Dopp Juice

Q: Who are you?

A: I’m Sarah Dopp. Hi, it’s nice to meet you.

Q: I don’t mean to be rude here, but why should I keep reading?

A: ::shrugs:: I’m a blogger, a website developer, a social media evangelist, a project manager, a technical writer, an independent contractor, and a spoken word artist. I also live in San Francisco and hang out with techies and queer people. Do we have anything in common yet?

Q: Maybe. So… what’s up the haircut?

A: Ah, my shaved head… There’s a perfectly good explanation for it, and you can find it over here.

Q: This might be a personal question, but… are you a lesbian?

A: Nope, and I’m not straight, either. I’m somewhere in the middle and I call myself “queer.” You might start here, here, or here if you want to learn more.

Q: Got it. Okay, so you said you build websites? That’s perfect ‘cuz I need one…

A: Great! Before we talk about this, you should know that I’m not a designer. I do, however, handle a lot of other things, and I would love to hear more about what you’re looking for. You can get the lowdown on what I’m good for over here.

Q: Hey, I build websites, too! Do you have any work for me?

A: I might! Sometimes I need contracting help with graphic design or Javascript/PHP/MySQL programming. If you want me to keep you in mind for those things, let me know. Oh, hey, do you by any chance come equipped with a team that builds complete websites (design, programming, and all) for reasonable prices? People come to me a lot asking for that kind of work, and I need more good people to refer them to. Send me your portfolio website and contact info, ok? Thanks.

Q: What are you working on right now?

A: Right now I’m taking clients as an independent consultant. I’m also organizing a volunteer-sustained community expression blog called Genderfork, which is thriving. I’ve been co-host of San Francisco’s Queer Open Mic for a year and a half now, so you can always find me there.  And I’m building a regular social media discussion workshop for people of alternative lifestyles called Deviants Online.

Q: What do you write and perform?

A: I write my own story (and not much else).  It usually comes out in long poems or poetic essays, and I enjoy reading them at microphones.  My performance style tends to be pretty animated with lots of vocal emphasis and flailing arms.

Q: How long have you been building websites / blogging / reading at microphones?

A: I’ve been building websites and reading at microphones since ’97. I’ve been blogging since ’99.

Q: Cool. Out of curiosity, how old are you?

A: I was born in 1983. You get to do the math.

Q: So, wait, you were how old when you started building websites and reading at microphones?

A: I was 14, and I took them both pretty seriously right away. Here’s why.

Q: What did you get your degree in?

A: I didn’t.

Q: Wait — why not?  Aren’t you one of those ‘smart kids’? What happened?

A: I’ve been to six schools (including Bard, UNH, SFSU, and a few community colleges), and I’ve had three majors (Chinese, Linguistics, and Technical Writing). I wasn’t planning on moving around a lot — it just made the most sense at the time. Also circumstantially, I decided to become financially independent before graduating, and then discovered that I liked working more than I liked going to school. I maintained a 4.0 GPA through my senior year, and I’m about 4 classes short of graduating. I stopped going because it stopped mattering to me. If it starts mattering again, I’ll finish.

Q: Alright, so, how can I keep up with what you’re doing?

A: Well, you can keep an eye on my blogs: Dopp Juice, Genderfork, and Messyfilter. They’ll give you a pretty good idea of what I’m up to. You can also add me on Facebook, although I really don’t spend much time on that site. The BEST way to keep up with me is to follow me on Twitter — that’s where my real updates are. (Sidenote: while I appreciate everyone who follows me on Twitter, I’m only going to follow you back if I know you.)

Q: How can I get you to read my blog?

A: I hate to tell you this, and frankly it’s a little embarrassing for me, but there’s a good chance that you can’t.  I don’t read blogs (or Livejournal, or sometimes even Twitter) very often because when I’m on the Internet, I’m usually working.  See also: why I won’t talk to you on IM.

Q: Do you work a lot?

A: Yeah.

Q: Can we hang out?

A: Most of my friends will roll their eyes at that question and tell you I’m too busy working.  But since you asked, I’ll give you two hints.  First, field research shows I’m less likely to decline if you phrase it, “Can we get dinner sometime next week so we can scheme brilliant projects?” (I’m a sucker, what can I say?) And second, you can find me at the Queer Open Mic.

Q: Oh. Well, how can I contact you directly?

A: If you have my phone number, the best way to get my attention is a text message. If I’m following you on Twitter, you can have the same effect with a direct message. Email is the next best thing, and “info at sarahdopp dot com” will get you past my spam filters if you’re not already in my address book. I read every email I receive but I’m not always the best at responding, so please follow up if you’re not getting what you need from me. (Tip: I tend to respond to short emails faster than I respond to long emails.)

Q: I tried to call / IM you. Why don’t you answer?

A: I have a deep-seated aversion to any kind of synchronous communication that isn’t in person, so very few people get to contact me through the phone or instant messenger. It’s nothing personal. Really. I do like you. I just don’t like interruptions.

Q: I found you in a Google search because my last name is Dopp, too! Are we related?

A: Hi! Maybe? My Dopp lineage immigrated from Germany about 4 generations ago, and I don’t know a whole lot more than that. But even if we aren’t long lost cousins, I’m still happy to claim you as family. Us Dopps, we have to stick together. And if your name is Sarah Dopp (I know there are a few of you out there), please drop me a note and say “Hi”. We should probably scheme some ways to share the googlejuice.

Q: I think you’re neat.

A: Thanks. I think you’re pretty neat, too.