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    17 July

    Screen Goddess

    If you haven't noticed it till now, I guess I have no other way but just come out and tell you: Dear reader, I must confess: I am a bit of a narcisist. I am sure that didn't come out as too much of a surprise to you. My family doesn't waste time trying to hint at the obvious either. A few years ago, my brother bought me a T-shirt that said: I know I am not perfect, but I am so close, it scares me. This year my other brother gave me a pajama set that has the following printed all over it: I heart me and of course, I just love it :) Couldn't have said it better myself ;)

    At any rate, the reason I am telling you all this is that I was just doing a vanity search on Technorati, you know searching for any mentions of my name on other blogs and ran into a post by SBS Diva, about a sexy calendar done by the women in IT in Austaralia. Upon checking email, I realized that my friend Kim had also written about the calendar, but according to one of the comments on SBS Diva's blog, things have gone sour for the IT Girls Calendar.

    Update: I just realized that Robert was blogging about the same thing that I was. Not to sound vane or anything but my post is better than his. My links actually work!

    I personally think that the women in the calendar are all beautiful and brave and they have a sense of humor. One of the projects that I'll be working on at PodTech is creating a show about Women in Technology. I like to title it Digital Divas. Stay tuned for more information. And send me names of women you'd like to see us have on the show. And as narcisistic as I am, I promise not to interview myself :)


    Comments (10)

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    maryam ghaemmagha​mi Scoble has turned off comments on this page.
    Samantha,

    Of course I'll have you on the show. You are a true digital diva :) I can't wait to get the copy of PS. I love that song and the singer both :)
    20 July
    Picture of Anonymous
    Samantha Murphy wrote:
    hey Maryamie!
    I think I've got you beat in the narcissist category.  Tee hee.
    How was your birthday?  Wish I could've been at Gnomedex and your party!
    I'd love for you to consider me for your show....that's how much of a narcissist I am!
    I thought of you because I finally just recorded my song PS in London with KT Tunstall's producer.  I'll send ya a copy when it's done.

    Hope you guys are great!


    20 July
    Sarah,

    You know I am gonna ask you to be on the show! Give us a little time and we'll have this thing rocking and rolling. Thanks for your support!
    18 July
    Picture of Anonymous
    Sarah Blow wrote:
    I had a quick look at the calendar and it's a great idea to raise money and get noticed but I'm not sure that it is necessarily the best way to portray females in the IT industry.  Personally I don't think females in IT need to have that " super model look" to succeed in the industry.  They just need to have the drive and passion for working with the technologies that are out there. 
     
    I would love to see some great down to earth female role models like Eileen Brown and maybe some of the females in well established companies such as IBM so that females can see what these companies are like and that they don't have to conform to any specific look, style or attitude. 
     
    I love the idea of doing the video's it would be a great way of promoting females into the industry!  You have my vote for going with it! 
     
    Keep in touch and let me know how it goes.  If you need any help from the LGGD's then give me a shout and I will see what I can do for you.
    18 July
    ButterNuts,

    My favorite line from that movie was Melanie Griffith saying: "I have a mind for business and a body for pleasure." Looking forward to meeting you at Blogher. Please come by and introduce yourself. I would love to meet you!

    Andrew,

    I don't think women need to pose near naked to get noticed, especially smart women. But I think it takes guts to do that especially for smart women and I love the whole spoof. It shows they are not taking the whole thing too seriously and they are having fun with it. Throughout my event planning and speaker coordination in the tech circles I have met many smart women and I would love to have them on the digital divas show. I'll be much more interested to dig their brains on the show than dig through their clothes I assure you :)

    No name (Chris),
    I was reading the comment and thought wow that totally sounds like Chris, but was surprised that you didn't sign your name. I read the story on Robert's comments. Sorry for the passport troubles. I think you are missing the whole point. It is just a spoof and it's funny and cute.

    Derek,

    I have already asked your lovely wife to be on the show. I know she'll be great.

