Ada Lovelace is a woman credited with being the first female computer programmer in the 1800s. Sadly, not many women were encouraged in a love of maths as Ada was so even today in 2009, the gender inequity remains.

So today is an international day of blogging about women in technology that are leading the way.

In Australia this can feel quite awkward — to give praise to someone here has to be low key, as the object of said praise will often feel the necessity to bat it away or deny it. It’s called “tall poppy syndrome” – if you don’t cut yourself down to size first, someone else will.

Today I say stuff it. It’s my birthday and I am going to do things my way.

Therefore, my Ada Lovelace post is about my virtual landlady, Second Life mentor and personal friend – Joanna McKay. Jo – deal with it.