Women who are the essentials of Web 2.0

Every year I have been blogging (that would be since 2002), I've seen the outbreaks of "where are the women in media and technology? posts pop-up around February or March. And every year there has been an avalanch of cries, denials and recriminations.

This year it seems to have all started with Jason Kottke's Gender diversity at web conferences. Oh boy. Read all about it at BlogHer.

Among the quoted is Anil Dash, VP of Business Development at Six Apart and one of the first names to come to my mind when I coined the expression "digital ethnorati". Anil is the quintessential digital ethnorati : colored, hip,, wired to the tees but more importantly, an influential in his networks who leverages that influence to give back to his minority community.

So when the man lumped me in with an amazing group of women technologists who he believes are The Essentials of Web 2.0 Your Event Doesn't Cover, well, what can I say, I was immensely flattered :

Do you want to learn about the future of web applications? If so, when choosing an event, you might want to make sure it's one that cares about including speakers based on merit, instead of based on arbitrary gender qualifications. I judge merit to be those who meet these criteria:

1. They've already been successful
2. They have done something innovative and unique
3. They are well-known names who will draw an audience and make the event compelling
4. Their work impacts a large audience, or has great influence on the space

Caveats: This list took about 15 minutes for me to make, and I had a little bit of help from Caterina. It's also skewed towards women whom I know well or whom I have already seen speak. But in 15 minutes, I was able to construct a set of theoretical sessions that you won't see at events that specifically exclude women, or that make sure not to reach out to them.

He goes on then to make a list of 18 women including danah boyd, Catherina Fake, Meg Hourihan, Mena Trott, Lynn D. Johnson and yours truly, for advocating how, and I quote, "your project won't succeed unless you reach people who are different from you".

I really am on a high-wire act between being a slacker writer at heart, a technologist by necessity, an activist by principle and an entrepreneur by accident. To be able to do so, be here and share it with the world, is truly an honor and gift.

Thanks Anil for the kudos.

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