What's in a Name? or "How I Conquered Google Apps and Changed My Own Last Name"

Normally my posts are about life, love, being one with the world, and similarly squishy stuff. Today, I conquered one of the last remaining hassles associated with changing my last name, and I want to share my accomplishment with the world!

I have a website that is powered by Google Apps, www.WalkTheTalk.biz. This account is not a premium business account, which means I can't create my own Google user profile for whatever reason. I understand that "free" generally means limited functionality, and that's OK by me right now.

Photo courtesy of freefoto.com

But I spent hours and hours last March trying to figure out how to change my last name as the administrator on my own Google Sites website. Couldn't do it. Searched forum after forum and read post after post with detailed accounts of how frustrated users couldn't do this simple thing. I grumbled and created a new account under "info," changed it to be an administrator account, posted a doc to my website that appeared under my new name rather than my old name, changed my old account back to administrator, and gave up on the whole mess. At the time, I admit I did have thoughts of "a system created by men for men," who generally never have to change their names or consider the extensive ramifications and complexities of said name change.

Today I couldn't figure out how to make it work the same way I did last time. Harrumph. So I went on the hunt once again for how to change my last name in the user account.

At this point, you may be thinking, "What's the big deal? You had that last name for 10 years. Is it really so bad that it would appear in tiny little type at the bottom of a couple of your website pages?" 

In a word, yes. My new last name, Hart, is part of identity and my brand. I chose it carefully. It represents me. It's fresh and whole and sums up my philosophy of moving forward in life with an open heart. The old name is, well, old. As in stale, dessicated, obsolete.

For all of you who know exactly what I'm talking about and desperately want your website to reflect your new identity, here's how to change your own name:

1. Sign in to your site's control panel. Instructions here.
2. Click on the "Organization & users" tab.
3. Click the underlined name that includes the old name you want to change. Don't highlight the line that includes your name and all your account information. Don't check the check box next to your name. Click on the actual name itself, which appears in blue and is underlined.
4. The "User information" tab will appear.
5. The first line on that tab says "General," then your old name, then "Rename user."
6. Click "Rename user."
7. A text box pops up that says you are going to lose certain chat history. Not ideal, but OK.
8. Type your new name.
9. Click "Rename user."

It's done! Hooray! You are now officially the new you on your website!

Just to make sure all bases are covered, also change your name on your email account.

1. Click "Mail" at the top of the page (be sure you are signed into your account).
2. Click the gear icon on the top right quadrant of the page.
3. Choose "Settings" from the drop-down menu.
4. Click the "Accounts and Import" tab.
5. Click "edit info" next to the line that says "Send mail as."
6. Type your new name in the blank box, which will automatically be selected once you type something in there.
7. Click "Save changes."

Whew! You are now officially the new you on your Google Mail email account. Congratulations!

The Plight of Women Is News... at Last

I wept when I read the story Saving the World's Women and others published in the special section of The New York Times Magazine this weekend.

I cried not because the stories are so terribly sad, which they are; not because of the heartfelt response by other countries, which is fantastic; and not because it was the first time I had learned about the plight of these women and girls, because it wasn't; but because a major newspaper is finally covering women's issues as a serious problem that we can't just accept as status quo anymore. Because The New York Times is reporting that sexual slavery, rape as a tool of warfare, marrying off 12-year-old girls who are raped and then die in childbirth, honor killings, and genital mutilation are horrifying truths for millions of women around the world, to say nothing of the financial subjugation and lack of education that keep women "in their place."

I wept because I felt the kind of heart-jumping-out-of-my-chest elation that I felt when Barack Obama was elected president: joy, relief, gratitude, and restoration of my faith in humanity. Thank you to all of the journalists and authors who participated and made women's issues news worth reporting.

I promise to do my part by volunteering for organizations that address women's and girls' issues. I pledge to make a difference in one girl's life by sticking by her and showing her that there are options beyond pregnancy and dropping out of school at 15 or 16.

What can you do, what can you pledge, to keep the momentum going?

From Career Ladder to Career Lattice

Last week I attended a women's leadership luncheon sponsored by Deloitte LLP at the invitation of the Women's Foundation of Colorado. Sharon Allen was the keynote speaker--she's the Chairman of the Board of Deloitte, an accounting and consulting firm (yes, they still call her the Chairman though she is a woman). She's also on the Forbes list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.

Ms. Allen spoke about how they have implemented the concept of the "career lattice" at Deloitte in order to replace the traditional "career ladder." Gone are the days of the traditional step-on-everyone-to-get-to-the-top philosophy. Gone are the days of fighting for the next promotion and the next raise. Gone are the days of having to leave if you're going to have a family.

It took me a while to wrap my head around the idea, because I was taught to believe that if you aren't forever getting more money and power, you're lazy, boring, or incompetent. And if you did take time out for family or anything else, well, you'd pretty much have to start over at the bottom. This was the price we paid for being women in a man's world.