    DNW:

    Right on! That's what I am talking about :)
    18 July
    Picture of Anonymous
    Butternuts wrote:
    I hate to tell you this, Maryam- but when you misspelled "vain" as "vane", I got this really funny visual of you standing on top of a roof striking a pose as a weathervane.  Wait, did I misspell, "misspell"? Oh well, the pajamas that your brother gave you remind me of the line in "Working Girl", when Sigourney Weaver's character says, "Because I am after all, me!"  (I was forced to see this movie, really, I was.)
     
    I am very jealous that you guys are now living in Half-Moon Bay.  I have always wanted to live on the Northern California Coast.  Oh well, some day....sigh.   Maybe I should sell my cottage and live in an Airstream trailer up there?  (HaHa, that's about all I could afford) Right now, I will have to settle for wishing you luck, love and narcissism in your new home, job and "Digital Divas".
     
    P.S. I hope to meet you at Blogher!
     
     
    18 July
    Picture of Anonymous
    andrew/crucible wrote:
    Hey Maryam, I read of Roberts blog (which I read daily) that you had blogged about this too and I wanted to see both opinions in the household :)
     
    Heres another link for you:  http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/stories/2144.asp
     
    ACA is one of the nightly Current Affairsy shows in Australia and is fairly popular for newsertainment.
     
    So basically they thanked the Australian Computer Society for stirring up the hornets nest and getting them much more publicity than they were getting on their own.
     
    I don't really know if this achieves their aims - in my opinion.
     
    I mean its probably great for their own publicity, and self-image - and I can't imagine too many men would have much of a problem with it... but as an aim to get IT looking more "sexy" and friendly for women?
     
    I don't think women need to pose near naked to be noticed.
     
    I've watched quite a few Channel 9 vids of Robert's with women involved in the new directions of Office 2007, and Sharepoint,  listened to Dot Net Rocks episodes with ladies like Michele Leroux Bustamante, smart women who do some brilliant work.  Women that as a developer I can look up to in the industry - not because they're women in these positions, but as developers who've worked hard and are innovative and progressive.  As much as any male developer.
     
    Maybe it's just the opinion of a chauvanistic male (and I do wear that mask occasionally), but I would rather see women like that being shown as role models for the IT industry, to a "sexy" calendar to promote women in IT.
     
    I don't know if your show will appeal to me as a viewer... because although I like IT podcasts, and shows, I'd rather just listen to development shows - male or female.
     
    But I do get it's your soapbox and anything that brings more people to the industry, male or female is a good thing.
     
    For reference: my University year started with 4 women, and ended with 1.  So yeah, I do think there's a definate need to encourage women to join us.
    18 July
    No namewrote:

    Uproar? And sexy??? It’s movie parody kitsch. Boring. El lameo artsy calendar about Aussie chiqlet techies? Heart be still...

    Maybe two, if that, could qualify as half-way swimsuity calendar quality material. No controversy, they are trying to jazz that up, after the whole Mr. Argy prudishness, but they would need far far more provocative material and poses to dip into real controversy.

    And doncha find it FUNNY? An ‘American Beauty’ take-off for an Australian offering? They should have thought that one thro, just on that basis alone. Suprised no one explored THAT angle. Well heck, America should just annex them already, 52nd state, after Canada, of course. :)

    And why does "Goddess" always give one the impression of the nature-based belief system earthy neo-pagan militant-feminist Wiccians, doing the neo-hippie, no-bath, unshaved legs and hairy armpits Ren Faire dances. I mean...buzzkill. Bad branding...for a "supposed" sexy calendar. "Goddess" in the real world, translates into model-rejects doing mall-store "glamor" shots.
    18 July
    Picture of Anonymous
    Derek K. Miller wrote:
    When our Australian friend Leesa sent me the link to that calendar last week, my reaction to her was, "Yeah, that doesn't seem like it will bring a lot of *women* into IT." But not all the photos are slinky-sexy either.

    I think Airdrie and Kerry Anne from lipglossandlaptops.com would make great guests on your show. But you know, I'm a tad biased, being married to one of them and all. :)
    18 July
    Picture of Anonymous
    DrumsNWhistles wrote:
    This is great news!  It's so frustrating to see all the MEN get the glory when there are great WOMEN out there, both in the middle of techie land and on on the fringes.  You go, girl!
    18 July

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