So here's that essay I was telling you guys about....what do you think?
"Do I intimidate you?"
Do I intimidate you with my vast knowledge of Cat 5e cables? Is it because I know the difference between USB 1.1 and USB 2.0? 2.0 is backwards compatible, you know. You did know that, didn�t you? You don�t expect me to know where you can find an IDE ribbon cable, let alone know what one is. I know I intimidate you, because while you�re still using your Dell or Gateway or Hewlett Packard, or whatever store bought package you own, I�m using my own machine. That�s right, I built my own. 1600+ AMD Athlon XP processor clocked at 1.4 GHz with 512 MB of RAM with 240 GB of storage space. Could you even handle a machine like that?
Do I intimidate you?
I find myself wanting to ask my customers that quite a bit. For the most part, my customers happen to be men, usually between the ages 25 and 50. Unfortunately, a majority of these guys seem to be threatened by the fact that it is possible for a female to know more about computers than they do. I suppose you could say I have what someone might call a man's job. I work with computers. Many people seem to have the impression that only men work with computers. That only men can work with computers, and do the job right. They seem to be under the impression that the handful of women who do actually work with computers don't really know what they're doing. Well, I've got news for you guys: I do know what I'm doing. Watch out for the Tech Chick.
Yes, the Tech Chick. I�m quite proud of my title, and I'd like to think I worked hard to earn it. Unfortunately, it seems as though I have to work even harder in order to keep this image I have made for myself. As of right now, I am the only girl working in my department. One girl, five guys. Interesting. While none of the guys seem to have any problems with me being in the department, working with them, the general attitude seems to be that I can't really handle the job as well as they can. They, too, are holding me down with their negative attitudes. Its bad enough customers won't let me help them because they're afraid I don't know what I'm talking about and will give them the wrong information. It�s even worse when they won�t let me help them because they�re afraid I will some how threaten their masculinity. Those sorts of customers tend to avoid me at all costs. And then there are my fellow employees who take over immediately whenever I am approached by a customer. They don�t so much as give me a chance to prove that I know a particular customer needs a KVM switch to solve his problem. There�s one associate in particular who has a habit of interrupting me and stealing my customer away. I'm not sure why he feels he has to do it, but he does.
Where does this negative image of women come from? Why do I constantly feel like I must prove myself to the customers? To my fellow associates? Something isn�t right. I am continually asking myself these questions, and as much as I would love to answer them and solve the problem, something tells me all those stubborn men out there aren't going to let me. They will fight my presence in the world of computers at all costs, whether I know how to network an entire house wirelessly or not. It�s sad really, when you think about it. I'd like to think I know quite a bit about computers, and I have plenty to offer in way of knowledge and insight. It's always the same scenario over and over again.
"Hello! Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"
"No, I'm fine, thanks."
�Ok, well my name is Katie if you have any questions. Just let me know if you need anything.�
�Yep�
Once they hear my voice, they don�t even have to bother looking up from the Norton Personal Firewall package they are holding in their hands. They know�wait, they assume�that I will not be able to answer their questions. The man standing there, lost in the middle of the software aisle, lost in a sea of anti-virus programs, would risk drowning in his own ignorance rather than ask me for help.
Not even two minutes later, I find the same customer seeking out another sales associate. More often than not, I'll be standing around talking with one of the other associates when the customer I had approached just moments before begins talking to the other associate. Of course, I don�t even need to tell you that the associate the customer chose to talk to happened to be male and the question he asked was something I could have answered quite easily.
It never fails.
Not too long ago, I went out to dinner with a couple of my computer buddies. We sat at the table for about an hour or so, talking about our various computer problems, while we were waiting for a few of their friends, who I had not yet met, to join us. While we were waiting, I decided to tell my friends about the possible promotion I am being considered for at work. They were excited for me, since I would be head of the General Sales department.
About half an hour after the others joined us, the conversation turned back on computers. Not a big surprise when you have a bunch of computer nerds sitting around a table. One of them started talking about the specifications of the memory sticks he had shipped back to the manufacturer a few weeks prior. I started laughing when I heard him spouting off all the crazy specs. Not because I didn�t know what he was talking about, but because I had already heard the story about three times in the past week. It was getting a little old.
�Sorry, you probably have no idea what we�re talking about, do you?� one of the new guys asked me.
�Dude, she knows what we�re talking about. She works at freaking Micro Center,� my friend answered back for me.
�Oh. Really?� He seemed slightly surprised to hear that.
�Man, she�s head of General Sales over there!� my friend said with a laugh.
The look on the guy�s face was absolutely priceless. Seeing that shocked look on a guys face when they find out I can �hang with the big boys,� as I like to say, when it comes to computers is a great thing. When I get too discouraged by all the stubborn men I have to deal with on a daily basis, it�s shocking that one guy makes up for it. All I can do is sheepishly smile back at him, act as modest as I can, as if it wasn�t a big deal I just watched the guy�s jaw drop to the table.
I get that same shocked look from guys every time I go to a LAN party. It�s not often that a girl shows up to hang out with a group of guys sitting around someone�s basement, playing computer games against each other on the network. And when a girl does show up, it�s usually a girlfriend who�s there because she has nothing better to do on a Friday night than sit there and watch her boyfriend play games. The guys are never expecting a girl to show up toting her own system, ready to jump into the next free for all in War Craft III. Jaws drop all over the room as I finish third out of nine in the battle. I can always hear a few of them whispering behind me about how they always thought my two user names, Dade952 and Simone (always mistaken for Sim One, rather than the female name,) belonged to a guy.
I won�t deny it, I kind of like knowing that I threaten certain people with my knowledge. I enjoy it almost as much as I do seeing those jaws drop the minute I walk into the room carrying my self-built system and stack of game CDs. I find it almost amusing really, knowing that a grown man is afraid he will some how become less of a man by asking me a computer related question. Too bad it�s so frustrating for me at the same time.
You need a 20 foot FireWire cable, sir? What pin configuration do you need? Is a 25 foot cable alright? We don�t have anything in between 15 and 25 feet. What color would you like?
Do I intimidate you?