But Sharon Allen talked about being able to "dial up" or "dial down" your career at various points in your life without having to give it all up. Flexibility and respect seem to be the cornerstones of this approach. After it sank in, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. The world is starting to understand that women can add infinitely more value when they contribute from within their own framework.

If one of the most traditional, male-dominated industries in the U.S. has seen the light, we're closer to electing a woman president than I ever thought possible.

Yes, Women Still Make Less than Men

Attendance was a bit spotty at Denver's Equal Pay Day rally yesterday, but my sister, a friend, and I showed up and held our signs and did our part. What was disconcerting, though, were the recent conversations I had with women about the equal-pay issue. Some of the comments:

"There's not really a problem with that, is there?"

"That's not an issue with high-level jobs."

"Oh really?" followed by dead and most definitely uninterested silence

Wake UP, ladies! This is not just about women working in low-paying jobs (as if that would be OK anyway). The median salary for women attorneys was 71% of the median salary of men in 2006. Don't believe me? Think that all numbers are lies and that statistical studies are twisted? See for yourself on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, where they list the median weekly salary for hundreds of professions for both men and women.

What do we want? EQUAL PAY!

When do we want it? NOW!

One Small Step for Womankind

SB 122, The Wage Transparency Act, was signed into law last week by Governor Bill Ritter. SB 122 protects employees who share wage and salary information with their co-workers. The lack of information, or transparency, about wages and salaries is a key obstacle to identifying and correcting pay discrimination.

And boy howdy, is there still discrimination. Women in Colorado still make only 81 cents on the dollar compared to men. The studies control for factors such as time on the job and experience, but there's still a big chunk that just isn't explained by anything other than plain old gender bias. The story for men and women of color is even sadder. Check out the Colorado Pay Equity Commission's study "Fulfilling the Promise: Closing the Pay Gap for Women and Minorities in Colorado" for more details and the facts of the matter.

How Perfect Are You?

"About-Face's mission is to equip women and girls with tools to understand and resist the harmful stereotypes of women the media disseminates." OK, now THAT's what I'm talking about!

"Our ultimate goal, the About-Face vision, is to imbue girls and women with the power to free themselves from body-related oppression, so they will be capable of fulfilling their potential." Amen, sisters!

This website features a photo on the opening page of a woman with her two girls, holding a sign that says, "I don't need plastic surgery because I want my daughters to look like ME!" One page lists 10 things you can do to help achieve their mission, and here are a few points I found particularly compelling. Think about it.

-Girls listen to what women say about themselves and learn the language of womanhood.

-You can stop perpetuating the quest for perfection by NOT talking about how imperfect you are.

-You're the boss of you--wear what you want, say what you want, do what you want.

-Ladies, make a short list of women you admire. How often does what you admire about those women have to do with their looks?

I'm pretty sure Hillary doesn't wear a size 4 and model in her free time. And if you watch C-SPAN, you KNOW those congresswomen don't give a rip about what they look like. Maybe they're actually busy paying attention to things like, oh, I don't know, the war in Iraq, global warming, genocide in Africa, and the poverty level of U.S. senior citizens.

Visit the About-Face blog for a little wake-up call about what's going on in the fashion industry and what advertisers (of yogurt, alcohol, and all sorts of things) are saying about women. And watch this YouTube video for a different perspective.

The Real Issues

Forgive me, fellow bloggers, for I have sinned. It's been 10 days since my last post. I've eaten ice cream quite a few times (have you TRIED those Starbucks mud pies you can buy at the grocery store?), had a lustful thought about Brad Pitt, didn't recycle a glass jar I couldn't stand the thought of washing out, and let my mail pile get so high it's precariously balanced and just daring me to add one more piece of paper. What is my penance?

One fellow blogger recently asked the question, "Is anyone talking about the real issues?" I've been thinking about that a lot for the last few weeks. Asking myself if I'm guilty of not talking about things that matter to me because I don't want to appear rabid or overemotional. Do I not take risks because I'm afraid I'll offend someone? I've gotten a lot of gender training, intentional and unintentional, from media, family, and well-meaning friends alike, that points to silence as the answer to conflict.

But I attended a small discussion group last week that consisted of intelligent, caring, outspoken women, and I remembered who I was again. The topic was conserving our earth, women's purchasing power, and how our voices can make a difference. I don't think it was the subject or even the open George-bashing that inspired me. It was seeing these women, who were all total strangers to me and mostly to each other, bond over a glass of wine and a common interest.

They talked without fear of reprisal or judgment. They talked like they knew they would be heard. They talked about the difficult decisions we have to make that have to do with how we spend our time and our money. They talked about choosing between corporate values and the good those corporations do for the economy. So yes, there are people talking about real issues. And I'm one of them.