sacha chua :: enterprise 2.0 consultant, storyteller, geek » rant http://sachachua.com/wp I help people connect through blogs, wikis, other Web 2.0 tools. I'm also writing a book about Emacs. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:28:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 en OMG. Girls have the geek gene, too?! NO WAY! http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/10/18/omg-girls-have-the-geek-gene-too-no-way/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/10/18/omg-girls-have-the-geek-gene-too-no-way/#comments Wed, 18 Oct 2006 12:20:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2006.10.18.php#anchor-1 Girls have the geek gene, too, reports Jen Gerson of The Toronto Star. Read it and weep. Goodness gracious, someone *please* tell me that this is a satire article appearing in The Onion, not a serious article appearing in the I.D. section of a major newspaper.

The opening sentence starts the same way as most articles about women in technology, making us feel like an endangered species. (Crikey!) But then it gets worse, and worse, and worse. I feel like printing and framing it.

I.D. chatted with one of the key speakers, Dr. Telle Whitney, president of the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, about why young women are frightened by the prospect of joining a field dominated by intelligent men who have no idea how to please them.

The things I could say about this...

So, women and technology. Why do they need their own symposium?

Because we're afraid of cooties. Snark snark snark.

Do you think fewer women are getting involved in technology because they're not as interested in it, or are they just not smart enough?

Could you possibly have a more provoking question if you tried?

But tech companies, they paint their electronics pink. Shouldn't that draw women in?

Apparently you *can* have a more provoking question.

So pink is not the way to go, for attracting women?

I like frilly interfaces and flowers myself. NOT.

Should we bring more women in? Aren't there few enough jobs in technology that we need to bring women too, into it?

Completely missing the point!

But how is it that women can juggle making computers with making babies?

ARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!

But are the babies disruptive to the computers? How do you trust babies around all that sensitive equipment?

More than I'd trust a certain reporter, apparently.

The following segment is just... horrible.

  • Q Is Anita Borg a real name?
  • A Anita Borg was the founder of the Institute.
  • Q Was that before Star Trek: The Next Generation, or after?
  • A It was really her name.
  • Q Bad luck.
  • A She passed away a few years ago from brain cancer. She was a very dear friend of mine and I took over here a few years ago.
  • Q Oh. I'm a terrible human being. Is that what you're saying?
  • A No no, she used to have these big pictures of Borg all over her house. She was a Star Trek fan.

...

...

...

There are no words to explain how terrible the article is. It is downright irresponsible of the Toronto Star to publish something this insensitive and disrespectful, considering the pressures that are already on women in technology.

Should we cut Jen some slack just because she's a fourth-year Ryerson University journalism student, or the Toronto Star for giving its columnists free rein? At what point are journalism students supposed to gain common sense? Jen asked those questions, typed up the interview, and the Toronto Star published it. At what point was someone supposed to go, "Wait a minute, what is this article saying?"

ARGH! Read, blog, link, whatever: clueless journalist. Her e-mail address is jgerson@globeandmail.ca . Help her learn not to do that again.

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Random Emacs symbol: compilation-find-file - Function: Find a buffer for file FILENAME.

]]> Girls have the geek gene, too, reports Jen Gerson of The Toronto Star. Read it and weep. Goodness gracious, someone *please* tell me that this is a satire article appearing in The Onion, not a serious article appearing in the I.D. section of a major newspaper.

The opening sentence starts the same way as most articles about women in technology, making us feel like an endangered species. (Crikey!) But then it gets worse, and worse, and worse. I feel like printing and framing it.

I.D. chatted with one of the key speakers, Dr. Telle Whitney, president of the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, about why young women are frightened by the prospect of joining a field dominated by intelligent men who have no idea how to please them.

The things I could say about this...

So, women and technology. Why do they need their own symposium?

Because we're afraid of cooties. Snark snark snark.

Do you think fewer women are getting involved in technology because they're not as interested in it, or are they just not smart enough?

Could you possibly have a more provoking question if you tried?

But tech companies, they paint their electronics pink. Shouldn't that draw women in?

Apparently you *can* have a more provoking question.

So pink is not the way to go, for attracting women?

I like frilly interfaces and flowers myself. NOT.

Should we bring more women in? Aren't there few enough jobs in technology that we need to bring women too, into it?

Completely missing the point!

But how is it that women can juggle making computers with making babies?

ARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!

But are the babies disruptive to the computers? How do you trust babies around all that sensitive equipment?

More than I'd trust a certain reporter, apparently.

The following segment is just... horrible.

  • Q Is Anita Borg a real name?
  • A Anita Borg was the founder of the Institute.
  • Q Was that before Star Trek: The Next Generation, or after?
  • A It was really her name.
  • Q Bad luck.
  • A She passed away a few years ago from brain cancer. She was a very dear friend of mine and I took over here a few years ago.
  • Q Oh. I'm a terrible human being. Is that what you're saying?
  • A No no, she used to have these big pictures of Borg all over her house. She was a Star Trek fan.

...

...

...

There are no words to explain how terrible the article is. It is downright irresponsible of the Toronto Star to publish something this insensitive and disrespectful, considering the pressures that are already on women in technology.

Should we cut Jen some slack just because she's a fourth-year Ryerson University journalism student, or the Toronto Star for giving its columnists free rein? At what point are journalism students supposed to gain common sense? Jen asked those questions, typed up the interview, and the Toronto Star published it. At what point was someone supposed to go, "Wait a minute, what is this article saying?"

ARGH! Read, blog, link, whatever: clueless journalist. Her e-mail address is jgerson@globeandmail.ca . Help her learn not to do that again.

On Technorati: , , , ,

Random Emacs symbol: compilation-find-file - Function: Find a buffer for file FILENAME.

]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/10/18/omg-girls-have-the-geek-gene-too-no-way/feed/ Networking evils: The you're-just-a-student brushoff http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/09/11/networking-evils-the-youre-just-a-student-brushoff/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/09/11/networking-evils-the-youre-just-a-student-brushoff/#comments Mon, 11 Sep 2006 20:32:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2006.09.11.php#anchor-4 I know, Simon said I shouldn't waste more time thinking about this, but I had an interesting learning experience today. =)

A friend invited me to a free recruitment / networking breakfast session for a consulting networking group which shall not be named. I RSVP'd with enthusiasm, name, and affiliation. I promptly got the "We're looking for people who want to sign up right now" brush-off, which is another variant of the "You're just a student, so what can you do for me" brush-off that totally turned me off networking before.

I have to admit, my ego is a *little* bit pricked. <teasing grin> I could understand where they're coming from, though. I wrote them a polite note about how I understood that they need to protect their potential members from schmoozing salespeople, etc. I said that although I'm currently a graduate student at the University of Toronto, I thought I'd familiarize myself with professional organizations in Toronto because I meet a lot of people and I'd like to be able to recommend good resources to them. It would've been nice to be able to say more than the blurb on the website and to give people a good idea of the kind of people they might meet at the group's networking meetings or how the organizers run things, but oh well... I guess they don't want me to voluntarily learn how to "sell" the idea to other people just in case I run across someone who might be interested. ;) I suppose I can always point people to the website. <shrug>

This kind of rejection isn't a new thing for me, though. At business-oriented networking events, I often get the once-over and then ignored by people who are only interested in what they can get out of networking instead of what they can give. On the other hand, people who are open to me find me remarkable. I filter through *lots* of information about things I'm passionate about, such as networking, public speaking, technology. I attend all sorts of events and I write about what I've learned. My enthusiasm and joy remind people of why life is fun and exciting. I know a lot of people who've taken an interest in my success. Not only that, they're often interested in other people who've taken an interest in my success, too. =) The people who see me only as a student don't open up enough for me to show them all these other things, and the people who open up have a hard time believing that I'm a student or that I've only been in Canada for a year!

I think that a better way for this group to have handled the situation was not to assume that I'd be there to market my services inappropriately, but to probe and find out what value I think I'd bring to and get out of it. But then again, that would probably have been more time and attention than they'd think of spending on a student's request. (After all, what can a student offer a group of management consultants, anyway?)

It's a pity, because I'm interested in finding out more about the organization, what kind of people they attract, what value they provide, and what opportunities they're looking for. I'd still like to go. It's worth a try, and hey, I'm already learning a lot from this experience. I just hope that the feel of their meetings is better than my first impression of them, though.

