#We need more Women In Software Engineering

[manic-pixie-dick-girl]

Fun fact: there is a difference between "coding" and "programming", and even "software engineering". And if someone starts talking about "coding" or "coders" you can assume they don't know what you're talking about.

Tldr "coding" is the physical act of writing code and it's only one tiny part of making computer software. It's the easy bit, tbh.

[odinsblog]

Krystal Anderson, a former cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs, died of sepsis last week following a stillbirth, according to her family. She was 40 years old.

Anderson, known to her friends as “Krissy,” was hospitalized at five months pregnant and delivered her daughter, Charlotte Willow, after doctors were unable to locate a heartbeat, friends told FOX4 News. She developed a fever a day after the birth. Her condition worsened and she battled sepsis, which eventually led to organ failure. Despite being placed on life support and undergoing three surgeries, she died early Wednesday morning.

“I feel lost,” her husband, Clayton Anderson, told the station. “There’s a lot of people in this house and it feels empty.”

In her post-NFL career, Anderson taught yoga and worked as a software engineer at Oracle Health. She “fiercely advocated” for both Black women in STEM and women’s health, according to an obituary. She also had a philanthropic streak, and worked with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of KC, the perinatal bereavement nonprofit Gabriella’s Little Library, and the Oracle Health Foundation.

“She was an absolute force for good. She made every room just light up,” her husband said.

While overall maternal deaths in the U.S. have steadily ticked up over the past two decades, Black women remain two to three times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With the risks to Black mothers exacerbated by implicit bias and medical racism, they are also more likely to experience life-threatening complications like preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, and blood clots.

“It’s, you know, we say, the best country in the world, right?” Anderson’s husband told FOX4 News. “Not if you’re a Black pregnant woman, it’s not—and that needs to change.”

(continue reading)

[zzzzzestforlife]

Tech Girlie Diaries: being the youngest and only female software engineer on the team

👄 honest stories/lessons only 💅

I just found out I'll get to mentor my first female intern at work and I'm so excited!!! It's so rare that we (not even just our team but the company as a whole) get female interns 🥺 which got me thinking about everything I want to impart to this bright, young mind ✨ since I was once in her shoes 🩰 just without a female mentor 😔 Don't get me wrong(!!), I love my mentors and every chance I get to work with them has been great — they're literally the best dudes I've ever met 🥲 but there are some ~tech girlie things~ that guys just... don't have to deal with in the same way.

Hopefully, if you're also a woman in tech or an ally, these can help you too ☺️ and please let me know in the comments/reblogs/dms/asks if there's anything else I might've missed that you think my mentee should know! ❤️

Unburden Yourself: you do not represent all women ♀️

When I first joined this company as an intern, I was only the second female intern they'd ever had and their first backend female intern. There were no backend female engineers. I felt like I had to constantly prove myself against these bros who seemed to eat, sleep, and breathe code.

But I quickly realized, through the consistent kindness and respect my male colleagues gave me, that it is not a competition (unless it's a bug-solving hackathon, in which case, all other teams can suck it 🍭😜) and no one thinks for a second that I am a representative token of my gender.

Unfortunately, this diversity-affirming culture is still not the case in all workplaces, so this is the Most Important Thing to remember: that you deserve to be treated kindly and with respect by your colleagues AND yourself, so don't settle for anything less! 💕

Take the Day: Care for Yourself First🥇

After finding out I took basically no holidays for a year, my manager at the time was appalled and granted me a month-long vacation (it was amazing). He then proceeded to (kindly) lecture me on the fact that I was no longer an intern and working full-time means making a conscious effort to Not Burn Out™️. My current manager still gives me well-meaning lectures to the same effect, so I guess I haven't really taken this lesson to heart yet?? 🙈 I'll give some examples from what I should've done instead 😂

If that time of the month is killing you and you're straight-up collapsing at your desk: TAKE THE DAY OFF

If your back and wrists are killing you to the point that you physically cannot sit and type: TAKE THE DAY WEEK OFF

If you have personal/family struggles you need to be fully present for: TAKE THE DAY WEEK MONTH OFF

... You get the idea.

Be Your Most Effective Self 🌷

My current manager (literally one of the strongest women I know) and I work well together even though (or maybe precisely because) we have completely different personalities. She is direct, serious, and very goal-oriented 🎯 I tend to take a softer approach, can be completely unserious, and more people/morale focused 🍒

When I was starting out, I really felt I had to be more like my current manager so that people would respect me and take me seriously 😳 That thought daunted me so much because it's totally opposite my natural personality. It wasn't until people started telling me that my personality was a big part of why people like working me and want me on their teams that I started to learn to play to my strengths 💪

Despite our differences, my manager and I are both effective engineers in our own ways ☺️

Good Girls Get What They Deserve 💸

I have been unashamedly aggressive about what I want in my career.

Worked my butt off 🍑 for 2 promotions in 2 years 🌟 when it usually takes twice the amount of time for both! 🏃‍♀️

Communicated my desire to move into management someday to gain more mentorship / project leadership roles and experience 🤓

Your own growth and trajectory is what you have the most control over. Sometimes that means taking a well-deserved break, other times that means hustling and negotiating and networking until you make your dreams a reality.

I've lost count of how many companies I've applied to before landing this job and how many mistakes I've needed to correct even in my current position! So sometimes too, maintaining control means realizing that when you are denied/fail to attain certain opportunities, it makes you available to attend to others that may even be better suited to you in the long-run! 🏃‍♀️

💌: Say it with me, ladies: 🕯️❤️ The new year will be my year! I got this! ❤️🕯️

[angelicallyblack]

Beauty Pageant Queens + What They Can Teach Us

A while back, a mutual of mine got an ask that basically hinted at beauty pageant queens having nothing to offer and therefore sparking absolutely no interest in men. The ask and my response can actually be found here. I remember how much the ask threw me for a loop because not only was it untrue in every sense, but I then found myself wondering what world that anon lived in where pageant queens weren't desired.

Anyone who holds that opinion doesn't understand pageantry, at all in my opinion. Yes beauty pageant contestants and winners all have one thing in common; their beauty. They're all 10/10 and have amazing figures and equally amazing hair and makeup. However, there are many other things they have in common that the average person overlooks.

First and foremost, they are educated!

