I have so many reasons for wanting to make this project come to life. First let me tell you a bit about my own story. I got involved with digital back in 1986. I was a struggling traditional graphic designer. My friend, Caroline Kavanagh showed me how to use a Mac in exchange for teaching her how to spec type the traditional way. I have to admit that learning how to use a Mac was love at first byte. I quickly became good at it.
Caroline’s tutoring helped me land my first computer animation job in 1989. Caroline went on to become one of the US top graphic designers. BTW Nextwave Productions was a startup I was first of four a partnership between Ingrid Newmann and Tim Mueller.
This was first time I got online. I also got into a lot of trouble for dialing up the W’ELL [bbs] from NYC. I would be on the W’ELL for hours from work not even realizing how much it was really costing the company I just started working for. Until they discovered and asked me to find a local bbs. See they were pleased with my exploration but not at the cost. I discovered ECHO. There Stacy Horn taught me how to navigate using unix commands. On ECHO I learned how deal with my shyness because behind a computer screen no one really knows who your. I enjoyed ECHO for 10 years.
In 1994, I designed my first page with the help of some of guys on ECHO: Howard Greenstein, Jason Anthony Guy, and Josh Masur. Howard informed me of WWWAC formation. It was 12 of us 8 guys and 4 of us women sitting at the table talking about this internet thing. Back then we shared so much.
Being involved with digital and internet entrepreneurs, having access to in the beginning to people like Stacy Horn and having helpful advice from peers lead me to get involved with several digital startups – some I founded some I was and am talent. Corporate life taught me a few things about business too. My process was fragmented and that’s why what we are doing with Women’s Internet History Project will provide so much with less fragmented history.
The Women’s Internet History Project is about our stories; about the women who helped establish beginnings to this industry. And this project will also help influence and shape the next generation of women who helped to create a purpose and usage of the internet. This project pays homage to us.