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<article>
<header>
<h1>Redeployment Part Two</h1>
</header>
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<p><em>This is part two of a multi-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">part one</a> if you haven’t already, then check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-three">part three</a> next!</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Hello and welcome back! We’re going to pick up right where we left off.
In <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">Redeployment Part One</a>, we emerged from polar night, deep-cleaned the station,
and prepared for the first flight and the arrival of our summer crew.</p>
<h1 id="first-flight">First Flight</h1>
<p>The first flight of the season isn’t actually destined for the South Pole. It’s a “mobilization” or “transit”
flight, and the South Pole is just a convenient stop along their route!</p>
<p>During the Antarctic summer, <a href="https://borekair.com/">Kenn Borek Air</a> (KBA) flies all over Antarctica, under contract
with the United States Antarctic Program and several other
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Antarctic_Program">national Antarctic programs</a>.
But these planes don’t stay in Antarctica year-round – they “de-mobilize”
and fly back to Canada at the end of the Antarctic summer.</p>
<p>Before these planes and their flight crews can start doing on-continent flights across Antarctica, they have to get to
Antarctica once again.
For example, the planes that will fly missions for the United States
Antarctic Program need to get all the way from Canada to their summer base of operations at McMurdo.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/kba-mcmurdo-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/kba-mcmurdo-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/kba-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/kba-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" alt="KBA McMurdo 01">
</picture>
<em>KBA Baslers and Twin Otters stationed at McMurdo for the 2022-2023 summer. These small
planes and their crews have to get to Antarctica at the start of every summer.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>For smaller planes (KBA Baslers and Twin Otters), it’s simply not feasible to fly
the same route as larger intercontinental planes. The intercontinental route takes these larger planes
around the non-Antarctic world, through Christchurch, and
across the South Pacific Ocean
and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ocean">Southern Ocean</a> to McMurdo.
For smaller planes, the distances involved are just too great. Even with
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferry_tank">ferry tanks</a>, it’s too far for these planes to fly safely.
The distance from Christchurch to McMurdo is about 2,415 miles.</p>
<p>Instead, these KBA planes depart Canada and travel down through North and South America, making whatever
stops are necessary along the way. The planes arrive and hold in
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punta_Arenas">Punta Arenas, Chile</a>. Punta Arenas is one of the main
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_gateway_cities">Antarctic gateway cities</a> for operations
on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Peninsula">Antarctic Peninsula</a>.</p>
<p>Once a good weather window opens up, they fly across the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_Passage">Drake Passage</a> to
<a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/sites-and-facilities/facility/rothera/">Rothera</a>,
a British Antarctic Survey (BAS) station on
the Antarctic Peninsula. Rothera is located about 1,013
miles from Punta Arenas.</p>
<p>Here’s a quick timelapse that shows runway operations at Rothera, courtesy of Matt Hughes from BAS
(<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hughes_matt/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hughes_matt">X/Twitter</a>) and
included here with Matt’s permission:</p>
<p>
<video preload="metadata" controls="" playsinline="" poster="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/matt-rothera-runway-01-poster.jpg">
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/matt-rothera-runway-01.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/matt-rothera-runway-01.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
</video>
</p>
<p>Once the planes arrive at Rothera, they need to get all the way to McMurdo, on the opposite coast of
Antarctica. The shortest route takes them through the South Pole! For this particular transit path,
Pole is just a glorified pit stop. Pole is located about 1,550 miles from Rothera, and McMurdo
is located about 845 miles from Pole.</p>
<p>The planes will depart Rothera when there’s a good weather window.
Once a plane arrives at the South Pole, if it’s a <a href="https://borekair.com/fleet/dc3t/">Basler</a>,
the crew will usually want fuel and a quick stretch, then they’re on their way.
If it’s a smaller / slower plane such as a
<a href="https://borekair.com/fleet/dhc6/">Twin Otter</a>, they may stay overnight. This depends on how long they’ve been
flying and where they are heading.</p>
<p>This means that, for Baslers transiting through Pole to McMurdo,
a “good weather window” means good weather at Rothera <strong>and</strong> Pole <strong>and</strong> McMurdo,
all on the same day. This is necessary to minimize the likelihood of the crew having to stay
the night at Pole.</p>
<p>Rothera is much better equipped for overnight guests than Pole, for both the crew and
the plane itself. Although, when necessary, Pole does have the infrastructure to support planes
on the ground for extended periods of time.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/outlets-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/outlets-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/outlets-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/outlets-01-small.jpg" alt="Outlets 01">
</picture>
<em>Electrical outlets near the aircraft parking area, for connecting ground support
equipment, including electric heaters.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Our first flight was a Basler, mobilizing through Pole en route to its final destination. It arrived from
Rothera on the morning of October 24, 2023. This was the first outside human contact for winterover Polies since
February 2023!</p>
<p>Photo is again courtesy of fellow winterover Jeff Capps (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thejeffcapps/">Instagram</a>):</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/jeff-plane-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/jeff-plane-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/jeff-plane-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/jeff-plane-01-small.jpg" alt="Jeff Plane 01">
</picture>
<em>Our first KBA Basler, on its transit / mobilization flight through Pole! Photo credit: Jeff Capps</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>The plane didn’t stay on the ground long. Just long enough to say hello, fill up on fuel, and drop off some
unofficial but <strong>MUCH</strong>-appreciated cargo: <em>Freshies</em>.</p>
<p>This wasn’t an official USAP resupply flight to Pole, but the flight crew was kind enough to carry a small
amount of fresh foods for the overwintering crew at Pole. We hadn’t seen fresh food in several months, so even
a small amount (we’re talking one piece of fruit per Polie) was a fantastic gift.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/first-apple-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/first-apple-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/first-apple-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/first-apple-01-small.jpg" alt="First Apple 01">
</picture>
<em>My first fresh food in months! An apple, courtesy of a KBA crew mobilizing through Pole.</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="station-opening">Station Opening</h1>
<p>After the first mobilization flight, it was only a few more days until the next major milestone: Station Opening!</p>
<p>It began to feel “real” once we put the flight slide back up on our slideshow. We turn this one off over the
winter – with no flights for 8.5 months, it’s not necessary. There’s no sense in teasing us all winter with
abstract concepts such as “departing South Pole”. Turning it back on, a week before station opened,
served as a reminder that things were about to feel much different vs. this isolated winter we had grown used to.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/departure-slide-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/departure-slide-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/departure-slide-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/departure-slide-01-small.jpg" alt="Departure Slide 01">
</picture>
<em>Departure message back on our station slideshow!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>On Saturday, October 28, 2023, we welcomed our first official USAP inbound/outbound passenger flight between McMurdo
and South Pole. This was on one of the Baslers that had mobilized through Pole just a few days prior.</p>
<p>The first flight always brings in the “adults” – the fulltime staff who work on the Antarctic program
year-round. Most of them deploy for the summer, then leave for the winter, leaving the station under the
care of seasonal contractors (like me!).</p>
<p>This rotation (summer at Pole, winter remote) allows the fulltimers to oversee
summer station projects, but it also gives them enough time offsite during the Antarctic winter.
These are more “career” positions, vs. the “seasonal contractor”
positions that make up the majority of the support staff. The expectation is that this is a stable, sustainable
pace of work that allows the fulltimers to remain in their positions year-after-year. Summer at Pole for
these folks is usually between 3 and 3.5 months.</p>
<p>Of course, the first flight also brought our first official resupply of freshies!</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/freshies-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/freshies-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/freshies-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/freshies-01-small.jpg" alt="Freshies 01">
</picture>
<em>Our first official (although small) resupply of freshies.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>This first resupply also included eggs! Our first in almost 5 months, since we consumed
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/the-last-egg">The Last Egg</a> of the winter on June 6, 2023.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-01-small.jpg" alt="Eggs 01">
</picture>
<em>Our first eggs in almost 5 months!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>The freshies were, of course, rationed carefully. This ensured that us crusty winterovers had our fill.
This is mostly a playful thing on station, but there’s truth to the sentiment.</p>
<p>If you’ve <em>just</em> arrived
on station, that means you’ve come from Real Life™, where you recently had access to all the fresh food
you can eat. By contrast, us winterovers are at the tail end of 8.5 months of isolation. We haven’t tasted
fresh food in a long time. Please – leave the eggs for us. We need them.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-sign-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-sign-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-sign-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-sign-01-small.jpg" alt="Eggs Sign 01">
</picture>
<em>"Fresh eggs only for winterovers at this time."</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>With the first flight, we also begin saying goodbye to our first round of winterover colleagues. Many of us
met for the first time at Pole, and we spent 8.5+ months isolated together.</p>
<p>Pole quickly became our entire lives,
for better or worse. It was a static and fixed population, and after <em>months</em> of immersion, it began
to feel eternal and unchanging. The outside world feels less… real when you’re at Pole. You’re separated
by physical and information barriers. You can’t go anywhere, and your access to the world is exclusively through
slow and unreliable Internet connectivity.</p>
<p>When we said goodbye to some of our colleagues, it was the first real milestone that surfaced long-repressed
feelings about “real life”, the transient nature of contract work, and the prospect of reintegrating into
society. Our colleagues were <em>leaving</em>. They were going to <em>get out of Antarctica</em>.
There is a real world beyond this place, and in just a few short days, they would be <em>back in it</em>.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/coats-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/coats-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/coats-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/coats-01-small.jpg" alt="Coats 01">
</picture>
<em>New coats in the coat room, and our departed winterovers' coats no longer hanging in their normal spots.
Big changes here at South Pole Station!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>The flight out of Pole
can’t carry as many people as the flight into Pole. When the plane departs McMurdo, it’s taking off from
sea level. When the plane departs Pole, it’s taking off from almost 10,000 feet above sea level.
The allowable cargo load is lower for this takeoff from elevation. A
Basler can typically carry 11-14 people to Pole and 6-8 people out of Pole, depending on passenger
weight and cargo requirements.</p>
<h1 id="turnover-and-eternal-waiting">Turnover and Eternal Waiting</h1>
<p>Station opening marked the beginning of the <em>turnover</em> phase of Antarctic life. Newcomers arrived on
every subsequent flight, and winterovers began trickling out. Choosing who flies in and who flies out
is a delicate balance, and it changes day-to-day.</p>
<p>Some teams need more time to hand off their work, from the outgoing winterovers to
the incoming summer staff. Some teams need less. Some teams have a lot of work that happens all at once, and the
winterovers have to stay longer to help.</p>
<p>Some teams can’t even <em>begin</em> turnover until critical support roles
are filled and summer teams are up and running. Summer replacements for those teams typically won’t make it down
until the required support staff are in place. This means those winterovers are stuck at Pole the longest,
long after their fellow winterover colleagues have departed.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/baggage-box-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/baggage-box-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/baggage-box-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/baggage-box-01-small.jpg" alt="Baggage Box 01">
</picture>
<em>Delivering a baggage box to station from one of the Baslers that landed at Pole on November 11, 2023.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>In addition, we’re limited by flight capacity. For the first
several weeks of the summer season, we only have Baslers. The LC-130s need more support infrastructure
(for example, firefighting teams) on the ground at Pole. The infrastructure to support LC-130s
can only be built out once the first critical summer staff have arrived on Baslers.</p>
<p>Baslers can hold only a handful of people,
and the weather is always dicey this time of year. This means <strong>lots</strong> of canceled flights!
In the 18 days between when the first flight arrived
and when I finally flew out, we only managed to get five total flights to Pole, despite trying nearly every
single day. Weather, equipment, and personnel issues contributed to a series of delays. These delays are typical,
but they’re still frustrating for antsy winterovers who want to <em>get out</em> at the end of a long winter.</p>
<p>The majority of winterovers
do <em>not</em> stay the upcoming summer. Some folks do summer and then winter, but very few do winter and then summer.
It’s easy to go from fast-paced, bustling summer into relaxing, slow winter. It’s much harder to go the other
direction, from winter into summer.
By the end of winter, most of us, however well-adjusted, however strong our coping mechanisms,
were ready to <em>get out of there</em>.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterovers-waiting-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterovers-waiting-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterovers-waiting-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterovers-waiting-01-small.jpg" alt="Winterovers Waiting 01">
</picture>
<em>"Winter-Overs waiting for planes to fly to South Pole."</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Everyone has their own superstition or ritual for cutting through the delays and summoning a plane.
It’s a silly notion, but it’s something to do. It provides a much-needed distraction from the stress of waiting,
and it lets us dream that we’re somehow in control of the weather.</p>
<p>For some, it’s a special meal. “If galley makes Chicken and Dumplings, the plane will come.”</p>
<p>For others, it’s drinking alcohol. “If I am hungover and don’t want to move, the plane will come and I’ll have
to drag myself onto it.”</p>
<p>For others, it’s a movie. We chose Shrek. If we watch Shrek, the plane will come. We watched Shrek
<em>SEVERAL</em> times. Nobody said the ritual was guaranteed to succeed.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/flight-ritual-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/flight-ritual-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/flight-ritual-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/flight-ritual-01-small.jpg" alt="Flight Ritual 01">
</picture>
<em>One of many rituals for summoning a flight: watching Shrek.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Eternal waiting also meant going over and over in your head, trying to figure out what else you should see
while you’re still at Pole. Most of us had been here about a year, and we’ve seen everything.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterover-photo-wall-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterover-photo-wall-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterover-photo-wall-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterover-photo-wall-01-small.jpg" alt="Winterover Photo Wall 01">
</picture>
<em>Taking time to really look up and down the hallways.
This wall displays annual winterover crew photos going back several decades.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>We all lived, for an entire winter, just a few hundred feet from the <em>actual, geographic South Pole</em>.
<strong>Literally</strong> any time I wanted to, I could go outside and touch it.
It was easy! It was right there! Only ~1,700 people, in the history of forever,
have ever had the experience of wintering over at the South Pole.
It was 100°F below zero! It was pitch black! We were doing
world-changing science! We were thousands of miles from civilization!</p>
<p>Most of us were very much over it. We were desensitized
to the sheer mind-boggling novelty of where we were. We went about our daily routines, and the
unique context faded into the background. We sat around in our pajamas, sipping tea, playing board games.
The most interesting topic of conversation is whether there would be tater tots at breakfast tomorrow.</p>
<p>But in these last few days, I did my best to recapture the magic of where I was. I walked around station,
inside and out. I paid attention to the little details and the unique things I could only do here.</p>
<p>For example, here’s a quick walk around the geographic South Pole, in which I hit every longitudinal value
over the course of 37 seconds.
Anyone could do this! At any time! For a brief few minutes,
I was the World’s Southernmost Human. I did this once when I arrived, once or twice throughout the year, and now,
just days before I departed, I was doing it for the last time.</p>
<p>
<video preload="metadata" controls="" playsinline="" poster="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-around-the-world-01-poster.jpg">
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-around-the-world-01.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-around-the-world-01.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
</video>
</p>
<p>Side note: My walk around the world was only 37 seconds, because I was so close to the convergence point.
Polar sailing events in the Southern Ocean also have to contend with this same issue. The tighter your
route, i.e. the further South you are, the faster you can complete the circumnavigation. Here’s a fascinating
<a href="https://www.theoceanrace.com/en/news/13635_Managing-the-ice-limit">article</a>
explaining how the organizers of a polar sailing event established an Ice Exclusion Zone.
Obviously sailors would have an incentive to
go as far South as possible to shorten the course, but that increases the risk of hazardous encounters with
icebergs. Hence, a southern limit for the event.</p>
<p>Speaking of the geographic South Pole – here’s my attempt from last Summer
to get as close to the geographic South Pole as my phone’s GPS would register.</p>
<p>This was shortly after I <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/south-pole-arrival">arrived</a> at Pole, during Summer 2022/2023. I remember being
thrilled and geeking out about the sheer novelty of standing at the bottom of the world.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/gps-01.png">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/gps-01.png" type="image/png"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/gps-01.png" alt="GPS 01">
</picture>
<em>Getting as close to the geographic South Pole as I could.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>I was able to get to 89°59.9990’S latitude! I’m not sure if this is
a limitation of the Android GPS infrastructure, a limitation in this particular GPS app,
or if I simply wasn’t persistent enough to find exactly 90°00.0000’S.</p>
<p>If I had been able to find 90°00.0000’S exactly,
the displayed compass would have been inaccurate. There is no South, East, or West from exactly 90°S, only North in
every direction! A fun edge case for compass design. You can see what this would look like in this stylized
representation from the 2014 pole marker. This photo is from
<a href="https://www.southpolestation.com/trivia/2013marker.html">SouthPoleStation.com</a>.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/all-points-north-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/all-points-north-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/all-points-north-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/all-points-north-01-small.jpg" alt="All Points North 01">
</picture>
<em>The 2014 pole marker, with a compass that shows North in all directions.
Photo credit: SouthPoleStation.com</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="south-pole-departure">South Pole Departure</h1>
<p>My scheduled flight out of Pole was the first LC-130. After four Baslers, we finally had the ground crew on
hand, and the LC-130s had made it “on-continent” from Christchurch. My flight would be the first
passenger/cargo LC-130 between McMurdo and Pole.</p>
<p>On the morning of November 16, 2023, Comms greeted us with the radio call we were all hoping for:</p>
<p><em>Attention South Pole, attention South Pole: Skiier &lt;number&gt; has departed Williams field, and is
estimating South Pole at 1430. This is an inbound / outbound passenger flight. Thank you.</em></p>
<p>The plane was heading our way! Now the final remaining risk was a “boomerang”. A boomerang is when
the plane turns around mid-flight due to weather or mechanical issues.</p>
<p>A boomerang is emotional whiplash for the affected
Antarcticans, coming or going. If you were bright-eyed, full of energy, and excited to get to Pole? Sorry.
If you were crusty, worn out after a long winter, and ready to get back to civilization? Sorry.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/boomerang-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/boomerang-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/boomerang-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/boomerang-01-small.jpg" alt="Boomerang 01">
</picture>
<em>Are you ready to boomerang?</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Once the flight passed “Pole 3”, an in-flight landmark most of the way to Pole,
the fear of a boomerang faded. The plane was almost guaranteed to make it all the way.
This was when it became real: we were actually, truly leaving!</p>
<p>In the last few minutes before the plane landed, we did a final walkthrough of our rooms, making sure they
were clean and ready for the next crew. I had lived here for 11 months, and now it was cleaned out and ready
for a new arrival:</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/pole-berthing-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/pole-berthing-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/pole-berthing-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/pole-berthing-01-small.jpg" alt="Pole Berthing 01">
</picture>
<em>Berthing room, cleaned out and ready for the next Polie.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>When the plane landed, the new arrivals shuffled into the station. There were quite a few of them! LC-130s are <em>large</em>,
and they can carry a lot of passengers and cargo. These are our workhorse planes. Pole will get several
LC-130s per week throughout the summer.</p>
<p>Cargo staff began unloading pallets of cargo for Pole, and loading pallets of cargo destined for McMurdo.</p>
<p>The last order of business for departing passengers inside the station was to drop off our radios,
so they could be reprogrammed for the new summer staff.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/radio-dropoff-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/radio-dropoff-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/radio-dropoff-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/radio-dropoff-01-small.jpg" alt="Radio Dropoff 01">
</picture>
<em>Turning in our radios on the way out the door!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Finally, our little group of departing winterovers, myself included, left South Pole Station for the season.</p>
<p>As we walked to the plane, we all stopped to take a final round of photos and videos. It was an exciting moment!
We were thrilled that we were finally leaving, but we were also aware that many of us would choose not to return
for a subsequent season. Our last few minutes at the South Pole!</p>
<p>
<video preload="metadata" controls="" playsinline="" poster="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-to-plane-01-poster.jpg">
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-to-plane-01.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-to-plane-01.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
</video>
</p>
<p>And then, suddenly, we were on the plane and departing Pole. It’s the same type of plane I flew
in on – see <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/south-pole-arrival">South Pole Arrival</a> for more photos.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-cargo-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-cargo-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-cargo-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-cargo-01-small.jpg" alt="LC-130 Cargo 01">
</picture>
<em>Cargo on our LC-130 flight out of Pole, including all our winterover postal mail.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Once we were in the air, we alternated between relaxing and staring out the windows. Once we got closer to
the coast, we began to see <em>mountains</em> for the first time since arriving at Pole. Pole is completely
featureless – no mountains, no rocks, no dirt whatsoever. Just flat, miles-thick ice as far as the eye
can see. Seeing mountains out the window was a treat.</p>
<p>
<video preload="metadata" controls="" playsinline="" poster="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/in-flight-01-poster.jpg">
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/in-flight-01.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/in-flight-01.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
</video>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-window-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-window-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-window-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-window-01-small.jpg" alt="LC-130 Window 01">
</picture>
<em>View out the window of our LC-130, seeing actual rocks for the first time in 11 months!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p><em>This is part two of a multi-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">part one</a> if you haven’t already, then check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-three">part three</a> next!</em></p>
</article>


