Comments on: Are Women More Likely to Say No to Conference Invitations? http://www.annezelenka.com/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations a blog about the connected age Sun, 23 Nov 2008 10:24:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: New Beginnings » Anonymity, Safety, and Women on the Internet http://www.annezelenka.com/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1045 New Beginnings » Anonymity, Safety, and Women on the Internet Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:40:45 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1045 [...] Anne Zelenka’s: Are Women More Likely to Say No to Conference Invitations? [...] […] Anne Zelenka’s: Are Women More Likely to Say No to Conference Invitations? […]

]]> By: Christopher Mahan http://www.annezelenka.com/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1044 Christopher Mahan Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:35:05 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1044 I specifically don't attend any event in person because of the imposition on my family. If the speaker can't make their message clear in a 1000 word essay on a web site, I don't think my traveling 30 or 3000 miles will make their delivery more effective. A lot of people measure success by how many people attend their events and by how much they pay. I don't believe that this sort of measure is valuable. I also think that attending conferences and other such events are sort of mini vacations for people who think they are too busy to take vacations. When I go on vacation, I leave my cell phone at home and don't turn on any computer. That's a real vacation. Otherwise, I am much more effective at my desk. Conferences are inefficient for me: not a real vacation, not real work. Oh, and about women and fear of violence, as someone pointed out elsewhere on the web: the bigger size advantage is nil when guns are involved, so I do feel the same "apprehension" going somewhere I think might not be entirely safe. I specifically don’t attend any event in person because of the imposition on my family. If the speaker can’t make their message clear in a 1000 word essay on a web site, I don’t think my traveling 30 or 3000 miles will make their delivery more effective.

A lot of people measure success by how many people attend their events and by how much they pay. I don’t believe that this sort of measure is valuable.

I also think that attending conferences and other such events are sort of mini vacations for people who think they are too busy to take vacations. When I go on vacation, I leave my cell phone at home and don’t turn on any computer. That’s a real vacation. Otherwise, I am much more effective at my desk. Conferences are inefficient for me: not a real vacation, not real work.

Oh, and about women and fear of violence, as someone pointed out elsewhere on the web: the bigger size advantage is nil when guns are involved, so I do feel the same “apprehension” going somewhere I think might not be entirely safe.

]]> By: JB http://www.annezelenka.com/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1043 JB Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:54:45 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1043 I don't care if you are a woman or not, I'm just glad to see someone else who values more than just work. I'm tired of meeting people who think if you aren't living in Twitter you are nothing. Its nice to see that other people in this industry like to disconnect themselves from it for a while. I'm constantly fighting with people at work who don't understand that at the end of the day I want to go him and follow other pursuits (especially now that it is baseball season) rather than continue writing software all night. Some days I'm so sick of it I can't even look at my computer when I get home. Keep up the good work, I definitely enjoy reading your site. I don’t care if you are a woman or not, I’m just glad to see someone else who values more than just work. I’m tired of meeting people who think if you aren’t living in Twitter you are nothing. Its nice to see that other people in this industry like to disconnect themselves from it for a while. I’m constantly fighting with people at work who don’t understand that at the end of the day I want to go him and follow other pursuits (especially now that it is baseball season) rather than continue writing software all night. Some days I’m so sick of it I can’t even look at my computer when I get home.

Keep up the good work, I definitely enjoy reading your site.

]]> By: LauraJMixon http://www.annezelenka.com/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1042 LauraJMixon Thu, 29 Mar 2007 05:07:36 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1042 Your post really resonates with me, Anne. This has been a huge issue for me as well, particularly since I had kids. (I should say, I have only recently begun working in IT; before that I was working in a different branch of engineering, and writing fiction. But conditions were similar -- though not identical -- there. IT is actually much worse, in terms of gender imbalance.) Your post really resonates with me, Anne. This has been a huge issue for me as well, particularly since I had kids. (I should say, I have only recently begun working in IT; before that I was working in a different branch of engineering, and writing fiction. But conditions were similar — though not identical — there. IT is actually much worse, in terms of gender imbalance.)

]]> By: Amie Gillingham http://www.annezelenka.com/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1041 Amie Gillingham Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:58:42 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1041 I'm finding how hard it is to be a woman in tech myself, struggling to figure out the logistics of a cross-country meeting with a potential business partner, which wouldn't be an issue except that I am also exclusively nursing an 8-month-old and refuse to compromise his health and well-being (or mine) just for the good of our web company. But every time I ask for some accomodation of my nursing needs, I feel like I am putting us in a worse and worse tactital situation and that I won't even remotely be taken seriously when I get SFO in a week an a half. Although the fact that they're willing to accomodate me, the baby, and the nanny at all tells me that they're pretty serious about our business, so I guess I should take heart. Webworking really puts the blinders on sometimes; you go about your professional life online and multitask taking care of your customers and your kids in one fell swoop without realizing how truly lucky you are and how many problems are out there when you have to navigate in a male-dominated brick and mortar world. I hope you and I both can get back to painting this year; it's the whole reason I became a webworker in the first place before the children intervened. I’m finding how hard it is to be a woman in tech myself, struggling to figure out the logistics of a cross-country meeting with a potential business partner, which wouldn’t be an issue except that I am also exclusively nursing an 8-month-old and refuse to compromise his health and well-being (or mine) just for the good of our web company. But every time I ask for some accomodation of my nursing needs, I feel like I am putting us in a worse and worse tactital situation and that I won’t even remotely be taken seriously when I get SFO in a week an a half. Although the fact that they’re willing to accomodate me, the baby, and the nanny at all tells me that they’re pretty serious about our business, so I guess I should take heart.

Webworking really puts the blinders on sometimes; you go about your professional life online and multitask taking care of your customers and your kids in one fell swoop without realizing how truly lucky you are and how many problems are out there when you have to navigate in a male-dominated brick and mortar world.

I hope you and I both can get back to painting this year; it’s the whole reason I became a webworker in the first place before the children intervened.

]]> By: Ric http://www.annezelenka.com/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1040 Ric Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:53:57 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2007/03/are-women-more-likely-to-say-no-to-conference-invitations#comment-1040 It's a bit of a shame that you still have to defend your choices, isn't it? But I know why I'D like you (that's the collective female 'you' that Stowe and Kottke refer to, not just Anne Z) to attend more conferences - because in the main you're all pretty smart, and I like dealing with smart people, AND you bring a different perspective. Of course, I'm not likely to be at too many of those conferences either, but the principle applies equally here in Australia - I know plenty of smart women whose input I miss if it isn't there. Maybe Stowe, Kottke and I are just jealous that you think your kids are more important than us :-) ... It’s a bit of a shame that you still have to defend your choices, isn’t it? But I know why I’D like you (that’s the collective female ‘you’ that Stowe and Kottke refer to, not just Anne Z) to attend more conferences - because in the main you’re all pretty smart, and I like dealing with smart people, AND you bring a different perspective. Of course, I’m not likely to be at too many of those conferences either, but the principle applies equally here in Australia - I know plenty of smart women whose input I miss if it isn’t there.

Maybe Stowe, Kottke and I are just jealous that you think your kids are more important than us :-) …

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