Organisers put the kibosh on 2008 IT Goddess calendar

Although last year's IT Screen Goddess calendar garnered worldwide attention and had an enormous positive impact on public perceptions of the IT industry, a 2008 calendar is unlikely.

The controversial calendar was a huge success in every area except one - financially.

The SG calendar featured 12 women from the IT industries modelling in costumes and poses mostly inspired by pop-culture and movies.

It drew controversy from some circles due to the risque nature of some of the photographs.

The designers wished to renew women's interest in IT as a profession, and dispel the myth that only 'geeks' work in IT.

Calendar model Sharon Don said the message of the calendar was that "people are holistic, and you don't have to be a pimply fat boy to be in IT".

SG calendar innovator and CEO of ThoughtWare, Sonja Bernhardt, said a number of people, particularly women, have joined the IT industry as a direct result of the calendar.

The photographs have also been used to produce educational flyers which have been exported to schools worldwide.

The designers have also attracted the attention of television producers in Los Angeles.

Plans are being made to produce a series tentatively titled 'Girls Gone Tech' which will be aimed at young women involved in or interested in careers in IT.

But these results have come at a price.

"Screen Goddess absorbed 6 months of my time away from my software development business and $25,000 of personal funds," Bernhardt said.

Despite making headlines worldwide and generating discussion on thousands of international blogs, only 3,000 copies of the calendar were sold - well below the 20,000 expected.

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