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title: Redeployment Part Two
url: https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two
hash_url: 284205d0f99390dd18d3af12ff53227c
archive_date: 2024-01-21

<p><em>This is part two of a multi-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">part one</a> if you haven’t already, then check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-three">part three</a> next!</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Hello and welcome back! We’re going to pick up right where we left off.
In <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">Redeployment Part One</a>, we emerged from polar night, deep-cleaned the station,
and prepared for the first flight and the arrival of our summer crew.</p>
<h1 id="first-flight">First Flight</h1>
<p>The first flight of the season isn’t actually destined for the South Pole. It’s a “mobilization” or “transit”
flight, and the South Pole is just a convenient stop along their route!</p>
<p>During the Antarctic summer, <a href="https://borekair.com/">Kenn Borek Air</a> (KBA) flies all over Antarctica, under contract
with the United States Antarctic Program and several other
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Antarctic_Program">national Antarctic programs</a>.
But these planes don’t stay in Antarctica year-round – they “de-mobilize”
and fly back to Canada at the end of the Antarctic summer.</p>
<p>Before these planes and their flight crews can start doing on-continent flights across Antarctica, they have to get to
Antarctica once again.
For example, the planes that will fly missions for the United States
Antarctic Program need to get all the way from Canada to their summer base of operations at McMurdo.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/kba-mcmurdo-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/kba-mcmurdo-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/kba-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/kba-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" alt="KBA McMurdo 01">
</picture>
<em>KBA Baslers and Twin Otters stationed at McMurdo for the 2022-2023 summer. These small
planes and their crews have to get to Antarctica at the start of every summer.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>For smaller planes (KBA Baslers and Twin Otters), it’s simply not feasible to fly
the same route as larger intercontinental planes. The intercontinental route takes these larger planes
around the non-Antarctic world, through Christchurch, and
across the South Pacific Ocean
and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ocean">Southern Ocean</a> to McMurdo.
For smaller planes, the distances involved are just too great. Even with
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferry_tank">ferry tanks</a>, it’s too far for these planes to fly safely.
The distance from Christchurch to McMurdo is about 2,415 miles.</p>
<p>Instead, these KBA planes depart Canada and travel down through North and South America, making whatever
stops are necessary along the way. The planes arrive and hold in
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punta_Arenas">Punta Arenas, Chile</a>. Punta Arenas is one of the main
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_gateway_cities">Antarctic gateway cities</a> for operations
on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Peninsula">Antarctic Peninsula</a>.</p>
<p>Once a good weather window opens up, they fly across the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_Passage">Drake Passage</a> to
<a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/sites-and-facilities/facility/rothera/">Rothera</a>,
a British Antarctic Survey (BAS) station on
the Antarctic Peninsula. Rothera is located about 1,013
miles from Punta Arenas.</p>
<p>Here’s a quick timelapse that shows runway operations at Rothera, courtesy of Matt Hughes from BAS
(<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hughes_matt/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hughes_matt">X/Twitter</a>) and
included here with Matt’s permission:</p>
<p>
<video preload="metadata" controls="" playsinline="" poster="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/matt-rothera-runway-01-poster.jpg">
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/matt-rothera-runway-01.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/matt-rothera-runway-01.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
</video>
</p>
<p>Once the planes arrive at Rothera, they need to get all the way to McMurdo, on the opposite coast of
Antarctica. The shortest route takes them through the South Pole! For this particular transit path,
Pole is just a glorified pit stop. Pole is located about 1,550 miles from Rothera, and McMurdo
is located about 845 miles from Pole.</p>
<p>The planes will depart Rothera when there’s a good weather window.
Once a plane arrives at the South Pole, if it’s a <a href="https://borekair.com/fleet/dc3t/">Basler</a>,
the crew will usually want fuel and a quick stretch, then they’re on their way.
If it’s a smaller / slower plane such as a
<a href="https://borekair.com/fleet/dhc6/">Twin Otter</a>, they may stay overnight. This depends on how long they’ve been
flying and where they are heading.</p>
<p>This means that, for Baslers transiting through Pole to McMurdo,
a “good weather window” means good weather at Rothera <strong>and</strong> Pole <strong>and</strong> McMurdo,
all on the same day. This is necessary to minimize the likelihood of the crew having to stay
the night at Pole.</p>
<p>Rothera is much better equipped for overnight guests than Pole, for both the crew and
the plane itself. Although, when necessary, Pole does have the infrastructure to support planes
on the ground for extended periods of time.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/outlets-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/outlets-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/outlets-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/outlets-01-small.jpg" alt="Outlets 01">
</picture>
<em>Electrical outlets near the aircraft parking area, for connecting ground support
equipment, including electric heaters.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Our first flight was a Basler, mobilizing through Pole en route to its final destination. It arrived from
Rothera on the morning of October 24, 2023. This was the first outside human contact for winterover Polies since
February 2023!</p>
<p>Photo is again courtesy of fellow winterover Jeff Capps (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thejeffcapps/">Instagram</a>):</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/jeff-plane-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/jeff-plane-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/jeff-plane-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/jeff-plane-01-small.jpg" alt="Jeff Plane 01">
</picture>
<em>Our first KBA Basler, on its transit / mobilization flight through Pole! Photo credit: Jeff Capps</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>The plane didn’t stay on the ground long. Just long enough to say hello, fill up on fuel, and drop off some
unofficial but <strong>MUCH</strong>-appreciated cargo: <em>Freshies</em>.</p>
<p>This wasn’t an official USAP resupply flight to Pole, but the flight crew was kind enough to carry a small
amount of fresh foods for the overwintering crew at Pole. We hadn’t seen fresh food in several months, so even
a small amount (we’re talking one piece of fruit per Polie) was a fantastic gift.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/first-apple-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/first-apple-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/first-apple-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/first-apple-01-small.jpg" alt="First Apple 01">
</picture>
<em>My first fresh food in months! An apple, courtesy of a KBA crew mobilizing through Pole.</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="station-opening">Station Opening</h1>
<p>After the first mobilization flight, it was only a few more days until the next major milestone: Station Opening!</p>
<p>It began to feel “real” once we put the flight slide back up on our slideshow. We turn this one off over the
winter – with no flights for 8.5 months, it’s not necessary. There’s no sense in teasing us all winter with
abstract concepts such as “departing South Pole”. Turning it back on, a week before station opened,
served as a reminder that things were about to feel much different vs. this isolated winter we had grown used to.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/departure-slide-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/departure-slide-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/departure-slide-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/departure-slide-01-small.jpg" alt="Departure Slide 01">
</picture>
<em>Departure message back on our station slideshow!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>On Saturday, October 28, 2023, we welcomed our first official USAP inbound/outbound passenger flight between McMurdo
and South Pole. This was on one of the Baslers that had mobilized through Pole just a few days prior.</p>
<p>The first flight always brings in the “adults” – the fulltime staff who work on the Antarctic program
year-round. Most of them deploy for the summer, then leave for the winter, leaving the station under the
care of seasonal contractors (like me!).</p>
<p>This rotation (summer at Pole, winter remote) allows the fulltimers to oversee
summer station projects, but it also gives them enough time offsite during the Antarctic winter.
These are more “career” positions, vs. the “seasonal contractor”
positions that make up the majority of the support staff. The expectation is that this is a stable, sustainable
pace of work that allows the fulltimers to remain in their positions year-after-year. Summer at Pole for
these folks is usually between 3 and 3.5 months.</p>
<p>Of course, the first flight also brought our first official resupply of freshies!</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/freshies-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/freshies-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/freshies-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/freshies-01-small.jpg" alt="Freshies 01">
</picture>
<em>Our first official (although small) resupply of freshies.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>This first resupply also included eggs! Our first in almost 5 months, since we consumed
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/the-last-egg">The Last Egg</a> of the winter on June 6, 2023.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-01-small.jpg" alt="Eggs 01">
</picture>
<em>Our first eggs in almost 5 months!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>The freshies were, of course, rationed carefully. This ensured that us crusty winterovers had our fill.
This is mostly a playful thing on station, but there’s truth to the sentiment.</p>
<p>If you’ve <em>just</em> arrived
on station, that means you’ve come from Real Life™, where you recently had access to all the fresh food
you can eat. By contrast, us winterovers are at the tail end of 8.5 months of isolation. We haven’t tasted
fresh food in a long time. Please – leave the eggs for us. We need them.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-sign-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-sign-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-sign-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/eggs-sign-01-small.jpg" alt="Eggs Sign 01">
</picture>
<em>"Fresh eggs only for winterovers at this time."</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>With the first flight, we also begin saying goodbye to our first round of winterover colleagues. Many of us
met for the first time at Pole, and we spent 8.5+ months isolated together.</p>
<p>Pole quickly became our entire lives,
for better or worse. It was a static and fixed population, and after <em>months</em> of immersion, it began
to feel eternal and unchanging. The outside world feels less… real when you’re at Pole. You’re separated
by physical and information barriers. You can’t go anywhere, and your access to the world is exclusively through
slow and unreliable Internet connectivity.</p>
<p>When we said goodbye to some of our colleagues, it was the first real milestone that surfaced long-repressed
feelings about “real life”, the transient nature of contract work, and the prospect of reintegrating into
society. Our colleagues were <em>leaving</em>. They were going to <em>get out of Antarctica</em>.
There is a real world beyond this place, and in just a few short days, they would be <em>back in it</em>.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/coats-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/coats-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/coats-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/coats-01-small.jpg" alt="Coats 01">
</picture>
<em>New coats in the coat room, and our departed winterovers' coats no longer hanging in their normal spots.
Big changes here at South Pole Station!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>The flight out of Pole
can’t carry as many people as the flight into Pole. When the plane departs McMurdo, it’s taking off from
sea level. When the plane departs Pole, it’s taking off from almost 10,000 feet above sea level.
The allowable cargo load is lower for this takeoff from elevation. A
Basler can typically carry 11-14 people to Pole and 6-8 people out of Pole, depending on passenger
weight and cargo requirements.</p>
<h1 id="turnover-and-eternal-waiting">Turnover and Eternal Waiting</h1>
<p>Station opening marked the beginning of the <em>turnover</em> phase of Antarctic life. Newcomers arrived on
every subsequent flight, and winterovers began trickling out. Choosing who flies in and who flies out
is a delicate balance, and it changes day-to-day.</p>
<p>Some teams need more time to hand off their work, from the outgoing winterovers to
the incoming summer staff. Some teams need less. Some teams have a lot of work that happens all at once, and the
winterovers have to stay longer to help.</p>
<p>Some teams can’t even <em>begin</em> turnover until critical support roles
are filled and summer teams are up and running. Summer replacements for those teams typically won’t make it down
until the required support staff are in place. This means those winterovers are stuck at Pole the longest,
long after their fellow winterover colleagues have departed.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/baggage-box-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/baggage-box-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/baggage-box-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/baggage-box-01-small.jpg" alt="Baggage Box 01">
</picture>
<em>Delivering a baggage box to station from one of the Baslers that landed at Pole on November 11, 2023.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>In addition, we’re limited by flight capacity. For the first
several weeks of the summer season, we only have Baslers. The LC-130s need more support infrastructure
(for example, firefighting teams) on the ground at Pole. The infrastructure to support LC-130s
can only be built out once the first critical summer staff have arrived on Baslers.</p>
<p>Baslers can hold only a handful of people,
and the weather is always dicey this time of year. This means <strong>lots</strong> of canceled flights!
In the 18 days between when the first flight arrived
and when I finally flew out, we only managed to get five total flights to Pole, despite trying nearly every
single day. Weather, equipment, and personnel issues contributed to a series of delays. These delays are typical,
but they’re still frustrating for antsy winterovers who want to <em>get out</em> at the end of a long winter.</p>
<p>The majority of winterovers
do <em>not</em> stay the upcoming summer. Some folks do summer and then winter, but very few do winter and then summer.
It’s easy to go from fast-paced, bustling summer into relaxing, slow winter. It’s much harder to go the other
direction, from winter into summer.
By the end of winter, most of us, however well-adjusted, however strong our coping mechanisms,
were ready to <em>get out of there</em>.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterovers-waiting-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterovers-waiting-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterovers-waiting-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterovers-waiting-01-small.jpg" alt="Winterovers Waiting 01">
</picture>
<em>"Winter-Overs waiting for planes to fly to South Pole."</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Everyone has their own superstition or ritual for cutting through the delays and summoning a plane.
It’s a silly notion, but it’s something to do. It provides a much-needed distraction from the stress of waiting,
and it lets us dream that we’re somehow in control of the weather.</p>
<p>For some, it’s a special meal. “If galley makes Chicken and Dumplings, the plane will come.”</p>
<p>For others, it’s drinking alcohol. “If I am hungover and don’t want to move, the plane will come and I’ll have
to drag myself onto it.”</p>
<p>For others, it’s a movie. We chose Shrek. If we watch Shrek, the plane will come. We watched Shrek
<em>SEVERAL</em> times. Nobody said the ritual was guaranteed to succeed.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/flight-ritual-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/flight-ritual-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/flight-ritual-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/flight-ritual-01-small.jpg" alt="Flight Ritual 01">
</picture>
<em>One of many rituals for summoning a flight: watching Shrek.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Eternal waiting also meant going over and over in your head, trying to figure out what else you should see
while you’re still at Pole. Most of us had been here about a year, and we’ve seen everything.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterover-photo-wall-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterover-photo-wall-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterover-photo-wall-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/winterover-photo-wall-01-small.jpg" alt="Winterover Photo Wall 01">
</picture>
<em>Taking time to really look up and down the hallways.
This wall displays annual winterover crew photos going back several decades.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>We all lived, for an entire winter, just a few hundred feet from the <em>actual, geographic South Pole</em>.
<strong>Literally</strong> any time I wanted to, I could go outside and touch it.
It was easy! It was right there! Only ~1,700 people, in the history of forever,
have ever had the experience of wintering over at the South Pole.
It was 100°F below zero! It was pitch black! We were doing
world-changing science! We were thousands of miles from civilization!</p>
<p>Most of us were very much over it. We were desensitized
to the sheer mind-boggling novelty of where we were. We went about our daily routines, and the
unique context faded into the background. We sat around in our pajamas, sipping tea, playing board games.
The most interesting topic of conversation is whether there would be tater tots at breakfast tomorrow.</p>
<p>But in these last few days, I did my best to recapture the magic of where I was. I walked around station,
inside and out. I paid attention to the little details and the unique things I could only do here.</p>
<p>For example, here’s a quick walk around the geographic South Pole, in which I hit every longitudinal value
over the course of 37 seconds.
Anyone could do this! At any time! For a brief few minutes,
I was the World’s Southernmost Human. I did this once when I arrived, once or twice throughout the year, and now,
just days before I departed, I was doing it for the last time.</p>
<p>
<video preload="metadata" controls="" playsinline="" poster="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-around-the-world-01-poster.jpg">
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-around-the-world-01.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-around-the-world-01.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
</video>
</p>
<p>Side note: My walk around the world was only 37 seconds, because I was so close to the convergence point.
Polar sailing events in the Southern Ocean also have to contend with this same issue. The tighter your
route, i.e. the further South you are, the faster you can complete the circumnavigation. Here’s a fascinating
<a href="https://www.theoceanrace.com/en/news/13635_Managing-the-ice-limit">article</a>
explaining how the organizers of a polar sailing event established an Ice Exclusion Zone.
Obviously sailors would have an incentive to
go as far South as possible to shorten the course, but that increases the risk of hazardous encounters with
icebergs. Hence, a southern limit for the event.</p>
<p>Speaking of the geographic South Pole – here’s my attempt from last Summer
to get as close to the geographic South Pole as my phone’s GPS would register.</p>
<p>This was shortly after I <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/south-pole-arrival">arrived</a> at Pole, during Summer 2022/2023. I remember being
thrilled and geeking out about the sheer novelty of standing at the bottom of the world.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/gps-01.png">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/gps-01.png" type="image/png"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/gps-01.png" alt="GPS 01">
</picture>
<em>Getting as close to the geographic South Pole as I could.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>I was able to get to 89°59.9990’S latitude! I’m not sure if this is
a limitation of the Android GPS infrastructure, a limitation in this particular GPS app,
or if I simply wasn’t persistent enough to find exactly 90°00.0000’S.</p>
<p>If I had been able to find 90°00.0000’S exactly,
the displayed compass would have been inaccurate. There is no South, East, or West from exactly 90°S, only North in
every direction! A fun edge case for compass design. You can see what this would look like in this stylized
representation from the 2014 pole marker. This photo is from
<a href="https://www.southpolestation.com/trivia/2013marker.html">SouthPoleStation.com</a>.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/all-points-north-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/all-points-north-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/all-points-north-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/all-points-north-01-small.jpg" alt="All Points North 01">
</picture>
<em>The 2014 pole marker, with a compass that shows North in all directions.
Photo credit: SouthPoleStation.com</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="south-pole-departure">South Pole Departure</h1>
<p>My scheduled flight out of Pole was the first LC-130. After four Baslers, we finally had the ground crew on
hand, and the LC-130s had made it “on-continent” from Christchurch. My flight would be the first
passenger/cargo LC-130 between McMurdo and Pole.</p>
<p>On the morning of November 16, 2023, Comms greeted us with the radio call we were all hoping for:</p>
<p><em>Attention South Pole, attention South Pole: Skiier &lt;number&gt; has departed Williams field, and is
estimating South Pole at 1430. This is an inbound / outbound passenger flight. Thank you.</em></p>
<p>The plane was heading our way! Now the final remaining risk was a “boomerang”. A boomerang is when
the plane turns around mid-flight due to weather or mechanical issues.</p>
<p>A boomerang is emotional whiplash for the affected
Antarcticans, coming or going. If you were bright-eyed, full of energy, and excited to get to Pole? Sorry.
If you were crusty, worn out after a long winter, and ready to get back to civilization? Sorry.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/boomerang-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/boomerang-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/boomerang-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/boomerang-01-small.jpg" alt="Boomerang 01">
</picture>
<em>Are you ready to boomerang?</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Once the flight passed “Pole 3”, an in-flight landmark most of the way to Pole,
the fear of a boomerang faded. The plane was almost guaranteed to make it all the way.
This was when it became real: we were actually, truly leaving!</p>
<p>In the last few minutes before the plane landed, we did a final walkthrough of our rooms, making sure they
were clean and ready for the next crew. I had lived here for 11 months, and now it was cleaned out and ready
for a new arrival:</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/pole-berthing-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/pole-berthing-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/pole-berthing-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/pole-berthing-01-small.jpg" alt="Pole Berthing 01">
</picture>
<em>Berthing room, cleaned out and ready for the next Polie.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>When the plane landed, the new arrivals shuffled into the station. There were quite a few of them! LC-130s are <em>large</em>,
and they can carry a lot of passengers and cargo. These are our workhorse planes. Pole will get several
LC-130s per week throughout the summer.</p>
<p>Cargo staff began unloading pallets of cargo for Pole, and loading pallets of cargo destined for McMurdo.</p>
<p>The last order of business for departing passengers inside the station was to drop off our radios,
so they could be reprogrammed for the new summer staff.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/radio-dropoff-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/radio-dropoff-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/radio-dropoff-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/radio-dropoff-01-small.jpg" alt="Radio Dropoff 01">
</picture>
<em>Turning in our radios on the way out the door!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Finally, our little group of departing winterovers, myself included, left South Pole Station for the season.</p>
<p>As we walked to the plane, we all stopped to take a final round of photos and videos. It was an exciting moment!
We were thrilled that we were finally leaving, but we were also aware that many of us would choose not to return
for a subsequent season. Our last few minutes at the South Pole!</p>
<p>
<video preload="metadata" controls="" playsinline="" poster="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-to-plane-01-poster.jpg">
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-to-plane-01.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/walk-to-plane-01.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
</video>
</p>
<p>And then, suddenly, we were on the plane and departing Pole. It’s the same type of plane I flew
in on – see <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/south-pole-arrival">South Pole Arrival</a> for more photos.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-cargo-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-cargo-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-cargo-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-cargo-01-small.jpg" alt="LC-130 Cargo 01">
</picture>
<em>Cargo on our LC-130 flight out of Pole, including all our winterover postal mail.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Once we were in the air, we alternated between relaxing and staring out the windows. Once we got closer to
the coast, we began to see <em>mountains</em> for the first time since arriving at Pole. Pole is completely
featureless – no mountains, no rocks, no dirt whatsoever. Just flat, miles-thick ice as far as the eye
can see. Seeing mountains out the window was a treat.</p>
<p>
<video preload="metadata" controls="" playsinline="" poster="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/in-flight-01-poster.jpg">
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/in-flight-01.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
<source src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/in-flight-01.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
</video>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-window-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-window-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-window-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-two/lc130-window-01-small.jpg" alt="LC-130 Window 01">
</picture>
<em>View out the window of our LC-130, seeing actual rocks for the first time in 11 months!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p><em>This is part two of a multi-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">part one</a> if you haven’t already, then check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-three">part three</a> next!</em></p>

