Whykay's happenings

My first (and their first) Pycon UK 2007

So, the Python UK conference was pretty good. The organisers did a brill job, the fact they expected 100 people and 200 people registered. They have put forward themselves to host EuroPython in 2009/10. Heh, Python Ireland wished to do that as well, but I was duly impressed with their first conference. The level of professionalism, and organisational skills, they pulled if off really well. I would rather push for something smaller in Ireland like PyCamp instead. We are still kinda in discussion (ok pub talk) about it.

One thing that sort of irked me a little bit. Nearly all the guys that attended in the conference, mainly British, asked me (apologising beforehand for their rudeness) if I was a programmer or developer. This brings home the truth to me that there are so few girls in this area. I felt suddenly alone for those brief seconds. But I've brushed it aside over and over again during that weekend. But it has become apparent to me that I cannot brush aside these brief encounters of being reminded that you are one of the half dozen females attending a conference. Probably my worst nightmare realised, as I was afraid to be the only girl there, like my first Python Ireland Meetup. Since then, a few girls attended, but not regularly. I have tried to convince girls from work to attend, but I've always ended being disappointed when none of them even made an attempt to attend one meetup. Why is this the case? Why do girls feel alienated from their male peers. Once I established myself after a brief introduction to male conference attendees, it did not matter to them, but it did to me.

Posted by whykay at September 15, 2007 06:16 PM