2009 06/04/2009 04/10/2009 213 This is a three-part presentation, beginning with an introduction of my personal experiences with open source: - early exploration of open source software - technical journey, from sales to support, administration and finally, engineering - the danger of "laying low" - challenges and successes - how failure led to the need for inspiration - how inspiration led to community The second section will explore the community I've discovered: - local groups for women in tech - vast resources on the web - support and recognition within the sub-community of women in tech - what's next? The last section invites the attendees to participate: - Q & A - Invitation to share women-in-tech events - Invitation to share additional experiences - Comments and suggestions The entire presentation gives voice to my own experience but more precisely how I believe it parallels that of many women in technology: we think ourselves on the fringe, but in fact, we are active participants in an ever-growing community. 04/10/2009