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<h1>Writing with AI</h1>
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<p>When ChatGPT came out one year ago, we wanted to know whether and how it could be used for writing. We put it to the test and came up with a careful answer.</p>
<p>This article is part two of a series about the <a href="https://ia.net/topics/no-feature">history</a>, reason, and the <a href="https://ia.net/topics/ia-writer-7">design</a> of iA Writer 7, our cautious response to AI. In this article, we answer the following five questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="#1">How good is AI for writing?</a></li>
<li><a href="#2">When is AI useful for writing, when is it not?</a></li>
<li><a href="#3">When is it right and when is it wrong to use AI?</a></li>
<li><a href="#4">What is the problem?</a></li>
<li><a href="#5">What should we design?</a></li>
</ol>
<p>You heard it: <em>AI will save the world. AI will destroy the world. AI will become conscious. AI is dumb. AI is genius. AI is starting. AI is over.</em> Some hope that AI will become a robot God, others predict its entropic death. AI is exhausting. If you work in tech, you can’t ignore it. Unfortunately, not every hype is just hype.<sup id="fnref-20899-hype"><a href="#fn-20899-hype" rel="footnote">1</a></sup> So what’s going on? How good is AI for writing, really?</p>
<h2 id="1">1. How good is AI for writing?</h2>
<h3>It’s not <em>that</em> good</h3>
<p>It is plausible that AI will improve, but no one knows what the future brings. Right now, if you have higher expectations than just getting writing done one way or the other, writing with ChatGPT is not <em>that</em> good.</p>
<p>Observing and experimenting with AI, we were not the only ones to find both pleasure and pain, benefits and downsides in AI-driven writing.<sup id="fnref-20899-obvious"><a href="#fn-20899-obvious" rel="footnote">2</a></sup> Some of the dangers like hallucinations and false logic are observable and easily reproducible. Others like loss of voice and common trust in writing are long-term issues, and some plausible traps are somewhat speculative. Currently, it is not that good in terms of:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Quality:</em> By itself, it makes a lot of mistakes and thus needs careful supervision to stay accurate and meaningful</li>
<li><em>Voice:</em> Letting a machine speak in your place makes you sound and feel like a tool</li>
<li><em>Satisfaction:</em> Having a robot ghost write for you makes you learn, grow, and achieve as much as winning in Chess with a computer</li>
</ul>
<p>And it’s <em>not that good</em> morally either: Why should someone bother to read what you didn’t bother to write?</p>
<h3>It’s not <em>that</em> bad either</h3>
<p>AI can write code, articles, books, emails, and it can do math. Sometimes it’s accurate, sometimes it makes up stuff. It <em>always</em> needs supervision. Left to its own devices, it can make the most ridiculous mistakes and make you look like a complete fool.</p>
<p>It’s both shockingly bad and shockingly good at explaining difficult matters. ChatGPT can explain Kant, the Relativity Theory and it can translate Cuneiform documents at a frightening speed. Mind you: You can <em>not</em> trust it. It has no conscience in any way. It <em>does not understand</em> what it does, and it <em>does not know what is good or bad</em>.</p>
<p>But if you get stuck reading Aristotle’s Metaphysics in ancient Greek, it can clear things up. And even—well, <em>especially</em>—when it’s wrong, it can give you a new perspective. It’s a great learning and dialogue partner. <sup id="fnref-20899-teacher"><a href="#fn-20899-teacher" rel="footnote">3</a></sup> In spite of all of its downsides, AI is cheap, fast, and painless.</p>
<h3>Killer quality convenience</h3>
<p>Despite the incessant hype, fear and hysteria, using AI for writing comes with a killer quality: convenience. It writes faster, clearer, and with fewer typos than most high school students. It’s comparable to early chess computers that quickly beat average players but took some time to reach the grand master level. When you look at how technology evolved over the last 20 years, you know that convenience is <em>the</em> key factor of success.<sup id="fnref-20899-convenience"><a href="#fn-20899-convenience" rel="footnote">4</a></sup></p>
<p>And due to its convenience, we believe that using AI for writing will likely become as common as using dishwashers, spellcheckers, and pocket calculators. The question is: <em>How will it be used?</em> Like spell checkers, dishwashers, chess computers and pocket calculators, writing with AI will be tied to varying rules in different settings.<sup id="fnref-20899-rules"><a href="#fn-20899-rules" rel="footnote">5</a></sup></p>
<p>In order to cope with this <em>new reality for writing</em> we needed to observe and think through the new writing process. We needed to test it up and down, left and right, back and forth, copy and paste, recopy and paste back, through and through.</p>
<h2 id="2">2. When is AI useful for writing, when is it not?</h2>
<h3>Not useful: Think less</h3>
<p>AI turns thoughtful tasks into thoughtless ones. Not thinking is a recipe for disaster. Independent of how AI evolves, letting AI write in our place is a Sci-Fi catastrophe classic.</p>
<p>Thinking less where thinking is key, is not advisable, unless you delegate it to another better-thinking person you trust. And yet. In our initial assessment we were missing a key benefit. The true benefit of writing with AI would only reveal itself through intense usage.</p>
<p>Writing is not about getting letters on a page. It’s not about getting done with text. It’s finding a clear and simple expression for what we feel, mean, and want to express. Writing is thinking with letters. Usually we do this alone. With AI, you write in dialogue. It comes with a chat-interface, after all. So, don’t just write commands, talk to it.</p>
<p><figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ask-question-AI.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>Ask me:</b> You can let AI ask you questions about your text. Then copy-paste your answers into an article. A classic writing technique, modernized.</figcaption>
<p>
<figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ai-is-patient.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>AI is patient:</b> It will continue asking you until you tell it to stop. No human is that patient with your ideas.</figcaption>
<p></p>
<h3>Useful: Think more</h3>
<p>Writing in dialogue with an artificial companion was unexpected, inspiring and exciting. Using AI in dialog over a writing task was a truly new experience. Using AI as a dialogue partner during preparation, when stuck, and in editing proved surprisingly useful. And that thing is patient like no one else! It never gets tired of you.</p>
<p>Thinking in dialogue is easier and more entertaining than struggling with feelings, letters, grammar and style all by ourselves. Using AI as a writing dialogue partner, ChatGPT can become a catalyst for clarifying what we want to say. Even if it is wrong.<sup id="fnref-20899-scrutinize"><a href="#fn-20899-scrutinize" rel="footnote">6</a></sup> Sometimes we need to hear what’s wrong to understand what’s right.</p>
<p>AI often makes a lot of factual and logical mistakes. Mistakes, if identified, can help you think. Seeing in clear text what is wrong or, at least, what we <em>don’t</em> mean can help us set our minds straight about what we <em>really</em> mean. If you get stuck, you can also simply let it ask you questions. If you don’t know how to improve, you can tell it to be evil in its critique of your writing:</p>
<p><figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ai-normal-critique.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>What do you think?</b> Usually ChatGPT tries to be nice. This type of critique may be motivating for beginners, but more experienced writers need more spice.</figcaption>
<p>
<figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ai-be-evil.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>“Be as evil as you can”:</b> If you want to learn something you need to make it hurt. If it hurts it has a point, if not, you’re ready to publish.</figcaption>
<p></p>
<p>AI can and will ruin your voice and credibility if you lazily let it write in your place. <em>As writers we can not allow AI to replace our own thinking. We should use it to simulate the thinking of a missing dialogue partner.</em> To write better, we need to think more, not less.</p>
<h2 id="3">3. When is it right and when is it wrong to use AI?</h2>
<p>When it comes to morals, each and everyone sees things a bit differently. But then again, most people agree on the very basics of good and bad. Most people around the globe will agree that stealing, lying and killing are bad habits. Is there anything that corresponds to stealing, lying and killing in writing?</p>
<h3>It’s a spectrum</h3>
<p>Let’s look at some examples. Ask yourself how you judge someone who uses AI on the following spectrum, as:</p>
<ol>
<li>A discussion partner to prepare writing</li>
<li>A spellchecker, grammar checker to fix technical errors</li>
<li>A fact checker, to get rid of overlooked factual errors</li>
<li>A friend that helps out when you can’t find the right word that is on the tip of your tongue</li>
<li>A partial ghostwriter</li>
<li>A full-on ghostwriter, but then you check what was written</li>
<li>A full-on ghostwriter without checking what was written</li>
<li>A full-on ghost reader and ghostwriter without checks and balances</li>
</ol>
<p>It’s not easy to judge the very top and the very end of the list. Likely, different people will have different ethical standards in the middle part. Some will have different standards for themselves and for others and have no problem with that. In other words, at the extremes it’s clear, in the middle it’s up to us. There are limits to what is right and wrong.</p>
<p><figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ghost-AI-writer.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>Ghost writer:</b> Why should someone bother to read what you didn’t bother to write?</figcaption>
<p>
<figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/enter-dialog-GPT-writer.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>Dialog partner:</b> Talk to AI about your writing plans. Discuss style, length, logic, opening and summary. </figcaption>
<p></p>
<h3>Extremes and grey zone</h3>
<p>It’s not that hard to identify which usage is generally sound and which is not. Just compare usage with AI to how we dealt with similar issues before AI.</p>
<ul>
<li>Discussing our writing with others is a general practice and regarded as universally helpful; honest writers honor and credit their discussion partners</li>
<li>We already use spell checkers and grammar tools</li>
<li>It’s common practice to use human editors for substantial or minor copy editing of our public writing</li>
<li>Clearly, using dictionaries and thesauri to find the right expression is not a crime </li>
</ul>
<p>Letting someone else write part of our work is where it gets complicated. And if you look at the way that quoting works in academic writing, quoting a single expression you did not come up with by yourself is, academically speaking, unacceptable. Even transcribing a thought that you owe to another person is not allowed. Outside of academic writing, it’s up to us as writers to decide how much artificiality we are comfortable using and how transparent we want to be about it.</p>
<h2 id="4">4. What is the problem?</h2>
<h3>Entropy: Quoting quoted quotes</h3>
<p>You don’t need to be an academic to see that we shouldn’t pretend to know what we don’t understand, say what we don’t mean, express what we don’t feel. The growing entropy of AI feeding on itself already not only creates issues of social trust and conscience, it also creates technical issues. How about trying to address the entropy instead of increasing it further?</p>
<p>Artificial text is a statistical mashup of human quotes. When we quote AI, we quote quotes. We quote a Bircher muesli of quotes, write over it, and then feed it back into the AI system. There our input gets rehashed again. The way it currently works, AI is more likely to reach lukewarm entropy than ice-cold super-intelligence.</p>
<p>Using AI in the editor replaces thinking. Using AI in dialogue increases thinking. Now, how can connect the editor and the chat window without making a mess? Is there a way to keep human and artificial text apart?</p>
<h3>The key problem: Using AI text is patchwork</h3>
<p>If you do use ChatGPT you will inevitably tend to blend AI-generated text with your own, blurring the lines of authorship. Here is what happens if you use ChatGPT inside a text editor:</p>
<ol>
<li>Write a prompt</li>
<li>Edit the prompt</li>
<li>Try to remember what you wrote yourself</li>
</ol>
<p>Off voice: you won’t remember. Again: Simply avoiding AI integration doesn’t address the problem at all. People will use ChatGPT together with our apps. People will paste robot text, and then edit and forget what is theirs and what is borrowed. <sup id="fnref-20899-mixed"><a href="#fn-20899-mixed" rel="footnote">7</a></sup></p>
<h2 id="5">5. What should we design?</h2>
<h3>Trust and Authorship</h3>
<p>Honesty with others begins with honesty with ourselves, recognizing what is ours and what is borrowed. This starts in the writing process. We need to discern human voice and robot text. Current text editors don’t allow you to easily keep track of what is yours and what isn’t, unless you compare documents or risk high blood pressure with MS Word’s <em>Track Changes</em>.</p>
<p><figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/track-changes.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>Track Changes:</b> Does the job, but it’s a lot of work, and it comes with so much noise that you quickly forget what you wanted to say.</figcaption>
<p>
<figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ai-with-kaleidoscope.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>Compare Versions:</b> Does the job as well, and it’s even more work than “Track Changes.” Not a reasonable way to handle the problem.</figcaption>
<p></p>
<p>Making the difference between humans and machines can’t and shouldn’t be delegated to a machine. It can’t be delegated to anyone other than the writer. It’s up to you, the writer, to be transparent about what is yours and what is not. Only you really know how much you used AI to write. Honesty is up to you. It’s up to us to make it easier for you to discern.</p>
<h3>Keep it simple</h3>
<p>In a time of big claims and exaggerated promises, we have to keep things simple. And that gets very hairy very quickly. We want to offer a straightforward solution for people who want to use AI and at the same time stay in control of what they write.</p>
<ul>
<li>How do we show the difference between artificial and human text without making a mess?</li>
<li>How do we save it in plain text without adding tons of markup? </li>
<li>How do we make human and artificial text discernible as we write without adding a lot of methodical, technical and graphical complexity?</li>
</ul>
<p>At first we thought that we should simply quote AI like we quote other authors. <em>Maybe we could use single straight quotes for AI text, or something like that.</em> But we soon found out that markup doesn’t work at all. Quoting AI is not the same as quoting people. When we use artificial text, we don’t necessarily quote entire sentences or paragraphs. What happens is nitty-gritty patchwork. And ideally, in the end we edit all AI away. How should that work? This is a riddle we had to solve in design and code. Stay tuned to see our solution.</p>
<p><em>This article is part two of a series about the <a href="https://ia.net/topics/no-feature">history</a>, reason, and the <a href="https://ia.net/topics/ia-writer-7">design</a> of iA Writer 7, our cautious response to AI.</em></p>
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title: Writing with AI
url: https://ia.net/topics/writing-with-ai
hash_url: 291cddda62f18ec9355ec98761b7e9d9
archive_date: 2024-01-21

