GirlGeek of the Week
March 2000

That first computer wasn't much, but its 300 baud modem allowed her to connect with the gay community through BBS. She would soon discover the Internet, which was then just becoming widely used. With a world of information and infinite possibilities Stacy found herself enrapt by Geekdom.

When did you first discover your love and/or obsession with computers and technology?

It all started when I really just needed a way to be inquisitive about my sexuality without being forced to be blatantly obvious. I found out about this cool thing called Web surfing and I just found myself immediately sucked in.

I had to know why that big block of text at the top of the page was centered, whereas the one at the bottom was not. And how did that picture get there? Where was this page that I was looking at? How the hell did Joe Blow from Arkansas get me information all the way over here in Oregon? I immediately found someone who designed Web pages and pestered (and pestered, and pestered) them until they sent me off to the bookstore with a list and an objective: "Don't talk to me again until you learn something."

So I read "HTML: The Definitive Guide" from cover to cover in one evening, and by morning I had my first Website (including some absolutely horrifying graphics) up on the Web! And without ever taking a computer course of any sort, I obsessed myself all the way into a full-time job in Web development.

How do you earn a living?

I am a Web Developer for egghead.com in Portland, Oregon. I work specifically on the creative side of development: design mock-ups, user interface design, and consulting with the back-end developers to ensure the constant integrity of the code and the continued conformity of the "look and feel."

Do you consider yourself a Geek?

I think the term Geek is relative. One typically thinks of a "geek" as someone without any creative impulse, who would rather put nose to grindstone than brush to canvas. I'm one of those people who failed the "Left Brained or Right Brained?" test miserably. My pink blob landed square center. As such, I'm constantly in turmoil over which path to take in my career: Do I go full-fledged "Geek" and learn every programming language known to man, whereby giving up all spare time in which to pursue my artistic endeavors? Or, do I take the plunge, dye my hair magenta and go full-fledged artsy-fartsy, whereby I stop having time to learn "The Next Big Thing" as foretold by Wired Magazine.

I guess the answer to that question is -- I don't know. Yet.

What is your favorite Website?

Oh gawd. The impulse to be self-serving is absolutely unbearable. I'd have to say my baby, Techno Dyke Headquarters

What do you do when you are not working?

I have a passion for human rights, especially where the gay and lesbian community is concerned. As a result, I do a great deal of non-profit Web work within these communities. I do, on average, one pro bono site every quarter. I also am enrolled in classes to further my knowledge base and will soon be attending Pacific Northwest College of the Arts, working towards an actual degree in my field of work. I also am an author (published, even!), musician, (met my wife singing cover tunes in a seedy drag bar) and novice painter. I work in friends when I have the time and spend as much time as I possibly can with my amazing wife, Amy.