Laurie Dillon-Schalk told me never to give up and that selling only starts when someone says, "No." If they can't see my value or at least ask constructively about it, then maybe the people they attract won't be able to see my value either, and I'd be better off spending that time blogging. But if I can show them that I'm not there for the free food or to hit people up for a job, but that I actually want to create value, then nifty. =)

So, what do you think? Should I try to talk my way into this for the practice, or look for a gentler and more generous networkers to start with? I told Ian Garmaise that I wanted to meet more Connectors. I want to focus on meeting people who live with that sense of gratitude for others who have helped them along and that desire to reach out and help others grow, because those are the people who can really nourish and inspire me. I'm going places, and I want to take a lot of other people along with me. I would love to meet people who can help show me the way.

On Technorati: ,

]]> I know, Simon said I shouldn't waste more time thinking about this, but I had an interesting learning experience today. =)

A friend invited me to a free recruitment / networking breakfast session for a consulting networking group which shall not be named. I RSVP'd with enthusiasm, name, and affiliation. I promptly got the "We're looking for people who want to sign up right now" brush-off, which is another variant of the "You're just a student, so what can you do for me" brush-off that totally turned me off networking before.

I have to admit, my ego is a *little* bit pricked. <teasing grin> I could understand where they're coming from, though. I wrote them a polite note about how I understood that they need to protect their potential members from schmoozing salespeople, etc. I said that although I'm currently a graduate student at the University of Toronto, I thought I'd familiarize myself with professional organizations in Toronto because I meet a lot of people and I'd like to be able to recommend good resources to them. It would've been nice to be able to say more than the blurb on the website and to give people a good idea of the kind of people they might meet at the group's networking meetings or how the organizers run things, but oh well... I guess they don't want me to voluntarily learn how to "sell" the idea to other people just in case I run across someone who might be interested. ;) I suppose I can always point people to the website. <shrug>

This kind of rejection isn't a new thing for me, though. At business-oriented networking events, I often get the once-over and then ignored by people who are only interested in what they can get out of networking instead of what they can give. On the other hand, people who are open to me find me remarkable. I filter through *lots* of information about things I'm passionate about, such as networking, public speaking, technology. I attend all sorts of events and I write about what I've learned. My enthusiasm and joy remind people of why life is fun and exciting. I know a lot of people who've taken an interest in my success. Not only that, they're often interested in other people who've taken an interest in my success, too. =) The people who see me only as a student don't open up enough for me to show them all these other things, and the people who open up have a hard time believing that I'm a student or that I've only been in Canada for a year!

I think that a better way for this group to have handled the situation was not to assume that I'd be there to market my services inappropriately, but to probe and find out what value I think I'd bring to and get out of it. But then again, that would probably have been more time and attention than they'd think of spending on a student's request. (After all, what can a student offer a group of management consultants, anyway?)

It's a pity, because I'm interested in finding out more about the organization, what kind of people they attract, what value they provide, and what opportunities they're looking for. I'd still like to go. It's worth a try, and hey, I'm already learning a lot from this experience. I just hope that the feel of their meetings is better than my first impression of them, though.

Laurie Dillon-Schalk told me never to give up and that selling only starts when someone says, "No." If they can't see my value or at least ask constructively about it, then maybe the people they attract won't be able to see my value either, and I'd be better off spending that time blogging. But if I can show them that I'm not there for the free food or to hit people up for a job, but that I actually want to create value, then nifty. =)

So, what do you think? Should I try to talk my way into this for the practice, or look for a gentler and more generous networkers to start with? I told Ian Garmaise that I wanted to meet more Connectors. I want to focus on meeting people who live with that sense of gratitude for others who have helped them along and that desire to reach out and help others grow, because those are the people who can really nourish and inspire me. I'm going places, and I want to take a lot of other people along with me. I would love to meet people who can help show me the way.

On Technorati: ,

]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/09/11/networking-evils-the-youre-just-a-student-brushoff/feed/ Should've brought a penguin http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/04/10/shouldve-brought-a-penguin/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/04/10/shouldve-brought-a-penguin/#comments Tue, 11 Apr 2006 02:14:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2006.04.10.php#anchor-2 A penguin with a tape recorder or speech recog. Right. That way, I could rant about all this brokenness, and that would help me organize my paper.

Hooray for mindmaps, at least. And hooray for iPods, or I'd go mad.

Must find Web 2.0 person or other geek whom I can call up late at night to talk through these things.

Oy.

On Technorati:

]]> A penguin with a tape recorder or speech recog. Right. That way, I could rant about all this brokenness, and that would help me organize my paper.

Hooray for mindmaps, at least. And hooray for iPods, or I'd go mad.

Must find Web 2.0 person or other geek whom I can call up late at night to talk through these things.

Oy.

On Technorati:

]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/04/10/shouldve-brought-a-penguin/feed/ ARGH! I hate forms http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/12/15/argh-i-hate-forms/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/12/15/argh-i-hate-forms/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2005 22:44:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.12.15.php#anchor-3 So the application form for the Delta Kappa Gamma scholarship was a password-protected Microsoft Word document that included precise instructions to type everything using 10pt font. Which would have been nice, if the bloody password-protected file allowed you to actually _do_ any of that instead of limiting you to size 8 all-caps. The thing missed a couple of fields, too.

An hour after I submitted it, I decided to try the somewhat shady DOC - RTF - DOC-and-unprotect trick. That worked, and I finally got to edit the document.

Of course, I didn't have a copy of my application data any more. Didn't get saved in the bloody Microsoft Word document. ARGH. And I didn't think of printing off another copy for my records. Lesson learned: always print applications twice.

I'm planning to wander over to the admissions office early tomorrow morning and ask if I could photocopy my application for my records. I'll mention the problem I had with the font size on the document. If they think it might be a big thing, then I can spend the rest of the morning feverishly retyping the form, getting rid of all the fields and making sure the font size is just right.

I should also go and ask my supervisor to fax a copy of his reference letter.

Right, that sounds like a Plan.

Today: lots of checking.

On Technorati: , ,

]]> So the application form for the Delta Kappa Gamma scholarship was a password-protected Microsoft Word document that included precise instructions to type everything using 10pt font. Which would have been nice, if the bloody password-protected file allowed you to actually _do_ any of that instead of limiting you to size 8 all-caps. The thing missed a couple of fields, too.

An hour after I submitted it, I decided to try the somewhat shady DOC - RTF - DOC-and-unprotect trick. That worked, and I finally got to edit the document.

Of course, I didn't have a copy of my application data any more. Didn't get saved in the bloody Microsoft Word document. ARGH. And I didn't think of printing off another copy for my records. Lesson learned: always print applications twice.

I'm planning to wander over to the admissions office early tomorrow morning and ask if I could photocopy my application for my records. I'll mention the problem I had with the font size on the document. If they think it might be a big thing, then I can spend the rest of the morning feverishly retyping the form, getting rid of all the fields and making sure the font size is just right.

I should also go and ask my supervisor to fax a copy of his reference letter.

Right, that sounds like a Plan.

Today: lots of checking.

On Technorati: , ,

]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/12/15/argh-i-hate-forms/feed/ No talent in the Philippines? Yeah, right. - rant http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/08/18/no-talent-in-the-philippines-yeah-right-rant/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/08/18/no-talent-in-the-philippines-yeah-right-rant/#comments Fri, 19 Aug 2005 03:07:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.08.18.php#anchor-3 SpecOps Labs thinks there's not enough IT talent in the Philippines. That's why they had to outsource their development, they said.

If they had a hard time finding talent, it was because geeks stay away from companies that suck.

Let me tell you what this geek thinks about SpecOps.

When my teacher asked me two years ago if I wanted to work on an open source project, of course I was interested. I checked out SpecOps' website, eager to find out about their technical vision and who else would be working on the project. What did I find?

Buzzwords. Egotistic claims. A schedule straight out of a marketer's dream and a developer's nightmare. I knew then and there that SpecOps was a company that had no clue.

In the geek world, clue is extremely important. If you want to attract the best talent, you need to have clue. You need to know what you're talking about. You _definitely_ need to show that you're not all hype and no code.

I told my teacher that SpecOps gave me the heebiejeebies and that there was no way in heck I was going to touch the project.

I wasn't the only geek who smelled something fishy. As soon as SpecOps' claims hit mailing lists and newsgroups, geeks around the world ripped SpecOps to pieces. Sure, SpecOps tried to do damage control, but geek trust is hard to regain.

SpecOps may razzle and dazzle venture capitalists and journalists with a quick show-and-tell, but they don't have enough clue to get geeks on board.