<p>When ChatGPT came out one year ago, we wanted to know whether and how it could be used for writing. We put it to the test and came up with a careful answer.</p>
<p>This article is part two of a series about the <a href="https://ia.net/topics/no-feature">history</a>, reason, and the <a href="https://ia.net/topics/ia-writer-7">design</a> of iA Writer 7, our cautious response to AI. In this article, we answer the following five questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="#1">How good is AI for writing?</a></li>
<li><a href="#2">When is AI useful for writing, when is it not?</a></li>
<li><a href="#3">When is it right and when is it wrong to use AI?</a></li>
<li><a href="#4">What is the problem?</a></li>
<li><a href="#5">What should we design?</a></li>
</ol>
<p>You heard it: <em>AI will save the world. AI will destroy the world. AI will become conscious. AI is dumb. AI is genius. AI is starting. AI is over.</em> Some hope that AI will become a robot God, others predict its entropic death. AI is exhausting. If you work in tech, you can’t ignore it. Unfortunately, not every hype is just hype.<sup id="fnref-20899-hype"><a href="#fn-20899-hype" rel="footnote">1</a></sup> So what’s going on? How good is AI for writing, really?</p>
<h2 id="1">1. How good is AI for writing?</h2>
<h3>It’s not <em>that</em> good</h3>
<p>It is plausible that AI will improve, but no one knows what the future brings. Right now, if you have higher expectations than just getting writing done one way or the other, writing with ChatGPT is not <em>that</em> good.</p>
<p>Observing and experimenting with AI, we were not the only ones to find both pleasure and pain, benefits and downsides in AI-driven writing.<sup id="fnref-20899-obvious"><a href="#fn-20899-obvious" rel="footnote">2</a></sup> Some of the dangers like hallucinations and false logic are observable and easily reproducible. Others like loss of voice and common trust in writing are long-term issues, and some plausible traps are somewhat speculative. Currently, it is not that good in terms of:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Quality:</em> By itself, it makes a lot of mistakes and thus needs careful supervision to stay accurate and meaningful</li>
<li><em>Voice:</em> Letting a machine speak in your place makes you sound and feel like a tool</li>
<li><em>Satisfaction:</em> Having a robot ghost write for you makes you learn, grow, and achieve as much as winning in Chess with a computer</li>
</ul>
<p>And it’s <em>not that good</em> morally either: Why should someone bother to read what you didn’t bother to write?</p>
<h3>It’s not <em>that</em> bad either</h3>
<p>AI can write code, articles, books, emails, and it can do math. Sometimes it’s accurate, sometimes it makes up stuff. It <em>always</em> needs supervision. Left to its own devices, it can make the most ridiculous mistakes and make you look like a complete fool.</p>
<p>It’s both shockingly bad and shockingly good at explaining difficult matters. ChatGPT can explain Kant, the Relativity Theory and it can translate Cuneiform documents at a frightening speed. Mind you: You can <em>not</em> trust it. It has no conscience in any way. It <em>does not understand</em> what it does, and it <em>does not know what is good or bad</em>.</p>
<p>But if you get stuck reading Aristotle’s Metaphysics in ancient Greek, it can clear things up. And even—well, <em>especially</em>—when it’s wrong, it can give you a new perspective. It’s a great learning and dialogue partner. <sup id="fnref-20899-teacher"><a href="#fn-20899-teacher" rel="footnote">3</a></sup> In spite of all of its downsides, AI is cheap, fast, and painless.</p>
<h3>Killer quality convenience</h3>
<p>Despite the incessant hype, fear and hysteria, using AI for writing comes with a killer quality: convenience. It writes faster, clearer, and with fewer typos than most high school students. It’s comparable to early chess computers that quickly beat average players but took some time to reach the grand master level. When you look at how technology evolved over the last 20 years, you know that convenience is <em>the</em> key factor of success.<sup id="fnref-20899-convenience"><a href="#fn-20899-convenience" rel="footnote">4</a></sup></p>
<p>And due to its convenience, we believe that using AI for writing will likely become as common as using dishwashers, spellcheckers, and pocket calculators. The question is: <em>How will it be used?</em> Like spell checkers, dishwashers, chess computers and pocket calculators, writing with AI will be tied to varying rules in different settings.<sup id="fnref-20899-rules"><a href="#fn-20899-rules" rel="footnote">5</a></sup></p>
<p>In order to cope with this <em>new reality for writing</em> we needed to observe and think through the new writing process. We needed to test it up and down, left and right, back and forth, copy and paste, recopy and paste back, through and through.</p>
<h2 id="2">2. When is AI useful for writing, when is it not?</h2>
<h3>Not useful: Think less</h3>
<p>AI turns thoughtful tasks into thoughtless ones. Not thinking is a recipe for disaster. Independent of how AI evolves, letting AI write in our place is a Sci-Fi catastrophe classic.</p>
<p>Thinking less where thinking is key, is not advisable, unless you delegate it to another better-thinking person you trust. And yet. In our initial assessment we were missing a key benefit. The true benefit of writing with AI would only reveal itself through intense usage.</p>
<p>Writing is not about getting letters on a page. It’s not about getting done with text. It’s finding a clear and simple expression for what we feel, mean, and want to express. Writing is thinking with letters. Usually we do this alone. With AI, you write in dialogue. It comes with a chat-interface, after all. So, don’t just write commands, talk to it.</p>
<p><figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ask-question-AI.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>Ask me:</b> You can let AI ask you questions about your text. Then copy-paste your answers into an article. A classic writing technique, modernized.</figcaption>
<p>
<figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ai-is-patient.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>AI is patient:</b> It will continue asking you until you tell it to stop. No human is that patient with your ideas.</figcaption>
<p></p>
<h3>Useful: Think more</h3>
<p>Writing in dialogue with an artificial companion was unexpected, inspiring and exciting. Using AI in dialog over a writing task was a truly new experience. Using AI as a dialogue partner during preparation, when stuck, and in editing proved surprisingly useful. And that thing is patient like no one else! It never gets tired of you.</p>
<p>Thinking in dialogue is easier and more entertaining than struggling with feelings, letters, grammar and style all by ourselves. Using AI as a writing dialogue partner, ChatGPT can become a catalyst for clarifying what we want to say. Even if it is wrong.<sup id="fnref-20899-scrutinize"><a href="#fn-20899-scrutinize" rel="footnote">6</a></sup> Sometimes we need to hear what’s wrong to understand what’s right.</p>
<p>AI often makes a lot of factual and logical mistakes. Mistakes, if identified, can help you think. Seeing in clear text what is wrong or, at least, what we <em>don’t</em> mean can help us set our minds straight about what we <em>really</em> mean. If you get stuck, you can also simply let it ask you questions. If you don’t know how to improve, you can tell it to be evil in its critique of your writing:</p>
<p><figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ai-normal-critique.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>What do you think?</b> Usually ChatGPT tries to be nice. This type of critique may be motivating for beginners, but more experienced writers need more spice.</figcaption>
<p>
<figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ai-be-evil.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>“Be as evil as you can”:</b> If you want to learn something you need to make it hurt. If it hurts it has a point, if not, you’re ready to publish.</figcaption>
<p></p>
<p>AI can and will ruin your voice and credibility if you lazily let it write in your place. <em>As writers we can not allow AI to replace our own thinking. We should use it to simulate the thinking of a missing dialogue partner.</em> To write better, we need to think more, not less.</p>
<h2 id="3">3. When is it right and when is it wrong to use AI?</h2>
<p>When it comes to morals, each and everyone sees things a bit differently. But then again, most people agree on the very basics of good and bad. Most people around the globe will agree that stealing, lying and killing are bad habits. Is there anything that corresponds to stealing, lying and killing in writing?</p>
<h3>It’s a spectrum</h3>
<p>Let’s look at some examples. Ask yourself how you judge someone who uses AI on the following spectrum, as:</p>
<ol>
<li>A discussion partner to prepare writing</li>
<li>A spellchecker, grammar checker to fix technical errors</li>
<li>A fact checker, to get rid of overlooked factual errors</li>
<li>A friend that helps out when you can’t find the right word that is on the tip of your tongue</li>
<li>A partial ghostwriter</li>
<li>A full-on ghostwriter, but then you check what was written</li>
<li>A full-on ghostwriter without checking what was written</li>
<li>A full-on ghost reader and ghostwriter without checks and balances</li>
</ol>
<p>It’s not easy to judge the very top and the very end of the list. Likely, different people will have different ethical standards in the middle part. Some will have different standards for themselves and for others and have no problem with that. In other words, at the extremes it’s clear, in the middle it’s up to us. There are limits to what is right and wrong.</p>
<p><figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ghost-AI-writer.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>Ghost writer:</b> Why should someone bother to read what you didn’t bother to write?</figcaption>
<p>
<figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/enter-dialog-GPT-writer.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>Dialog partner:</b> Talk to AI about your writing plans. Discuss style, length, logic, opening and summary. </figcaption>
<p></p>
<h3>Extremes and grey zone</h3>
<p>It’s not that hard to identify which usage is generally sound and which is not. Just compare usage with AI to how we dealt with similar issues before AI.</p>
<ul>
<li>Discussing our writing with others is a general practice and regarded as universally helpful; honest writers honor and credit their discussion partners</li>
<li>We already use spell checkers and grammar tools</li>
<li>It’s common practice to use human editors for substantial or minor copy editing of our public writing</li>
<li>Clearly, using dictionaries and thesauri to find the right expression is not a crime </li>
</ul>
<p>Letting someone else write part of our work is where it gets complicated. And if you look at the way that quoting works in academic writing, quoting a single expression you did not come up with by yourself is, academically speaking, unacceptable. Even transcribing a thought that you owe to another person is not allowed. Outside of academic writing, it’s up to us as writers to decide how much artificiality we are comfortable using and how transparent we want to be about it.</p>
<h2 id="4">4. What is the problem?</h2>
<h3>Entropy: Quoting quoted quotes</h3>
<p>You don’t need to be an academic to see that we shouldn’t pretend to know what we don’t understand, say what we don’t mean, express what we don’t feel. The growing entropy of AI feeding on itself already not only creates issues of social trust and conscience, it also creates technical issues. How about trying to address the entropy instead of increasing it further?</p>
<p>Artificial text is a statistical mashup of human quotes. When we quote AI, we quote quotes. We quote a Bircher muesli of quotes, write over it, and then feed it back into the AI system. There our input gets rehashed again. The way it currently works, AI is more likely to reach lukewarm entropy than ice-cold super-intelligence.</p>
<p>Using AI in the editor replaces thinking. Using AI in dialogue increases thinking. Now, how can connect the editor and the chat window without making a mess? Is there a way to keep human and artificial text apart?</p>
<h3>The key problem: Using AI text is patchwork</h3>
<p>If you do use ChatGPT you will inevitably tend to blend AI-generated text with your own, blurring the lines of authorship. Here is what happens if you use ChatGPT inside a text editor:</p>
<ol>
<li>Write a prompt</li>
<li>Edit the prompt</li>
<li>Try to remember what you wrote yourself</li>
</ol>
<p>Off voice: you won’t remember. Again: Simply avoiding AI integration doesn’t address the problem at all. People will use ChatGPT together with our apps. People will paste robot text, and then edit and forget what is theirs and what is borrowed. <sup id="fnref-20899-mixed"><a href="#fn-20899-mixed" rel="footnote">7</a></sup></p>
<h2 id="5">5. What should we design?</h2>
<h3>Trust and Authorship</h3>
<p>Honesty with others begins with honesty with ourselves, recognizing what is ours and what is borrowed. This starts in the writing process. We need to discern human voice and robot text. Current text editors don’t allow you to easily keep track of what is yours and what isn’t, unless you compare documents or risk high blood pressure with MS Word’s <em>Track Changes</em>.</p>
<p><figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/track-changes.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>Track Changes:</b> Does the job, but it’s a lot of work, and it comes with so much noise that you quickly forget what you wanted to say.</figcaption>
<p>
<figure class="compare">
<img decoding="async" src="https://ia.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ai-with-kaleidoscope.png" alt class="macOS littleshadow"></figure></p>
<figcaption><b>Compare Versions:</b> Does the job as well, and it’s even more work than “Track Changes.” Not a reasonable way to handle the problem.</figcaption>
<p></p>
<p>Making the difference between humans and machines can’t and shouldn’t be delegated to a machine. It can’t be delegated to anyone other than the writer. It’s up to you, the writer, to be transparent about what is yours and what is not. Only you really know how much you used AI to write. Honesty is up to you. It’s up to us to make it easier for you to discern.</p>
<h3>Keep it simple</h3>
<p>In a time of big claims and exaggerated promises, we have to keep things simple. And that gets very hairy very quickly. We want to offer a straightforward solution for people who want to use AI and at the same time stay in control of what they write.</p>
<ul>
<li>How do we show the difference between artificial and human text without making a mess?</li>
<li>How do we save it in plain text without adding tons of markup? </li>
<li>How do we make human and artificial text discernible as we write without adding a lot of methodical, technical and graphical complexity?</li>
</ul>
<p>At first we thought that we should simply quote AI like we quote other authors. <em>Maybe we could use single straight quotes for AI text, or something like that.</em> But we soon found out that markup doesn’t work at all. Quoting AI is not the same as quoting people. When we use artificial text, we don’t necessarily quote entire sentences or paragraphs. What happens is nitty-gritty patchwork. And ideally, in the end we edit all AI away. How should that work? This is a riddle we had to solve in design and code. Stay tuned to see our solution.</p>
<p><em>This article is part two of a series about the <a href="https://ia.net/topics/no-feature">history</a>, reason, and the <a href="https://ia.net/topics/ia-writer-7">design</a> of iA Writer 7, our cautious response to AI.</em></p>

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<p>Je vois de plus en plus de femmes rejoindre l’informatique, et c’est une très bonne chose. Je vois aussi trop de femmes patir de sexisme ordinaire, se remettre en question encore et encore… et quitter le milieu au bout de quelques années. J’ai mis du temps à apprendre certaines choses. Je voudrais vous faire gagner ces dix ans, pour qu’on arrive à une parité réelle dans le secteur numérique. Je m’adresse également à toutes les personnes qui souhaitent voir plus de femmes et personnes non binaires dans leurs équipes. Les femmes sont fortement incitées à faire un choix entre l’ambition (business and successful woman) et l’altruisme (femme qui colle aux codes et fait correctement son travail, loin de l’argent). Ce choix injuste et superflu résulte des stéréotypes que nous allons parcourir à travers cet article.</p>

<h2 id="ambition-et-altruisme">Ambition et altruisme</h2>

<p>Si vous êtes en couple hétérosexuel, vous avez dû remarquer que les comptes joints bancaires affichent par défaut :</p>

<p><em>“M ou Mme &lt;nom de famille de l’homme&gt; &lt;prénom de l’homme&gt;”</em>.</p>

<p>Je n’apparais pas sur cette ligne autrement que par “Mme”. C’est le nom de famille de mon époux, cette Mme pourrait tout aussi bien désigner ma belle-mère.</p>

<p>J’ai toujours trouvé cette pratique déplacée, en plus d’être ironique dans la mesure où je suis la plus grosse contributrice de ce compte. Lorsque j’ai demandé à notre nouvelle banque d’ajouter mon prénom, elle m’a répondu “<em>qu’il n’y avait pas suffisamment de place dans le logiciel</em>”.</p>

<p>Ah.</p>

<p>Sans mon identité clairement identifiée sur le RIB, une autre banque a refusé de procéder à un virement sur ce compte.</p>

<p>D’après vous, qui décide de la taille d’un champ dans un logiciel, sans penser au fait qu’il y a deux personnes dans un compte joint ?</p>

<p>La personne qui développe. Peut être le·la product owner, le·la chef·fe de projet.</p>

<p>Ce qui est certain, c’est que les femmes sont souvent oubliées.</p>

<p>En 2016, dans l’Union Européenne, les femmes ne constituaient que 15% des membres exécutifs des entreprises privées. 6% des PDG sont des femmes<sup id="fnref:1" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Autrement dit, 94% des entreprises européennes sont dirigées par des hommes. Comment être surpris·e que le standard soit masculin ? Que les effets secondaires des médicaments soient plus importants chez les femmes<sup id="fnref:2" role="doc-noteref"></sup>, que les GPS reconnaissent moins bien les voix féminines<sup id="fnref:3" role="doc-noteref"></sup> (ce qui nourrit le stéréotype que vous connaissez), que les crash tests soient réalisés sur des morphologies masculines (ce qui rend les accidents plus mortels pour les femmes<sup id="fnref:4" role="doc-noteref"></sup>), que les masques soient trop grands (donc moins efficaces pour les femmes<sup id="fnref:5" role="doc-noteref"></sup>) ?</p>

<p>Aux USA, l’Apple Card attribue moins de crédits lorsqu’il s’agit d’une femme que pour un homme, même quand elle gagne trois fois plus que son conjoint<sup id="fnref:6" role="doc-noteref"></sup> ou que les deux ont exactement le même compte en banque “à cause de l’algorithme”<sup id="fnref:7" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>Nommée depuis 1860, <strong>l’endométriose</strong> est une maladie gynécologique qui touche 10 à 20% des femmes. Quand ces dernières voient leur médecins à ce sujet, il leur est rétorqué que <em>“c’est normal d’avoir mal pendant ses règles”</em>. Il a fallu attendre 2020 pour que cette maladie soit intégrée dans le programme de médecine !</p>

<p>L’informatique a une portée surpuissante et ce type de biais aura des conséquences de plus en plus massives et impactantes. La <strong>présence de femmes dans ce secteur</strong> est un enjeu capital, tout comme dans des <strong>postes de direction, sans quoi 52% de la population continuera d’être lésée</strong>.</p>

<p>De plus, il est prouvé que les <strong>entreprises mixtes sont plus performantes</strong>. Sur dix ans, les dix entreprises les plus mixtes affichent près de 300% de croissance contre 43% pour la moyenne des entreprises du CAC40<sup id="fnref:8" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>Pour ne rien arranger, parmi le peu de femmes qui choisissent l’informatique, <strong>50% quittent le milieu avant 35 ans</strong> (20% dans les autres secteurs d’activité<sup id="fnref:9" role="doc-noteref"></sup>). La majorité des répondantes évoquent comme motif principal le <strong>milieu trop peu inclusif</strong>.</p>

<p>Je ne peux pas changer ce milieu. Par contre, j’ai commis des erreurs typiquement féminines dans ma carrière. Je voudrais vous éviter ces écueils. Si cet article vous aide, j’espère que vous passerez vous aussi le message, car l’invisibilisation de la femme est un éternel recommencement.</p>

<p>Si vous vous identifiez plutôt comme un homme, cette lecture vous sera aussi utile pour favoriser un cadre de travail <strong>équilibré</strong> et où tout le monde se sente bien et soit sa meilleure version de lui/elle même. Aussi en ayant conscience des injonctions qui pèsent sur chacun·e</p>
<ul>
<li>à l’Homme : <em>sois fort, sais tout</em>, et on te pardonnera d’être absent dans ton foyer.</li>
<li>à la Femme : <em>sois serviable, ne fais pas de vague et on pardonnera tes absences au bureau</em> - on s’y attendra même, tu seras moins payée, et te verras proposer moins d’évolution).</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="aux-personnes-qui-entrent-dans-le-milieu-it">Aux personnes qui entrent dans le milieu IT</h2>

<p>Lorsqu’il a fallu choisir mon école d’informatique en alternance, le seul critère qui m’intéressait était l’employabilité derrière. Quand l’évaluateur m’a demandé quelle école je choisirais, si j’étais prise dans les deux, j’ai répondu que j’irais là où j’aurais un contrat en alternance<sup id="fnref:10" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>Je comprends encore cette problématique aujourd’hui, surtout si vous êtes une “minorité” dans le milieu ou issu d’un cursus atypique, comme une reconversion.</p>

<p>Je vais exposer ce que, personnellement, je recherche quand je recrute quelqu’un·e. Sachez qu’il ne s’agit pas d’une science exacte. Sur le recrutement, il y a <strong>autant de bonnes réponses que de personnes qui recrutent</strong>.</p>

<p>C’est justement le premier conseil : restez vous-même et ne reniez pas vos valeurs.</p>

<h3 id="1-ne-reniez-pas-vos-valeurs">1. Ne reniez pas vos valeurs</h3>

<p>Il m’arrive de rencontrer des personnes très stressées en entretien (ok surtout des femmes). Je vois aussi des personnes qui ne laissent juste rien transparaître (surtout des hommes). Dans les deux cas, l’entretien ressemble à un interrogatoire.</p>

<p>Un entretien n’est pas un interrogatoire. C’est une <strong>rencontre</strong>. Un premier rendez-vous, pour voir si les deux parties ont envie de parcourir un bout de chemin ensemble.</p>

<p>Ne faites pas semblant, ne dites pas des choses que vous ne pensez pas. Vos propos vont servir de base pour décider si oui ou non, vous allez partager huit heures avec cette entreprise, chaque jour pendant quelques années. C’est <strong>long de faire semblant aussi longtemps</strong>.</p>

<p>Vous pouvez être sélectionné·e sur une image que vous pensez conforme aux attentes de l’entreprise, et décrocher un poste au mieux dans un poste qui ne vous ressemble pas, au pire dans une entreprise toxique. Un comble.</p>

<p>Vous pouvez aussi vous faire recaler sur une fausse image de vous. Un autre comble.</p>

<p>Si vous adorez les projets from scratch et ne souhaitez pas faire de maintenance, soyez honnête. Si vous vous épanouissez dans la R&amp;D et préférez évoluer dans une bulle protégée, dites-le. Si vous adorez aller sur le terrain et avoir des feedbacks fréquents, dites-le. Si vous trouvez de l’énergie plutôt en travaillant en équipe, dites-le. Probablement, vous êtes curieux·se et n’avez pas encore d’à priori, c’est très bien aussi.</p>

<p>Il vous sera plus aisé d’exprimer <strong>ce que vous ne voulez vraiment pas</strong> que l’inverse. Cette information est aussi utile pour l’entreprise.</p>

<p>Si vous vous sentez <strong>tendu·e</strong>, une solution répandue consiste à ralentir son rythme cardiaque, en respirant très lentement. Soufflez le plus lentement possible, puis inspirez lentement, sur quelques cycles. Prenez le temps de prendre le temps, ce n’est pas grave s’il y a des silences. Les sportifs de haut niveau pratique la cohérence cardiaque<sup id="fnref:11" role="doc-noteref"></sup> régulièrement, ce qui les prépare à mieux gérer la pression pendant les moments critiques.</p>

<p>Gardez en tête que vous êtes vous aussi <strong>en train d’évaluer l’entreprise qui vous recrute</strong>. N’hésitez pas à poser des questions.</p>

<p>Enfin, il n’y a pas réellement de mauvais profil mais des mauvaises correspondances. Selon la mission et la structure de mon équipe à un moment donné, le profil sera pertinent ou non. Chez Groupe La Centrale, nous cherchons des personnes autonomes et proactives, mais des personnes qui exécutent parfaitement uniquement ce qui leur est demandé peuvent être très pertinentes dans des entreprises en cycle en V par exemple. Ne prenez pas un arrêt de processus personnellement et ne vous découragez pas.</p>

<p>Une fois installé·e à votre nouveau poste, vous devenez une cellule de l’organisme qu’est l’entreprise. C’est ce qui fait tout l’intérêt de travailler quelque part, d’apporter sa pierre. Restez-vous même et si vous avez des idées, partagez-les. Peut-être que cela ne marchera pas tout de suite, peut-être jamais, peut-être que oui. Ce qui est certain, c’est qu’en le gardant pour vous, rien ne se passera. Il se peut que d’autres personnes aient la même idée et n’aient pas su l’exprimer non plus.</p>

<p>Voici quelques initiatives issus de collaborateur·rices du Groupe La Centrale</p>

<ul>
<li>Coding goûters</li>
<li>Avoir une subvention vélo à la place du navigo</li>
<li>Supprimer les gobelets en plastique au profit de tasse lavable</li>
<li>Redécorer complètement une salle de réunion</li>
<li>Changer de cuisine et l’équiper d’un lave-vaisselle</li>
<li>Fêter Halloween</li>
</ul>

<p>Savez-vous quelle est LA question que je me pose pendant tout l’entretien et qui est déterminant dans le choix ?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>“<em>Est-ce que je peux compter sur elle/lui ?</em>”</p>
</blockquote>

<h3 id="2-soyez-fiable">2. Soyez fiable</h3>

<p>Si j’ai un doute sur le fait de pouvoir compter sur quelqu’un pendant l’entretien, peu importe l’expertise de la personne, je ne vais pas plus loin. Il s’agit d’une notion très subjective, que je tente de factualiser par des grilles de questions. Cela passe aussi par savoir ce qui est important pour cette personne.</p>