Ayeesha Aiman, Miss India 2015, pursued a Mechanical engineering degree and later studied Aircraft Maintenance Engineering at the Indian Institute of Aeronautics.

Allison Farris, Miss DC 2018, is a software developer at Microsoft.

Deshauna Barber, Miss USA 2016, worked as an IT analyst for the United States Department of Commerce. She earned her master's degree in management information systems and services.

Beauty pageant contestants often go through training that teaches them the kind of life skills we all need. They are conducted on things such as communication and social graces. You'll find that more often than not, a beauty pageant contestant has no problem making herself comfortable in a crowded room and adopting the persona that's needed to hold engaging conversations.

They are guided on how to think fast and answer questions not only in a timely manner, but how to articulate their thoughts well. They often understand things like decorum and respectability.

A pretty face is never enough in these competitions. These women absolutely have to be brilliant and charming and educated if they want to win. That's a fact.

If you keep up with pageants, then you're probably familiar with Lauren Upton. Her "dumb" answer to a question she was given is what she was remembered for for years. Her beauty didn't matter because all of these girls were beautiful. Her other answers to other questions didn't matter either. She made headlines for a mistake that was made on national television. Her inability to come up with an acceptable response in a timely manner ruined all of her chances and made her the butt of many jokes.

Every single woman in these competitions are gorgeous, and if that was all it took, then every single one would win. Each and every one is taught to focus on their strengths and best qualities in order to get ahead. Every woman is taught the skill sets needed to make them stand out.

The experience teaches them how to navigate competition as well as handling a female dominated environment and how to network from that. In summary, beauty pageant contestants are often the "whole package". They are beauty and brains, and contrary to what is being spread around recently, a quality man desires that!

Notice how I didn't even focus much on what we can learn from them appearance wise because any woman can exercise and learn beauty skills and throw on a sparkly dress. That is not what makes these women stand out, and they know this. They are conducted on this! They know that they need more to offer than their face if they not only want to win the competition, but if they also want to prosper in life.

[sweetswesf]

After receiving the offer, I jumped into high gear to prepare for my new role. They were requiring me to be in the office in Silicon Valley. My prayers to move out of San Francisco had been answered. My whole reason for moving from New York to get to Silicon Valley that I initially dreamed at 21 had come true at 30. Although SF and my last company and becoming a software engineer was a goal that I accomplished in 2019, being a software engineer in Silicon Valley at this type of company was the initial goal. I found a church QUICKLY that seems to be everything I want: diverse, full of happy, friendly, and genuine people, but especially Black people. So many people of all races have welcomed me and asked for my number and check in on me and save me seats and invite me to lunches and hikes and game nights. I’m getting paid more than double what I was making at my last company. I have a quiet apartment with counter space in my bathroom and kitchen. I have a short commute and can walk 10 minutes to the shuttle stop that takes me to campus in a WiFi bus. This place has so much documentation. Services are stable and work. Setting up my laptop, schedule, goals, etc have been great. My team has been so welcoming. They constantly remind me to take my time and that I can hop in when I’m ready. There are 2 other Black women on my team. They invest a lot into their employees and brand. I have a great relationship with my parents and grandparents. My mom calls em everyday. My Mom continued to send me $1000 a month every month until I got my pay check. I didn’t get my paycheck until the end of my 2nd week, but she still sent money my first week of work. I had to move from the first place I moved in because the insulation was so poor that I heard EVERY footstep and thank God I followed what I believe to be His voice to look at my lease to see that they had a 30 day guarantee where I could break my lease no questions asked. I’m in a better place. I have a Costco membership. I get to buy clothes that fit that I enjoy wearing. I still need to be a good steward of the blessings God has given me. I learned how to trim my hair, so I’m truly independent with my hair care. I was freaking out about not knowing Java before I started my new role, but my manager planned before I got there to give me time to ramp up on the language but give me tasks in a language I already know so I could start delivering on the team. He is giving me space while allowing me to feel productive. I’ve received great feedback so far. I know what I’m being asked to do in my role. Things are clear. I feel more responsible. I be tired, but the office is a great temperature! Most of my team is scattered across the country and only me and another colleague come in the office, but we don’t even sit right next to each other so there’s no pressure to show up a certain way. She’s such a sweetheart. Upon meeting me, she asked if she could hug me. It felt like God was hugging me through her. Like, “You made it child.” I’m trying my best to remember where I came from, maintain in relationship with God, keep praying as I did when I really needed God to come through, expect only the best and not let my past or past bad habits haunt me. I went through what I went through for a reason. I’m more patient, responsible, happy, grateful, calm, trusting. When I learned my destination was closed when I got dropped off, my Uber driver said, “You took that pretty well. Most people would be mad.” I’ve come a long way to hear this. This was such a compliment. I’ve learned to chill. I practiced this before getting what I prayed for because I knew God would grant me it.

I know I will face challenges, but I know that I don’t need to worry. Before all these blessings, I thanked God for making it happen, because I knew He would. All while I got to stay true to myself and just focus on doing my best. I have prayers for my life, my career, a marriage, my finances, my health, my family, the world, and I know God is capable. I know things are going to turn out better than I expect.

I had been wanting to share God’s love with y’all for a while, I just needed time to settle in to all the newness. God did exceedingly, abundantly, above all I could ask or think. And He can do the same for you. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit. God bless you, reader. Whatever you’re going through, I know God can get you through.

[indipopcorn]

97000 Indians held trying to enter illegally - Ever wondered why?

According to US Customs and Border Protection data, a record-breaking 96,917 Indians were apprehended while unlawfully crossing into the US between October 2022 and September 2023. This marks a fivefold increase compared to 2019-20.

Although this news is not shocking to anyone, it is shocking when discussing the magnificence of our country. I've seen over the years that Indian expatriates write more about their affection for their own country. Regretfully, they have no desire to go back to India and aid in its growth. People who do not reside here are trolling those who write about the issues we face.

Our beloved Prime Minister is unquestionably a fantastic leader with a vision to improve India, but that doesn't mean that young people can’t voice their concerns and opinions. In reality, when you make your opinion in a civil manner, society benefits. Yes, in a polite way.

One of my cousins, who excelled in GTU's IT programme, was employed by a reputable private company in this area. She was earning a meagre wage while working a certain number of hours. Due to our large population, we have little opportunities and no labour laws. She later travelled to the USA. In less than a year, she managed to land a position as a software engineer, receiving a respectable salary in addition to recognition for her degree. She's also got her mental health back.