Lack of IT talent in the Philippines? Yeah, right. They should blame it on the fact that we've got clue, and they just don't.

So here are three tips for companies who want to have clue.

1. DO contribute to the open source community.

Give credit and code as often and as publicly as you can. Build your reputation by contributing patches and posting messages on mailing lists. That's whre we'll factcheck you to find out if you know what you're talking about. If you've got the geek power to influence an open source project like WINE, then we'll believe that you can make a commercial product out of it. If the first time the open source community hears from you is through the press release saying you've invented a solution that could change the world, don't blame us if we laugh at you.

2. DO NOT contract your website to frustrated adventure novel writers.

It's a pity you can't find all their old press releases on the website any more, but here's a snippet for your enjoyment:

The story behind David reads like an adventure novel: In July of 2002, news of SpecOpS Labs' discovery was leaked from Oracle-Philippines to Microsoft in Redmond WA. Microsoft immediately relayed a communiqué to an Asian based Private Investigator requesting detailed info on the SpecOpS Labs Platform; days later, news of the investigation was intercepted by a friendly asset and delivered to SpecOpS Labs. In August, the Philippines' top computer scientist & MIT alumni scrutinized the David blueprint and certified its validity; a few weeks later, a high-ranking ASEAN IBM Official learned of the discovery and its certification and requested a meeting with SpecOpS Labs.

Sheer hilarity. The rest of the text that's still on the website just smacks of ego and marketing.

3. DO take care of your geeks.

A tech company should focus more on its geeks than on its venture capitalists. Assemble a great team and you can find funding to grow. The best geeks don't answer want ads or cold calls. We're all off doing something interesting.

Here's how to get our attention:

  1. Contribute to the community. That'll get you onto our radar.
  2. Have a geek-friendly website. That'll get us curious.
  3. Take care of the geeks you've got. Impress them and they'll draw in more geeks. Geek testimonials count a lot.

Don't be like SpecOps. Be clueful, and you'll find plenty of geeks doing amazing things in the Philippines.

On Technorati: , , , , ,

]]> SpecOps Labs thinks there's not enough IT talent in the Philippines. That's why they had to outsource their development, they said.

If they had a hard time finding talent, it was because geeks stay away from companies that suck.

Let me tell you what this geek thinks about SpecOps.

When my teacher asked me two years ago if I wanted to work on an open source project, of course I was interested. I checked out SpecOps' website, eager to find out about their technical vision and who else would be working on the project. What did I find?

Buzzwords. Egotistic claims. A schedule straight out of a marketer's dream and a developer's nightmare. I knew then and there that SpecOps was a company that had no clue.

In the geek world, clue is extremely important. If you want to attract the best talent, you need to have clue. You need to know what you're talking about. You _definitely_ need to show that you're not all hype and no code.

I told my teacher that SpecOps gave me the heebiejeebies and that there was no way in heck I was going to touch the project.

I wasn't the only geek who smelled something fishy. As soon as SpecOps' claims hit mailing lists and newsgroups, geeks around the world ripped SpecOps to pieces. Sure, SpecOps tried to do damage control, but geek trust is hard to regain.

SpecOps may razzle and dazzle venture capitalists and journalists with a quick show-and-tell, but they don't have enough clue to get geeks on board.

Lack of IT talent in the Philippines? Yeah, right. They should blame it on the fact that we've got clue, and they just don't.

So here are three tips for companies who want to have clue.

1. DO contribute to the open source community.

Give credit and code as often and as publicly as you can. Build your reputation by contributing patches and posting messages on mailing lists. That's whre we'll factcheck you to find out if you know what you're talking about. If you've got the geek power to influence an open source project like WINE, then we'll believe that you can make a commercial product out of it. If the first time the open source community hears from you is through the press release saying you've invented a solution that could change the world, don't blame us if we laugh at you.

2. DO NOT contract your website to frustrated adventure novel writers.

It's a pity you can't find all their old press releases on the website any more, but here's a snippet for your enjoyment:

The story behind David reads like an adventure novel: In July of 2002, news of SpecOpS Labs' discovery was leaked from Oracle-Philippines to Microsoft in Redmond WA. Microsoft immediately relayed a communiqué to an Asian based Private Investigator requesting detailed info on the SpecOpS Labs Platform; days later, news of the investigation was intercepted by a friendly asset and delivered to SpecOpS Labs. In August, the Philippines' top computer scientist & MIT alumni scrutinized the David blueprint and certified its validity; a few weeks later, a high-ranking ASEAN IBM Official learned of the discovery and its certification and requested a meeting with SpecOpS Labs.

Sheer hilarity. The rest of the text that's still on the website just smacks of ego and marketing.

3. DO take care of your geeks.

A tech company should focus more on its geeks than on its venture capitalists. Assemble a great team and you can find funding to grow. The best geeks don't answer want ads or cold calls. We're all off doing something interesting.

Here's how to get our attention:

  1. Contribute to the community. That'll get you onto our radar.
  2. Have a geek-friendly website. That'll get us curious.
  3. Take care of the geeks you've got. Impress them and they'll draw in more geeks. Geek testimonials count a lot.

Don't be like SpecOps. Be clueful, and you'll find plenty of geeks doing amazing things in the Philippines.

On Technorati: , , , , ,

]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/08/18/no-talent-in-the-philippines-yeah-right-rant/feed/ No talent in the Philippines? http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/08/18/no-talent-in-the-philippines/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/08/18/no-talent-in-the-philippines/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2005 13:27:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.08.18.php#anchor-1 SpecOps Labs thinks there's not enough IT talent in the Philippines.

What a totally bogus excuse. You have no idea how angry that makes me. I'm going to rant about it at length today, but I'm going to post this in advance so that you can respond on your own blogs. E-mail me or use the feedback form so that I can link to your entry.

On Technorati: , , , , ,

]]> SpecOps Labs thinks there's not enough IT talent in the Philippines.

What a totally bogus excuse. You have no idea how angry that makes me. I'm going to rant about it at length today, but I'm going to post this in advance so that you can respond on your own blogs. E-mail me or use the feedback form so that I can link to your entry.

On Technorati: , , , , ,

]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/08/18/no-talent-in-the-philippines/feed/ Hipster PDA: Waste of paper? http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/06/16/hipster-pda-waste-of-paper/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/06/16/hipster-pda-waste-of-paper/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2005 14:32:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.06.16.php#anchor-1 An insightful but anonymous person wrote in:

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but even though the HipsterPDA is excellent for notetaking etc., it really is a waste of paper!

"My notes and to dos are NOT a waste" I hear you cry. But that's not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to using ONE index card for writing a phone number, or an address, or a task. When this information is then transferred to the necessary electronic or paper area, the card is thrown in the trash - what a waste!

I apologise to those of you who recycle your cards, but from the many articles, comments I've read re: HipsterPDA, most people just trash the card and that's it.

I'm not a great fan of the digital world, but this disrespect for paper (and ultimately the rainforests) is just not on.

Hmm. Good point. Index cards require more processing than cheap paper notebooks do. I like the feel of heavy paper, and index cards require more chemicals and raw material than paper notebooks do.

I use one index card for all my notes regarding a meeting (and sometimes two if I need to segregate topics or spill over). I throw the card away after I get the data into my Planner. I don't really use my index cards for keeping track of tasks, as most of my tasks so far have been computer-related. My deck of index cards is really more for jotting down notes, making quick sketches, or giving information to other people.

I feel the trade-off is justified. I work better with index cards. A pack of 100 or 500 index cards is a small price to pay if it helps me keep track of things I should do or little nuggets of information I should pass onto other people.

Even if you multiply that by all the billions of people in the world, as long as they use their index cards to help themselves keep track of things worth keeping track of, then I think that's a net win for the earth.

Conservation is important, but it is not enough to see the evil in little things. We make a lot of choices that cost the environment. Food. Clothes. Housing and furniture. Should we stop eating because cooking by gas or electricity uses a lot of energy from non-renewable sources and the amount of waste going on in fast food places and restaurants is staggering? Should we stop patronizing bookstores because the vast majority of books don't get read and reused? Should we take our fingers off our keyboards now in protest against the way computers contribute to environmental problems? Should we take direct steps to end the world's population problem? We make choices.

In this case, I think my pack of index cards is certainly worth it. I respect paper, which is why I write down things that are worth writing down. I respect trees. I really, really like trees, and wish we had more in the city.