<p>Le travail d’un·e développeur·se ne <strong>s’arrête pas à avoir son code qui fonctionne en local</strong>, le pousser en recette et passer à une autre tâche sans regarder. Le déploiement a peut-être raté, donc il est de bon usage de vérifier que le cas nominal fonctionne effectivement sur la plateforme cible.</p>

<p>Le·la dev doit assurer son sujet jusqu’à son exploitation en production, par le biais des <strong>logs après chaque mise en production</strong> par exemple. Sans cela, le travail n’est pas terminé. Cela peut aller plus loin en s’intéressant au “succès” de la fonctionnalité après la production, sur son impact et son usage.</p>

<p>Cette préoccupation de la production inclut dans les tâches de base le <strong>monitoring</strong>. Le principe est de voir les dysfonctionnements avant les retours clients, avant qu’ils ne prennent trop d’ampleur.</p>

<p>Il y a surement d’autres tâches mais l’idée est que nous travaillons avec des ingénieur·es, qui doivent faire le nécessaire pour que tout se passe bien, sans qu’il y ait besoin d’un·e chef·fe derrière qui donne la liste exacte de tout ce qu’il faut faire, une fois que nous nous sommes aligné·es sur <strong>l’objectif</strong>.</p>

<h3 id="3-toujours-apprendre">3. Toujours apprendre</h3>

<p>Le secteur IT est encore (très) bien <strong>rémunéré</strong>. Ce n’est pas non plus un métier où vous faites vos études et une fois que c’est fini, tadam, vous voilà prêt·e. Certaines choses changent plus lentement que d’autres, comme les principes SOLID, mais pour rester à jour, la <strong>veille continue</strong> est indispensable. Techniquement, vous pouvez aussi choisir de vous cantonner à une spécialité, mais même en restant dans la même entreprise, c’est une stratégie risquée. Les composants AWS changent en continu et de nouveaux framework javascript naissent chaque jour sur Github.</p>

<p>Chez Groupe La Centrale, nous avons eu le courant Grails avec Groovy sur quelques années, puis GWT, puis Scala, puis Symfony, puis React.js. Chez Figaro Classifieds, c’était Java, puis Scala, puis React.js. Tout le monde ne jure que par X, pendant quelques années. Avant que vous ayez le temps de finir de refondre tout le système d’information, vous êtes obligé·es de lancer une autre refonte parce que personne ne veut travailler dans la techno N-3.</p>

<p><strong>Votre produit se retrouve freiné dans ses évolutions par la technologie, alors que cela doit être l’inverse</strong>. C’est aussi pour cette raison qu’il y aura toujours de l’avenir dans l’informatique, il y a toujours des refontes à faire.</p>

<p>En revanche, certaines bonnes pratiques ne changent pas. S’il vous plaît, faites des <strong>tests unitaires</strong>. Cela n’a aucun intérêt d’être en avance sur la sortie d’un projet si c’est pour que les clients et clientes se sentent nul·les ou maudissent la marque au moment de choisir un véhicule. Dans le “toujours apprendre”, un bug rencontré une fois ne doit jamais se reproduire, sauf si c’est assumé. Il n’y a que les tests qui peuvent garantir cela.</p>

<p>Je me rappelle encore de l’émotion ressentie lorsque j’ai découvert Fitnesse. Cette magie… Vous définissez ce que vous attendez de la fonctionnalité et l’outil vérifie en continu qu’une fois en place, elle fonctionne encore et encore, chaque jour. Un filet de sécurité à toute épreuve. Comme une vieille histoire d’amour, je n’ai jamais recroisé sa route au bureau, ni dans les CVs des personnes rencontrées en entretien. Vous connaissez peut-être plutôt Cucumber, Puppeteer ou Cypress ? Le principe de fond des <strong>tests fonctionnels</strong> reste le même : tester en continu que les services et fonctionnalités soient préservés à chaque nouveau développement.</p>

<p>Selenium revient encore assez souvent car la mise en place est très simple mais la maintenance est laborieuse, comme pour tous les <strong>tests UI</strong>. Ils sont plus longs à mettre en place, plus longs à s’exécuter et vieillissent plus mal. J’aime bien en avoir quelques uns sur les fonctionnalités “cœur” du produit uniquement, celles qui ne peuvent pas ne pas fonctionner, sans traiter les cas particuliers.</p>

<p><img src="https://www.duchess-france.fr/assets/2023/01/2023-01-15-manuel-survie-femme-tech/pyramide-tests.png" alt="Source : https://martinfowler.com/articles/practical-test-pyramid.html"></p>

<p>Conformément à la pyramide de tests ci-dessus, soyez généreux·ses en <strong>tests unitaires</strong> en testant tous les cas, même ceux qui sont “censés fonctionner”, car c’est bien l’intérêt des tests de décider comment réagir lorsque ces cas arriveront. Un bug n’est jamais “censé arriver” et pourtant, ils existent.</p>

<p>Ensuite seulement, vous pourrez vous pencher sur les tests d’intégration, et en tout dernier sur les tests UI.</p>

<p>J’entends parfois des équipes dire qu’elles n’ont pas le temps d’écrire des tests unitaires. C’est une erreur de chiffrage, il faut les inclure d’office dedans. Les tests unitaires font partie du code. Ils ne devraient pas être négociables car ce sont eux qui garantissent le fonctionnement du code. Lorsque vous payez une prestation, l’artisan ne vous demande pas si vous êtes d’accord pour payer une partie des chaussures de sécurité ou le pinceau de qualité. C’est un package.</p>

<h2 id="aux-femmes-de-la-tech">Aux femmes de la tech</h2>

<p>En vingt ans dans le milieu tech, j’ai eu le temps d’observer des choses. Des patterns initialement invisibles se sont tellement répétés qu’ils ont fini par capter mon attention.</p>

<h3 id="1-résister-aux-injonctions-de-gentillesse-variante--soin-sourire-beauté-discrétion-dévouement">1. Résister aux injonctions de gentillesse (variante : soin, sourire, beauté, discrétion, dévouement)</h3>

<p>Je vois trop de femmes <strong>se dévouer pour l’équipe</strong> : collecter une cagnotte pour un départ, aider à ranger après un petit déjeuner, rédiger les comptes rendus, s’occuper de la MEP, de la tâche que personne ne veut prendre, servir de l’eau à table, accueillir les nouveaux/nouvelles, etc.</p>

<p><img src="https://www.duchess-france.fr/assets/2023/01/2023-01-15-manuel-survie-femme-tech/smiling-woman-before-whiteboard.png" alt="Crédit photo : RAEng_Publications sur pixabay.com"></p>

<p>La solidarité et le souci de l’autre sont de grandes qualités. Néanmoins, il faut garder en tête que c’est <strong>fatalement autant de temps en moins sur le travail pour lequel vous avez été engagées</strong>. Que vous avez <strong>moins de temps de pratique</strong> et qu’au moment de l’entretien annuel, vous aurez un bilan moins fourni qu’un collègue masculin qui ne fait que les tâches pour lesquelles il est explicitement désigné. Ce phénomène a été théorisé sous le terme de Glue work<sup id="fnref:12" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Je vous assure qu’en laissant chacun·e prendre ses tâches, tout le monde y gagne. Vous pouvez même bousculer un peu le destin en le faisant remarquer aux hommes, moins socialisés pour rendre service.</p>

<p>Je ne dis pas qu’il ne faut jamais se dévouer. Juste que le <strong>temps</strong> est précieux pour tout le monde, et je remarque trop souvent que <strong>ce type de travail “gratuit”, de “lien” va aux femmes</strong>. On vous remerciera probablement (et encore), mais vous risquez d’être plus reconnue pour votre serviabilité que vos <strong>compétences</strong>.</p>

<p>Peut-être même que devant tant de qualités humaines, vous vous verrez proposer rapidement de quitter le code / l’infra / la data science pour un poste plus transverse. Cela peut ressembler à une promotion. Néanmoins, gardez en tête qu’aujourd’hui, ce sont les développeurs et développeuses qui sont les rois et reines du pétrole, pas les scrum masters, ni les chef·fes de projet. Les devs peuvent exercer en CDI, en indépendant·es dans toute la France ou créer leur propre société. En plus de la rentabilité de leur métier, <strong>les devs ont le super pouvoir de concrétiser leurs idées</strong>, c’est juste <strong>énorme</strong>. Pour moi, il faut rester cinq ans minimum, avant de se poser la question de changer, pour bien explorer les aspects du métier.</p>

<p>Posez-vous bien la question de ce que vous prenez réellement plaisir à faire, pas seulement là où on voit votre utilité “naturelle” et où vous avez l’habitude d’être compétent·e. L’expertise s’acquiert avec du temps.</p>

<h3 id="2-les-mythes">2. Les mythes</h3>

<p>Le syndrome du prince charmant (ou de la bonne élève) consiste à croire que vous serez remarquée, si vous faites sérieusement et correctement votre travail, avec talent et énergie. Qu’à un moment ou à un autre, cela se saura tout seul et que vous serez félicitée, reconnue, augmentée, promue. Sauf qu’il n’y a pas de prince charmant. Vous allez attendre longtemps. <strong>La meilleure chance d’obtenir ce que vous souhaitez est de le demander, après avoir pris soin de rendre visible votre travail</strong>. La perspective d’un refus peut freiner, car nous aimons bien les bonnes notes et nous avons appris à éviter les situations d’échecs. Considérez le comme une <strong>étape</strong>, c’est le démarrage d’une <strong>conversation</strong>. Plus vous vous y habituerez, plus <strong>vous aurez de succès dans vos requêtes</strong> et moins la démarche sera douloureuse. C’est comme un jeu.</p>

<p>Bien travailler est indispensable mais pas suffisant. Je ne compte pas le nombre de fois où <strong>mon travail est récupéré par quelqu’un d’autre</strong>, certainement inconsciemment. La personne répète la même idée, pour l’intégrer ou ajouter un détail. Sa voix est plus entendue. Quand j’ai entendu parler de ce phénomène la première fois, je pensais que c’était exagéré alors qu’il est malheureusement bien réel. <strong>N’hésitez pas à corriger les erreurs d’attribution</strong>, c’est juste normal. Les hommes ont d’ailleurs beaucoup moins de complexes à le faire.</p>

<p>Ces erreurs d’attributions résultent de biais inconscients et de stéréotypes, où l’homme est plus visible et a plus de valeur. Qui connait <strong>Alice Guy-Blaché</strong> ? Elle a inventé le cinéma tel que nous le connaissons aujourd’hui, en mettant en scène des fictions narratives. Réaliser plus de mille films n’a pas été suffisant pour assurer sa postérité, et à l’époque, on pensait que son assistant était le réalisateur des films. Aujourd’hui, nous connaissons les frères Lumières et Gaumont, mais pas elle. Dans les sciences, <strong>l’effet Matilda</strong> désigne ces situations d’attribution de la découverte scientifique d’une femme à un collègue masculin. La chimiste Rosalind Franklin<sup id="fnref:13" role="doc-noteref"></sup> en a été victime : ses travaux ont permis de découvrir la structure à double hélice de l’ADN mais ce sont les collègues qui ont décroché le Prix Nobel.</p>

<p>Un autre mythe est qu’une aide est toujours la bienvenue. J’ai vu plusieurs fois des <strong>aides infligées par des hommes aux femmes</strong>, avec la meilleure intention du monde, certes. Alors qu’on laisse les hommes se débrouiller. La personne “aidée” apprend moins si elle se fait guider sur tout et mettra plus de temps à être autonome. N’hésitez pas à être claire sur votre besoin / volontaire d’aide en disant non ou stop, lorsque vous avez eu suffisamment d’indices pour avancer. D’ailleurs, je remarque que les hommes ont beaucoup plus de difficultés à demander de l’aide, quitte à être bloqué plusieurs jours sur certains sujets. C’est dommage pour le projet et l’équipe.</p>

<h3 id="3-avoir-conscience-des-automatismes-des-stéréotypes-et-des-préjugés-pour-prévenir-les-discriminations-qui-en-découlent">3. Avoir conscience des automatismes, des stéréotypes et des préjugés, pour prévenir les discriminations qui en découlent</h3>

<p><strong>80% des femmes salariées</strong> considèrent que, dans le monde du travail, elles sont régulièrement confrontées à des <strong>attitudes ou des décisions sexistes</strong><sup id="fnref:14" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>J’ai longtemps pensé qu’il n’y avait pas de différences de traitement entre les hommes et les femmes. Les statistiques montrent le contraire. Les autres raisons sont que je ne voulais pas être une victime, ni une personne qui se plaint et que je jugeais négativement les “chieuses” (étiquette sexiste qui permet de faire taire les femmes). J’étais moi-même trop conditionnée dans la société patriarcale pour voir ces inégalités banales, induites par les stéréotypes. Il y a quinze ans, je ne me serais pas reconnue dans ces 80% de femmes mais aujourd’hui, cela me parait tout bonnement impossible qu’une seule femme n’ait jamais été confronté à une <strong>attitude ou une décision sexiste au travail</strong><sup id="fnref:14:1" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>Une fois que vous savez cela, vous ne serez pas surprise et serez mieux préparée.</p>

<h4 id="se-faire-entendre">Se faire entendre</h4>

<p>Une femme se fait <strong>bien plus couper la parole qu’un homme</strong> (entre +23% ou +400%<sup id="fnref:15" role="doc-noteref"></sup>) quand bien même sa voix est déjà minoritaire (25% du temps de parole). Les femmes s’interdisent aussi plus souvent de couper la parole, au risque d’être moins entendues avec cette inégalité d’accès aux moyens d’expression.</p>

<p>L’enjeu lorsque cela arrivera consiste à garder la parole <strong>en précisant que vous n’avez pas terminé</strong> d’étayer votre propos (un <em>“attends laisse moi finir”</em> suffit généralement). J’ai déjà vu des personnes <strong>lever la main</strong>, c’est assez efficace en dernier recours.</p>

<p>En tant que tiers, vous avez aussi un rôle à jouer sur ce sujet. Lorsque j’anime une réunion, je veille à ce que chacun et chacune de mes collaborateur·ices aient eu <strong>assez d’espace pour s’exprimer en fin de réunion</strong>. Vous pouvez aussi aider lorsque vous êtes témoin de cela, déjà en le remarquant puis en <strong>rendant la parole</strong> <em>“Qu’est-ce que tu voulais dire tout à l’heure ?”</em>. Vous pouvez aussi systématiser la nomination d’un rôle de modérateur·rice, comme du time-keeper dans toutes vos réunions. Il·elle note les mains levées et redistribue la parole dans l’ordre. En visio, c’est devenu encore plus simple de voir les mains levées et des outils comme Jitsi-meet permet de voir le temps de parole de chaque personne en temps réel.</p>

<p>La technique de <strong>l’amplification</strong>, popularisée à la Maison Blanche à l’époque d’Obama, consiste à répéter l’idée en lui reconnaissant la maternité, ce qui permet d’augmenter son audibilité.
Sachez aussi que nous n’apprenons pas à nous exprimer de la même façon selon notre genre. Quand les femmes prennent la parole, elles l’encombrent plus souvent de termes parasites minimisant comme <em>“peut-être”</em>, <em>“je pense que”</em>, <em>“c’est juste mon avis”</em>. <strong>Les femmes enrobent plus leurs propos</strong>, ce qui peut limiter sa portée et/ou nuire à sa clarté, et surtout minimiser des propos pas moins importants. Elles s’excusent aussi plus souvent de déranger (à tort). A l’écrit, ce sont les points d’exclamation et les smileys qui sont sur représentés, pour adoucir le ton et paraître sympathique. Dans tous les cas, ces parasites réduisent l’impact des messages exprimés. En gros, il vaut mieux <strong>faire court</strong> pour limiter la charge cognitive et répéter plusieurs fois le message…</p>

<p>Une femme est plus facilement <strong>contestée</strong> dans ces propos et plus souvent <strong>critiquée</strong> qu’un homme, en politique<sup id="fnref:17" role="doc-noteref"></sup> comme pendant les entretiens annuels<sup id="fnref:18" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Dans une étude relatée par le magazine Fortune sur les entretiens annuels, <strong>72% femmes ont reçu des feedback négatifs versus 2% des hommes</strong>. A contrario, 81% hommes ont reçu des feedbacks constructifs versus 23% femmes.
Cette rareté de feedback constructifs à l’attention des femmes est confirmée par une étude de Stanford<sup id="fnref:19" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Or, les <strong>retours vagues</strong> comme <em>“Tu as fait une bonne année”</em> ne permettent ni de progresser ni d’améliorer les revenus de l’entreprise.</p>

<p>Les feedbacks constructifs dont bénéficient plus les hommes (4 fois plus pour rappel<sup id="fnref:20" role="doc-noteref"></sup>) sont <strong>orientés business et plus précis</strong> comme <em>“tu devrais approfondir telle connaissance, qui une fois acquis permettra de participer à telle architecture et impacter tel client”</em>.</p>

<p>Les quelques feedbacks “constructifs” à l’attention des femmes portent plus sur leur <strong>personnalité</strong> comme la façon de <strong>communiquer</strong>, par exemple : <em>“Sa façon de parler et son approche peuvent parfois déstabiliser certaines personnes”</em>. 76% des références sur le fait d’être <strong><em>“trop agressif”</em></strong> concernent des femmes, versus 24% d’hommes.</p>

<p>Pour pallier cette tendance, le mieux est de prendre les devants et demander <strong>explicitement des moyens d’améliorer ses performances</strong>. Ainsi, les managers n’auront pas “peur” d’en donner.</p>

<p>La même idée prononcée par des personnes de sexe différentes a des échos différents. Les voix des hommes ont un <strong>volume supérieur</strong>. L’étude “Investors Prefer entrepreneurial ventures pitched by attractive men”<sup id="fnref:21" role="doc-noteref"></sup> montre que les <strong>voix masculines sont perçues comme plus convaincantes, plus factuelles et plus logiques</strong> que les voix féminines. Lorsqu’un pitch était lu par une voix masculine, il avait deux fois plus de chances d’être sélectionné par le jury que lorsque le même pitch était lu par une femme.</p>

<h4 id="être-rémunérée-à-sa-juste-valeur">Être rémunérée à sa juste valeur</h4>

<p><img src="https://www.duchess-france.fr/assets/2023/01/2023-01-15-manuel-survie-femme-tech/woman-on-money.png" alt="Crédit photo : mohamed_hassan sur pixabay.com."></p>

<p>En 2021, avec la pandémie qui a plus fortement pénalisé les femmes (dans les ménages et le milieu professionnel), l’écart salarial entre les deux sexes s’est accentué en atteignant <strong>16,5% en France</strong>. En début de carrière, il y a peu de différence. Pour l’association Les Glorieuses<sup id="fnref:22" role="doc-noteref"></sup>, c’est <strong>vers la trentaine, à l’âge du premier enfant que l’écart commence à se creuser</strong>. Sur un métier identique, à temps et compétence égale, l’écart salarial est de 10% en moyenne en France.</p>

<p>L’American Association of University Women observe que seulement un an après l’entrée dans la vie active, les américaines gagnent <strong>77% de ce que leurs collègues masculins gagnent dans le milieu informatique</strong>, avec un écart qui se creuse avec le temps, quand la vigilance baisse.</p>

<p><strong>N’hésitez pas à parler salaires</strong> avec vos collègues <em>masculins</em> et votre entourage pour connaître le marché et bien vous positionner. Les benchmark sont nombreux sur Internet, comme Glassdoor.fr.</p>

<p>D’après des chercheurs de Cambridge et Carnegie Mellon University<sup id="fnref:23" role="doc-noteref"></sup>, les femmes sont <strong>pénalisées socialement lorsqu’elles demandent des augmentations</strong>. Les femmes s’en doutent et s’abstiennent d’en demander pour cette raison.</p>

