Thinking out loud (1): what could ‘Sheffield Women in Tech’ be?
I stepped away from Sheffield Women in Tech in 2019 and no longer work with the group or look after the twitter account. I shared more on LinkedIn.
This is a follow-up to a lunch Mel Kanarek arranged, a Sheffield digital article and the setting up of @ShfWIT. The account was set up quickly* cos — what’s the worse that can happen?
I’m not going to equate this to women’s right to vote (I lie) but I’ve been reading about the magnificent work Sheffield women have done in the past. I want to help find today’s Sheffield women, build on what we already do and share it more widely across the city. I quietly rage about the crap which continues to go on in the workplace, at events, on social media and in the street — and want to play my small part to challenge the hell out of it.
This is also in response to people asking how they can get involved, chatting about different ideas and looking through the twitter feed of @ShfWIT. This isn’t a long vision or strategy (who needs or reads them anyway?).
It’s my thinking out loud so some of this will end up being right — and some wrong. Could it be a way to define what we can do if we join forces? Please read and let me know what you think here or @ShfWIT.
I’m not outlining why ‘Women in Tech’ is needed as I’m assuming you’ll agree it is if you’re reading this. There’s already loads of well-researched and considered articles out there. I’ll provide two I randomly found — though I’m a fan of Sal’s so it’s not completely random…
It’s said (is it?) that everyone can draw. Currently I’ve neither the time or inclination to start so you’ll have to make do with freebie images instead.
Who could ShfWIT be for?
- The North, Yorkshire, Sheffield?
- Those working, studying or interested in tech or digital?
- Those starting to have an interest in tech or digital?
- People wanting to learn and/or work during 2018 and onwards?
I’d like the focus to be Sheffield and use the scope of ‘tech and digital’ in a very broad sense (‘cos it’ll be difficult to define and both terms can become meaningless) and not worry if the edges are fuzzy.
Why do we need something in Sheffield?
- Why not? And, why not me? Why not you?
- Cos I love Sheffield and want it to be even better?
- To find people like me and who agree with me? To engage with people not like me and/or don’t agree with me? (That’s the cat and dog pic btw).
- To help increase inclusion? To help challenge and address discrimination? In content, activities/events, skills and jobs? The recent State of Sheffield report maybe helpful here.
- To share my experience and knowledge? To listen to other’s share their experience and knowledge?
I’d like all of that to be included even if just the smallest way — noting what Pauline P. Narvas says too:
Someone working in product development recently told me she’d never met a woman developer. I can’t remember if she meant in Sheffield or ‘ever’. At the very least, we can surely remedy that?
What could ShfWIT be?
- Experience sharing?
- Knowledge and skills building?
- Campaigning?
- Storytelling?
- Raising awareness — of Sheffield people, events, opportunities, research and jobs?
- Raging? Whispering?
- Having a good time?
I’d like to initially use @ShfWIT as another way to find out about Sheffield people, events and ideas. So far I’ve been using the account* to like, comment and retweet. Already I’ve discovered new people and events I may not have been aware of otherwise. I’m doing this manually currently and just looking through the feed. Yes, it’ll only include people already on Twitter but that could simply be our starting point.
I co-host agile Sheffield and we try to ensure we don’t have manels, we encourage new speakers and contact newbies behind the scenes so I can say hi when they first attend. At the Agile Room 101 meet-up the men didn’t too much of a look-in on stage. But — we don’t have a code of conduct yet, the attendance should be more diverse and we hold the meetups at the same time/place each month (is the latter a good or bad thing?). I’d like ShfWIT to help me understand how meet-ups can be more representative of our fine city.
There’s a sample of the @ShfWIT twitter feed later and, if you’d like something retweeted, please make sure you use @ShfWIT or #ShfWIT.
How could ShfWIT deliver the what, why and who?
- Convening people? Not directing people?
- Online? Offline?
- Synchronous? Asynchronous?
- Honest magpie to borrow and refine the best from elsewhere?
- Hunt gatherer to find and bring ideas and people together?
- All with a dash of Sheffield?
This is where the real work is.
What isn’t it?
- Not an echo chamber with the same voices, ideas and people?
- Not huge or complicated?
- Not command and control?
- I can’t find polite words for my last point. Suffice to say — it’s not in the manner of Donald Trump.
So what? What next?
Update: I stepped away from Sheffield Women in Tech in 2019 and no longer work with the group or look after the twitter account. I shared more on LinkedIn.
What has #ShfWIT found so far?
And finally…
I’ll cheat and end with favourites of mine. It includes a question from a book I’ve read a few times and maybe something for us to consider:
“In our efforts to instill confidence in young women, are we promoting an ideal of sassy outspokenness that’s just as confining as the 1950s model of docility?” — Susan Cain
