San Jose Mercury News
Tuesday, November 9, 1998 - The Mercury Center

GRRRL Power
By Chris Nolan, Mercury News Staff Writer

If the current trend continues, GirlGeeks The Female Side of Computing, a movie about women in the computer business, is going to get mistaken for the Spice Girls.

No, it won't be because of the fancy clothes, the tattoos or the silly haircuts. It'll be because GirlGeeks is everywhere.

During the past six months, the filmmakers have been taping interviews with a number of women in the business. They hope to get a television air date in early 1999. This week, they're launching a new Web site (www.girlgeeks.com). They've also struck an agreement with National Public Radio for a series to be co-produced by NPR's Tech Nation host Moira Gunn, according to "Girl Geeks'' executive producer Kristine Hanna. There's a book in the works, maybe a CD-ROM. "We want to reach all these markets,'' Hanna said.

The idea is to show the impact women have had on the computer industry.

In the meantime, they're trying to practice what they preach: Most of the ``GirlGeeks'' crew, its Web designers, sponsors and other supporters are women. "We searched a little harder,'' said Hanna, who said she's gone out of her way to hire women. "We're kind of 'go women.' It's not 'bad men.' ''

©1998 San Jose Mercury News

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