<p>Les femmes demandent <strong>quatre fois moins souvent des augmentations que les hommes</strong>. Lorsqu’elles le font, elles demandent <strong>30% moins</strong> que ce que les hommes demandent<sup id="fnref:24" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Les recherches de Artz, Goodall et Oswald finissent d’enfoncer le clou en démontrant que lorsque les femmes demandent le même montant que les hommes, elles ont <strong>25% de chance de moins d’obtenir gain de cause</strong><sup id="fnref:25" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. L’injonction populaire faites aux femmes de <em>“plus oser”</em> n’est pas inintéressante mais aussi à côté de la plaque (en plus d’être culpabilisante et de renvoyer la responsabilité à la victime), car elle ne considère pas le système dans son ensemble.</p>

<p>Vous pouvez aussi <strong>tester le marché</strong> en passant des entretiens. J’ai longtemps complexé à passer des entretiens, comme si c’était “tromper”. En passer de temps en temps permet aussi de savoir comment d’autres organisations fonctionnent et de vous entraîner, même si vous décidez au final de rester où vous êtes. Même si vous vous plaisez dans votre entreprise, il ne faut pas se priver de découvrir d’autres environnements de travail. C’est la meilleure façon d’apprendre et d’évoluer.</p>

<p>Une célèbre étude Hewlett Packard révélait que les femmes ne postulaient à une offre d’emploi que lorsqu’elles <strong>remplissaient 100% des critères alors que 60% suffisaient pour un homme</strong>. La raison souvent évoquée serait une confiance en soi moindre (d’un tiers)<sup id="fnref:26" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. C’est surtout une socialisation différente qui <strong>conditionne les filles à davantage respecter les règles</strong>. Cette qualité n’en est plus vraiment une dans le milieu de l’entreprise. Lorsqu’une compétence est requise sur une offre d’emploi, si une femme ne l’a pas, elle ne postule pas pour ne pas perdre de temps ni celui de l’entreprise recruteuse. Un autre facteur est l’<strong>aversion à l’échec</strong> favorisé par une non correspondance d’un des critères (raison évoquée par presque deux fois plus de femmes que d’hommes dans l’étude)<sup id="fnref:27" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Etant de l’autre côté, je peux vous dire que les fiches de poste sont des lettres au Père Noël et que je n’ai littéralement jamais eu de candidat·e qui cochait toutes les cases.</p>

<p>Dans tous les secteurs d’activité, les femmes sont les plus nombreuses “en bas de l’échelle” et quasi inexistantes en haut<sup id="fnref:28" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. L’IT ne fait pas exception. Soignez votre carrière car plus vous monterez, plus vous aurez d’impact sur la société. <strong>L’ambition</strong> n’est pas un gros mot. En terme de promotion, une étude McKinsey montrait que les <strong>hommes étaient promus et recrutés sur leur potentiel tandis que les femmes l’étaient sur leurs expériences passées et leurs réalisations</strong><sup id="fnref:29" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. N’attendez donc pas d’avoir une promotion pour avancer, faites comme si vous étiez déjà promue et décrochez l’augmentation adéquate derrière. Si rien ne suit derrière, il est temps de changer d’entreprise.</p>

<p>Sachez également que la <strong>maternité</strong> ne devant pas constituer un frein aux carrières des femmes, la loi garantit aux femmes une augmentation équivalente à la moyenne des augmentations de l’entreprise à son retour de congé maternité.</p>

<p>Les podcasts “<em>Ma Juste Valeur</em>”<sup id="fnref:30" role="doc-noteref"></sup> et “<em>Les règles du jeu</em>”<sup id="fnref:31" role="doc-noteref"></sup> traitent spécifiquement des codes qui permettent de gérer sa carrière “<em>comme un homme</em>” en entreprise.</p>

<h4 id="reconnaître-le-sexisme-ordinaire">Reconnaître le sexisme ordinaire</h4>

<p>Dans une recherche organisée par des femmes de la Silicon Valley “<em>Elephant in the valley</em>”, <strong>88%</strong> des femmes évoquent avoir vécu des situations où des clients ou collègues <strong>posaient des questions à leurs collègues masculins</strong> au lieu de s’adresser à elles.</p>

<p>Une femme qui sait ce qu’elle veut se fait rapidement qualifier <strong>d’autoritaire</strong>. Comme si la <strong>sympathie</strong> ne pouvait pas cohabiter avec le leadership dès lors qu’il s’agit d’une femme. Pour Marianne Cooper, une <strong>femme de pouvoir ne peut pas être appréciée</strong>, car elle transgresse les stéréotypes de femmes gentilles, chaleureuses et agréables quand elle agit de façon <strong>assertive, incite son équipe à performer et manifeste un fort leadership décisif</strong><sup id="fnref:32" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Les femmes doivent s’acquitter de cette <strong>taxe supplémentaire</strong> dont les hommes n’ont pas à se soucier. Comme les surnoms de type “<em>La femme de glace</em>” le montrent, nous ne sommes pas à l’aise avec les femmes de pouvoir.</p>

<p>Les <strong>remarques sur le physique</strong> constituent un acte sexiste, car réservés aux femmes. Une femme trop jolie est perçue comme incompétente, et les autres sont traités comme des <em>“garçons”</em>, ce qui de la bouche d’un homme n’est pas un compliment non plus. Bref, c’est perdant pour les femmes quoiqu’il arrive. N’hésitez pas à le faire remarquer en les nommant simplement “<em>c’est un propos sexiste</em>” ou en partant de votre sentiment “<em>je ne suis pas à l’aise quand tu dis ça</em>” ou en faisant clarifier “<em>Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire par là ?</em>”. C’est devenu tellement banal que les gens ne s’en rendent même plus compte.</p>

<h4 id="malus-féminin">Malus féminin</h4>

<h5 id="se-vanter">Se vanter</h5>

<p>Une étude de NBR pointe le fossé entre les genres en ce qui concerne l’autopromotion.</p>

<p>Les <strong>hommes sont plus à l’aise avec l’autopromotion</strong>, à penser et dire qu’ils ont très bien réussi quelque chose. Dans l’exercice, <strong>les hommes s’octroient un score 30% supérieur à celui que les femmes s’attribuent</strong>. Hommes et femmes ont en réalité obtenu des résultats similaires, d’ailleurs plus proches de l’estimation des femmes<sup id="fnref:33" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>Les femmes n’ont <strong>pas appris à valoriser leurs propres succès</strong>. Elles vont <strong>minimiser leur succès ou en attribuer le mérite à quelqu’un d’autre</strong> (souvent l’équipe) ou à la chance.</p>

<p>Pis, les quelques unes qui le font sont rapidement <strong>condamnées socialement</strong>, <strong>encore plus par d’autres femmes</strong>, alors que les hommes se mettent statistiquement trois fois plus en avant<sup id="fnref:34" role="doc-noteref"></sup> (ce qui est aussi cautionné par la société). Le backlash est immédiat. Elles sont alors perçues comme <strong>moins sympathiques</strong>, <strong>moins chaleureuses</strong> et <strong>moins compétentes</strong>. J’ai déjà entendu des reproches au sujet de femmes comme quoi elles se mettaient trop en avant alors que concernant des hommes, nous dirons qu’ils ont juste confiance en eux…</p>

<h5 id="être-altruiste">Être altruiste</h5>

<p>Une étude de l’Université de New York<sup id="fnref:35" role="doc-noteref"></sup> montre que les femmes ne sont pas récompensées lorsqu’elles restent tard pour aider leurs collègues, mais qu’elles sont plus pénalisées qu’un homme lorsqu’elles ne le font pas (-12% de points). A côté, les hommes qui aident se voient gratifier de 14% points supplémentaires. En d’autres termes, la notion d’aide est forcément pénalisante pour la femme : soit elle aide et c’est normal, soit elle n’aide pas et c’est mal. Alors que pour l’homme, soit il n’aide pas et c’est normal, soit il aide et c’est un héros.</p>

<h5 id="être-désagréable">Être désagréable</h5>

<p>Dans l’étude “<em>New evidence on gender and the labor market: A symposium</em>”, Kahn montre que les hommes ont une prime de désagréabilité que les femmes n’ont pas. <strong>Ils sont récompensés financièrement lorsqu’ils se montrent égoïstes, non conformes et antipathiques</strong>. Il suffit de regarder les personnalités politiques diffusées en boucle à la télévision ces dernières années pour voir qu’être désagréable n’est effectivement pas un souci pour les hommes.</p>

<p>En entreprise, ceci représente une double contrainte pour les femmes : <strong>soupçonnées d’être trop soft, elle décrochent plus difficilement des augmentations et des promotions quand elles n’adoptent pas cette attitude</strong>, mais si elles le faisaient elles auraient des retours bien plus négatifs que les hommes<sup id="fnref:36" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>J’irais même plus loin que le fait d’être désagréable. Les femmes ont moins le droit de se défendre tout court, ce qui les rend plus corvéables sous couvert de serviabilité ou de politesse. Dans un registre connexe, <a href="https://www.protegor.net/blog/irene-zeilinger-formatrice-dauto-defense-feministe/">Irène Zeilinger</a> propose une autodéfense féministe avec son livre “Non c’est non, à l’usage des femmes qui en ont marre de se faire emmerder sans rien dire” (version <a href="https://www.lisez.com/ebook/non-cest-non/9782355221293">papier</a> ou <a href="https://www.editions-zones.fr/lyber?non-cest-non">accès libre</a>).</p>

<h5 id="être-parent">Être parent</h5>

<p>Selon le rapport de l’INSEE en 2020<sup id="fnref:37" role="doc-noteref"></sup>, les écarts de salaires entre pères et mères sont beaucoup plus importants que les écarts entre hommes et femmes sans enfant. <strong>Devenir mère pénalise la carrière des femmes</strong>, quoi qu’elles fassent. Elles sont d’ailleurs les seules à qui l’on pose la question de l’équilibre vie pro / vie perso, alors que <strong>devenir père booste la carrière des hommes</strong>. Plus ils ont d’enfants, plus c’est un gage de fiabilité, plus ils ont de responsabilités.</p>

<p>Même si vous ne prévoyez pas d’enfant et que vous êtes en âge d’enfanter, vous pouvez malheureusement être victime du <a href="https://leanin.org/education/what-is-maternal-bias">biais de maternité</a>, où on ne vous confiera pas de missions intéressantes en présumant que vous allez partir…</p>

<p>Heureusement je vois de plus en plus de pères prendre leur rôle, pas seulement pour déposer les enfants à l’école le matin mais gérer les devoirs, partir en urgence pour aller récupérer l’enfant, organiser les anniversaires, prendre tout leur congé paternité de quatre semaines (même s’il n’y en a qu’une d’obligatoire), ce qui allège la charge mentale et émotionnelle des femmes.</p>

<h2 id="aux-alliées">Aux allié·es</h2>

<p><img src="https://www.duchess-france.fr/assets/2023/01/2023-01-15-manuel-survie-femme-tech/man-weighing-a-man-and-a-woman.png" alt="Crédit photo : Tumisu sur pixabay.com"></p>

<p>L’enjeu des femmes est de ne plus être <strong>invisibles</strong> pour être réellement prises en compte et apporter de la valeur comme toustes les autres.</p>

<p>Il faut donc accepter de laisser de la place et ne plus parler pendant cinq minutes non stop sans relâcher la parole.</p>

<p>C’est valable sur le choix du vocabulaire, où l’homme est omniprésent.</p>

<p>Imaginez que je vous raconte une histoire mettant en action 100 développeuses. Un développeur les rejoint. Le groupe est maintenant constitué de 101 développeurs, selon la règle du “masculin l’emportant sur le féminin”.</p>

<p>Que visualisez-vous lorsque je parle de 101 développeurs ? Il n’y a pas de femmes dedans. Les 100 premières développeuses ont disparu, elles deviennent invisibles<sup id="fnref:38" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Comment alors se projeter sur ce type de poste ?</p>

<p>Les <strong>mots sont importants</strong>. Les terminologies masculines comme “<strong><em>les gars</em></strong>”, “<strong><em>le mec</em></strong>”, “<strong><em>le dev</em></strong>” sont trop souvent utilisées et invisibilisent les femmes. Ce sont des formules excluantes. Comment réagissez-vous lorsque vous entendez “Bonjour Mesdames” quand vous êtes un 3 hommes dans un groupe de 30 personnes ? Plusieurs fois par jour ? Vous pouvez utiliser des termes épicènes “<em>les personnes</em>”, des formules englobantes “<em>l’équipe de développement</em>” ou doublonner “<em>le ou la dev</em>”, que personnellement je favorise.</p>

<p>Enfin, les blagues sexistes ou commentaires sur les tenues des femmes ont des conséquences (cette remarque est valable pour les femmes). <strong>Ne rien dire revient à cautionner</strong>. Si vous êtes témoin d’une situation sexiste, manifestez votre désaccord oralement et clairement, <strong>en votre nom</strong>. Si vous n’êtes pas certain de ne pas être d’accord et que vous exprimez votre malaise, c’est aussi d’une très grande aide, car la personne n’est plus seule. Votre voix a une portée différente, elle est beaucoup plus entendue.</p>

<p>Même sans privilège particulier, le rôle de “<strong>first follower</strong>” est déterminant<sup id="fnref:39" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Il est beaucoup plus facile de ne pas relever les actes sexistes. Lorsque je le fais, je vois souvent des personnes venir après en me disant “<em>tu as eu raison de le faire</em>”. D’un côté, j’apprécie le feedback. Et d’un autre, j’aurais aimé que sur le moment, il y ait d’autres voix que la mienne en soutien. Le fait que ce soit toujours les mêmes personnes qui s’expriment diminuent l’impact du message, car elle est rapidement étiquetée (encore plus quand il s’agit d’une femme, vous devez le savoir après avoir vu l’article). C’est <strong>quand il y a des retours dessus, que ce n’est plus drôle</strong>, <strong>que les actes sexistes cessent</strong>. Si vous ne savez pas quoi dire, faire, rien que <strong>réagir</strong> est très efficace.</p>

<p>Le site “Me and you too” propose une auto-évaluation de si vous avez des <a href="https://www.meandyoutoo.app/">comportements sexistes en tant que collègue</a>.</p>

<p>En plus d’avoir “des conséquences”, les blagues sexistes sont un délit depuis août 2021<sup id="fnref:40" role="doc-noteref"></sup>, de par leur qualification en harcèlement sexuel. Ce dernier est “<em>constitué par des propos ou comportements à connotation sexuelle ou sexiste répétés qui soit portent atteinte à sa dignité en raison de leur caractère dégradant ou humiliant, soit créent à son encontre une situation intimidante, hostile ou offensante</em>”. Le caractère répété est reconnu même s’il vient de personnes différentes<sup id="fnref:41" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Si vous avez un doute sur ce qui est ok ou non, le mieux est de demander à chaque fois, mais connaître la loi peut aussi être utile<sup id="fnref:42" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>En tant que recruteuse ou recruteur, je n’ai pas toujours été une alliée. J’en parle dans <a href="https://fchabanois.medium.com/une-%C3%A9quipe-it-diverse-1-x-e645f6d2d5fa">cet article</a> et de solutions dans cette <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=212xdm2ZhRo">conférence</a>. Au début, on ne sait pas où chercher mais <a href="https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/tags/decision-makers-inclusion-diversity">les ressources sont en réalité nombreuses</a>.</p>

<p>Il y a aussi des entreprises qui se sont spécialisées sur la diversité dans la tech, en particulier de genre, comme <a href="https://www.womenwhocode.com/">50inTech</a> ou <a href="https://theallyance.one/">The Allyance</a>. Vous y trouverez des offres d’emplois et des contenus vidéos.</p>

<h2 id="et-maintenant-">Et maintenant ?</h2>

<p>Je n’ai pas de solution magique. Le fait de <strong>connaître</strong> les mythes, les injonctions, les stéréotypes, les préjugés et les discriminations devrait vous faire relativiser l’accueil mitigé que vous avez reçu à votre dernière idée ou votre demande d’augmentation. Ce n’est pas vous. Chacun, chacune peut avoir une influence sur ce système, même si avoir conscience de ces biais ne vous en protège pas<sup id="fnref:43" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>J’espère aussi que cela vous donne envie de développer de la <strong>sororité</strong> avec vos paires; de vous soutenir ; de faire mentir le cliché des femmes dures et jalouses entre elles, car ceci est aussi un fruit du patriarcat. Les hommes savent très bien se serrer les coudes et ils ont raison. Les <strong>réseaux de femmes dans la tech</strong> sont nombreux : les Duchess, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/Ladies-of-Code-Paris/">Ladies of Code</a>, Women On Rails (<a href="https://women-on-rails.github.io/ressources/">ressources</a>, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/Women-On-Rails/">meetup</a> et incontournable <a href="https://womenonrails.substack.com/">newsletter</a>), <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/paris-women-in-machine-learning-data-science/">Women In Machine Learning Data Science Paris (WiMLDS)</a>, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/paris-dataladies/">Paris Data Ladies</a>, le <a href="https://cefcys.fr/">Cercle des Femmes de la Cybersécurité (CEFCYS)</a>, <a href="http://www.womenwhogo.org/">Women who go</a>, <a href="https://www.womeninproduct.com/">Women in product</a>, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/pyladiesparis/">PyLadies</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/womenintech">Women in tech</a>, <a href="https://www.womenwhocode.com/">Women who code</a>, <a href="https://www.motivher.fr/">Motiv’Her</a> pour les plus juniores, <a href="https://womenincloudnative.com/">Women in Cloud native</a>, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/Paris-js/">ParisJS</a> (mixte mais safe). Les meetups sont une mine d’or pour trouver la communauté qui vous conviendra le mieux. S’il n’y en a pas de spécifiquement féminin, vous pourrez toujours créer une branche women en son sein, comme nous l’avons fait avec <a href="https://www.tech.rocks/">Tech Rocks</a> et qui a abouti à la création de <a href="http://womenofinfluence.fr/">Women of influence</a>. Si vous n’êtes pas dans la tech et lisez cet article, vous pouvez aussi rejoindre la safe place <a href="https://lapdg.fr/">La Place Des Grenouilles</a> pour échanger et avoir du soutien au quotidien.</p>

<p>Il est largement prouvé qu’il n’y a qu’un moyen de faire entrer plus de femmes dans la tech. C’est par le biais de la <strong>représentativité</strong>. Les jeunes femmes ne peuvent pas se projeter dans des rôles qu’elles ne connaissent pas. J’espère qu’à un moment où un autre, vous aurez vous aussi envie d’occuper l’espace et de vous rendre visible, pour montrer que les femmes dans la tech existent et que c’est une voie royale. Vous pouvez aussi être <strong>marraine</strong> et intervenir dans des écoles avec <a href="https://www.ellesbougent.com/">Elles bougent</a> ou <a href="https://www.intrepidesdelatech.org/">Les intrépides de la tech</a>.</p>
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title: Manuel de survie de la femme dans la tech
url: https://www.duchess-france.fr/dossier/women%20in%20tech/alli%C3%A9s/2023/01/15/manuel-survie-femme-tech.html
hash_url: c4751e7c80b292e3533ee6b3e057b702
archive_date: 2024-01-21

<p>Je vois de plus en plus de femmes rejoindre l’informatique, et c’est une très bonne chose. Je vois aussi trop de femmes patir de sexisme ordinaire, se remettre en question encore et encore… et quitter le milieu au bout de quelques années. J’ai mis du temps à apprendre certaines choses. Je voudrais vous faire gagner ces dix ans, pour qu’on arrive à une parité réelle dans le secteur numérique. Je m’adresse également à toutes les personnes qui souhaitent voir plus de femmes et personnes non binaires dans leurs équipes. Les femmes sont fortement incitées à faire un choix entre l’ambition (business and successful woman) et l’altruisme (femme qui colle aux codes et fait correctement son travail, loin de l’argent). Ce choix injuste et superflu résulte des stéréotypes que nous allons parcourir à travers cet article.</p>

<h2 id="ambition-et-altruisme">Ambition et altruisme</h2>

<p>Si vous êtes en couple hétérosexuel, vous avez dû remarquer que les comptes joints bancaires affichent par défaut :</p>

<p><em>“M ou Mme &lt;nom de famille de l’homme&gt; &lt;prénom de l’homme&gt;”</em>.</p>

<p>Je n’apparais pas sur cette ligne autrement que par “Mme”. C’est le nom de famille de mon époux, cette Mme pourrait tout aussi bien désigner ma belle-mère.</p>

