Finding Ada

Here we hope to answer some of the questions that you might have about Ada Lovelace Day. If your question isn’t answered here, please let us know!

Can I do something other than a blog post?
Yes! You can do a video post, a podcast episode, a web comic, newspaper column – anything you like, online or off. 

I’m a bloke. Can I take part?
Yes! Everyone is welcome to sign up to Ada Lovelace Day, although only women may become an ALD Heroine. 

How can I get involved?
We need help promoting Ada Lovelace Day, so please let all your friends and colleagues know. If you are on any relevant mailing lists or groups, please let them know about the day and try to persuade them to sign up. If you'd like to become more involved, please contact Suw Charman-Anderson.

Do you have any resources that I can use when i’m talking about Ada Lovelace Day?
Find out about Ada Lovelace using the link in the menu above.

I’m away on Ada Lovelace Day. Can I still take part?
Of course! If you have a blog, you should be able to schedule a post to publish itself on Ada Lovelace Day. If you can’t, feel free to blog before hand and then add your post to your profile as soon after the day as you can.

Can I blog in a language other than English?
Of course! Please write in whatever language(s) you like!

Do I have to publish my post during UK time?
No! One of the curious things about a 'day' is that due to various dateline shenanigans it’s Ada Lovelace Day somewhere around the world for a grand 50 hours! Blog at your convenience in your own timezone.

What if I can’t think of a woman to write about?
First, have a think about the women you know or have heard of in science, technology, engineering and maths. We’re not looking for everyone to write about superstars, just someone whom you admire. Perhaps it’s your colleague who does a really good job, or your mum, or a friend. If you stop and think for a while, we’re sure that somewhere in your past or present you’ll find a woman to write about on Ada Lovelace Day. And if you’re really stuck, we have a few ideas on a page that we’re writing right now and will get up online soon as we can.

Can I write about more than one woman?
If you like, yes! The more women we celebrate, the better!

What does STEM mean?
It's an acronym of 'science, technology, engineering and maths'.  

What do you mean by ‘in technology’ and ‘in science’ etc?
We like to leave the interpretation of these words up to you, but we encourage everyone to be inclusive and to spread their nets wide. We’re not just looking at ninja coders and hardcore scientists, but women who contribute to their field. For example, some academics don’t code and don’t do science, but they think very hard about the way in which science and tech affect us and they have a deep understanding that the average mortal would be hard pressed to match. Although they aren’t making stuff, they still count. Same for journalists and consultants and designers and UX people and lab assistants and people who make tech that allows others to do science (now there’s a double-whammy!).

Does my woman in STEM have to be alive?
Many people have written about women who are no longer with us, and many others wrote about women who are alive and kicking and contributing right now. We don’t mind: The choice is really up to you.

How does this help women in tech and science?
Women in tech and science tend to be less well known than their male counterparts despite their valuable contributions. The aim of Ada Lovelace Day is to focus on building female role models not just for girls and young women but also for those of us in tech who would like to feel that we are not alone in our endeavours. Psychologist Penelope Lockwood discovered that women need to see female role models more than men need to see male ones, so the idea of creating these role models is not just some airy-fairy idea, but based on a real need.

How did Ada Lovelace Day start?
For the answer to this question, you probably want to read the blog post that kicked it all off.