Author Archives

Mary is a women in tech activist, a programmer, a writer, and a sometime computational linguist. She writes at puzzling.org. Her previous projects include co-founding the Ada Initiative and major contributions to the Geek Feminism blog. She's @me_gardiner on Twitter.

• So simple, even your mother will be opposed

  By Mary on 2010-05-29 • ( 26 )

  My four month old has explained a lot of things to me. To date it’s been things like “it’s been four months and you still can’t tell the difference between tired and hungry? HERE LET ME SHOW YOU.” But I… Read More ›

• Reminder: Sydney Hoyden and Geek Feminism picnic, Sunday 30th May

  By Mary on 2010-05-20 • ( 44 )

  Update 30th May: given the recent rain and the forecast, we’re pushing ahead with a wet weather plan. We are meeting at James Squire Brewhouse at 12:30pm for lunch. This regardless of the reasonably good weather this morning. Still James… Read More ›

• How many hours can someone be stuck in a car?

  By Mary on 2010-04-14 • ( 4 )

  On Monday there was an accident on NSW’s F3 freeway, which runs from Sydney to Newcastle and is thus a major commuter road. The accident involved two trucks and completely stopped northbound traffic from 11:40am. For various reasons the road… Read More ›

• Sydney Hoyden and Geek Feminism picnic: late May

  By Mary on 2010-03-26 • ( 16 )

  Step 1: Gather Geek Feminists and Hoydens in Sydney Step 2: ??? Step 3: PROFIT Step 1 will be a lunchtime picnic at the Royal Botanic Gardens in late May. We’re currently open to four dates: Saturday 22nd May Sunday… Read More ›

• Quickhit: alpha status now assured

  By Mary on 2010-03-20 • ( 3 )

  Carol Nader reports in the SMH today that the Official Generation Code-Naming Authority?—?there is one, right? an important body that declares that Generation Z is so 2009??—?has decided that as of the 1st of January, Generation Alpha is being born…. Read More ›

• Many roads, one surname

  By Mary on 2010-02-25 • ( 32 )

  In yesterday’s SMH Catherine Deveny asked Why do (don’t go there) most children(don’t go there) still end up with (don’t go there, don’t go there, don’t go there!) their father’s surname? She’s fairly clearly talking about a certain, already small… Read More ›

• Who you speak to and where you are: why it matters

  By Mary on 2010-02-12 • ( 19 )

  Cross-posted to Geek Feminism. Abusive relationship and spousal rape survivor and blogger “Harriet Jacobs” at Fugitivus is angry and scared today: I use my private Gmail account to email my boyfriend and my mother. There’s a BIG drop-off between them… Read More ›

• University colleges: nurturing a rape culture

  By Mary on 2009-11-09 • ( 39 )

  Warning: this post has graphic quotes from and links to mainstream media accounts of rape culture and imagery, and sexual violence. One of the profoundly disturbing aspects of rape culture discussions—and this won’t surprise readers here—is the way that they… Read More ›