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.

• Interested in women in open tech and culture? AdaCamp Melbourne wants you!

  By Mary on 2011-12-07 • ( 4 )

  

  My non-profit organisation, the Ada Initiative, wants to go full steam ahead into 2012, and we’re holding an AdaCamp event in Melbourne to kick off the year!

  AdaCamp will be a one day “unconference” (that is, it will have free-form sessions scheduled by participants) focussed on furthering women’s work in open technology and culture. It will be held on Saturday January 14 in Melbourne, some travel funding is available.

• Come one! Come all! The 44th Down Under Feminists Carnival heading for Hoyden!

  By Mary on 2011-12-05

  

  As foretold in the prophecy! I am hosting the 44th Down Under Feminists Carnival at Hoyden.

  Submissions must be of posts of feminist interest by writers from Australia and New Zealand that were published in December. Submissions are due on 2 January at the latest, but the earlier the better!

• Thursday Internet Tradition: I am aware of all Internet traditions

  By Mary on 2011-12-01 • ( 9 )

  

  Hoydens are aware of all Internet traditions! But we share our hard-won cultural knowledge! This week, we introduce you to the tradition of being aware of all Internet traditions.

• Quakers Hill nursing home fire

  By Mary on 2011-11-18 • ( 9 )

  

  Anyone concerned about family members at the Quakers Hill Nursing Home can call 1800 227 228 for information.

  From latest bulletins it seems a fire alarm sounded at about 5am and despite fast firefighting response (6 minutes according to the radio) the fire had become massive. As of the 8:30am bulletins police are advising that 9 people have died and that 20 more people are being treated for burns injuries.

• Sydney Summery Femmosphere Meetup: Sunday December 18 in Manly

  By Mary on 2011-11-12 • ( 10 )

  

  There will be a Hoyden and Femmosphere meetup in Manly on Sunday December 18 at 11:30am. Mark your calendars. Details to be confirmed.

• Sydney Summery Femmosphere Meetup: expressions of interest

  By Mary on 2011-11-07 • ( 6 )

  

  I’m hoping to organise a wee Hoydens and femmosphere participants (that is, people who write or comment on or read feminist blogs) in December in Sydney. If you could possibly come, please help me get a sense for dates. Fill out this poll to indicate your availability.

• Copyright hell: larrakins and astrologers

  By Mary on 2011-10-07 • ( 7 )

  

  Warner’s copyright troll acquisition Larrakin Music won the right to “Land Down Under” royalties in the High Court, and Astrolabe Inc shut down the widely used zoneinfo timezone database. Not the public interest’s best day in copyright-land.

• Ada Lovelace Day blasts from the past: the science and technology Hoydens

  By Mary on 2011-10-07 • ( 5 )

  

  I always enjoy spending Ada Lovelace Day reading about amazing women. Luckily there’s advance reading in the Friday Hoyden archives. I thought others might enjoy a round-up of Friday Hoydens past in science and technology too.

• Friday Hoyden: Mahananda Dasgupta, nuclear fusion researcher

  By Mary on 2011-10-07 • ( 2 )

  

  Mahananda Dasgupta is a professor in the Department of Nuclear Physics at the Australian National University. Dasgupta’s research takes place at the heavy-ion accelerator facility and investigates quantum tunnelling when heavy nuclei collide. Her Pawsey Medal award in 2006 cites cutting-edge contributions includ[ing] precision measurements of unprecedented accuracy.

• Not the Front Page News: Qantas and Fijian union laws; ACTA to be signed this weekend

  By Mary on 2011-09-29 • ( 3 )

  

  Not on the front page: Air Pacific, in which Qantas is a large minority stakeholder, allegedly paid for Fijian anti-union law to be drafted, Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement to be signed by countries including Australia.