A February 21 New York Times article ("Sorry, Boys, This Is Our Domain") states that teenage girls far outnumber teenage boys in the creation of web content such as blogs, web sites, and original graphics. Some of these teens have created viable businesses out of their online efforts, such as Chloe Spencer of The Ultimate Neopets Cheats Site and Martina Butler of Emo Girl Talk.

In the working world of adults, however, the number of women in computer-related fields is still very small, with women holding only 27 percent of such jobs. In the next decade, will we see vast changes in the gender balance of the tech industry?

The New York Times piece holds the less-than-optimistic view that while girls outnumber boys in web content creation, those same girls are not trending toward advanced programming classes, undergraduate majors in computer science or math, and the like. It attributes this to girls being attracted to creative use of existing technology, rather than the invention of new technology.

I'm not so quick to wring my hands, though.

With each passing day, I think it makes less and less sense to draw a dividing line between what constitutes a computer-related field and what doesn't. We're very rapidly coming to a point where such lines are not only arbitrary, they're downright moot. As technology, and especially web technology, moves into more aspects of our lives, we can see it fitting comfortably into jobs that never before would've been considered "technical" -- such as teaching, healthcare, real estate, public relations, food service, and countless more. A fundamental tenet of social media is that it connects people and enhances our ability to do what we already love doing.

Maybe the real question, then, is not whether the blogging/coding/podcasting girls of today will grow up to become software engineers, but to what kinds of interesting and innovative uses they will apply their skills in their chosen field. We'll just have to wait and see, but my sans crystal ball prediction is that we won't be disappointed.

I was made aware of Emurse a couple weeks ago, but forgot about it until today when I came across this very positive review at Solution Watch. Emurse is a resume creation and management system with all the trappings of a modern web app. It was created by Gavin Hall and Alex Rudloff, who are also a lot of the muscle behind the new Netscape and the blogging software you and I are looking at right now. Emurse allows you to create a resume using its resume builder or upload multiple resumes. Each resume will get a unique, permanent URL that you can send to potential employers, who can download them in six different formats: DOC, PDF, RTF, ODT, HTML, and TXT. It also lets you e-mail, fax, or mail resumes and sync your resume with other job sites. Emurse is free for everyone, though I'm not sure if there are charges for faxing or mailing services.

Download Squad is looking for some new blood to add to our team. If you have a passion for software and web services, enjoy installing new apps on a daily basis, go to great lengths to get the most out of your computing experience, and have impeccable grammar and spelling, you might be what we're looking for.

To apply, send an e-mail with "DLSQ" and your full name in the subject line to jordan.running@weblogsinc.com containing all of the following:

• Your areas of interest and expertise. Be specific!

• Your blogging experience and blog URL(s). If you don't have blogging experience, be prepared to demonstrate significant writing ability and background.

• A bit about yourself, why you think you'd make the best addition to our team, and how much time, energy, and dedication you're willing to contribute to Download Squad.

• And last, but far from least, three original writing samples. We want to see what you'd write your first day on the job. Content and length is up to you, but it'd be smart to take your cues from what you've seen on Download Squad, and variety in your submissions is desirable. We like writers who are smart, concise, opinionated-but-open-minded, and independent. Surprise and impress us.

Blogging for Download Squad is a paid position. Incomplete applications will not be considered, and due to the potential volume of applications we cannot respond to every applicant.