A few weeks ago, Zoe Margolis – also known as the Girl with a One Track Mind – was incorrectly labelled a ‘hooker’ by a sub-editor in The Independent. In the headline of a piece she’d written herself no less.

We wrote about it on Reputation Online, and much of the subsequent discussion across the blogosphere and on Twitter veered towards sexism, as ironically Margolis had been tarred with the very same type of stereotyping she’s attempting to stamp out.

Her experiences in the film industry formed part of the debate, and this – along with the outcome of a post by Camilla Blackett (that I can’t find the original link for), in which she turns the tables on women in the same field, saying that the topics covered by female film makers only contribute to the way they are perceived – got me thinking.

The notion of chauvinism in the workplace is not new to me. My first few years after university were spent working in the male-dominated world of technology, and yes there are fantastic women doing great work here too, but they are hugely outnumbered. To not acknowledge that is just naive. I worked in PR, so was perhaps once removed from the nitty-gritty of it all, but didn’t find it too much of an issue. When comparing notes with friends, it certainly didn’t seem to be more prominent than what they were also experiencing. The notion that it might be however was thrust in my face on a weekly basis – but I never got involved in the debate.

Why? Well, it’s taken me a long time to work that out (for most of which I felt guilty for not being more supportive). First and foremost, I never liked the idea of separating the sexes – one rule for one, another for the other. When you’re trying to promote the notion of equality, dividing people into two groups only enhances the notion that they should be treated differently. If you take men out of the picture, you could be taking the best talent out of the equation. You might be at the top of your game, but only in part.

Second, I was afraid of putting myself up there on a pedestal, getting involved in the gender debate and being berated by the fierce feminist community that resides in London. It doesn’t matter how confident you are, they’re a scary bunch of people to piss off.

Looking at women in tech here, there’s a distinct split. There are those who play on what’s perceived to be typically female traits – giggly, happy-go-lucky excitement – and those who strive to rebel against this, sometimes to the point of being sensationalist. I don’t disagree with either approach; I just don’t fit into either group.

I won’t lie, it’s taken me a long time to navigate the boundaries of my work and private life, as well as understand who means well and who really doesn’t. I’ve made stupid mistakes, and others probably still think they know the type of person I am because of them. Funnily enough, that isn’t the case. Maybe those natural ebbs and flows are the reason it’s taken so long for me to get my head around this issue. Regardless, I know that I’m part of a generation of women that are lucky enough to have a choice in terms of career, life and behaviour. What’s more, we’re aware that the choices exist.

I’ve decided to sit somewhere in-between rebellious feminist and doting housewife. I’m not afraid of my desire for traditional things like marriage and children, but roll my eyes when faced with a laptop cover that’s hot pink and marketed to girls. However, I don’t feel the need to shout about it – I’d rather get on with it. I’d prefer to do a good job and let that speak for itself, while helping girls in a practical sense by opening my contact book to them.

And you know what, I’m fine with that. It doesn’t make me any less independent or strong-willed – and I’ve finally got the balls to say it.

Instead of blogging about an inspirational woman today, I’ve decided to take some her spirit on board myself. Thanks Ada.

Image via jasonEscapist.

As some of you might know, I’m a big fan of Do The Green Thing’s cheeky approach to encouraging people to be a bit kinder to the environment. As such, this campaign may have been launched last year, but I still think it’s fantastic and this post is long overdue.

Originally created for Black Friday (the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season), it allows people to literally buy Nothing™.

Available exclusively on Amazero, it’s the world’s most achingly desirable and deliciously sustainable product, because it takes zero energy to make. Green Thing describes it as; “the world’s first ‘nicotine patch’ for environmentally conscious shopaholics. Now you can shop your sustainable heart out and buy Nothing™”

Just brilliant. It’s a swift kick to those that jump on the green bandwagon, an underlying poke at Amazon’s role in over-consumption and features some fancy Photoshop skills to boot.

Sometimes, passion for a brand outweighs everything; disappointing service, a poor experience or simply a bad product. 

I’m in love with the Hype Machine for instance, which I use every day to stream music and find new tracks or artists, straight from the site. Though I’ve been an avid evangelist of the site for years, I have – up till now – never received a response.

A bit of context first. Every January, the blog aggregator picks the best artists, albums and singles from the previous year and releases them bit by bit over the course of the month. A countdown to the cream of the crop if you will.

This time last year, I listened to it almost non-stop. It was presented as a list, and I could skip tracks or repeat as desired.

But this year, Hype has decided to combine the zeitgeist with its radio brand, presenting it as three hour-long shows with a somewhat irritating DJ talking over the music. None of which are full tracks I might add, only clips.

I was fairly gutted about this, as I’d been looking forward to the finding out which tunes had made it. I vented online, and received a response from one of the founders saying that Hype would take my thoughts into consideration (at least he tried).

Has this changed how I feel about the brand? Not really. Because of the strength of my feeling towards Hype, upon finding that the zeitgeist wasn’t what I expected, I simply went back to my normal behaviour. This meant using the ‘Loved Songs’ list to hear my favourite tracks. I’ve done the same since, and I still recommend it just as highly.

When passion outweighs everything else, there’s a risk that brands can get complacent. Apple has the market sewn up, and a sense of over-confidence in its product that means that any promotion around new products seems almost arrogant. Yes, having a fantastic product is half the battle, but where’s the line? Does this make brands like Hype and Apple unstoppable? Who knows, I just want my zeitgeist back.

A few things have been bothering me about my blog of late.

I think it’s mainly due to the fact that I’m writing ‘full time’, and I suddenly find myself with a structured output for the majority of my work-related content. I find myself frowning a lot when I get sent pitches or content for this blog. As is the standard moan for most media, it’s actually not because the content isn’t relevant, it’s because it’s so perfectly targeted – that I’m a tad restricted.

Since I started this blog, it’s been organically focused around social change; from my projects at G20, to Global Cool and the rest. It’s not to say that I’m all of a sudden not interested in these areas, I just find myself wanting to be a little more flexible with what I write here. That is, after all, the point of having a blog in the first place.

Take NaBloPoMo for instance. I didn’t particularly get on well with the concept of such a regimented schedule – but I might have found it easier had this place been a little more open.

So in the spirit of a new year and a new start, I’m stripping out the boundaries (which I’ve probably put in place internally, rather than publicly). Silly though it may sound, this is a big step for me. I thrive within structure, and I respond well to some kind of focus at least within my work.

However, c’est la vie. Let’s see what happens.