After I fill up the card and store it somewhere, I won't be able to use it a lot. I could write on my cards with a pencil and erase my writing until the card falls apart, but my time and the earth's time isn't worth that.

It's good to look for ways to save the environment. Reduce, reuse and recycle. However, don't lose sight of the forest for the trees. Little things matter, but if they help you do better things, then maybe it's worth it. You just need to make sure that what you're doing is worth the cost.

It's one more thing to add to the pile of recyclable material (not that garbage is really segregated in this country), one more problem contributing to the death of the earth, but it's something I choose to use. Not that this is going to convince hard-core environmentalists that I'm not a selfish, evil person, but at least I know and take responsibility for my choice.

E-Mail from Richi's server

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]]> An insightful but anonymous person wrote in:

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but even though the HipsterPDA is excellent for notetaking etc., it really is a waste of paper!

"My notes and to dos are NOT a waste" I hear you cry. But that's not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to using ONE index card for writing a phone number, or an address, or a task. When this information is then transferred to the necessary electronic or paper area, the card is thrown in the trash - what a waste!

I apologise to those of you who recycle your cards, but from the many articles, comments I've read re: HipsterPDA, most people just trash the card and that's it.

I'm not a great fan of the digital world, but this disrespect for paper (and ultimately the rainforests) is just not on.

Hmm. Good point. Index cards require more processing than cheap paper notebooks do. I like the feel of heavy paper, and index cards require more chemicals and raw material than paper notebooks do.

I use one index card for all my notes regarding a meeting (and sometimes two if I need to segregate topics or spill over). I throw the card away after I get the data into my Planner. I don't really use my index cards for keeping track of tasks, as most of my tasks so far have been computer-related. My deck of index cards is really more for jotting down notes, making quick sketches, or giving information to other people.

I feel the trade-off is justified. I work better with index cards. A pack of 100 or 500 index cards is a small price to pay if it helps me keep track of things I should do or little nuggets of information I should pass onto other people.

Even if you multiply that by all the billions of people in the world, as long as they use their index cards to help themselves keep track of things worth keeping track of, then I think that's a net win for the earth.

Conservation is important, but it is not enough to see the evil in little things. We make a lot of choices that cost the environment. Food. Clothes. Housing and furniture. Should we stop eating because cooking by gas or electricity uses a lot of energy from non-renewable sources and the amount of waste going on in fast food places and restaurants is staggering? Should we stop patronizing bookstores because the vast majority of books don't get read and reused? Should we take our fingers off our keyboards now in protest against the way computers contribute to environmental problems? Should we take direct steps to end the world's population problem? We make choices.

In this case, I think my pack of index cards is certainly worth it. I respect paper, which is why I write down things that are worth writing down. I respect trees. I really, really like trees, and wish we had more in the city.

After I fill up the card and store it somewhere, I won't be able to use it a lot. I could write on my cards with a pencil and erase my writing until the card falls apart, but my time and the earth's time isn't worth that.

It's good to look for ways to save the environment. Reduce, reuse and recycle. However, don't lose sight of the forest for the trees. Little things matter, but if they help you do better things, then maybe it's worth it. You just need to make sure that what you're doing is worth the cost.

It's one more thing to add to the pile of recyclable material (not that garbage is really segregated in this country), one more problem contributing to the death of the earth, but it's something I choose to use. Not that this is going to convince hard-core environmentalists that I'm not a selfish, evil person, but at least I know and take responsibility for my choice.

E-Mail from Richi's server

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]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/06/16/hipster-pda-waste-of-paper/feed/ Software Freedom Day http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/06/07/software-freedom-day/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/06/07/software-freedom-day/#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2005 20:22:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.06.07.php#anchor-1
1. Why Sept. 10? What's the significance of that date?
Hehe... well, that wss the day that Open Minds (now the Opensource Technology Association of the Philippines) declared "war" on Microsoft in a press conference back in 2002.

Note that the Software Freedom Day, worldwide, strongly discourages bashing of any companies or individuals. Including Microsoft.

It's not about war. It's about freedom.

For consumers, it could be as simple as the freedom to take advantage of freely-available quality software that they might not know about. Tell your friends about Mozilla Firefox, GAIM, GIMP, and other neat programs that run on even Microsoft Windows.

For students and hobbyists, it could be the freedom to participate in world-wide projects and make a difference not only through code but also through equally valuable efforts like art, translation, and documentation.

For companies, it could be the freedom to deploy best-of-breed solutions without having to allocate budget for yearly licensing.

This is your opportunity to show people what they can do. Listen to their needs and help them find answers.

Most people don't care about being anti-Microsoft. If people think that the best arguments we can make for Free software is that it's not Microsoft and it doesn't cost a thing, then we're even further from Freedom than we thought.

その限られた性能のために私はコンピユーターに幻滅を感じている。 Its limited capability has disenchanted me with computer.

On Technorati: , ,

]]>
1. Why Sept. 10? What's the significance of that date?
Hehe... well, that wss the day that Open Minds (now the Opensource Technology Association of the Philippines) declared "war" on Microsoft in a press conference back in 2002.

Note that the Software Freedom Day, worldwide, strongly discourages bashing of any companies or individuals. Including Microsoft.

It's not about war. It's about freedom.

For consumers, it could be as simple as the freedom to take advantage of freely-available quality software that they might not know about. Tell your friends about Mozilla Firefox, GAIM, GIMP, and other neat programs that run on even Microsoft Windows.

For students and hobbyists, it could be the freedom to participate in world-wide projects and make a difference not only through code but also through equally valuable efforts like art, translation, and documentation.

For companies, it could be the freedom to deploy best-of-breed solutions without having to allocate budget for yearly licensing.

This is your opportunity to show people what they can do. Listen to their needs and help them find answers.

Most people don't care about being anti-Microsoft. If people think that the best arguments we can make for Free software is that it's not Microsoft and it doesn't cost a thing, then we're even further from Freedom than we thought.

その限られた性能のために私はコンピユーターに幻滅を感じている。 Its limited capability has disenchanted me with computer.

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]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/06/07/software-freedom-day/feed/ Horrible customer service http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/04/05/horrible-customer-service/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/04/05/horrible-customer-service/#comments Wed, 06 Apr 2005 04:29:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.04.06.php#anchor-1 I took a taxi just to make it to my 4:00 appointment at DermLink, a small dermatology clinic along Arnaiz Ave. near Park Square 1. I made it there by 4:05. The receptionist retrieved my record, which indeed had "Tuesday 4:00" written on it. However, there was no available slot, so they asked me to wait.

After finishing an entire magazine (cover to cover, including articles on swimsuits and makeup and all of these things I'd ordinarily not even glance at) and sketching a stool (complete with shadows from two light sources), I looked up at the clock. Thirty minutes had passed without a word, an apology, or even an estimate of how much longer I would need to wait.

Eventually the middle bay cleared and I was asked to recline on the elevated bed. I had scarcely settled in when the assistant was told to transfer the person in the far bay to the bed I was in the process of occupying, so I put my glasses back on, gathered my things, and moved to the next bay.

As the assistant smeared cream on my face and wiped it off with a sponge, she kept asking me: "Are your meds complete?" It took me a while to realize that she was asking about my medication. I said yes. Not that I would know if it was complete or not, but hey, we sat through the song-and-dance yesterday and my mom bought whatever the dermatologist was pushing. A short while later, she (or another assistant) asked again, "Are your meds complete?" I was starting to get really annoyed about the hard sell, but I decided that it wouldn't be wise to piss off people who are working on your face.

So I patiently waited... and waited... and waited... I even fell asleep at some point. When I woke up, I heard the whir of machinery from the next unit. After a short pause, I heard the dermatologist's voice from the unit near the door, giving another consultation. It was probably the exact pitch she'd used on us last week; no questions, but rather just a high-speed rattling-off of things one needs to buy.

I turned my head and affixed the assistant with an impatient glare. That netted me nothing more than a perfunctory "Please wait a while." I tried to settle back down, but I simply couldn't stand that kind of service. I got up, pulled the towel headband off my hair, and stormed off, telling them I really couldn't wait any longer and that their customer service could _really_ be improved. Then I left. Looking back, I wish I'd said something stronger, but disappointment choked my voice and I still haven't gotten over that innate dislike of making a scene.

