technology

Google Takes On The Gender Gap With “Made With Code”

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The demographics of tech are pretty white and male, but Google and a huge alliance are looking to get more girls coding, reports the Mary Sue.

You can see more at the Google Blog and of course the website.

I strongly applaud this.  Coding is literacy of a technical age, and everyone should know something about it.  Addressing demographic issues in distributions of knowledge is part of having a functional society and civilization.

A few things you can do:

  • Host an event.
  • Be a mentor
  • Invite these people to your con or club.
  • Promote this!

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Does Google’s Advertising Model Work?

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Quartz asks the question, and the rough answer seems to be “for some people but definitely not everyone” according to a recent analysis.

We all known online advertising is an imperfect business model.  So what’s next for people that use it?

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

 

 

 

Way With Worlds: The Differences Between Magic And Technology

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TechMagic

[Way With Worlds appears at Seventh Sanctum and at MuseHack]

Last column, I looked at writing magic and technology for your setting – and noted that in many ways for the sake of world building they could be treated the same.  I still believe that, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out the differences as well.  Or perhaps  I should say “areas of variance,” as it gets complicated, but more on that shortly.

I believe it’s important to loo at differences, as in too many cases creating the magic and/or technology for a setting treats them as the same for all the wrong reason – as opposed to the right ones.  Technology easily becomes hand-woven neutron particle miracle rays, a mythology with lab tools and circuit boards.  Magic can get systematized or explained in such a way it either is technology, or is really just magic wearing technologies clothes and wandering around looking out of place.

So, having suggested that you have to look at them as similar for the sake of worldbuilding, I now want to deal with when you have to look at them differently.  Yes, this may produce writing whiplash, but who said worldbuilding was going to be boring and straightforward?  I certainly didn’t promise that.

Think of it as general and specifics.  In general, they’re the ways people change and affect the world.  In specifics, well . . .

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