Some participants have had a far less positive experience, though.

Don, for example, said that while her previous employers were supportive of the calendar, her employers' parent company were not so pleased.

"It was obvious that the senior management were unhappy with the calendar and the publicity that it brought," she said.

"Within a year I was made redundant even though my work was exceptional."

Don, now in an executive-level position at Optus, said most people were very supportive of her involvement with the calendar, and she can't say directly that the calendar was why she lost her job.

"But it would have been a large contributing factor," she said, "because up until then I was the Golden Girl, and afterwards I was a controversial character."

Don was not alone.

"My own business nearly lost a major contract as a result of the calendar," Bernhardt said.

But Bernhardt said when she explained why she designed the calendar, the contract was signed and delivered - along with an order for two calendars.

Still, she was surprised by how conservative an IT industry in a constant state of change can be.

"You would think IT would jump on and applaud an innovative, creative, different approach to an issue," she said.