Wow - the reaction to BendTech, WoTech, and tech in general in Bend has certainly gotten going in the last couple of weeks. In the last two weeks there have been stories covering Women in Tech (WoTech), The Software Association of Oregon (SAO), and others…all mentioning and discussing BendTech. Certainly all of us are hungry for the online infrastructure and social network to allow us to interact with one another in the community. I simply didn’t realize how hungry! I’ve already gotten several emails asking for contacts, where things are going, how they can get involved, what are we doing, and why aren’t we going faster! Believe me, I wish this was my full time job and we were going faster, but like most everyone else in the tech community in Bend, I have to spend my days focusing primarily on my “real” job…because we don’t have the jobs here…That brings me to one topic that seems to have made it’s rounds in the community…and that is the tech guys vs. the tech girls. First I’d like to say that BendTech is about everyone in the community regardless of gender. Second, Julie Anderson, who is taking the lead on Women in Tech (WoTech), is working with me on developing BendTech. And, important to note, Jen Blackledge, from Edge Wireless and the Central Oregon Web Professionals User Group, is also working with us and is a key contributor to WoTech. Third, the WoTech blog will be launched shortly off of the BendTech site. Bottom line: WoTech is part of the BendTech online community and we will continue expanding our content and our presence as we move forward.That also brings me to the Software Association of Oregon (SAO). Last week, Julie and I met with the folks from SAO and EDCO to specifically discuss how we all work together in broadening the tech community and what our collective future plans are. First, let me simply say that the folks from EDCO and SAO were terrific. They are here to support us, to build and grow the community, and to help us all do what it takes to reach our full potential. So a big thanks to them both! Second, it’s important for everyone to be aware that we are only going to succeed at creating the tech environment we want by working together in a socially responsible manner that benefits not simply the few, but all of us, while preserving the community that we hold so dear. This online infrastructure (BendTech.com) is intended to be the place to bring everyone together online…that doesn’t mean we can ignore the “offline infrastructure” nor are we!Fundamentally, one of the most important goals we have is to be the glue that brings together key tech groups within the community. In this fashion, we will be rolling out content and features in the next quarter on BendTech.com. We’d like to be open and transparent about what we are doing and what our timeline is for accomplishing our goals, so please check back for my next post which will outline our timeline and action items more clearly.In the meantime, if you would like to get involved in BendTech or learn more about it, please feel free to email either Julie or me. You can reach us at:julie.anderson@bendtech.commatt.abrams@bendtech.comThanks…