|
DIGITELLE - A column for the
digital woman
This column is aimed at the tech-interested woman on-the-go who wants
to know how technology is impacting women, their lifestyles and their
families.
Audience: Women who want technology explained
clearly and need practical advice on how to use it in their everyday
lives.
Author: Sheryl Steinberg
Length: 750-1,000 words
Frequency: Twice monthly.
Delivery: ASCII text, by e-mail or FTP
Terms: Single use and electronic archival rights. No resale rights.
Pricing: Pricing is based on your circulation or usage. We'd be
happy to provide you with a competitive quote. Call Andy Walker at 510-548-4005
or e-mail editor@cyberwalker.com
SAMPLE:
Technology for every Mom, chic or Mary
By Sheryl Steinberg
Cyberwalker Media Syndicate
C'mon ladies. Gather round. It's time we talked technology. I mean,
got out the Haagen Dazs and really gabbed. Not as computer junkies spewing
out speeds and feeds of the latest techamajigs on the market. But as
digitelles talking amongst ourselves - no matter how technologically
experienced or wet behind the ears we may be.
That's what Digital Woman's Monthly is all about. Twice a month, for
better or worse, this column will go where no man has gone before.
Don't get me wrong. I'm the first to admit technology is gender-neutral,
except for maybe a voice-activated toilet seat. And I have no intention
of bursting into song about pumping estrogen into our motherboards.
Here's the thing though - women have historically been charged with
maintaining the status quo of the home and family. Throwing careers
into the equation hasn't changed that a bit. If anything, it's forced
us to become better jugglers in the circus we call life. Who, more than
women, could benefit from technology products that can save us time
we don't have?
What's more, there's something inherently different as to how women
view and use technology. When it comes to purchasing it, for instance,
it seems men go for the latest toys on the market. Women, on the other
hand, are typically more practical and shop more prudently.
"Once females are convinced of the usefulness of a technology application,
they demonstrate a greater propensity to stick with it," says Anthony
Anirud, an analyst at International Data Corporation. "Males tend to
move to a new application, whether or not the existing application continues
to perform to their needs."
Can't you just hear Tammy Wynette singing "Stand by your LAN?" Sorry,
I couldn't resist…plugging local area networks, that is.
The point is, the very fact that we are different in our technological
orientation should reinforce the need for she-tech that goes beyond
the gaggle of beauty, fashion and family web site listings prowling
around these days.
There's got to be more than glossy features on where to find the perfect
salmon teriyaki e-recipe or the best online price for Tony & Tina herbal
glitter eyeliner pencil.
What about relevant rhetoric about what women need from computer hardware
and software? Where's the commentary on how mainstream women are leveraging
Web 'n wireless applications? Why can't we fling out a few ideas on
how to put a feminine touch on technology?
It's time. Women are increasingly becoming the keepers of our keyboards
and the masters (or should I say Ms.'s) of our own domains. And for
good reason.
"Women wear so many different hats," says Christina Rodmell, President
of Wired Woman Toronto. "Technology is enabling them to simplify their
lives while enabling them to achieve their goals."
Rodmell says the Internet's ability to help women conveniently access
information and communicate with friends, family and business associates
has played a key role in bringing more women into the technology sphere
- so much so, that we are now online more than men.
Fall 2000 findings by New York, NY-based Mediamark Research Inc. confirm
that women make up 50.9 percent of adults using the Internet. In Spring
1999, Mediamark also found that 47.4 percent of home-PC decision makers
were women - up from 45.4 percent in 1998.
Call me a statistic if you will, but I began taking control of my technological
destiny less than a year ago. I purchased a laptop computer after sharing
our communal family desktop for six years. It took five months of waffling
back and forth (that IDC analyst sure has me pegged…), but in the end,
it was something I knew I had to do. A matter of independence.
I felt as if I had as much control of our PC as I did the TV clicker.
Then again, that was probably my own doing. I had always left everything
IT up to my husband for the simple reason that it seemed to come easier
for him. Yeah, that, and I was lazy.
Little by little, though, as I spent more time plugging away in our
home office, I wanted more say into what to do when our hard drive crashed;
what firewall to buy when we switched to cable Internet access; even
which screensaver to install.
Now I do. That's not to say that I haven't asked the hubster for help
or advice from time to time; I have - albeit it loads less than I used
to. It's just these days, I always get the last word. : )
This column marks the debut of Digitelle, a regular gabfest of techno
trends and topics of interest to gals, regardless of their technological
orientation. Sheryl Steinberg can be reached at sheryl@cyberwalker.com.
[Sidebar] Women Wide Web sites:
webgrrls.com The main
site belonging to the global grrlie organization founded in April 1995
by six women in NYC. A place to network, exchange career leads, mentor
or be mentored and access the information you need to succeed in the
modern business world.
wiredwoman.com
Official site of the Canadian 1,500-member Wired Woman Society.
Filled with great networking opportunities, career resources and she-tech
links. And that slogan…"technology with curves"… almost makes me want
to put a bra on my printer.
witi.com
For women working (or wanting to work) in the technology field. Women
in Technology International offers everything you'd expect from a good
career counsellor, including job listings, free resume postings, professional
development conferences and comforting support from women who can relate.
girlgeeks.com
Termed the Career Success Site for Professional Women in Information
Technology, this site is more fun than it sounds! Be sure to try the
geek-o-meter and determine your geekiness. I scored a 34 which apparently
means I'm "geek worthy" but still "have to go the extra gigabyte." Maybe
I am; maybe I have a knack for multiple choice.
Questions:
editor@cyberwalker.com
Back to: Editorial
Products
|
