help guide the site and develop innovations like customized online storefronts. The […] brand kept customers loyal.

-Salon.com, Nov. 2001

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

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Mena Trott

“The thing is, I think one of the reasons that [our product] is so popular is because the product combines element from both Ben and me. And I don't know if it's a female-male combination or if it's just the combination of our personalities, and frankly it really doesn't matter.”




21st Century Technology

20th Century Technology Productivity Software Internet as Broadcast Medium “The Death of Distance”

21st Century Technology “Software as Service” Internet as Social Medium Location-Based Services


Software as Service

Applications hosted by a service provider, but used by your company

Examples Basecamp Project Management Marqui Communication Management Skype Internet Telephony


Basecamp Project Management


Marqui CMS


Skype Communication

Use your computer as a telephone Calling US, Europe < .02€ per minute Calling another computer - free!


The Importance of Networking

What kind of networking makes you most successful in business? Wireless networks? Cellular networks? Internet-connected networks?

No. Human networks!


Social Computing

The use of computing tools to support, extend, or derive added value from social activity—including (but not limited to) weblogs, instant messaging, music and photo sharing, mailing lists and message boards, and online social and business networking tools.


2004: Year of the Blog


Weblogs in Business

Gives companies a human face Increases visibility and branding

(for companies and employees) Provides informal avenues for communication

with customers Builds connections with potential and current

customers


Case Study: Robert Scoble


Corporate Weblogs

Employee Weblogs Sanctioned and supported Unsanctioned and unsupported

Executive Weblogs Jonathan Schwartz (Sun Microsystems) Mena Trott (Six Apart)


Microsoft Employee Weblogs


Sun Employee Weblogs


Sun President/COO Weblog


Six Apart President Weblog


Risks and Benefits

Pandora’s Box has been opened Benefits are significant Risks are unavoidable, but can be minimized

Work with employees rather than against them Create a culture of openness to help employees

and customers to trust your business


Watch Out for Wikis!

A web site that allows users to easily edit any page of the site.

Public wikis provide global input into reference sources

Private wikis support collaborative work and editing


Wikipedia Entry for Dubai


Editing the Wikipedia


Online Social Networking

Personal networking Orkut, Friendster, Match.com, etc

Business networking LinkedIn, Plaxo, etc

Location-based networking Meetup.com, Dodgeball, etc


LinkedIn Connections


Meetup Groups


Dodgeball


Social Computing as Feature Flickr photo sharing

http://www.flickr.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/liz/

del.icio.us bookmark sharing http://del.icio.us/ http://del.icio.us/mamamusings/

last.fm music playlist sharing http://www.last.fm/


How Can You Benefit?

Monitor new technology developments Use online networking tools to build and

sustain your professional connections Leverage online tools to build brand identity

and trust Incorporate social components into your web

sites and online tools