One of the women I met was having marital issues. Her life has gotten worse as a result of her decision to file for divorce. She needed to isolate herself from civilization. In society, even her parents experienced some form of psychological abuse. Her only goal in life was to move to Australia, live a dignified life, and become financially independent.

Here, girls are entitled to their parents' property, but if they have a boy, they are not entitled to it, and in such cases, they must stay at their parents' home as guests.

One of my friends was having trouble getting a job. He spent five years without a job while he studied for the government examination. It was harder for him because he belongs to the general category. His family wants him to immigrate to Canada in any way possible since they believe that society has wrecked his mental health.

A man who lives in Ahmedabad's Old City and comes from a lower middle class household. He and his family had great hardship in society, but ever since his family immigrated to Canada, he has gained some notoriety.

[geemosses]

Stressed

I'm so stressed. And it's like, all the time. I don't know what to do about it anymore. I used to be better at managing it. But right now it just feels overwhelming. Maybe I just need to vent, so I guess I'll write about it. That's something haven't tried before.

A lot of it has to do with my job. I work as a Software Engineer at Amazon. They recently announced a "Return to Office" (RTO) mandate, along with multiple rounds of layoffs. Everyone has to go back to the office 3 days per week. The justifications they provided are weak, and everyone knows it. Some nonsense about absorbing company culture and easier collaboration. Never mind the fact that we've all been "collaborating" just fine, doing our jobs well enough for the last 3 years while the vast majority of Amazon's corporate employees work from home. And never mind the fact that Amazon is still in a very strong position financially.

The empty words are what really piss me off. As if we're all too dumb to understand what's really happening here. Amazon, like many tech companies, hire lots of people during the pandemic, expecting endlessly cheap money to fund endless growth. Now that all of that has fallen apart, Amazon wants to cut down the work force, aka balance the bottom-line. But they can't ruin their carefully crafted image in the public by laying off massive numbers of employees.

So instead, they make working at Amazon intolerable, in the hopes that people will leave voluntarily. It's short-sighted if you ask me. The ones that will be the first to jump off this sinking ship will be the ones with the most options. I, for example, have worked at Amazon for 7 years and have been promoted to Senior Engineer in that time. I'm by no means the most talented engineer Amazon has to offer, but I'm still certain that if I leave, it will hurt.

Through it all, one word keeps coming to my mind: Unionize. How much better would life be at Amazon if I were part of a union? Individually, I have no power to change anything about Amazon. But collectively, Amazon employees would wield immense power. We could demand the flexibility to continue to work from home. We could demand more transparency into compensation packages and work towards greater pay equity for women and people of color. We could demand better treatment and working conditions of our workers in fulfillment centers. We could negotiate for better benefits. We could demand a voice at the table - on the board or on the 'S-Team'. We could demand better justification and transparency for pushing through mass layoffs even while the company remains profitable, and push back when their words turn out to be as empty as they have been this past year.

For the last decade, high demand gave tech workers so much power., but if the last year has made one thing abundantly clear, it's that all of us are vulnerable. It doesn't matter what nice words they write to try and make it sound less painful, to try and make you think they had no choice. The truth is, you don't really matter to them. You can be reduced to nothing more than a line item on a spreadsheet, just waiting to be crossed out when investors come calling for bigger pay days. Through all of that, only one entity has the power to fight back and protect employees: a Union.

Even as I write this though, I fear retaliation. I fear that Amazon will be able to link this post back to me and find a way to cut me like they have so many others in the past, for daring to even think the word union. Funny how a company can wield fear so effectively, barely even saying a word.

[davehollandpics]

Dual AF-On Buttons - Hear Me Out

Recently I was invited to attend Sony Kando in Sun Valley, Idaho. In addition to the all of the opportunities available at an industry gathering like this, a select group of us had a session with Sony engineers to discuss our thoughts on current and upcoming products. This included camera bodies, lenses, software and apps.

Above: The productive meeting with Sony engineers at Kando

I found the session very productive and other industry pros had some intriguing suggestions. Grateful to have been invited. Sony will listen, evaluate, and implement as many of these suggestions as they can. This is what really makes them truly unique.

This ^

I threw a bit of a wrench into the discussion for everyone, not just the engineers. I asked for dual AF-On buttons. In addition to this I asked for pinpoint AF capability. The latter has requested by many but It was important to reiterate the need. Here's why (eventually):

The Sony A1 and A9II cameras are my workhorse sports bodies. They do an amazing job in almost all circumstances. I shoot a ton of winter sports where typically athlete faces and heads are covered in some manner - helmets, goggles, masks, hoods, toques, cages, sunglasses and the like. Usually from a distance this is inconsequential for getting sharp faces and eyes but up close sometimes the cameras need some help.

Take this case in hockey, particularly with women and underage men. They all wear cages. Most of the time these cages are black or metallic. Shooting hockey action I usually use a medium flexible AF point but between whistles there are other photo opportunities like bench shots. A medium AF point struggles with catching the eyes in focus.

This is a common problem with hockey. At close range the autofocus tends to grab onto the cage rather than the eye (yes human eye-AF is turned on - doesn't matter.) Being within a few feet and shooting at f/2.8 doesn't allow for enough depth of field to allow both the cage and eyes to be in focus. At 3m distance with a 70-200, you will not have enough DoF beyond about 135mm.

A closer look shows the AF locking onto the cage

White or light cages are equally problematic, and goalies have thicker and a greater number of bars to navigate

I'm sure this is also a common occurrence in football, lacrosse, and other events. This is where a pinpoint AF option would certainly help. Sony engineers are more than aware of the need, it is just a matter of implementing the solution.

Another situation ideal for pinpoint AF are jubilation and goalmouth photos. I always try to catch the athlete that is facing me rather than backs. Pinpoint AF would certainly beat a medium AF point in these cases.

Situations like above would be ideal for instantly available pinpoint AF

Back to the dual AF-On buttons. These things happen fast and switching points quickly is key. Since I shoot manual, I have programmed my AEL button to focus point selector. I also reduce the number of focus point options to the two or three I regularly use. Still switching from a medium point to a small point takes more time than I usually have to get the shot. This is where dual AF buttons would be magical. One programmed for action (flexible medium AF, wide, tracking, etc) and one set to a pinpoint AF would be ideal. I would probably leave one AF-On button set to pinpoint most of the time.

