Anita Borg influenced my life in an unexpected way. She organized a conference, “The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women and Computing,” which I attended in 1997.
I thought I had overcome the feeling of being an alien in the workplace. Perhaps you know what it is like, to look around the room at a meeting and feel alone in a roomful of people. Or to talk seriously to someone and then realize that they were only talking to your haircut.
This conference was unique. It wasn’t just a women’s conference. It was a technical conference. Over a few days, I listened to more women speak publicly about gory technical details than I had in my lifetime.
I caught myself thinking… I could do that. And I thought that it had never occurred to me that I couldn’t.
Anita Borg died last week. You can read more about her on the pages of the Institute for Women and Technology.
I first heard Anitas voice in a hotel lobby in Paderborn Germany,she was staying there with her 2 cats!! nothing was ever ordinary with Anita.
I was over from England doing a photography job,desperate for an english voice with a sense of humour,and Anita certainly had that,we hit it off straight away both with a keen sense of the unusual and as much fun as we could muster.From that moment on Anita was my best friend and mentor,we would meet in different countries indulging in gorgeous food swapping stories.
Anita often gave me a helping hand,once when I got stuck in Singapore and again when I needed to go to Stockholm.
Anita was my soul mate,
I will really miss you my friend
my loss is gods gain, love you x