Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

re: Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

KKline — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:45:38 GMT

Oh, and I'm shocked that there are people who are critical of Barbie because she's too fashion conscious. What?!? This is BARBIE after all.

Read more about that discussion here: http://mashable.com/2010/03/09/computer-engineer-barbie/.

re: Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

Denis Gobo — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:06:04 GMT

If anyone else is curious, the binary on Barbie's laptop spells "Barbie" in ASCII:

01000010 = 66 = B

01100001 = 97 = a

01110010 = 114 = r

01100010 = 98 = b

01101001 = 105 = i

01100101 = 101 = e

re: Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

Kalen Delaney — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:19:58 GMT

I feel very left out that I didn't make it onto your list. :-( I was on the original organizing committee for PASS and have been to every single one of the conferences. I was also one of those small fraction of females on the faculty of a major university. (UC Berkeley)

I wonder why Mattel felt like a Tech Barbie had to have glasses?

I saw a Tech Barbie years ago. One of the BOL writers at Microsoft had a Barbie on a shelf... the doll was sitting at a desk with a small computer. And next to the computer, was one of those tiny little post-it note pads, with the front page colored to look like book, and it clearly said: "Inside SQL Server" :-) It was Barbie Tech Writer!

re: Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

KKline — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:38:16 GMT

Sorry about that, Kalen. Mia culpa. In my 1st draft, I didn't call anyone out because I knew I'd miss folks AND I didn't have their twitter and blog addresses handy for those I did remember right off the cuff.

Love the Barbie Tech Writer story! That's great. =^)

Is there anyone else I'm not remembering? Was Jacqui Borges active in helping you start the WIT group?

re: Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

merrillaldrich — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:47:22 GMT

An essay question to make your brain hurt: compare/contrast the feminist cultural implications of Seattle's own Librarian Action Figure ( http://www.mcphee.com/laf/ ) and Computer Engineer Barbie ( http://shop.mattel.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4032107 ). Which has super-human man-pleasing proportions? Why? Are they necessary? What about amazing push-button shushing action? And as Kalen said, what's the significance of their glasses - it can't be an accident that they both have them.

I'm just sayin'

re: Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

Kalen Delaney — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:33:12 GMT

I don't remember if Jacqui was still there when the WIT group started, but she was the original Microsoft liaison to PASS. On my way to my first board meeting, I sat next to her on the plane, and it took almost 15 minutes of chatting to figure out we were both going to the same place!

~Kalen

re: Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

Zack Jones — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:02:54 GMT

Well now I have something to ask Santa to bring me :).

re: Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

KKline — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:25 GMT

Wow, Merrill, that's a pretty neat! She's a real person made into an action figure. =^)

re: Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

Noravia Rodriguez — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:41:31 GMT

Hi All:

This is a very interest subject, and it is funny, at least I have not been lucky enough to get that opportunity within PASS. DO not know because a woman or because a Miami girl.

I think we need to start from inside, from our SQL Community.

I am a woman in IT for more than 21 years, dealing with databases and working with SQL since 1987, and at my job I am very recognized, and supported professional.

However can not say the same from PASS, this last year I left the conference stringly hurt, I joined PASS since 2005, had offered my help as volunteer since then, tried to create a SQL Server Group in Miami sponsored by PASS, but did not get the support I needed.

Meanwhile I am doing my on piece, I started speeching (not in the Real Academy yet, but a spanglish word) at Universities and started SQL Internship Team at Coity Of Miami, which provided job opportunities to the interns, specially at this hard economy time, and will be here always ready to provide my assistance to the community.

Sincerely

Noravia

re: Good News for Women in Technology - Barbie Has Joined the IT Scene

hgdvjsf — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:35:45 GMT

i love barbie! <3