Silicon Valley Moms Blog: From Techie to Blogger Mom

April 21, 2006

From Techie to Blogger Mom

Does Parenting put some in a technology freeze? How do you stay up to date on technology while staying up to date with your children? What is the next step for Silicon Valley techies after becoming parents? And what is a blog?

Here in Silicon Valley we experience constantly changing technology trends. If you count pregnancy and the first year of parenting (which is a blur), techies that become parents can be out of touch for at least 21 months. By then, technology will have totally changed.

The first technology change I participated in was the shift away from punch cards while programming in college. For those of you who are not familiar with punch cards, check your history books. Then as a Financial Analyst, I suggested using computer spreadsheets to perform some analyses that were manual (using pencil and paper, you can also check your history books on that, too). As an Application Developer I witnessed the move from big mainframe computers to desktop/ servers. I was also part of the lucky group of Y2K programmers who replaced two-digit logic with four-digit logic as a fix for the year 2000 (‘99’ was changed to ‘1999’). Next, as a Senior Manager (Computer Process Integrity) I saw desktop computing expand to the Internet.

After we had our first son in 1999, I started working part-time in Management Training. I then experienced the growth of the Internet as the main technology for email, product sales, corporate communications and news/general information. A small but passionate Blogger community was thriving, but I had not yet become part of it….

In 2002, it all stopped. No more time for Internet updates on all the newest technologies, reading trade journals or discussing techie issues with co-workers. I became a Stay at Home Mom and immersed myself in taking care of my three wonderful boys (twin boys joined their older brother in 2003). The only technology I used was spreadsheets for parent volunteer organizations or home management, and also the occasional creation of email groups for classroom management. I could not even bring myself to transfer the thousands of pictures I have on my digital camera to my PC. I was in a technology freeze.

In 2005, it all started again. I am happy to be riding the hottest, coolest trend: Blogging. So, what is a Blog? Wikipedia (a free encyclopedia) defines it as: “A blog (or weblog) is a website that is used in the manner of an online journal. Like other media, blogs often focus on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news. Some blogs function as online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.”

I saw friends who were using Blogs to update friends and family with pictures and stories about their children. I found opinion oriented news blogs (Washington Monthly, Dailykos) and technology blogs (Techcrunch) to stay up to date with the latest technology trends. Comedy blogs were a quick way to get a few good laughs (ccinsider, mommasaid). Even newspapers have staff that write blogs as a quick way to interact with readers ( New York Times: thepour). Fashion blogs are becoming a force in the fashion industry (Fashionologie, Shoewawa).