One last thought -

Shooting high level events, most particularly the Olympics and Paralympics, we are prohibited from collecting any video, even on our phones, due to right-holder exclusivity. This renders all of the video capability in high end cameras virtually useless at these events.

What would be nice is a split in the A1 line at some point, with a video focused version (say the A1V) and a photo version (the A1P). The A1P would be heavily focused on photography usability and features, and this would be a go-to for full-time and Olympic/Paralympic sport photographers.

No video recording on the A1P means no need for the video on button means plenty of room for a second AF-On button. Maybe I should be asking for three AF-On buttons and a one-pixel AF point. Sony may just say, 'give him two AF back buttons and pinpoint AF, just to keep him quiet.' Let's hope lol.

[tech-girls]

Spotlight: Analia Marzoratti

Each month we spotlight a woman or girl in tech who inspires us. This month we are highlighting Analia Marzoratti. Analia is a PhD student in the Applied Developmental Science program in the School of Education at UVA. She works with Dr. Tanya Evans, studying the cognitive and neural systems most affected by facing adverse environmental conditions (like those linked to poverty) in early childhood. Her long term goal is to use this research to help make changes in early childhood education practices that can make schooling more equitable long-term for children from all backgrounds.

How do you work with technology today? For my research I analyze neuroimaging data (EEG, and fMRI). This involves not just physically working with technological equipment, but also using computers and statistical software to process and analyze the data I collect with it. I write and adapt lots of code, and read a lot of papers about how other people have tackled research questions similar to mine.

What drives your interest in technology? Technology and knowledge go hand-in-hand. New knowledge helps us create technologies, and new technologies are what help us create knowledge. As a part of the really new field of educational neuroscience, it’s hard not to notice that a lot of the research questions being asked today would not have been thought of even 5 years ago, because there was no way to evaluate them and scientists just didn’t know what they didn’t know. I’m interested in staying up-to-date with and even contributing to creating the newest technologies, because that’s where I know I can find the most innovative research questions that can lead to significant changes.

What do you remember about your first coding experience? I decided to learn how to code early on while working on my Bachelor’s degree because I realized how much I needed it in my work as a research assistant, where I was helping process EEG data. My first solo-coding project was writing a script to produce a set of plots in MatLab for multiple datasets. I remember a lot of yelling at my computer, angrily hitting the run button, and late night video-calling an engineer friend. However, while it was painful at first, I found coding was one of the most valuable skills I could have gotten, and each new coding language has gotten infinitely easier!

Why is it important to get more girls and women interested in technology? For way too long now white, male voices have dominated all the platforms we use to create and disseminate knowledge, which is a great way of stifling other voices and stepping on potential innovation. This has also kept the interests of the many people out there from being equally represented in the decisions being made using what knowledge we do manage to gather. If more girls and women get into technology, we can add our unique perspectives to the process of creating new knowledge from the very beginning of the process. We can promote changes based on our own needs and take research to places it might not go otherwise, paving the way for even more women and girls like ourselves to become a part of research.

What most excites you about the future of technology? I’m excited for all the ways that technology can help make things more accessible for people, make it so that there are fewer barriers to entry for people in any field based on their background. I’m also looking forward to witnessing the moments of new discovery that we can’t even begin to imagine from the point we’re at in history.

What advice would you give to your younger self? I would absolutely tell my younger self to bite the bullet and LEARN HOW TO CODE. Like any other language, the earlier you learn it, the easier it is to pick up one coding language, and then to build on that momentum and keep learning more. Coding is everywhere and is only spreading more across every part of life and every field. I think by studying coding earlier, I also would have learned to enjoy it sooner.

[raining-glitterxo]

Career tip

Software engineers in the US often make more $ than brain surgeons do, even those without a college degree

If you already have a college degree and you're looking for a change you can also go to an online coding bootcamp for 3-6 months (which is what I did) and land a 6 figure job right away

We need more women and especially POC in tech because I have yet to see one LatinX or black engineer

[9jaboizgistworld-blog]

How to Apply for the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women

Are you a woman who is passionate about science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM)? Do you want to pursue a degree or a career in one of these fields and make a positive impact on the world? If you answered yes to these questions, then you might be interested in applying for the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women. The Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women is a program that aims to support and celebrate women who are beginning or continuing their education in STEM fields. The program offers financial assistance, mentorship, and networking opportunities to selected students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and a commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in STEM. The program is open to women who are enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited university in North America, Europe, or other regions outside of North America. The program has different eligibility criteria and application deadlines depending on the region, so make sure to check the details before you apply. In this blog post, we will provide you with all the information you need to know about the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women, including: - What is the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship and what are its objectives? - Who is eligible to apply for the scholarship and what are the requirements? - How much is the scholarship worth and what are the benefits? - What are the available courses and fields of study? - When is the deadline to apply for the scholarship and how to apply? - Where can the applicants find more information and contact details? By the end of this blog post, you will have a clear idea of whether the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women is right for you and how to apply for it. So, let’s get started!

What is the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship and what are its objectives?

The Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women is a program that was launched in 2010 by Palantir Technologies, a software company that builds platforms for data analysis and decision-making. Palantir’s mission is to create products that help organizations solve their most critical problems, such as fighting terrorism, preventing human trafficking, curing diseases, and more. Palantir believes that diversity and inclusion are essential for innovation and problem-solving and that women are underrepresented and under-supported in STEM fields. Therefore, Palantir created the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women to encourage and empower women who are interested in pursuing a career in STEM and to help them overcome the barriers and challenges they may face. The objectives of the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women are: - To provide financial aid to women who are studying or planning to study in STEM fields - To offer mentorship and guidance from Palantir engineers and leaders - To create a network of peers and role models who share similar interests and goals - To inspire and motivate women to pursue their dreams and aspirations in STEM - To promote diversity and inclusion in STEM and in the tech industry

Who is eligible to apply for the scholarship and what are the requirements?

The Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women is open to women who are enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited university in North America, Europe, or other regions outside of North America. The program has different eligibility criteria and application deadlines depending on the region, so make sure to check the details before you apply. The general eligibility criteria for the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women are: - You must identify as a woman - You must be an undergraduate or a master’s student - You must be majoring in or planning to major in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related technical field - You must have a high academic performance and a strong interest in STEM - You must not have been a Palantir scholarship recipient in the past The specific eligibility criteria and application deadlines for each region are: - North America: You must be a U.S., Canadian, or Mexican citizen or permanent resident. You must be a freshman, sophomore, or junior. You must be actively enrolled in an accredited U.S., Canadian, or Mexican college or university during the academic years that the scholarship is awarded. The application period for the 2023 scholarship is from January 2024 to February 2024. - Europe: You must be enrolled in an accredited university outside of North America during the academic years that the scholarship is awarded. You must be a citizen or permanent resident of a European country. The application period for the 2023 scholarship is from January 2024 to March 2024. - Global: You must be enrolled in an accredited university outside of North America during the academic years that the scholarship is awarded. You must be a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than the U.S., Canada, Mexico, or a European country. The application period for the 2023 scholarship is from January 2024 to April 2024.

How much is the scholarship worth and what are the benefits?

The Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women offers financial aid and other benefits to selected students. The amount and the benefits vary depending on the region, but they generally include: - A grant of USD 7,000 (or equivalent in local currency) to cover tuition fees, books, supplies, and other educational expenses - A one-day workshop at a Palantir office, where the recipients will meet Palantir engineers and leaders, learn about Palantir’s products and projects, and participate in technical sessions and challenges - A mentorship program, where the recipients will be paired with a Palantir mentor who will provide guidance, feedback, and support throughout the academic year - A networking opportunity, where the recipients will join a community of peers and role models who share similar interests and goals in STEM

What are the available courses and fields of study?

The Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women is designed for women who are majoring in or planning to major in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related technical field. These fields include, but are not limited to: - Artificial intelligence - Bioinformatics - Computer engineering - Cybersecurity - Data Science - Electrical engineering - Information systems - Machine learning - Mathematics - Robotics - Statistics The program does not restrict the recipients to pursue a specific course or field of study, as long as it is related to STEM and aligns with their interests and goals.

When is the deadline to apply for the scholarship and how to apply?

The deadline to apply for the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women depends on the region, but it is usually between February and April of each year. The application process is online and consists of the following steps: - Fill out an online application form, where you will provide your personal information, academic background, and short answers to some questions about your interest in STEM and your motivation to apply for the scholarship - Upload your resume, where you will highlight your education, work experience, skills, achievements, and extracurricular activities related to STEM - Submit a transcript, where you will show your academic performance and grades in your current and previous courses - Provide a reference letter, where you will ask a professor, a teacher, a mentor, or a supervisor who knows you well and can attest to your academic excellence, leadership potential, and commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in STEM to write a letter of recommendation for you The application process is competitive and selective, so make sure to submit your application before the deadline and to showcase your best qualities and achievements in STEM.

Where Can The Applicants Find More Information And Contact Details?

If you want to find more information about the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women, you can visit the official website of the program, where you will find the details about the eligibility criteria, the application process, the FAQs, and the names of the previous recipients. If you have any questions or concerns about the program, you can contact the Palantir scholarship team at scholarship@palantir.com, where they will be happy to assist you and answer your queries.

Conclusion:

The Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women is a program that offers financial aid and mentorship to women who are studying or planning to study in STEM fields. The program aims to support and celebrate women who are beginning or continuing their education in STEM and to help them overcome the barriers and challenges they may face. The program is open to women who are enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited university in North America, Europe, or other regions outside of North America. The program has different eligibility criteria and application deadlines depending on the region, so make sure to check the details before you apply. If you are a woman who is passionate about STEM and want to pursue a degree or a career in one of these fields, then you should consider applying for the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women, then you should consider applying for the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women as soon as possible. The program is a great opportunity to get financial support and mentorship from Palantir, a leading software company that builds platforms for data analysis and decision-making. The program also offers a chance to network with other women who share your passion and vision for STEM and to learn from their experiences and insights. To apply for the program, you need to fill out an online application form, upload your resume, submit a transcript, and provide a reference letter. The application process is competitive and selective, so make sure to submit your application before the deadline and showcase your best qualities and achievements in STEM. The Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women is a program that celebrates and empowers women who are pursuing a career in STEM fields. If you are one of them, don’t miss this opportunity and apply now!

FAQs:

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship - STEM Scholarship for Women: Q: How many scholarships are awarded each year and how are they distributed among the regions? A: The number of scholarships awarded each year varies depending on the number and quality of the applications received. However, the program typically awards around 10 scholarships per region, which means around 30 scholarships in total. Q: Can I apply for the scholarship if I am a high school student or a doctoral student? A: No, the scholarship is only open to undergraduate and master’s students who are majoring in or planning to major in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related technical field. Q: Can I apply for the scholarship if I am studying or planning to study in a non-STEM field? A: No, the scholarship is only open to women who are studying or planning to study in STEM fields. However, if you have a minor or a double major in a STEM field, you may still be eligible to apply. Q: Can I apply for the scholarship more than once or in more than one region? A: No, you can only apply for the scholarship once and in one region. If you have applied for the scholarship in the past and did not receive it, you can apply again as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. Q: What are the criteria for selecting the scholarship recipients and how are they evaluated? A: The scholarship recipients are selected based on their academic excellence, leadership potential, and commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in STEM. The applications are evaluated by a panel of Palantir engineers and leaders, who look for evidence of the following: - A strong academic performance and a high GPA in STEM courses - A demonstrated interest and passion for STEM and a clear vision of how to use it for positive impact - A proven record of leadership and involvement in STEM-related activities, projects, clubs, or organizations - A willingness to learn from and collaborate with others and to contribute to the STEM community - A recognition of the challenges and opportunities for women in STEM and a desire to overcome them and to support other women Q: What are the expectations and responsibilities of the scholarship recipients and what are the opportunities and benefits they receive? A: The scholarship recipients are expected and responsible to: - Use the scholarship grant for educational purposes and expenses - Maintain a high academic performance and a good standing in their university - Participate in the one-day workshop at a Palantir office and engage with Palantir engineers and leaders - Communicate with their Palantir mentor regularly and seek their guidance and feedback - Join and contribute to the network of peers and role models who share similar interests and goals in STEM The scholarship recipients receive the following opportunities and benefits: - A grant of $7,000 USD (or equivalent in local currency) to cover tuition fees, books, supplies, and other educational expenses - A one-day workshop at a Palantir office, where they will meet Palantir engineers and leaders, learn about Palantir’s products and projects, and participate in technical sessions and challenges - A mentorship program, where they will be paired with a Palantir mentor who will provide guidance, feedback, and support throughout the academic year - A networking opportunity, where they will join a community of peers and role models who share similar interests and goals in STEM Q: Where can I find more information and contact details about the scholarship program? A: You can find more information and contact details about the scholarship program on the official website of the program , where you will find the details about the eligibility criteria, the application process, the FAQs, and the names of the previous recipients. You can also contact the Palantir scholarship team at scholarship@palantir.com, where they will be happy to assist you and answer your queries. Read the full article