I stalked through Glorietta searching for some place that would make me feel like they valued my business. I was annoyed. No, I was more than annoyed—I was aggravated. I felt terrible wasting all that time at DermLink. I thought going to a regular dermatologist would be better than just going to a skin clinic and having a facial, but that place just sucked. This wasn't the first time I'd had to wait without explanation, and I should've clued in that first day and refused to go for any more treatment there. Sheesh.

I ended up going for a really painful facial at Let's Face It, but at least people there smiled, attended to me promptly, and explained what they were doing.

If I'm going to go for this entire dermatology thing, I'd like to have a dermatologist who'll ask me about what I eat and how I live; who'll find a way for me to keep eating chocolate, who'll tell me what to do when I have pimples the day before I expect pictures to be taken... If I can't have that, then I'd rather not have clear skin than put up with customer service as bad as DermLink's.

Moral lesson: Customer service is very important. Keep your customers in the loop. Don't let them feel neglected. Care about them; make them feel special instead of just another source of income for you.

ARGH.

I was thinking of heading back to DermLink and really giving them a piece of my mind, but then I passed by National Bookstore and I got sucked in. Still.

Oh, well. Good lesson in how personally annoying bad service can be.

この写真の猫を見かけたら、お電話ください。 Please call us when you see the cat in this picture.

Warren also grips:

I don't think companies in Manila understand the meaning of "customer service". A very good example is PLDT :). Another one is one of the biggest bank in Manila; METROBANK. They have like 40 clients in queue and they only have 1 teller serving them. My GOD!!! I don't know where the Managers/Supervisors of these organizations obtained their degree.

On Technorati: , ,

]]> I took a taxi just to make it to my 4:00 appointment at DermLink, a small dermatology clinic along Arnaiz Ave. near Park Square 1. I made it there by 4:05. The receptionist retrieved my record, which indeed had "Tuesday 4:00" written on it. However, there was no available slot, so they asked me to wait.

After finishing an entire magazine (cover to cover, including articles on swimsuits and makeup and all of these things I'd ordinarily not even glance at) and sketching a stool (complete with shadows from two light sources), I looked up at the clock. Thirty minutes had passed without a word, an apology, or even an estimate of how much longer I would need to wait.

Eventually the middle bay cleared and I was asked to recline on the elevated bed. I had scarcely settled in when the assistant was told to transfer the person in the far bay to the bed I was in the process of occupying, so I put my glasses back on, gathered my things, and moved to the next bay.

As the assistant smeared cream on my face and wiped it off with a sponge, she kept asking me: "Are your meds complete?" It took me a while to realize that she was asking about my medication. I said yes. Not that I would know if it was complete or not, but hey, we sat through the song-and-dance yesterday and my mom bought whatever the dermatologist was pushing. A short while later, she (or another assistant) asked again, "Are your meds complete?" I was starting to get really annoyed about the hard sell, but I decided that it wouldn't be wise to piss off people who are working on your face.

So I patiently waited... and waited... and waited... I even fell asleep at some point. When I woke up, I heard the whir of machinery from the next unit. After a short pause, I heard the dermatologist's voice from the unit near the door, giving another consultation. It was probably the exact pitch she'd used on us last week; no questions, but rather just a high-speed rattling-off of things one needs to buy.

I turned my head and affixed the assistant with an impatient glare. That netted me nothing more than a perfunctory "Please wait a while." I tried to settle back down, but I simply couldn't stand that kind of service. I got up, pulled the towel headband off my hair, and stormed off, telling them I really couldn't wait any longer and that their customer service could _really_ be improved. Then I left. Looking back, I wish I'd said something stronger, but disappointment choked my voice and I still haven't gotten over that innate dislike of making a scene.

I stalked through Glorietta searching for some place that would make me feel like they valued my business. I was annoyed. No, I was more than annoyed—I was aggravated. I felt terrible wasting all that time at DermLink. I thought going to a regular dermatologist would be better than just going to a skin clinic and having a facial, but that place just sucked. This wasn't the first time I'd had to wait without explanation, and I should've clued in that first day and refused to go for any more treatment there. Sheesh.

I ended up going for a really painful facial at Let's Face It, but at least people there smiled, attended to me promptly, and explained what they were doing.

If I'm going to go for this entire dermatology thing, I'd like to have a dermatologist who'll ask me about what I eat and how I live; who'll find a way for me to keep eating chocolate, who'll tell me what to do when I have pimples the day before I expect pictures to be taken... If I can't have that, then I'd rather not have clear skin than put up with customer service as bad as DermLink's.

Moral lesson: Customer service is very important. Keep your customers in the loop. Don't let them feel neglected. Care about them; make them feel special instead of just another source of income for you.

ARGH.

I was thinking of heading back to DermLink and really giving them a piece of my mind, but then I passed by National Bookstore and I got sucked in. Still.

Oh, well. Good lesson in how personally annoying bad service can be.

この写真の猫を見かけたら、お電話ください。 Please call us when you see the cat in this picture.

Warren also grips:

I don't think companies in Manila understand the meaning of "customer service". A very good example is PLDT :). Another one is one of the biggest bank in Manila; METROBANK. They have like 40 clients in queue and they only have 1 teller serving them. My GOD!!! I don't know where the Managers/Supervisors of these organizations obtained their degree.

On Technorati: , ,

]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/04/05/horrible-customer-service/feed/ On disabling right-click http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/02/03/on-disabling-right-click/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/02/03/on-disabling-right-click/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2005 21:38:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.02.03.php#anchor-2 http://www.houseonahill.net/ disables right-click on its pages. I suppose it's to stop people from saving webpages to their hard disk, but it's not a very effective way of stopping people from copying things because people can always highlight text and then copy the text normally.

Disabling right-click punishes power users, though. I can't easily bookmark pages using my del.icio.us. I can't copy a link without visiting it, which means I have to click on the permalink page, move over to the address bar, and copy the address from there if I'm going to cite something in my blog. I can't easily subscribe via http://www.bloglines.com .

I've seen a Mozilla extension for disabling pesky right-click disablers, and I think I'll go install that right now. I could also always browse the website in w3m or some other text browser.

Disabling right-click is a technological attempt at solving a social problem, and although it discourages casual users, I don't think it's worth the cost.

UPDATE: The right-click script sassylawyer uses also results in an error when I middle-click on a link in order to open it in a new tab. The page loads, but I have to click through a "Sorry, right-click is disabled." message. Mrph.

UPDATE: The same site blacklists http://del.icio.us . ARGH.

On Technorati: , ,

]]> http://www.houseonahill.net/ disables right-click on its pages. I suppose it's to stop people from saving webpages to their hard disk, but it's not a very effective way of stopping people from copying things because people can always highlight text and then copy the text normally.

Disabling right-click punishes power users, though. I can't easily bookmark pages using my del.icio.us. I can't copy a link without visiting it, which means I have to click on the permalink page, move over to the address bar, and copy the address from there if I'm going to cite something in my blog. I can't easily subscribe via http://www.bloglines.com .

I've seen a Mozilla extension for disabling pesky right-click disablers, and I think I'll go install that right now. I could also always browse the website in w3m or some other text browser.

Disabling right-click is a technological attempt at solving a social problem, and although it discourages casual users, I don't think it's worth the cost.

UPDATE: The right-click script sassylawyer uses also results in an error when I middle-click on a link in order to open it in a new tab. The page loads, but I have to click through a "Sorry, right-click is disabled." message. Mrph.

UPDATE: The same site blacklists http://del.icio.us . ARGH.

On Technorati: , ,

]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/02/03/on-disabling-right-click/feed/ Beauty is in the eye of the beholder http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/21/beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/21/beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/#comments Fri, 21 Jan 2005 15:43:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.01.21.php#anchor-3 My mother would be the last person to say she's beautiful. She'd say she's short, or she has gray hair and wrinkles. She wears make-up, but she doesn't spend hours putting a face on every day and she doesn't buy fancy clothes. She's too busy as the general manager of Adphoto to get much beauty sleep, and sees nothing wrong with trekking around in comfortable shoes. I think she's beautiful.

My former grade school principal, Lala Castillo, had wrinkles around her eyes that showed how much she smiled. I never saw her dressed in sharp business suits. I think she was always in flowing skirts or sensible pants. She knew all of us by name. As a child, I wondered if I could just skip being an adult and be old and wise like she was. I think she's beautiful.

Didith Rodrigo, the chair of the computer science department, is not one for beauty pageants. I don't think she wears make-up. But she made us feel welcome. She knew what she was talking about, and she could explain herself very clearly. She was also a great listener. I think she's beautiful.

