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My name is Lilly Tao and I started this weblog in November 1999. It's not really a journal and not merely a list of must-see links, but more of a place to stick those random thoughts that pop into my head. You can find out more about me at my personal site. If you are enjoying this random spiel, you are most welcome to tell me so.
All original text in the log is Copyright 1999-2002 by Lilly Tao. All Rights Reserved.
Acknowledgements:
Server hosting and technical
services provided by: Seth Golub, Ian Flanigan, and other helpful friends
with extra bandwidth.
Weblogging software: Blogger
Where did I get this idea?: Dinah Sanders and Steve Bogart
Cheerleading and moral
support provided by: Landon Dyer, Seth Golub,
and Lisa Eckstein
Thank you to all my regular readers. You make this log real and keep me updating regularly. It's not enough just to write the words; the audience completes the process.
How this came to be:
I was idly playing around with whois one day
in 1999 and discovered that the domain name girlhacker.com
was available. Inspired by some errant brain energy pulses, I grabbed it for
myself. I wasn't sure what to do with it besides the obvious redirect to my
personal site. But I wanted to save it for some greater purpose. I am a friend
(in person, no kidding!) of Dinah
Sanders' and know Steve Bogart through Seth Golub, and I would sometimes read their
logs (though I had no idea at the time that such a vast array of other logs existed!). So one day it just
hit me: Hey! I can write my own log and brand it under my girlhacker domain.
Since then, I've corresponded with interesting people, discovered strong
communities that transcend physical distance, and discovered the discipline of
writing something worth publishing every weekday.
Why the name "girlhacker":
I am female (though no longer a girl by age definition) and I am a computer
programmer by profession. I use "hacker" in its original positive meaning,
as defined by the
Jargon File. I am very fond of hacking physical things for the sake of
humor,
in the tradition of MIT hacks.
Cubicles, offices, cars, elves, etc. The term
"hacker" now carries a negative meaning and I often receive email asking how to
crack into systems or asking me about what I've broken into. I am not a
"cracker", so don't bother asking me about any illegal or unethical behavior.
Motivation and purpose:
This weblog is an outlet for me to create quality writing and share
interesting, often unique, information on topics that I enjoy. I do not
prefer to link to or talk about what many other webloggers are already
discussing unless I feel I have a new perspective to offer on the topic. I
also place emphasis on quality research. I do not like spreading
misinformation so I make the effort to verify any facts and reveal any
assumptions I make. I'm not always perfect, but every mistake so far has
been a wonderful learning opportunity.
Five quick facts about the author:
I am 30-something.
I grew up in Connecticut and am still a New Englander at heart.
I went to Wellesley College.
I live in Silicon Valley.
I have worked at five startups and am happy but not rich.
You can read the Old About Page if you want more, well-aged info.