[jcmarchi]

This International Women’s Day, meet a true technology trailblazer… - CyberTalk

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/this-international-womens-day-meet-a-true-technology-trailblazer-cybertalk/

This International Women’s Day, meet a true technology trailblazer… - CyberTalk

Micki Boland is a global cyber security warrior and evangelist with Check Point’s Office of the CTO. Micki has over 20 years in ICT, cyber security, emerging technology, and innovation. Micki’s focus is helping customers, system integrators, and service providers reduce risk through the adoption of emerging cyber security technologies. Micki is an ISC2 CISSP and holds a Master of Science in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MBA with a global security concentration from East Carolina University.

In this incredible interview, Check Point Evangelist Micki Boland discusses her career, mentoring the next generation of women in cyber and so much more. This interview will make you feel inspired, enlightened and energized. Don’t miss this!

What inspired you to pursue a career in cyber security?

Great question… it was on my mind for a long time. I had been in IT and emerging technologies for years. I worked in electronics and electrical engineering for the U.S. Army and eventually designed, architected, deployed and managed IT and communications systems for Kaiser Permanente and Sprint.

Before there was a formalized career in cyber security, most techies “hacked” things, took things apart and rebuilt and fixed them. Many of the people who eventually became hackers started in telecommunications.

I began my MBA with a global security concentration (political science), and included national security policy, evolution of terrorism, counterterrorism, and public safety strategy.

I mashed this up with my passion for emerging technology in my Master of Science Commercializing Emerging Technology degree while I was an HQ engineer at Nortel. After much consideration, I made the jump to cyber security.

I had a lot of supporters along the way, which I am so very grateful for and, as I can never thank those folks enough, I have tried to pay it forward.

I wanted to start my own business. I did a lot of planning and advice seeking from trusted entrepreneurs, and I also needed also to develop myself in advanced pen testing, ethical hacking, and digital forensic investigation and response.

Then, I made a huge leap to starting my own digital forensics investigation firm: a woman veteran-owned firm with an excellent management team, in Texas — a state that requires you to be licensed private investigators. We did get licensed.

Many adventures were had and hurdles overcome. My firm spent most of our time doing machine learning for attack path graphing and top down security assessments. We had a big goal of working on specialized forensics and investigations (non-exploitation). We were constrained primarily to enterprise and law firm work. Later on, a family friend who was at Check Point encouraged me to come to Check Point. I joined up with the Global System Integrator team here and I love Check Point Software’s entrepreneurial spirit and culture!

Have you always been very interested in building things, systems and STEM?

Yes, as a kiddo I loved all science, technology, and math, how things are connected and how things work. I had a real aptitude for breaking, building and fixing things.

What career accomplishments are you most proud of?

I am humble and do not really like to talk much about myself. If I think about it though, I will have to say starting my own investigations firm was gutsy. It is one thing to create enterprise, study the market, develop “services”, build proformas, get funded and launch, and entirely different to sustain and grow this enterprise. Sales and marketing and acquiring and delighting new customers is everything! I encourage any woman wanting to start her own businesses to proceed with due diligence, bootstrap and do it, as it is simply an amazing experience.

As a woman in the cyber security industry, what challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

I think the challenges for me have been largely of my own making, in terms of insatiable curiosity, learning, growing, and continuous seeking of new challenges and adventures. I get bored easily and like to do new things.

On one hand, cyber security has fed my seeking behavior, as it is hugely dynamic. The industry is rapidly evolving, the threat landscape is ever changing; new and emerging technologies are being developed and rolled out that need to be protected, threat actors are honing their skills, as are defenders. It is never boring. On the other hand, my continuous seeking has limited my opportunities for senior leadership positions, as I do not seek to spend time in grade and/or wait for someone else to age out to get opportunities. This is a good thing. I would rather be an intrapreneur and leader, teaming, adapting, improvising, and overcoming challenges while continuously getting better and craftier.

That said, I think that, in cyber security, we should actively campaign for women, veterans, and people of all walks and backgrounds to join the cyber security field. We can provide development opportunities to gain skills and experience. We must not let opportunities constrain people that do not have 10 out of 10 skills and/or X years of experience, as frequently required within job descriptions. It is often said that women will not “fake it ‘till they make it” and will not go after roles that they feel they do not have 100% of the skills and experience required for.

Do not hesitate. If you want the role, you have to go for it. Plan and learn, get help if you need advice or a mentor, fill your gaps while you are in the job and in the field. If you want a career in cyber security grab the bull by the horns and get there!

What kinds of cyber security projects are you involved in at the moment that might inspire our readers?

Generative AI (all algorithmic machine learning) and computational intelligence (artificial neural networks ANN) have been my quest since starting my Master of Science at the University of Texas at Austin in 2009-2010. In my cohort were some of the most amazing and brilliant people.

Having been active in IEEE, I joined the Society for Design and Process Science and worked with a most talented Dr. Cristiane Gattaz, and her father (also Ph.D.) from Brazil, both of whom worked on ANN in the aerospace industry. I also got to meet Dr. Chittoor V. Ramamoorthy, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Emeritus, U.C. Berkeley (may he rest in peace) in Sao Paulo and Berlin, Dr. Robert Metcalfe, the inventor of Ethernet (Metcalfe’s Law), and founder of 3Com.

I met Gary Hoover, the founder of Hoover’s Business, which later became Dunn and Bradstreet. He is also the founder of Bookstop, which later became Barnes and Noble. All of these amazing people work in computational intelligence and nothing has been more exciting to me than neural networks, swarm intelligence, generative AI and large language models.

With emerging technologies, there are many perspectives: how organizations adopt these technologies without incurring additional risk; how the defenders (including Check Point with 50+ AI engines to deliver 99.7% confidence threat intelligence) are using these technologies to protect data, networks, people and devices; and the way the adversaries are utilizing these technologies to attack organizations. It does not get more fun than that!