If PCS wants to judge on "beauty"—which basically means how much does a woman resemble advertisements—then they risk closing their eyes to the real gems, people who can _really_ inspire others.

As for me, I'm going to stay in my own little world where results matter more than appearances, where ordinary people become beautiful when you get to know them.

I'm glad that I'm not spectacular. At least that way, I don't have to worry about people speculating about my breast size, unlike one of my friends who occasionally has to put up with that despite being a brilliant physicist. At least that way, I know people pay attention to my ideas and not just to my body.

I still feel a little insecure from time to time. Am I where I am just because I'm a girl, just because I was in the right place at the right time? Would I have gotten as far if people didn't make a fuss over the fact that ooh, look, a girl's _really_ into tech?

Then I go online and talk to people who don't know anything about me, people who even assume I'm a guy until the regulars laugh and correct them, and I realize that I'm good enough on my own.

That's an assurance the DigitalPinay winners might not have, because they'll wonder: was I hired because my resume was good and I can really make a difference, or was I hired because I won a beauty pageant?

On Technorati: , , , ,

]]> My mother would be the last person to say she's beautiful. She'd say she's short, or she has gray hair and wrinkles. She wears make-up, but she doesn't spend hours putting a face on every day and she doesn't buy fancy clothes. She's too busy as the general manager of Adphoto to get much beauty sleep, and sees nothing wrong with trekking around in comfortable shoes. I think she's beautiful.

My former grade school principal, Lala Castillo, had wrinkles around her eyes that showed how much she smiled. I never saw her dressed in sharp business suits. I think she was always in flowing skirts or sensible pants. She knew all of us by name. As a child, I wondered if I could just skip being an adult and be old and wise like she was. I think she's beautiful.

Didith Rodrigo, the chair of the computer science department, is not one for beauty pageants. I don't think she wears make-up. But she made us feel welcome. She knew what she was talking about, and she could explain herself very clearly. She was also a great listener. I think she's beautiful.

If PCS wants to judge on "beauty"—which basically means how much does a woman resemble advertisements—then they risk closing their eyes to the real gems, people who can _really_ inspire others.

As for me, I'm going to stay in my own little world where results matter more than appearances, where ordinary people become beautiful when you get to know them.

I'm glad that I'm not spectacular. At least that way, I don't have to worry about people speculating about my breast size, unlike one of my friends who occasionally has to put up with that despite being a brilliant physicist. At least that way, I know people pay attention to my ideas and not just to my body.

I still feel a little insecure from time to time. Am I where I am just because I'm a girl, just because I was in the right place at the right time? Would I have gotten as far if people didn't make a fuss over the fact that ooh, look, a girl's _really_ into tech?

Then I go online and talk to people who don't know anything about me, people who even assume I'm a guy until the regulars laugh and correct them, and I realize that I'm good enough on my own.

That's an assurance the DigitalPinay winners might not have, because they'll wonder: was I hired because my resume was good and I can really make a difference, or was I hired because I won a beauty pageant?

On Technorati: , , , ,

]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/21/beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/feed/ Press conference today, PCS pushing through with Digital Pinay 2005 http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/21/press-conference-today-pcs-pushing-through-with-digital-pinay-2005/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/21/press-conference-today-pcs-pushing-through-with-digital-pinay-2005/#comments Fri, 21 Jan 2005 14:50:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.01.21.php#anchor-2 PCS is expected to confirm its resolve to push through with the controversial "Digital Pinay 2005" contest at a press conference to be held today at 3:30 PM at AIM's ACCEED center.

They say that the contest is a search for future chief executive officers and chief information officers, and have decided to keep their original criteria: 20% popularity (text votes, another revenue-generator), 20% personality (sound bites in the question and answer portion), and 20% poise (modeling business wear, formal wear and sports wear). Oh, right, and 40% intelligence and achievements, but since that's all evaluated behind the scenes, we'll only get to see the 60% part.

They also deny that it's a beauty pageant and claim they never intended it to be one. And oh, oops, the first application form was a complete mistake—they didn't mean to send *that* version to the press mailing list. They *really* meant to send these sanitized application forms: ../personal/digitalpinay-coed.doc and ../personal/digitalpinay-pro.doc. So they'd like to tell all you outraged bloggers that you're barking up the wrong tree. It really isn't a beauty pageant. Even if there's a "Coronation Night" competition where people are judged on how they wear clothes instead of, say, their business plans or their ability to give presentations. Even if there's a text voting thing.

All I can say is that if it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

Whatever.

On Technorati: , , , ,

]]> PCS is expected to confirm its resolve to push through with the controversial "Digital Pinay 2005" contest at a press conference to be held today at 3:30 PM at AIM's ACCEED center.

They say that the contest is a search for future chief executive officers and chief information officers, and have decided to keep their original criteria: 20% popularity (text votes, another revenue-generator), 20% personality (sound bites in the question and answer portion), and 20% poise (modeling business wear, formal wear and sports wear). Oh, right, and 40% intelligence and achievements, but since that's all evaluated behind the scenes, we'll only get to see the 60% part.

They also deny that it's a beauty pageant and claim they never intended it to be one. And oh, oops, the first application form was a complete mistake—they didn't mean to send *that* version to the press mailing list. They *really* meant to send these sanitized application forms: ../personal/digitalpinay-coed.doc and ../personal/digitalpinay-pro.doc. So they'd like to tell all you outraged bloggers that you're barking up the wrong tree. It really isn't a beauty pageant. Even if there's a "Coronation Night" competition where people are judged on how they wear clothes instead of, say, their business plans or their ability to give presentations. Even if there's a text voting thing.

All I can say is that if it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

Whatever.

On Technorati: , , , ,

]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/21/press-conference-today-pcs-pushing-through-with-digital-pinay-2005/feed/ PCS has found their spin: It's a search for future C?Os http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/20/pcs-has-found-their-spin-its-a-search-for-future-cos/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/20/pcs-has-found-their-spin-its-a-search-for-future-cos/#comments Fri, 21 Jan 2005 02:44:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.01.20.php#anchor-7 Looks like PCS is pushing through with Digital Pinay 2005. Their spin? They're searching for future female chief executive officers, so 60% personality (in terms of appearance, popularity and poise) makes perfect sense.

Indeed it does. After all, they're looking for future managers, and managers really do need soft skills. So that's their market. They're not trying to define a good IT professional in terms of technical wizardry. This is MIS.

They're not saying you have to be pretty to be a good geek. They're saying you have to be pretty—este, personable—in order to be a good manager. Which is all too true and we're used to that, I guess.

I wonder if they'll ask the contestants in the "Search for the Most Outstanding CIO" to model sportswear. I still think that if you're looking for future leaders, you should ask them to make speeches instead of strut around in several different kinds of clothes. You should ask them to make a difference in their community.

I also don't think we lose our femininity by focusing on ideas and accomplishments. In fact, we express it by not highlighting it, not making it the center of attention. I want more attention paid to the fact that we get results through taking risks and working hard than to the accident of our gender.

Anyway. It's their org. It's their money and it's their name. At least they've clarified their position. I have a feeling there's nothing more I can do about that. We're talking about completely different things.

You know what my problem is? I keep thinking that the C in PCS means they're even vaguely related to the stuff we do. But right, right, they're business-related, and that's a completely different world. I just have to remember that. I really should remember that PCS is a professional organization, and their definition of IT is very different from our definition of IT.

You know what? I think I'll stay out of the corporate world. I love teaching. I love showing people that they can do anything they want to do in IT. I love hacking on open source. I don't want to have to dress up in a suit to work on something cool with other people.

I guess it's time to resume life. I have things to hack on.

Thanks to everyone who listened.

PCS to push through with Digital Pinay 2005 - INQ7.net

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]]> Looks like PCS is pushing through with Digital Pinay 2005. Their spin? They're searching for future female chief executive officers, so 60% personality (in terms of appearance, popularity and poise) makes perfect sense.

Indeed it does. After all, they're looking for future managers, and managers really do need soft skills. So that's their market. They're not trying to define a good IT professional in terms of technical wizardry. This is MIS.

They're not saying you have to be pretty to be a good geek. They're saying you have to be pretty—este, personable—in order to be a good manager. Which is all too true and we're used to that, I guess.

I wonder if they'll ask the contestants in the "Search for the Most Outstanding CIO" to model sportswear. I still think that if you're looking for future leaders, you should ask them to make speeches instead of strut around in several different kinds of clothes. You should ask them to make a difference in their community.