<p>J’ai toujours trouvé cette pratique déplacée, en plus d’être ironique dans la mesure où je suis la plus grosse contributrice de ce compte. Lorsque j’ai demandé à notre nouvelle banque d’ajouter mon prénom, elle m’a répondu “<em>qu’il n’y avait pas suffisamment de place dans le logiciel</em>”.</p>

<p>Ah.</p>

<p>Sans mon identité clairement identifiée sur le RIB, une autre banque a refusé de procéder à un virement sur ce compte.</p>

<p>D’après vous, qui décide de la taille d’un champ dans un logiciel, sans penser au fait qu’il y a deux personnes dans un compte joint ?</p>

<p>La personne qui développe. Peut être le·la product owner, le·la chef·fe de projet.</p>

<p>Ce qui est certain, c’est que les femmes sont souvent oubliées.</p>

<p>En 2016, dans l’Union Européenne, les femmes ne constituaient que 15% des membres exécutifs des entreprises privées. 6% des PDG sont des femmes<sup id="fnref:1" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Autrement dit, 94% des entreprises européennes sont dirigées par des hommes. Comment être surpris·e que le standard soit masculin ? Que les effets secondaires des médicaments soient plus importants chez les femmes<sup id="fnref:2" role="doc-noteref"></sup>, que les GPS reconnaissent moins bien les voix féminines<sup id="fnref:3" role="doc-noteref"></sup> (ce qui nourrit le stéréotype que vous connaissez), que les crash tests soient réalisés sur des morphologies masculines (ce qui rend les accidents plus mortels pour les femmes<sup id="fnref:4" role="doc-noteref"></sup>), que les masques soient trop grands (donc moins efficaces pour les femmes<sup id="fnref:5" role="doc-noteref"></sup>) ?</p>

<p>Aux USA, l’Apple Card attribue moins de crédits lorsqu’il s’agit d’une femme que pour un homme, même quand elle gagne trois fois plus que son conjoint<sup id="fnref:6" role="doc-noteref"></sup> ou que les deux ont exactement le même compte en banque “à cause de l’algorithme”<sup id="fnref:7" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>Nommée depuis 1860, <strong>l’endométriose</strong> est une maladie gynécologique qui touche 10 à 20% des femmes. Quand ces dernières voient leur médecins à ce sujet, il leur est rétorqué que <em>“c’est normal d’avoir mal pendant ses règles”</em>. Il a fallu attendre 2020 pour que cette maladie soit intégrée dans le programme de médecine !</p>

<p>L’informatique a une portée surpuissante et ce type de biais aura des conséquences de plus en plus massives et impactantes. La <strong>présence de femmes dans ce secteur</strong> est un enjeu capital, tout comme dans des <strong>postes de direction, sans quoi 52% de la population continuera d’être lésée</strong>.</p>

<p>De plus, il est prouvé que les <strong>entreprises mixtes sont plus performantes</strong>. Sur dix ans, les dix entreprises les plus mixtes affichent près de 300% de croissance contre 43% pour la moyenne des entreprises du CAC40<sup id="fnref:8" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>Pour ne rien arranger, parmi le peu de femmes qui choisissent l’informatique, <strong>50% quittent le milieu avant 35 ans</strong> (20% dans les autres secteurs d’activité<sup id="fnref:9" role="doc-noteref"></sup>). La majorité des répondantes évoquent comme motif principal le <strong>milieu trop peu inclusif</strong>.</p>

<p>Je ne peux pas changer ce milieu. Par contre, j’ai commis des erreurs typiquement féminines dans ma carrière. Je voudrais vous éviter ces écueils. Si cet article vous aide, j’espère que vous passerez vous aussi le message, car l’invisibilisation de la femme est un éternel recommencement.</p>

<p>Si vous vous identifiez plutôt comme un homme, cette lecture vous sera aussi utile pour favoriser un cadre de travail <strong>équilibré</strong> et où tout le monde se sente bien et soit sa meilleure version de lui/elle même. Aussi en ayant conscience des injonctions qui pèsent sur chacun·e</p>
<ul>
<li>à l’Homme : <em>sois fort, sais tout</em>, et on te pardonnera d’être absent dans ton foyer.</li>
<li>à la Femme : <em>sois serviable, ne fais pas de vague et on pardonnera tes absences au bureau</em> - on s’y attendra même, tu seras moins payée, et te verras proposer moins d’évolution).</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="aux-personnes-qui-entrent-dans-le-milieu-it">Aux personnes qui entrent dans le milieu IT</h2>

<p>Lorsqu’il a fallu choisir mon école d’informatique en alternance, le seul critère qui m’intéressait était l’employabilité derrière. Quand l’évaluateur m’a demandé quelle école je choisirais, si j’étais prise dans les deux, j’ai répondu que j’irais là où j’aurais un contrat en alternance<sup id="fnref:10" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>Je comprends encore cette problématique aujourd’hui, surtout si vous êtes une “minorité” dans le milieu ou issu d’un cursus atypique, comme une reconversion.</p>

<p>Je vais exposer ce que, personnellement, je recherche quand je recrute quelqu’un·e. Sachez qu’il ne s’agit pas d’une science exacte. Sur le recrutement, il y a <strong>autant de bonnes réponses que de personnes qui recrutent</strong>.</p>

<p>C’est justement le premier conseil : restez vous-même et ne reniez pas vos valeurs.</p>

<h3 id="1-ne-reniez-pas-vos-valeurs">1. Ne reniez pas vos valeurs</h3>

<p>Il m’arrive de rencontrer des personnes très stressées en entretien (ok surtout des femmes). Je vois aussi des personnes qui ne laissent juste rien transparaître (surtout des hommes). Dans les deux cas, l’entretien ressemble à un interrogatoire.</p>

<p>Un entretien n’est pas un interrogatoire. C’est une <strong>rencontre</strong>. Un premier rendez-vous, pour voir si les deux parties ont envie de parcourir un bout de chemin ensemble.</p>

<p>Ne faites pas semblant, ne dites pas des choses que vous ne pensez pas. Vos propos vont servir de base pour décider si oui ou non, vous allez partager huit heures avec cette entreprise, chaque jour pendant quelques années. C’est <strong>long de faire semblant aussi longtemps</strong>.</p>

<p>Vous pouvez être sélectionné·e sur une image que vous pensez conforme aux attentes de l’entreprise, et décrocher un poste au mieux dans un poste qui ne vous ressemble pas, au pire dans une entreprise toxique. Un comble.</p>

<p>Vous pouvez aussi vous faire recaler sur une fausse image de vous. Un autre comble.</p>

<p>Si vous adorez les projets from scratch et ne souhaitez pas faire de maintenance, soyez honnête. Si vous vous épanouissez dans la R&amp;D et préférez évoluer dans une bulle protégée, dites-le. Si vous adorez aller sur le terrain et avoir des feedbacks fréquents, dites-le. Si vous trouvez de l’énergie plutôt en travaillant en équipe, dites-le. Probablement, vous êtes curieux·se et n’avez pas encore d’à priori, c’est très bien aussi.</p>

<p>Il vous sera plus aisé d’exprimer <strong>ce que vous ne voulez vraiment pas</strong> que l’inverse. Cette information est aussi utile pour l’entreprise.</p>

<p>Si vous vous sentez <strong>tendu·e</strong>, une solution répandue consiste à ralentir son rythme cardiaque, en respirant très lentement. Soufflez le plus lentement possible, puis inspirez lentement, sur quelques cycles. Prenez le temps de prendre le temps, ce n’est pas grave s’il y a des silences. Les sportifs de haut niveau pratique la cohérence cardiaque<sup id="fnref:11" role="doc-noteref"></sup> régulièrement, ce qui les prépare à mieux gérer la pression pendant les moments critiques.</p>

<p>Gardez en tête que vous êtes vous aussi <strong>en train d’évaluer l’entreprise qui vous recrute</strong>. N’hésitez pas à poser des questions.</p>

<p>Enfin, il n’y a pas réellement de mauvais profil mais des mauvaises correspondances. Selon la mission et la structure de mon équipe à un moment donné, le profil sera pertinent ou non. Chez Groupe La Centrale, nous cherchons des personnes autonomes et proactives, mais des personnes qui exécutent parfaitement uniquement ce qui leur est demandé peuvent être très pertinentes dans des entreprises en cycle en V par exemple. Ne prenez pas un arrêt de processus personnellement et ne vous découragez pas.</p>

<p>Une fois installé·e à votre nouveau poste, vous devenez une cellule de l’organisme qu’est l’entreprise. C’est ce qui fait tout l’intérêt de travailler quelque part, d’apporter sa pierre. Restez-vous même et si vous avez des idées, partagez-les. Peut-être que cela ne marchera pas tout de suite, peut-être jamais, peut-être que oui. Ce qui est certain, c’est qu’en le gardant pour vous, rien ne se passera. Il se peut que d’autres personnes aient la même idée et n’aient pas su l’exprimer non plus.</p>

<p>Voici quelques initiatives issus de collaborateur·rices du Groupe La Centrale</p>

<ul>
<li>Coding goûters</li>
<li>Avoir une subvention vélo à la place du navigo</li>
<li>Supprimer les gobelets en plastique au profit de tasse lavable</li>
<li>Redécorer complètement une salle de réunion</li>
<li>Changer de cuisine et l’équiper d’un lave-vaisselle</li>
<li>Fêter Halloween</li>
</ul>

<p>Savez-vous quelle est LA question que je me pose pendant tout l’entretien et qui est déterminant dans le choix ?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>“<em>Est-ce que je peux compter sur elle/lui ?</em>”</p>
</blockquote>

<h3 id="2-soyez-fiable">2. Soyez fiable</h3>

<p>Si j’ai un doute sur le fait de pouvoir compter sur quelqu’un pendant l’entretien, peu importe l’expertise de la personne, je ne vais pas plus loin. Il s’agit d’une notion très subjective, que je tente de factualiser par des grilles de questions. Cela passe aussi par savoir ce qui est important pour cette personne.</p>

<p>Le travail d’un·e développeur·se ne <strong>s’arrête pas à avoir son code qui fonctionne en local</strong>, le pousser en recette et passer à une autre tâche sans regarder. Le déploiement a peut-être raté, donc il est de bon usage de vérifier que le cas nominal fonctionne effectivement sur la plateforme cible.</p>

<p>Le·la dev doit assurer son sujet jusqu’à son exploitation en production, par le biais des <strong>logs après chaque mise en production</strong> par exemple. Sans cela, le travail n’est pas terminé. Cela peut aller plus loin en s’intéressant au “succès” de la fonctionnalité après la production, sur son impact et son usage.</p>

<p>Cette préoccupation de la production inclut dans les tâches de base le <strong>monitoring</strong>. Le principe est de voir les dysfonctionnements avant les retours clients, avant qu’ils ne prennent trop d’ampleur.</p>

<p>Il y a surement d’autres tâches mais l’idée est que nous travaillons avec des ingénieur·es, qui doivent faire le nécessaire pour que tout se passe bien, sans qu’il y ait besoin d’un·e chef·fe derrière qui donne la liste exacte de tout ce qu’il faut faire, une fois que nous nous sommes aligné·es sur <strong>l’objectif</strong>.</p>

<h3 id="3-toujours-apprendre">3. Toujours apprendre</h3>

<p>Le secteur IT est encore (très) bien <strong>rémunéré</strong>. Ce n’est pas non plus un métier où vous faites vos études et une fois que c’est fini, tadam, vous voilà prêt·e. Certaines choses changent plus lentement que d’autres, comme les principes SOLID, mais pour rester à jour, la <strong>veille continue</strong> est indispensable. Techniquement, vous pouvez aussi choisir de vous cantonner à une spécialité, mais même en restant dans la même entreprise, c’est une stratégie risquée. Les composants AWS changent en continu et de nouveaux framework javascript naissent chaque jour sur Github.</p>

<p>Chez Groupe La Centrale, nous avons eu le courant Grails avec Groovy sur quelques années, puis GWT, puis Scala, puis Symfony, puis React.js. Chez Figaro Classifieds, c’était Java, puis Scala, puis React.js. Tout le monde ne jure que par X, pendant quelques années. Avant que vous ayez le temps de finir de refondre tout le système d’information, vous êtes obligé·es de lancer une autre refonte parce que personne ne veut travailler dans la techno N-3.</p>

<p><strong>Votre produit se retrouve freiné dans ses évolutions par la technologie, alors que cela doit être l’inverse</strong>. C’est aussi pour cette raison qu’il y aura toujours de l’avenir dans l’informatique, il y a toujours des refontes à faire.</p>

<p>En revanche, certaines bonnes pratiques ne changent pas. S’il vous plaît, faites des <strong>tests unitaires</strong>. Cela n’a aucun intérêt d’être en avance sur la sortie d’un projet si c’est pour que les clients et clientes se sentent nul·les ou maudissent la marque au moment de choisir un véhicule. Dans le “toujours apprendre”, un bug rencontré une fois ne doit jamais se reproduire, sauf si c’est assumé. Il n’y a que les tests qui peuvent garantir cela.</p>

<p>Je me rappelle encore de l’émotion ressentie lorsque j’ai découvert Fitnesse. Cette magie… Vous définissez ce que vous attendez de la fonctionnalité et l’outil vérifie en continu qu’une fois en place, elle fonctionne encore et encore, chaque jour. Un filet de sécurité à toute épreuve. Comme une vieille histoire d’amour, je n’ai jamais recroisé sa route au bureau, ni dans les CVs des personnes rencontrées en entretien. Vous connaissez peut-être plutôt Cucumber, Puppeteer ou Cypress ? Le principe de fond des <strong>tests fonctionnels</strong> reste le même : tester en continu que les services et fonctionnalités soient préservés à chaque nouveau développement.</p>

<p>Selenium revient encore assez souvent car la mise en place est très simple mais la maintenance est laborieuse, comme pour tous les <strong>tests UI</strong>. Ils sont plus longs à mettre en place, plus longs à s’exécuter et vieillissent plus mal. J’aime bien en avoir quelques uns sur les fonctionnalités “cœur” du produit uniquement, celles qui ne peuvent pas ne pas fonctionner, sans traiter les cas particuliers.</p>

<p><img src="https://www.duchess-france.fr/assets/2023/01/2023-01-15-manuel-survie-femme-tech/pyramide-tests.png" alt="Source : https://martinfowler.com/articles/practical-test-pyramid.html"></p>

<p>Conformément à la pyramide de tests ci-dessus, soyez généreux·ses en <strong>tests unitaires</strong> en testant tous les cas, même ceux qui sont “censés fonctionner”, car c’est bien l’intérêt des tests de décider comment réagir lorsque ces cas arriveront. Un bug n’est jamais “censé arriver” et pourtant, ils existent.</p>

<p>Ensuite seulement, vous pourrez vous pencher sur les tests d’intégration, et en tout dernier sur les tests UI.</p>

<p>J’entends parfois des équipes dire qu’elles n’ont pas le temps d’écrire des tests unitaires. C’est une erreur de chiffrage, il faut les inclure d’office dedans. Les tests unitaires font partie du code. Ils ne devraient pas être négociables car ce sont eux qui garantissent le fonctionnement du code. Lorsque vous payez une prestation, l’artisan ne vous demande pas si vous êtes d’accord pour payer une partie des chaussures de sécurité ou le pinceau de qualité. C’est un package.</p>

<h2 id="aux-femmes-de-la-tech">Aux femmes de la tech</h2>

<p>En vingt ans dans le milieu tech, j’ai eu le temps d’observer des choses. Des patterns initialement invisibles se sont tellement répétés qu’ils ont fini par capter mon attention.</p>

<h3 id="1-résister-aux-injonctions-de-gentillesse-variante--soin-sourire-beauté-discrétion-dévouement">1. Résister aux injonctions de gentillesse (variante : soin, sourire, beauté, discrétion, dévouement)</h3>

<p>Je vois trop de femmes <strong>se dévouer pour l’équipe</strong> : collecter une cagnotte pour un départ, aider à ranger après un petit déjeuner, rédiger les comptes rendus, s’occuper de la MEP, de la tâche que personne ne veut prendre, servir de l’eau à table, accueillir les nouveaux/nouvelles, etc.</p>

<p><img src="https://www.duchess-france.fr/assets/2023/01/2023-01-15-manuel-survie-femme-tech/smiling-woman-before-whiteboard.png" alt="Crédit photo : RAEng_Publications sur pixabay.com"></p>

<p>La solidarité et le souci de l’autre sont de grandes qualités. Néanmoins, il faut garder en tête que c’est <strong>fatalement autant de temps en moins sur le travail pour lequel vous avez été engagées</strong>. Que vous avez <strong>moins de temps de pratique</strong> et qu’au moment de l’entretien annuel, vous aurez un bilan moins fourni qu’un collègue masculin qui ne fait que les tâches pour lesquelles il est explicitement désigné. Ce phénomène a été théorisé sous le terme de Glue work<sup id="fnref:12" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Je vous assure qu’en laissant chacun·e prendre ses tâches, tout le monde y gagne. Vous pouvez même bousculer un peu le destin en le faisant remarquer aux hommes, moins socialisés pour rendre service.</p>

<p>Je ne dis pas qu’il ne faut jamais se dévouer. Juste que le <strong>temps</strong> est précieux pour tout le monde, et je remarque trop souvent que <strong>ce type de travail “gratuit”, de “lien” va aux femmes</strong>. On vous remerciera probablement (et encore), mais vous risquez d’être plus reconnue pour votre serviabilité que vos <strong>compétences</strong>.</p>

<p>Peut-être même que devant tant de qualités humaines, vous vous verrez proposer rapidement de quitter le code / l’infra / la data science pour un poste plus transverse. Cela peut ressembler à une promotion. Néanmoins, gardez en tête qu’aujourd’hui, ce sont les développeurs et développeuses qui sont les rois et reines du pétrole, pas les scrum masters, ni les chef·fes de projet. Les devs peuvent exercer en CDI, en indépendant·es dans toute la France ou créer leur propre société. En plus de la rentabilité de leur métier, <strong>les devs ont le super pouvoir de concrétiser leurs idées</strong>, c’est juste <strong>énorme</strong>. Pour moi, il faut rester cinq ans minimum, avant de se poser la question de changer, pour bien explorer les aspects du métier.</p>

<p>Posez-vous bien la question de ce que vous prenez réellement plaisir à faire, pas seulement là où on voit votre utilité “naturelle” et où vous avez l’habitude d’être compétent·e. L’expertise s’acquiert avec du temps.</p>

<h3 id="2-les-mythes">2. Les mythes</h3>

<p>Le syndrome du prince charmant (ou de la bonne élève) consiste à croire que vous serez remarquée, si vous faites sérieusement et correctement votre travail, avec talent et énergie. Qu’à un moment ou à un autre, cela se saura tout seul et que vous serez félicitée, reconnue, augmentée, promue. Sauf qu’il n’y a pas de prince charmant. Vous allez attendre longtemps. <strong>La meilleure chance d’obtenir ce que vous souhaitez est de le demander, après avoir pris soin de rendre visible votre travail</strong>. La perspective d’un refus peut freiner, car nous aimons bien les bonnes notes et nous avons appris à éviter les situations d’échecs. Considérez le comme une <strong>étape</strong>, c’est le démarrage d’une <strong>conversation</strong>. Plus vous vous y habituerez, plus <strong>vous aurez de succès dans vos requêtes</strong> et moins la démarche sera douloureuse. C’est comme un jeu.</p>

<p>Bien travailler est indispensable mais pas suffisant. Je ne compte pas le nombre de fois où <strong>mon travail est récupéré par quelqu’un d’autre</strong>, certainement inconsciemment. La personne répète la même idée, pour l’intégrer ou ajouter un détail. Sa voix est plus entendue. Quand j’ai entendu parler de ce phénomène la première fois, je pensais que c’était exagéré alors qu’il est malheureusement bien réel. <strong>N’hésitez pas à corriger les erreurs d’attribution</strong>, c’est juste normal. Les hommes ont d’ailleurs beaucoup moins de complexes à le faire.</p>