And lastly, I will mention that these technologies have been utilized to create deepfake videos, voice clones, fake images and fake news. It will be increasingly important for humans to use a zero trust approach with the online content they consume and to also understand the uses of these technologies for manipulation, destabilization, disruption, distrust, to sway public opinion, and to foment violence.

How can we encourage more women to pursue careers in cyber security?

Check Point has an employee resource group called FIRE, an acronym that stands for Females In Roles Everywhere. I think this is a great place to start. In this organization, there is outreach to women within Check Point, among our partners and among customers. There are sponsored events, including those for females in leadership roles and the C-suite. There are mentoring and STEM initiatives. This is a great way to lead the charge in terms of attracting women to pursue careers in cyber security.

We can also get into K-12 schools and higher education — talking with students help them see the opportunities available in cyber security, with careers ranging from technical support, to coding, to threat hunting, to incident response, to architects, to engineers, to technical sales, and management.

In your opinion, what role does mentorship play in fostering the next generation of cyber security professionals?

Mentoring is extremely important in fostering the next generation of cyber security professionals. At all stages of our careers in this industry, we are all continuously learning. We have to keep learning. No one has more expertise and real world experience than the people on the ground working with customers every day; those helping them solve their cyber security challenges, responding to security incidents and securing their corporate assets and finances.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, what message would you like to share with younger women who are thinking of pursuing a role in cyber security?

Be bold. Come and join the cyber security warriors. We need you and you are indeed very welcome! If this is the career you want, I assure you, you will love it. Never let obstacles stand in the way of achieving your goals. If you do not know how to proceed, reach out and get a sherpa to help you with your strategy. Over, under, around or through the mountain!

[diazbates8]

The Single Best Strategy To Use For small seo tools

If manually logging right into a pace Instrument to examine your efficiency every single day isn't your issue, take into consideration SpeedMonitor.io. It uses Lighthouse information to gauge efficiency, then tracks it after a while and shops the effects — all at no cost. You can even insert competitor monitoring and on-demand audits. Yoast Search engine optimisation also provides a snippet preview that demonstrates you the way your web site will seem in online search engine final results.

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Use The subject Investigation Device to collect thousands of new subject areas linked to your space of desire. Hone in on the actual inquiries men and women question, well-liked headlines with your niche, and trending subtopics! A singular feature of MarketMuse is its method of search phrase analysis: it’s built to guidance your subject cluster method. This tends to preserve time and accelerate expansion by supporting you prioritize the ideal articles. Enter any URL which Software will show you if it’s cellular-helpful. Additionally, it tells you what went wrong and what you might want to correct. Varvy also provides separate stand-on your own tools for web page velocity and mobile Website positioning. Over-all, this is a excellent brief Instrument to start an Search engine optimisation audit and also to accomplish basic checklist responsibilities inside a hurry. Get it: Varvy Gotta be honest, Despite the fact that Xenu has long been on just about every "absolutely free Search engine optimisation Resource" record Considering that the dawn of, no way did I think it will make this just one. This Home windows-based desktop crawler has long been virtually unchanged over the past 10 years. What's terrific concerning this assortment is Besides a lot more traditional toolsets like backlink and search phrase research, you'll find an abundance of really hard-to-come across and really precise tools for example proxy tools, pdf tools, and perhaps JSON tools. GTmetrix is one of a lot of webpage speed overall performance checks that SEOs like to use. It provides familiar reviews for example PageSpeed, YSlow, and Waterfalls, along with immediately visualizing historic info for each web site it analyses.

Customer reviews are important for regional Search engine marketing needs. This Resource lets you make a shareable hyperlink for customers to overview your organization on Google. I also like how you can Arrange queries into projects, disguise irrelevant key word trees, acquire and help you save facts insights to match them with historical knowledge, and empower search pattern alerts so you don't miss out on out on well timed prospects. For this checklist, we focused on Main Web optimization difficulties that small enterprises want to resolve. You don’t need lots of tools. Bootstrapping business owners famously do far more with considerably less. Welcome to https://cuteseotools.com/webtools/voltage-converter of landing site personalization. Instapage can make it a lot easier than ever before to construct, take a look at, and optimize your web pages with the power of artificial intelligence. Get yourself a deeper Investigation of nearly one,000 search phrases at a time, refresh their metrics in real-time, and see adjustments in SERP Functions or top opponents to get a search term Gotta be genuine, I personally utilize the Wayback Machine two–3 moments a week. It truly is perfect for uncovering historic data. You can even look for a trove of historical robots.txt information archived. You'll find a ton of other Website positioning works by using for Wayback Machine you might uncover valuable. one hundred pc cost-free. SEMrush is a robust Web optimization Device which offers a variety of capabilities, such as an on-page Web optimization checker. This Instrument analyzes your internet site and offers suggestions for optimizing your content material for engines like google.

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Kawaii Fashion - Not For everybody

However, the content material itself was seldom as useful as it could be as a result of it was much more centered on keyword density than on useful data. Key words are literally words which can be utilized by audiences on the lookout for data in the web. At this time, these are nonetheless valid placements for key phrases. Whereas selecting the key phrases, it’s but apparent that in all probability the obvious keywords ought to come to thoughts first. It’s specifically important which they seem typically inside the opening paragraphs. Simply make sure your little kids don’t think it’s an actual bubble tea sitting there for anybody to assist themselves to. Key phrases have been about for a though now as little instruments for making the content of your web page look desirable to the computer software, named spiders or web crawlers, that important serps use to find relevant websites to match users search phrases. As soon as once more, elevated traffic usually interprets into an enhance in revenues and profits for your World vast net enterprise enterprise. In japan kawaii fashion , shut your eyes for a moment and imagine a world where serps don’t deliver traffic in any respect. It can trigger red flags from the search engines. In reality, a bunch of search phrases crammed onto a web web page of useless content material is not going to increase your rating, reasonably it may well decrease it.