I also don't think we lose our femininity by focusing on ideas and accomplishments. In fact, we express it by not highlighting it, not making it the center of attention. I want more attention paid to the fact that we get results through taking risks and working hard than to the accident of our gender.

Anyway. It's their org. It's their money and it's their name. At least they've clarified their position. I have a feeling there's nothing more I can do about that. We're talking about completely different things.

You know what my problem is? I keep thinking that the C in PCS means they're even vaguely related to the stuff we do. But right, right, they're business-related, and that's a completely different world. I just have to remember that. I really should remember that PCS is a professional organization, and their definition of IT is very different from our definition of IT.

You know what? I think I'll stay out of the corporate world. I love teaching. I love showing people that they can do anything they want to do in IT. I love hacking on open source. I don't want to have to dress up in a suit to work on something cool with other people.

I guess it's time to resume life. I have things to hack on.

Thanks to everyone who listened.

PCS to push through with Digital Pinay 2005 - INQ7.net

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]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/20/pcs-has-found-their-spin-its-a-search-for-future-cos/feed/ Sanitized application forms http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/20/sanitized-application-forms/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/20/sanitized-application-forms/#comments Thu, 20 Jan 2005 21:22:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.01.20.php#anchor-6 Leo Querubin of PCS sent me another set of application forms, saying

These were the original apps forms.

- http://sacha.free.net.ph/notebook/personal/digitalpinay-coed.doc - http://sacha.free.net.ph/notebook/personal/digitalpinay-pro.doc

For comparison, the form I received in a forward is here:

- http://sacha.free.net.ph/notebook/personal/digitalpinay.doc

I like how the rules are no longer included so that they have more time to make up their mind. I like how the form does not mention the controversial prize of P 25,000 (look! the average monthly salary of an IT professional!) or the form of the contest.

It is entirely possible that there really was just a simple misunderstanding.

It is entirely impossible for everyone to believe that.

It is also probably impossible for them to reach everyone the first forwarded form(s) reached. They have opened up a can of worms, and they cannot neatly stuff all the worms back in.

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]]> Leo Querubin of PCS sent me another set of application forms, saying

These were the original apps forms.

- http://sacha.free.net.ph/notebook/personal/digitalpinay-coed.doc - http://sacha.free.net.ph/notebook/personal/digitalpinay-pro.doc

For comparison, the form I received in a forward is here:

- http://sacha.free.net.ph/notebook/personal/digitalpinay.doc

I like how the rules are no longer included so that they have more time to make up their mind. I like how the form does not mention the controversial prize of P 25,000 (look! the average monthly salary of an IT professional!) or the form of the contest.

It is entirely possible that there really was just a simple misunderstanding.

It is entirely impossible for everyone to believe that.

It is also probably impossible for them to reach everyone the first forwarded form(s) reached. They have opened up a can of worms, and they cannot neatly stuff all the worms back in.

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]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/20/sanitized-application-forms/feed/ Digital Pinay 2005: Sent mail to Leo Querubin, Special Projects Chair of PCS http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/18/digital-pinay-2005-sent-mail-to-leo-querubin-special-projects-chair-of-pcs/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/18/digital-pinay-2005-sent-mail-to-leo-querubin-special-projects-chair-of-pcs/#comments Tue, 18 Jan 2005 18:24:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.01.18.php#anchor-2 Received from Leo Querubin:

Hello Sascha,

Your email was forwarded to me by Bombing of MediaG8way regarding your reaction to the Digital Pinay competition. I share your sentiments when I saw the application form.

There was a misunderstanding in the contents of the application forms (for the co-ed and professional) as the original forms did not include the info on height, weight, bust, waist and hips. Be that as it may, I take full responsibility over this as Special Projects Chair of PCS and I apologise for this. It was never our intention to promote the competition as a beauty contest.

You have brought several good points in your email. I would like to sit down with you and discuss these comments and see how we can improve the competition.

Sincerely,

Leo Querubin

Sent this reply:

Hello, Leo!

Thank you for your prompt reply. I'm glad to hear that the original forms did not include such demeaning questions. I would still like to clarify the rules of the competition and the expected public effect. If PCS also considers the present form of the competition to be insulting to IT students and professionals, I would like to help you do damage control and correct the impression people have received. After all, this is the form that's out there in the wild, and that's the form of contest people will see it as. Whether it is a mixup or not, PCS has done something wrong.

I would like a full explanation from PCS so that I can present other sides of the story. How did this make it past the proposal stage? Why was it approved by the committee? Did no one consider it as even the least bit discriminating? How is it that the country's premier IT organization can do such a thing?

I would also like to understand how one can calculate scores based on 20% popularity (measured through text votes), 40% appearance, and 40% intelligence and skills, and still not think of this as a beauty contest. As http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~hmw26/join-the-dots/2005/01/17/spectacular/ points out:

So let me see: that’s 60% for popularity and appearance based criteria, and 40% for intelligence and technical knowledge. Oh yeah, that makes total sense for an ICT professional award.

How is it possible that mature professionals can take all the terms used in beauty contests—you don't hear the term "formal wear" or "reign" in software competitions, do you—and pretend that this is something about the professional capabilities of women? How is it at all understandable?

What about the public effect of this contest? The public sees only the application and the coronation. They will not see whatever care you put into sifting through applicants' academic credentials. They will not see the interviews. They will only see the beginning and the end. They will only see this form that defines women by numbers and a "coronation" that involves how well a woman can wear clothes and walk. This _public_ includes students and children who may not have the experience or confidence to know that you can be successful in technology and yet not be an object because of your gender. They may think that even in this field, women have to be pretty, and brains or achievements don't really matter.

What about the "prizes" that these women win? Are you just looking for a promo girl? You cannot spin this as professional exposure for women without also exposing the exploitation of women. You cannot even say that this promotes women in computing when it reduces women to something pretty to look at.

Perhaps you meant well, but this is broken. This is a release-critical bug. This is something that should have never made it out the door in its present form. The contest by itself is wrong, but I am incredulous about the fact that PCS actually _came up_ with this thing. I have no idea why it took me to point out how broken this is, but this is not something you can just quietly apologize for, improve or even cancel. You realize that that form has made its way to schools and to other people's lists, forwarded by people who either thought it was a good idea or a farce. You must realize that the form brought with it an idea of how PCS thinks of women.

I need you to think very carefully about the reasons why this contest was implemented. I need that explanation from you, and I need it shared not only with me but with as many people as it can be shared with. I need you to think very carefully about how you're trying to encourage more women to get into IT. I need you to start doing damage control.

What happened here?

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]]> Received from Leo Querubin:

Hello Sascha,

Your email was forwarded to me by Bombing of MediaG8way regarding your reaction to the Digital Pinay competition. I share your sentiments when I saw the application form.

There was a misunderstanding in the contents of the application forms (for the co-ed and professional) as the original forms did not include the info on height, weight, bust, waist and hips. Be that as it may, I take full responsibility over this as Special Projects Chair of PCS and I apologise for this. It was never our intention to promote the competition as a beauty contest.

You have brought several good points in your email. I would like to sit down with you and discuss these comments and see how we can improve the competition.

Sincerely,

Leo Querubin

Sent this reply:

Hello, Leo!

Thank you for your prompt reply. I'm glad to hear that the original forms did not include such demeaning questions. I would still like to clarify the rules of the competition and the expected public effect. If PCS also considers the present form of the competition to be insulting to IT students and professionals, I would like to help you do damage control and correct the impression people have received. After all, this is the form that's out there in the wild, and that's the form of contest people will see it as. Whether it is a mixup or not, PCS has done something wrong.

I would like a full explanation from PCS so that I can present other sides of the story. How did this make it past the proposal stage? Why was it approved by the committee? Did no one consider it as even the least bit discriminating? How is it that the country's premier IT organization can do such a thing?

I would also like to understand how one can calculate scores based on 20% popularity (measured through text votes), 40% appearance, and 40% intelligence and skills, and still not think of this as a beauty contest. As http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~hmw26/join-the-dots/2005/01/17/spectacular/ points out:

So let me see: that’s 60% for popularity and appearance based criteria, and 40% for intelligence and technical knowledge. Oh yeah, that makes total sense for an ICT professional award.

How is it possible that mature professionals can take all the terms used in beauty contests—you don't hear the term "formal wear" or "reign" in software competitions, do you—and pretend that this is something about the professional capabilities of women? How is it at all understandable?

