At 10:57 PM 2/22/00 -0500, you wrote:
>> #if Dan McGarry
>We-ell, I've always been ruled by *both* hemispheres of my brain. I write
>left-handed, but throw right-handed. I love geekly topics like hardware and
>software architectures, and am just as passionate about creating art.
I wonder how many of us are like this (bilaterally dominant, that is)... I
write left-handed, play pool left-handed, but throw better and hold a
hockey stick right-handed. I can write with both hands in different
directions, backwards and upside-down. I can also wiggle my ears and curl
my tongue but I don't think that factors into this discussion. ;^)
>I put myself through my last couple of years of University clambering on
>scaffolds, working as a lighting technician, a job in which Ohm's law
becomes >a very practical concern. I also acted in about 3 dozen plays.
Most of my post-secondary education was in Fine Arts (majoring in
Integrated Media), yet I met my first unix machine in 1979, took
electronics and rocketry when I was 11 years old, when I liked cars and
Lego and Star Wars. Being the only girl in those classes didn't bother me
much then. Being among the few women in my electronics-for-artists classes
in art college didn't bother me much, either.
<DIGRESSION>
Harkening back to the previous thread about when women get "socialized" out
of their interests in computers (and other 'hard' sciences), I'd have to
say High School is when that happened to me and it had a lasting impact. I
took computer science in grade 11 (SPK on punch cards 1st term, BASIC on
Commodore PETs 2nd term), one of 2 girls in the class. I was definately
self-conscious in that class and didn't speak out much at all.
There were numerous issues that contributed to my eroded self confidence in
HS and that contribute overall to the complex reasons why women, in
general, often have a harder time eking out a path for themselves in a
predominantly male-occupied field.
This falls under the "Feminism 101" category, but its important to
understand that, among other considerations:
1. Women/girls experience sexual abuse, assault, harassment, domestic
violence far more often and regularly than men/boys, which is damaging to
the core of a person's self and which takes a great deal of time and
personal strength to heal.
2. Women are far more likely to be lower down on the economic ladder than men.
3. Women are far more likely to be single parents than men.
All of these issues had a head-start on my lack of self-esteem long before
I ever met a computer.
Just so you know where my perspective comes from - in addition to my own
life experience, I spent 7 years working in a shelter for homeless women
and children in downtown Toronto (relief staff while in Art College,
full-time staff for one year). Add to that much socio-political activism...
</DIGRESSION>
Back to the hemispheric discussions of the mysterious human brain:
>In short, I feel happiest when I'm applying detailed techniques to bring
>abstract aesthetics to life.
I thrive, intellectually and spiritually, on a balance of applying my
creative and mental energy to technical explorations and artistic
expressions (regular and irregular expressions? =^D), with an understanding
that these overlap more than most people (including myself) might think.
>Problem is, Canadian theatre, TV and film is
>more or less moribund, and high tech work locally (Ottawa, Canada[*]) is not
>very creatively demanding -- not, at least in the artistic sense.
I haven't tried to find work in theatre, TV or film, but CBC does seem to
be committed to their 'digital presence'...
http://cbc.ca/insidecbc/media/newmedia.html
I actually know a unix admin who works in this dept. (in Toronto) so it is
*possible* to find technical work in this area. The jobs just aren't all
that abundant (yet - we can hope for improvements!)
Erin 8)
(sitting at an NT machine today - %^6)
--
Erin Clarke [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web Networks Systems Administration
http://community.web.net
************
[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