Kawaii Girl Fashion

You may know what your net visitors search for. That is what referred to as Keyword Stuffing a single of the Black Hat search engine optimisation tactics. Keyword analysis is produced simple with the delivery of many web advertising and marketing and search engine optimisation instruments. Of program, you will want to make use of a reliable and certified Search engine marketing professional to assist you in establishing your private Web promoting and marketing marketing campaign that incorporates search phrases and keyword phrases correctly. If you want to check out a couple of site, then you’ll need to create a free account and log in. Your introduction should get straight to the point, so Google and your readers know what you’ll be talking about. However it’s typically laborious to choose the appropriate terms for Google. These are the Search engine marketing strategies that carry out now with vital engines like google like Google. This way, you'll be able to avoid composing essays which might be very redundant, repetitive, non-sense, and useless. Maybe ‘table components’ will broaden your on line site advertising and marketing technique. In case you seemed into Denver search engine marketing (Search engine marketing) in the final couple of years, you presumably bought a bunch of data about key phrases.

Second Life Fashion Kawaii 2017 Blog

While the dish tasted just high-quality, I misplaced my appetite halfway by way of, as I couldn’t stomach the thought of consuming food that appeared like cat food. Buy their art by way of prints, apparel, books, and stationery. We hope the incredible Streetwear Colorful Skirts we offer will make you proud of the acquisition! There are the women who go for a grunge fashion, slightly dark with leather and fishnet tights, the academic girls with their shirt, their sweatshirt, and their white pleated skirt, the ladies who choose streetwear vogue with their sneakers and their sportswear! They are sometimes even aimed to problem the conventional and conformist ways of the Japanese lifestyle. Dreamy Bows - Lolita and fairy kei clothes & equipment from Japanese manufacturers. Kawaii aesthetic clothes store for a dreamy whimsical type! Yow will discover them in numerous areas of the world and they have various kinds of clothes items to offer.

How Keyword Made Me A better Salesperson

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[ardathksheyna]

Being A Female Software Engineer

No, this isn't your typical "fuck them tech bros" feminazi rant. This is about how women need to do better towards each other in the workplace. I lightly hinted at this in my literary dog-out post earlier but I figured that I should expand upon that.

In my thirteen years of software development, I've noticed that a lot of the harping about needing more women in tech frequently came from women who didn't think twice about treating their female coworkers and subordinates like shit.

Almost always it was middle-management types—project managers, team leaders, or whatever. Women (like their male counterparts) that never touched code or had any experience coding.

That being said, I've gotten more support and praise for my skills from my male bosses than my female bosses. I know that the praise has nothing to do with my looks because I'm not pretty or conventionally attractive.

However, the times when I have had female bosses, things were different. I didn't receive the same level of support or praise from them. More often than not, the only thing I got was negative feedback—right down to and including I'm not "Minnesota Nice."

That feedback was so dumb that it's basically become my catch-phrase.

I was also told by my female bosses that I couldn't be a senior dev because I valued my work/life balance. Basically, they saw the seniors putting in 60+ hours per week while I tended to finish my work (even extra work) in less than 45 hours. So because I'm better at time-management, I can't be a senior dev. Got it.

Girl, whatever.

Anyway, the point here is that women keep blaming men for work-place hostility and lack of opportunity when in my experience, it's the women themselves create these situations. Not saying that I haven't been on the receiving end of shit-treatment by men because I have, but for the majority of my career, the road-blocks have been coming from women.

I'll also point out that it's never been female developers doing this. It's always middle management types. There's this kind of sisterhood amongst female devs—especially female poc devs. We don't work to cut each other down; like the wider dev community, we work to build each other up and learn from each other and that's how it should be.

It was always the middle management types that hopped on the "More Women in STEM" bandwagon, probably just to feel good about themselves more than anything.

So, below the cut is the most egregious example of having to deal with a bitchy woman boss.

I'm gonna start off with this: I have ADHD, with some possible markers of autism as well, so I don't pick up on social cues quickly. About the only thing I can recognize fast is hostility—and that is a trauma response from not only growing up in a bad neighborhood, but also an unstable household.

When I graduated back in 2010, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. Female devs are rare—female backend devs even rarer. Female backend devs with the sort of hodge-podge random knowledge that I possessed were even rarer still. No, I don't consider myself a unicorn or a rockstar or whatever trendy bullshit rare-types are called nowadays. Fuck, when you get right down to it, I don't even consider myself a "rare-type" but whatevs.

My first job out of college, I worked at a start-up where the company was always changing the teams and type of management. In my second year there, my direct manager was a woman. She had project management experience but no software dev experience at all. I was also the only female on her team, and the problems in her management style became apparent early on.

What it boiled down to is that this woman did everything she possibly could to throw roadblocks in any career progress I was trying to make, while simultaneously boosting up my male colleges.

I found out later on from two friends that not only did this woman hate other women (she had openly bragged about it to both), but she had also had a reputation as the company bicycle.

There's a special place in hell for women who hate other women but I digress...

I'm not trying to slut-shame here—I don't care what you do on or off the job, just leave me out of it. But it explains why I had so many difficulties with this woman.

That's because despite the undercutting, I was making a reputation as a decent software dev who got shit done and would come up with solutions to crazy client requests (that has to be an AuADHD super-power).

I'm not gonna say my code-quality was great. No, it wasn't. I actually cringe at some of the code I put out back then, but then there's this old saying: the coder you hate the most is you six months ago.

Anyway, remember earlier about the inability to pick up on social cues? One of the men that she dated (which I didn't know this at the time) was particularly nice in his feedback about some of the problems that I was able to solve. What it came down to is that this woman felt threatened by me for no goddamned reason whatsoever.

She couldn't grasp that I had no interest in the men that I worked with—to me, they were only coworkers.

The lessons I learned earlier in life taught me this: I didn't come to work for a booty-call—I came to work for a paycheck. I clock in, do my work, clock out and promptly forget about the job once I get in my car.

Honestly, I don't understand this mentality and never will. What's so great about shitting where you eat? Which is basically what she did, and yes, it came back to bite her in the ass hard.

So yes, this is why I couldn't stand Maas' female lead. Because of women like the one I described above; because of women like my mother—who hated her daughters the minute we all hit puberty because in her sick mind, we were competition.

Mothers hating their daughters is another conversation topic I want to delve into at a later date.

And here is where personal growth comes into play, and why character development is so important. I looked at those examples in my life and I decided that I don't want to be that one. I don't want to be like that. That's not who I am and I don't want to live my life looking at other women as if they're competition or a threat to me.

So hopefully, that ends my long-winded rant about evil, hypocritical women :)