What about the public effect of this contest? The public sees only the application and the coronation. They will not see whatever care you put into sifting through applicants' academic credentials. They will not see the interviews. They will only see the beginning and the end. They will only see this form that defines women by numbers and a "coronation" that involves how well a woman can wear clothes and walk. This _public_ includes students and children who may not have the experience or confidence to know that you can be successful in technology and yet not be an object because of your gender. They may think that even in this field, women have to be pretty, and brains or achievements don't really matter.

What about the "prizes" that these women win? Are you just looking for a promo girl? You cannot spin this as professional exposure for women without also exposing the exploitation of women. You cannot even say that this promotes women in computing when it reduces women to something pretty to look at.

Perhaps you meant well, but this is broken. This is a release-critical bug. This is something that should have never made it out the door in its present form. The contest by itself is wrong, but I am incredulous about the fact that PCS actually _came up_ with this thing. I have no idea why it took me to point out how broken this is, but this is not something you can just quietly apologize for, improve or even cancel. You realize that that form has made its way to schools and to other people's lists, forwarded by people who either thought it was a good idea or a farce. You must realize that the form brought with it an idea of how PCS thinks of women.

I need you to think very carefully about the reasons why this contest was implemented. I need that explanation from you, and I need it shared not only with me but with as many people as it can be shared with. I need you to think very carefully about how you're trying to encourage more women to get into IT. I need you to start doing damage control.

What happened here?

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]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/18/digital-pinay-2005-sent-mail-to-leo-querubin-special-projects-chair-of-pcs/feed/ Mail sent to Ateneo CS and CompSAt mailing lists http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/18/mail-sent-to-ateneo-cs-and-compsat-mailing-lists/ http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/18/mail-sent-to-ateneo-cs-and-compsat-mailing-lists/#comments Tue, 18 Jan 2005 05:16:00 +0000 Sacha Chua http://sachachua.com/notebook/wiki/2005.01.18.php#anchor-1 Updated copy at http://www.livejournal.com/users/sachachua/6605.html . Please leave comments there.

Miguel Paraz just forwarded a _very_ interesting contest application to the CompSAt-EB mailing list, and I'm sending this to you because it is worth talking about, and that is because it is completely wrong.

The Philippine Computer Society (PCS) is doing a search for "Digital Pinay 2005". They're looking for role models for information and communication technology, "women who exemplify the qualities expected of future women leaders of the Philippine ICT industry."

To help them find worthy candidates, their application form asks for information like name, paragraph or two about why you deserve the award, IT experience, and such essential information as height, weight, bust, waist, and hip measurements.

I put up a copy of the form at http://sacha.free.net.ph/notebook/personal/digitalpinay.doc . Read it all the way to the end. You may start out amused, perhaps annoyed. I hope you end up horrified that such a thing could have been thinkable, much less thought a good idea. That it was proposed at all could be chalked up to temporary insanity, but that it reached this point cannot be attributed to reason.

A beauty pageant does not pretend to be anything but a beauty pageant. On the other hand, "Digital Pinay 2005" pretends to define an ideal woman in ICT, and _that_ is why it is so insulting. Or perhaps our Atenean curriculum is missing charm classes to help women learn how to wear business suits and casual clothes well?

Our industry _cannot_ be like this. Until now, I have not come face to face with such discrimination in what I believe to be such an egalitarian field. Our industry _is_not_ like this. But the existence of this contest sends a message to students, to professionals, to people inside and outside our industry. The message is that ICT in 2005 is about appearance more than substance, that how a woman looks and how she walks is more important than what she learned and what she can do. If nothing else, it tells us that our industry thinks this view is acceptable.

It is a farce that I must denounce in the strongest terms. If the PCS would like to beautify its meetings with models, it should not pretend at all to be promoting women in ICT when it is actually doing the exact opposite. If PCS would like to say that women are valuable contributors to ICT, it should not attach such values to them. For what will these women be but stereotypes and living proofs of discrimination in IT? What is their value? What will they be beyond a pretty face and a nice body?

(I find it interesting that winners are required to attend all PCS official functions. Essentially, you can buy a professional woman's time for P 25,000. The co-ed winner costs only P10,000 and the runners-up are free. Why will they grace the PCS functions with their presence? Who will take them seriously knowing the criteria by which they were judged? What of this promised visibility in the job market? Is that really the kind of job markets Ateneans are preparing for?)

The contest insults women by objectifying them, and men for proposing that such objectification is commonplace and normal. The contest insults our industry and our society. Will we not discuss it? Will we not consider how such a situation came to be? Will we not point at it and say that this is wrong?

Exams are going on and there seems to be no time to talk of things like this, but these are things that must be thought about. This is Science and Society. This is the Philosophy of Man. This is, even without all the subjects you've taken up, even if only considering that still and quiet voice within you—this is a matter of right and wrong.

So read, reflect, and be angry, for this is the sort of thing that should never be complacantly ignored. Realize that this _is_ a problem, that it _does_ exist, and that we contribute to it with our silence. Affirm what you believe in. Write. Write your fury, your shock—or casual indifference, if that is all you experience upon reading this.

As for me, I believe that just because something _is_ doesn't mean it has to be.

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]]> Updated copy at http://www.livejournal.com/users/sachachua/6605.html . Please leave comments there.

Miguel Paraz just forwarded a _very_ interesting contest application to the CompSAt-EB mailing list, and I'm sending this to you because it is worth talking about, and that is because it is completely wrong.

The Philippine Computer Society (PCS) is doing a search for "Digital Pinay 2005". They're looking for role models for information and communication technology, "women who exemplify the qualities expected of future women leaders of the Philippine ICT industry."

To help them find worthy candidates, their application form asks for information like name, paragraph or two about why you deserve the award, IT experience, and such essential information as height, weight, bust, waist, and hip measurements.

I put up a copy of the form at http://sacha.free.net.ph/notebook/personal/digitalpinay.doc . Read it all the way to the end. You may start out amused, perhaps annoyed. I hope you end up horrified that such a thing could have been thinkable, much less thought a good idea. That it was proposed at all could be chalked up to temporary insanity, but that it reached this point cannot be attributed to reason.

A beauty pageant does not pretend to be anything but a beauty pageant. On the other hand, "Digital Pinay 2005" pretends to define an ideal woman in ICT, and _that_ is why it is so insulting. Or perhaps our Atenean curriculum is missing charm classes to help women learn how to wear business suits and casual clothes well?

Our industry _cannot_ be like this. Until now, I have not come face to face with such discrimination in what I believe to be such an egalitarian field. Our industry _is_not_ like this. But the existence of this contest sends a message to students, to professionals, to people inside and outside our industry. The message is that ICT in 2005 is about appearance more than substance, that how a woman looks and how she walks is more important than what she learned and what she can do. If nothing else, it tells us that our industry thinks this view is acceptable.

It is a farce that I must denounce in the strongest terms. If the PCS would like to beautify its meetings with models, it should not pretend at all to be promoting women in ICT when it is actually doing the exact opposite. If PCS would like to say that women are valuable contributors to ICT, it should not attach such values to them. For what will these women be but stereotypes and living proofs of discrimination in IT? What is their value? What will they be beyond a pretty face and a nice body?

(I find it interesting that winners are required to attend all PCS official functions. Essentially, you can buy a professional woman's time for P 25,000. The co-ed winner costs only P10,000 and the runners-up are free. Why will they grace the PCS functions with their presence? Who will take them seriously knowing the criteria by which they were judged? What of this promised visibility in the job market? Is that really the kind of job markets Ateneans are preparing for?)

The contest insults women by objectifying them, and men for proposing that such objectification is commonplace and normal. The contest insults our industry and our society. Will we not discuss it? Will we not consider how such a situation came to be? Will we not point at it and say that this is wrong?

Exams are going on and there seems to be no time to talk of things like this, but these are things that must be thought about. This is Science and Society. This is the Philosophy of Man. This is, even without all the subjects you've taken up, even if only considering that still and quiet voice within you—this is a matter of right and wrong.

So read, reflect, and be angry, for this is the sort of thing that should never be complacantly ignored. Realize that this _is_ a problem, that it _does_ exist, and that we contribute to it with our silence. Affirm what you believe in. Write. Write your fury, your shock—or casual indifference, if that is all you experience upon reading this.

As for me, I believe that just because something _is_ doesn't mean it has to be.

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]]> http://sachachua.com/wp/2005/01/18/mail-sent-to-ateneo-cs-and-compsat-mailing-lists/feed/