I was not disappointed:  the room was packed, the women were fun and talented, and it was awesome to connect with other geeky women in a way more prolonged than that familiar nod of solidarity in a room full of 90% men that is common to local tech-type gatherings.

The estimable Deirdré Straughan of Sun Microsystems presented on “Social Media, the Enterprise, and You”.  My notes are below, along with a slideshow of her presentation.

I’m looking forward to getting more involved in this organization and meeting many more geeky girls!

• Social media is exploding: Sites that call for user-generated content (Twitter, Facebook, eBay, and the ilk) are the fastest-growing on the Web.
• Why do we care? Because social media helps us create serendipitous connections, collaborate with others, and engage the experts.
• Social media isn’t just fun…it’s the new résumé.  It’s more important than ever to drive awareness of yourself and why you’re wonderful…to develop your personal brand.  (You are signed up for VOCO’s free personal branding bootcamp, aren’t you?)
• Transparency is paramount if you’re going to be taken seriously. Sun is doing an amazing job of fostering conversations while remaining transparent, be it via wikis, self-policed blogs, or the dissemination of tons of user-produced content throughout the ether.
• Put a human face on your business. Twitter isn’t just a little chatterbox watercooler, it’s a way to build personal connections (however small and ephemeral) with other businesspeople.  You never know when it might pay off.

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