Thanks for including developedtraffic.com; that gave me pause.

And, my apologies — I’ve been intending to respond but haven’t known what to say about the "females in tech" issue. In a way, I’m like you, Judith; I don’t want special treatment because that reads to me as if, due to the fact of being female, we somehow require extra “help” in order to be effective and successful in our fields. But I think there are a couple of things to take into account:

First, it may be easier for me because I run my own company, but the fact is that I absolutely do not approach business from the standpoint of being a female. I think ongoing demonstrations of effectiveness speak far more loudly than seeking support because I’m a female. In this, I really liked what Sugarrae had to say about it:

To others like me, and to women still trying to find their inner confidence to be themselves and take the opportunities they make in life, rather than those simply “presented” to them …

I think that’s great advice, no matter who you are or what gender. There’s everything right about getting out there and creating whatever it is you want, and it’s not as if women (or men) need anyone’s permission to get out there and create our own companies, success, whatever.

Secondly: the fact that the "women in tech" issue is being discussed a lot lately leads me to wonder whether some (many?) women are experiencing some kind of invalidation or discrimination. I don’t fault anyone who feels she needs some type of support against invalidation. At the very least, one can speak up. However, I can’t imagine staying in that type of environment.

There’s too much life to be lived to spend it with duds.

And, while working for someone else is not my cup of tea, I’d have these questions if you’re in a job that keeps you down simply because you’re a female:

- why work in an environment in which there is blatant (or implied) sexual discrimination?
- what kind of a future do you think you’ll have there?

Lastly, I wonder whether growing a thicker skin (that is, being less sensitive) might be in order, assuming that the problem is not (a) over-sensitivity or (b) actual sexual discrimination. In the SEO field, we’ve seen all kinds of people declare all kinds of things. Some will even imply one way or another that they’re better at something than anyone else walking the planet, whether there’s any evidence to back it up or not. Heck, some may even try to get you to agree to it — especially if you’re in the same field (i.e., competition). I think that speaks more about the person’s secureness with his skills than anything it may have to do with me. Or you.

Right?

English literature merging with mathematics…I am in utter heaven right now.

That is just so rockingly cool!