Kate Miltner: “School’s Out”

Dr. Kate Miltner is a technology and society researcher examining the ways that technology, identity, and structural power intersect. Coming from a background in tech and advertising, Dr. Miltner conducts ethnographic research that digs into things we’re so close to, we may not even take notice. She’s taken a closer look at memes as cultural artifacts, in particular those cute but spelling-optional Lolcat memes, and is now examining coding boot camps and the “learn to code” movement and whether the hype around learning to code is really the solution many think it is. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age by Alice E. Marwick Cheez Town Crier, the hub for Lolcats fans This Woman Getting a Master's Degree In LolCats Will Be Richer Than You by Adrian Chen, Gawker (with the Princess Bride-esque final line: “Meme culture is serious business these days. Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise wants to sell you something.” The World Made Meme: Public Conversations and Participatory Media, by Ryan Milner “One part politics, one part technology, one part history”: Racial representation in the Unicode 7.0 emoji set” - Kate’s article in New Media and Society Mar Hicks’s episode on Stayin’ Alive in Tech: “We Belong” April Wensel’s episode on Stayin’ Alive in Tech: “Better People” Nathan Ensmenger's book: The Computer Boys Take Over: Computers, Programmers, and the Politics of Technical Expertise (History of Computing) MUSICAL INSPIRATION FOR THIS EPISODE ON SPOTIFY: "School's Out" by Alice Cooper  ABOUT THIS PODCAST Stayin' Alive in Tech is an oral history of Silicon Valley and technology. Melinda Byerley, the host, is a 20-year veteran of Silicon Valley and the founder of Timeshare CMO, a digital marketing intelligence firm, based in San Francisco. We really appreciate your reviews, shares on social media, and your recommendations for future guests. And check out our Spotify playlist for all the songs we refer to on our show. 

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The tech industry is great at talking about the future, especially on podcasts. What we're not so great at is taking the time to understand our past. And that's what this podcast is all about. From the Noyce and Fairchild Semiconductor generation through the founding of social media, the history of Silicon Valley has many lessons for us. And we'll be interviewing the people who lived through these experiences to bring their knowledge to you. You'll get explanations for how we got where we are, which can also suggest where the future might be; along with a few laughs and inside stories from those who lived through it. So pull up a seat and listen to the tales of the past, in which may lie seeds for our future. New Episodes twice a month on Thursdays.