Single White Female

By Ruth Ward on Apr 15, 08 11:16 PM in Communication

I've made a number of comments to a fair few people recently about the shortage of female bloggers in Birmingham, and I'm certainly not the only one. A prime example of 'be careful what you wish for' as, hot on the heels of my small rant, came an interesting and welcome invitation to be a guest blogger for the Birmingham Post. How could I refuse?

Looking around at my panel of esteemed bloggers in the Business section, I see that I am currently the single female voice. It's encouraging that the balance is starting to be redressed, but this is clearly not representative of Birmingham's business community. So an interesting conundrum presents itself. How do we encourage more women to make their voices heard, and why should they care?

I'm relatively new to the blogging scene, but in the space of a few short months I can already see the huge opportunities that online communication opens up, both personally and professionally.

I work in an industry that is primarily built on relationships and making connections, and I would argue that there is no faster, or more effective method of doing this than online. I'm not an expert, yet, but I appreciate that my industry is going through an online revolution, and any business that deals in communication needs to get up to speed, quickly, or it will be left behind.

Blogging opens up an immediate door to the world. By posting online, whether on industry related issues, or a personal interest, you are effectively offering an open invitation to invite comment, feedback and debate from the broadest possible audience. This can seem scary, but it's a real eye-opener to other points of view. It can offer amazingly positive opportunities for creating links with people that you may never have had the opportunity to encounter in your day to day life, and some real pearls of wisdom too.

Twitter is another really effective way of making connections. A couple of weeks ago I wanted to know the answer to a small techie question, so I put out a 'tweet' and got an instant response from five very helpful people. I doubt there are many IT service providers who can beat that! Just imagine Chris Tarrant offering you the chance to 'Phone 100 Friends', you'd hit the jackpot every time.

The opportunities are endless, and I'm just starting to get to grips with them, but it's very clear that what will continue to make online communication so interesting and valuable is the variety of people who are out there talking, listening and responding. This isn't a male v female debate; technology should have no boundaries, it should be accessible to all, and with such a rapid pace of change we need to work hard to ensure that all voices are heard.

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8 Comments

Derek Belm said:

May I respectfully take you to task slightly - but not quite so vehemently as Barry, who now appears to have been forcibly removed from the premises.

You say: "I've made a number of comments to a fair few people recently about the shortage of female bloggers in Birmingham...I'm relatively new to the blogging scene..."

Some of my closest friends are female, active bloggers for quite some time and residing locally.
Perhaps you just need to get out more?

Derek (Mr) Belm.

April 17, 2008 11:11 AM

Joanna Geary said:

Hello Ruth, interesting first post.
As a female blogger and, I hope, quite an active member of the Birmingham blogging community, I feel I must protest at Mr Belm's comment.
(This is unusual, as his presence on a comment thread usually brings a smile to my face, as does his blog.)
Either both Ruth and I need to get out more, other female bloggers need to get out more or Mr Belm might be over-egging the situation.
If there is a bevy of female bloggers attending events in Birmingham then they desperately need to tell us where they are!
I have regularly attend blog-related events in the city and I am always in the minority.
Finding female bloggers for The Birmingham Post blogs was also more difficult than finding male bloggers. I know, I worked hard to find some and continue to do so.

April 17, 2008 2:31 PM

Derek Belm said:

Misses Ward and Geary,
I stand chastised and head bowed in my swellings, if a little confused.
I was under the mistaken mishapprehension that the post was about blogging in general and not the lack of attendees at particular events - whatever events these might be. Does it take attendance at said events to become classed as a "Birmingham blogger"?
Surely the beauty of blogging is that location is largely irrelevant compared to what you say and how you say it?
I'm no fan of parochialism in any which way shape or formation - it ranks alongside xenophobia and meringue in my world. Me and the other villagists down the Bedknobs & Broomsticks are always talking about broadening our horizons to see what others are doing outside of our own little closed circle. It can be enlightening and illuminating and even if these other types don't want to join us for a shandy or two, then it doesn't mean we get the landlord to ban them or anything.
Perhaps other female bloggers in and about Birmingham feel they don't want to be classed merely as Birmingham bloggers?
I'm never one to stifle free-thinking and thought exchanging and everything - ask the staff who adore me at Derek Belm & Sons if you don't believe me. But classification of blogs and bloggers as "Birmingham" seems a little restricting, even a little controlling and clique(ish).
Anyway, I shall take my own advice - I'm getting out now.
Good day!

April 17, 2008 3:54 PM

Charlotte Carey said:

I think both sides have a point. I think there are probably plenty of female bloggers around (although I have no statistics and have yet to meet that many) but they def don't attend local events related to blogging, but perhaps they don't identify with the Birmingham Bloggers thing. It seems the hardcore Birmingham bloggers (who attend meetings) are coming from a very much tech perspective, as well as a Birmingham centric perspective. It would be interesting to speak with female bloggers about their perspective perhaps it is more content orientated in which case neither the local or the tech aspects will attract them.

The issue I feel is that where you get an organised group of people who are discussing potential funding streams and innovations, related to the tech side and blogging community, that this discussion could equally be informed by the potential alternative (female) perspectives. By missing these perspectives we potentially miss some interesting opportunities and innovations.

Charlotte

April 17, 2008 6:37 PM

Ruth Ward said:

Hello all - the comments above certainly back up Derek's argument that female bloggers in Birmingham need to get out more! I also know several - but I still stand by my argument that our voice isn't anywhere near as loud as our male counterparts. Just having a quick look over the comments made on these blogs, as a small example, they are overwhelmingly from men. Nothing wrong with that, but I for one would like to see more of a balance. And my real point is that if we want to have a stronger voice, we've all got to start being more vocal. So I'm going to set myself a challenge through these blog posts of encouraging more women to join the debate. I'd love to hear what more women, and men, think!

April 18, 2008 9:34 AM

Derek Belm said:

Ward, Ruth (Ms, Mrs, Miss): Coolio.
I'm trying to encourage my wife (Mrs Belm) to start a blog regarding her life, times and crimes as a magistrate and community judge - all on the quiet, obviously, as she's had to sign something about keeping everything officially secret.
But she never ever listens to a word I say.
Good day!

April 18, 2008 12:09 PM

Katie said:

I've written a couple of lengthy and, I'm sorry to say, slightly rambling-sounding comments about this on Charlotte's blog; the 'Women, the creative industries, digital technologies, blogging and inclusion' post. They may contain something useful ... or possibly not!

Not sure I'm allowed to post the link but I'll try - it's:

http://creativeenterprise.blogspot.com/2008/04/women-creative-industries-digital.html

April 18, 2008 1:55 PM

Anna said:

If we're talking Birmingham events there's not exactly a shortage of females attending them, Maybe they are just too busy to blog about them and men have more time on their hands.Or maybe people just have better things to do!

May 9, 2008 2:28 PM