<p>Ces erreurs d’attributions résultent de biais inconscients et de stéréotypes, où l’homme est plus visible et a plus de valeur. Qui connait <strong>Alice Guy-Blaché</strong> ? Elle a inventé le cinéma tel que nous le connaissons aujourd’hui, en mettant en scène des fictions narratives. Réaliser plus de mille films n’a pas été suffisant pour assurer sa postérité, et à l’époque, on pensait que son assistant était le réalisateur des films. Aujourd’hui, nous connaissons les frères Lumières et Gaumont, mais pas elle. Dans les sciences, <strong>l’effet Matilda</strong> désigne ces situations d’attribution de la découverte scientifique d’une femme à un collègue masculin. La chimiste Rosalind Franklin<sup id="fnref:13" role="doc-noteref"></sup> en a été victime : ses travaux ont permis de découvrir la structure à double hélice de l’ADN mais ce sont les collègues qui ont décroché le Prix Nobel.</p>

<p>Un autre mythe est qu’une aide est toujours la bienvenue. J’ai vu plusieurs fois des <strong>aides infligées par des hommes aux femmes</strong>, avec la meilleure intention du monde, certes. Alors qu’on laisse les hommes se débrouiller. La personne “aidée” apprend moins si elle se fait guider sur tout et mettra plus de temps à être autonome. N’hésitez pas à être claire sur votre besoin / volontaire d’aide en disant non ou stop, lorsque vous avez eu suffisamment d’indices pour avancer. D’ailleurs, je remarque que les hommes ont beaucoup plus de difficultés à demander de l’aide, quitte à être bloqué plusieurs jours sur certains sujets. C’est dommage pour le projet et l’équipe.</p>

<h3 id="3-avoir-conscience-des-automatismes-des-stéréotypes-et-des-préjugés-pour-prévenir-les-discriminations-qui-en-découlent">3. Avoir conscience des automatismes, des stéréotypes et des préjugés, pour prévenir les discriminations qui en découlent</h3>

<p><strong>80% des femmes salariées</strong> considèrent que, dans le monde du travail, elles sont régulièrement confrontées à des <strong>attitudes ou des décisions sexistes</strong><sup id="fnref:14" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>J’ai longtemps pensé qu’il n’y avait pas de différences de traitement entre les hommes et les femmes. Les statistiques montrent le contraire. Les autres raisons sont que je ne voulais pas être une victime, ni une personne qui se plaint et que je jugeais négativement les “chieuses” (étiquette sexiste qui permet de faire taire les femmes). J’étais moi-même trop conditionnée dans la société patriarcale pour voir ces inégalités banales, induites par les stéréotypes. Il y a quinze ans, je ne me serais pas reconnue dans ces 80% de femmes mais aujourd’hui, cela me parait tout bonnement impossible qu’une seule femme n’ait jamais été confronté à une <strong>attitude ou une décision sexiste au travail</strong><sup id="fnref:14:1" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>Une fois que vous savez cela, vous ne serez pas surprise et serez mieux préparée.</p>

<h4 id="se-faire-entendre">Se faire entendre</h4>

<p>Une femme se fait <strong>bien plus couper la parole qu’un homme</strong> (entre +23% ou +400%<sup id="fnref:15" role="doc-noteref"></sup>) quand bien même sa voix est déjà minoritaire (25% du temps de parole). Les femmes s’interdisent aussi plus souvent de couper la parole, au risque d’être moins entendues avec cette inégalité d’accès aux moyens d’expression.</p>

<p>L’enjeu lorsque cela arrivera consiste à garder la parole <strong>en précisant que vous n’avez pas terminé</strong> d’étayer votre propos (un <em>“attends laisse moi finir”</em> suffit généralement). J’ai déjà vu des personnes <strong>lever la main</strong>, c’est assez efficace en dernier recours.</p>

<p>En tant que tiers, vous avez aussi un rôle à jouer sur ce sujet. Lorsque j’anime une réunion, je veille à ce que chacun et chacune de mes collaborateur·ices aient eu <strong>assez d’espace pour s’exprimer en fin de réunion</strong>. Vous pouvez aussi aider lorsque vous êtes témoin de cela, déjà en le remarquant puis en <strong>rendant la parole</strong> <em>“Qu’est-ce que tu voulais dire tout à l’heure ?”</em>. Vous pouvez aussi systématiser la nomination d’un rôle de modérateur·rice, comme du time-keeper dans toutes vos réunions. Il·elle note les mains levées et redistribue la parole dans l’ordre. En visio, c’est devenu encore plus simple de voir les mains levées et des outils comme Jitsi-meet permet de voir le temps de parole de chaque personne en temps réel.</p>

<p>La technique de <strong>l’amplification</strong>, popularisée à la Maison Blanche à l’époque d’Obama, consiste à répéter l’idée en lui reconnaissant la maternité, ce qui permet d’augmenter son audibilité.
Sachez aussi que nous n’apprenons pas à nous exprimer de la même façon selon notre genre. Quand les femmes prennent la parole, elles l’encombrent plus souvent de termes parasites minimisant comme <em>“peut-être”</em>, <em>“je pense que”</em>, <em>“c’est juste mon avis”</em>. <strong>Les femmes enrobent plus leurs propos</strong>, ce qui peut limiter sa portée et/ou nuire à sa clarté, et surtout minimiser des propos pas moins importants. Elles s’excusent aussi plus souvent de déranger (à tort). A l’écrit, ce sont les points d’exclamation et les smileys qui sont sur représentés, pour adoucir le ton et paraître sympathique. Dans tous les cas, ces parasites réduisent l’impact des messages exprimés. En gros, il vaut mieux <strong>faire court</strong> pour limiter la charge cognitive et répéter plusieurs fois le message…</p>

<p>Une femme est plus facilement <strong>contestée</strong> dans ces propos et plus souvent <strong>critiquée</strong> qu’un homme, en politique<sup id="fnref:17" role="doc-noteref"></sup> comme pendant les entretiens annuels<sup id="fnref:18" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Dans une étude relatée par le magazine Fortune sur les entretiens annuels, <strong>72% femmes ont reçu des feedback négatifs versus 2% des hommes</strong>. A contrario, 81% hommes ont reçu des feedbacks constructifs versus 23% femmes.
Cette rareté de feedback constructifs à l’attention des femmes est confirmée par une étude de Stanford<sup id="fnref:19" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Or, les <strong>retours vagues</strong> comme <em>“Tu as fait une bonne année”</em> ne permettent ni de progresser ni d’améliorer les revenus de l’entreprise.</p>

<p>Les feedbacks constructifs dont bénéficient plus les hommes (4 fois plus pour rappel<sup id="fnref:20" role="doc-noteref"></sup>) sont <strong>orientés business et plus précis</strong> comme <em>“tu devrais approfondir telle connaissance, qui une fois acquis permettra de participer à telle architecture et impacter tel client”</em>.</p>

<p>Les quelques feedbacks “constructifs” à l’attention des femmes portent plus sur leur <strong>personnalité</strong> comme la façon de <strong>communiquer</strong>, par exemple : <em>“Sa façon de parler et son approche peuvent parfois déstabiliser certaines personnes”</em>. 76% des références sur le fait d’être <strong><em>“trop agressif”</em></strong> concernent des femmes, versus 24% d’hommes.</p>

<p>Pour pallier cette tendance, le mieux est de prendre les devants et demander <strong>explicitement des moyens d’améliorer ses performances</strong>. Ainsi, les managers n’auront pas “peur” d’en donner.</p>

<p>La même idée prononcée par des personnes de sexe différentes a des échos différents. Les voix des hommes ont un <strong>volume supérieur</strong>. L’étude “Investors Prefer entrepreneurial ventures pitched by attractive men”<sup id="fnref:21" role="doc-noteref"></sup> montre que les <strong>voix masculines sont perçues comme plus convaincantes, plus factuelles et plus logiques</strong> que les voix féminines. Lorsqu’un pitch était lu par une voix masculine, il avait deux fois plus de chances d’être sélectionné par le jury que lorsque le même pitch était lu par une femme.</p>

<h4 id="être-rémunérée-à-sa-juste-valeur">Être rémunérée à sa juste valeur</h4>

<p><img src="https://www.duchess-france.fr/assets/2023/01/2023-01-15-manuel-survie-femme-tech/woman-on-money.png" alt="Crédit photo : mohamed_hassan sur pixabay.com."></p>

<p>En 2021, avec la pandémie qui a plus fortement pénalisé les femmes (dans les ménages et le milieu professionnel), l’écart salarial entre les deux sexes s’est accentué en atteignant <strong>16,5% en France</strong>. En début de carrière, il y a peu de différence. Pour l’association Les Glorieuses<sup id="fnref:22" role="doc-noteref"></sup>, c’est <strong>vers la trentaine, à l’âge du premier enfant que l’écart commence à se creuser</strong>. Sur un métier identique, à temps et compétence égale, l’écart salarial est de 10% en moyenne en France.</p>

<p>L’American Association of University Women observe que seulement un an après l’entrée dans la vie active, les américaines gagnent <strong>77% de ce que leurs collègues masculins gagnent dans le milieu informatique</strong>, avec un écart qui se creuse avec le temps, quand la vigilance baisse.</p>

<p><strong>N’hésitez pas à parler salaires</strong> avec vos collègues <em>masculins</em> et votre entourage pour connaître le marché et bien vous positionner. Les benchmark sont nombreux sur Internet, comme Glassdoor.fr.</p>

<p>D’après des chercheurs de Cambridge et Carnegie Mellon University<sup id="fnref:23" role="doc-noteref"></sup>, les femmes sont <strong>pénalisées socialement lorsqu’elles demandent des augmentations</strong>. Les femmes s’en doutent et s’abstiennent d’en demander pour cette raison.</p>

<p>Les femmes demandent <strong>quatre fois moins souvent des augmentations que les hommes</strong>. Lorsqu’elles le font, elles demandent <strong>30% moins</strong> que ce que les hommes demandent<sup id="fnref:24" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Les recherches de Artz, Goodall et Oswald finissent d’enfoncer le clou en démontrant que lorsque les femmes demandent le même montant que les hommes, elles ont <strong>25% de chance de moins d’obtenir gain de cause</strong><sup id="fnref:25" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. L’injonction populaire faites aux femmes de <em>“plus oser”</em> n’est pas inintéressante mais aussi à côté de la plaque (en plus d’être culpabilisante et de renvoyer la responsabilité à la victime), car elle ne considère pas le système dans son ensemble.</p>

<p>Vous pouvez aussi <strong>tester le marché</strong> en passant des entretiens. J’ai longtemps complexé à passer des entretiens, comme si c’était “tromper”. En passer de temps en temps permet aussi de savoir comment d’autres organisations fonctionnent et de vous entraîner, même si vous décidez au final de rester où vous êtes. Même si vous vous plaisez dans votre entreprise, il ne faut pas se priver de découvrir d’autres environnements de travail. C’est la meilleure façon d’apprendre et d’évoluer.</p>

<p>Une célèbre étude Hewlett Packard révélait que les femmes ne postulaient à une offre d’emploi que lorsqu’elles <strong>remplissaient 100% des critères alors que 60% suffisaient pour un homme</strong>. La raison souvent évoquée serait une confiance en soi moindre (d’un tiers)<sup id="fnref:26" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. C’est surtout une socialisation différente qui <strong>conditionne les filles à davantage respecter les règles</strong>. Cette qualité n’en est plus vraiment une dans le milieu de l’entreprise. Lorsqu’une compétence est requise sur une offre d’emploi, si une femme ne l’a pas, elle ne postule pas pour ne pas perdre de temps ni celui de l’entreprise recruteuse. Un autre facteur est l’<strong>aversion à l’échec</strong> favorisé par une non correspondance d’un des critères (raison évoquée par presque deux fois plus de femmes que d’hommes dans l’étude)<sup id="fnref:27" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Etant de l’autre côté, je peux vous dire que les fiches de poste sont des lettres au Père Noël et que je n’ai littéralement jamais eu de candidat·e qui cochait toutes les cases.</p>

<p>Dans tous les secteurs d’activité, les femmes sont les plus nombreuses “en bas de l’échelle” et quasi inexistantes en haut<sup id="fnref:28" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. L’IT ne fait pas exception. Soignez votre carrière car plus vous monterez, plus vous aurez d’impact sur la société. <strong>L’ambition</strong> n’est pas un gros mot. En terme de promotion, une étude McKinsey montrait que les <strong>hommes étaient promus et recrutés sur leur potentiel tandis que les femmes l’étaient sur leurs expériences passées et leurs réalisations</strong><sup id="fnref:29" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. N’attendez donc pas d’avoir une promotion pour avancer, faites comme si vous étiez déjà promue et décrochez l’augmentation adéquate derrière. Si rien ne suit derrière, il est temps de changer d’entreprise.</p>

<p>Sachez également que la <strong>maternité</strong> ne devant pas constituer un frein aux carrières des femmes, la loi garantit aux femmes une augmentation équivalente à la moyenne des augmentations de l’entreprise à son retour de congé maternité.</p>

<p>Les podcasts “<em>Ma Juste Valeur</em>”<sup id="fnref:30" role="doc-noteref"></sup> et “<em>Les règles du jeu</em>”<sup id="fnref:31" role="doc-noteref"></sup> traitent spécifiquement des codes qui permettent de gérer sa carrière “<em>comme un homme</em>” en entreprise.</p>

<h4 id="reconnaître-le-sexisme-ordinaire">Reconnaître le sexisme ordinaire</h4>

<p>Dans une recherche organisée par des femmes de la Silicon Valley “<em>Elephant in the valley</em>”, <strong>88%</strong> des femmes évoquent avoir vécu des situations où des clients ou collègues <strong>posaient des questions à leurs collègues masculins</strong> au lieu de s’adresser à elles.</p>

<p>Une femme qui sait ce qu’elle veut se fait rapidement qualifier <strong>d’autoritaire</strong>. Comme si la <strong>sympathie</strong> ne pouvait pas cohabiter avec le leadership dès lors qu’il s’agit d’une femme. Pour Marianne Cooper, une <strong>femme de pouvoir ne peut pas être appréciée</strong>, car elle transgresse les stéréotypes de femmes gentilles, chaleureuses et agréables quand elle agit de façon <strong>assertive, incite son équipe à performer et manifeste un fort leadership décisif</strong><sup id="fnref:32" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Les femmes doivent s’acquitter de cette <strong>taxe supplémentaire</strong> dont les hommes n’ont pas à se soucier. Comme les surnoms de type “<em>La femme de glace</em>” le montrent, nous ne sommes pas à l’aise avec les femmes de pouvoir.</p>

<p>Les <strong>remarques sur le physique</strong> constituent un acte sexiste, car réservés aux femmes. Une femme trop jolie est perçue comme incompétente, et les autres sont traités comme des <em>“garçons”</em>, ce qui de la bouche d’un homme n’est pas un compliment non plus. Bref, c’est perdant pour les femmes quoiqu’il arrive. N’hésitez pas à le faire remarquer en les nommant simplement “<em>c’est un propos sexiste</em>” ou en partant de votre sentiment “<em>je ne suis pas à l’aise quand tu dis ça</em>” ou en faisant clarifier “<em>Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire par là ?</em>”. C’est devenu tellement banal que les gens ne s’en rendent même plus compte.</p>

<h4 id="malus-féminin">Malus féminin</h4>

<h5 id="se-vanter">Se vanter</h5>

<p>Une étude de NBR pointe le fossé entre les genres en ce qui concerne l’autopromotion.</p>

<p>Les <strong>hommes sont plus à l’aise avec l’autopromotion</strong>, à penser et dire qu’ils ont très bien réussi quelque chose. Dans l’exercice, <strong>les hommes s’octroient un score 30% supérieur à celui que les femmes s’attribuent</strong>. Hommes et femmes ont en réalité obtenu des résultats similaires, d’ailleurs plus proches de l’estimation des femmes<sup id="fnref:33" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>Les femmes n’ont <strong>pas appris à valoriser leurs propres succès</strong>. Elles vont <strong>minimiser leur succès ou en attribuer le mérite à quelqu’un d’autre</strong> (souvent l’équipe) ou à la chance.</p>

<p>Pis, les quelques unes qui le font sont rapidement <strong>condamnées socialement</strong>, <strong>encore plus par d’autres femmes</strong>, alors que les hommes se mettent statistiquement trois fois plus en avant<sup id="fnref:34" role="doc-noteref"></sup> (ce qui est aussi cautionné par la société). Le backlash est immédiat. Elles sont alors perçues comme <strong>moins sympathiques</strong>, <strong>moins chaleureuses</strong> et <strong>moins compétentes</strong>. J’ai déjà entendu des reproches au sujet de femmes comme quoi elles se mettaient trop en avant alors que concernant des hommes, nous dirons qu’ils ont juste confiance en eux…</p>

<h5 id="être-altruiste">Être altruiste</h5>

<p>Une étude de l’Université de New York<sup id="fnref:35" role="doc-noteref"></sup> montre que les femmes ne sont pas récompensées lorsqu’elles restent tard pour aider leurs collègues, mais qu’elles sont plus pénalisées qu’un homme lorsqu’elles ne le font pas (-12% de points). A côté, les hommes qui aident se voient gratifier de 14% points supplémentaires. En d’autres termes, la notion d’aide est forcément pénalisante pour la femme : soit elle aide et c’est normal, soit elle n’aide pas et c’est mal. Alors que pour l’homme, soit il n’aide pas et c’est normal, soit il aide et c’est un héros.</p>

<h5 id="être-désagréable">Être désagréable</h5>

<p>Dans l’étude “<em>New evidence on gender and the labor market: A symposium</em>”, Kahn montre que les hommes ont une prime de désagréabilité que les femmes n’ont pas. <strong>Ils sont récompensés financièrement lorsqu’ils se montrent égoïstes, non conformes et antipathiques</strong>. Il suffit de regarder les personnalités politiques diffusées en boucle à la télévision ces dernières années pour voir qu’être désagréable n’est effectivement pas un souci pour les hommes.</p>

<p>En entreprise, ceci représente une double contrainte pour les femmes : <strong>soupçonnées d’être trop soft, elle décrochent plus difficilement des augmentations et des promotions quand elles n’adoptent pas cette attitude</strong>, mais si elles le faisaient elles auraient des retours bien plus négatifs que les hommes<sup id="fnref:36" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>J’irais même plus loin que le fait d’être désagréable. Les femmes ont moins le droit de se défendre tout court, ce qui les rend plus corvéables sous couvert de serviabilité ou de politesse. Dans un registre connexe, <a href="https://www.protegor.net/blog/irene-zeilinger-formatrice-dauto-defense-feministe/">Irène Zeilinger</a> propose une autodéfense féministe avec son livre “Non c’est non, à l’usage des femmes qui en ont marre de se faire emmerder sans rien dire” (version <a href="https://www.lisez.com/ebook/non-cest-non/9782355221293">papier</a> ou <a href="https://www.editions-zones.fr/lyber?non-cest-non">accès libre</a>).</p>

<h5 id="être-parent">Être parent</h5>

<p>Selon le rapport de l’INSEE en 2020<sup id="fnref:37" role="doc-noteref"></sup>, les écarts de salaires entre pères et mères sont beaucoup plus importants que les écarts entre hommes et femmes sans enfant. <strong>Devenir mère pénalise la carrière des femmes</strong>, quoi qu’elles fassent. Elles sont d’ailleurs les seules à qui l’on pose la question de l’équilibre vie pro / vie perso, alors que <strong>devenir père booste la carrière des hommes</strong>. Plus ils ont d’enfants, plus c’est un gage de fiabilité, plus ils ont de responsabilités.</p>

<p>Même si vous ne prévoyez pas d’enfant et que vous êtes en âge d’enfanter, vous pouvez malheureusement être victime du <a href="https://leanin.org/education/what-is-maternal-bias">biais de maternité</a>, où on ne vous confiera pas de missions intéressantes en présumant que vous allez partir…</p>

<p>Heureusement je vois de plus en plus de pères prendre leur rôle, pas seulement pour déposer les enfants à l’école le matin mais gérer les devoirs, partir en urgence pour aller récupérer l’enfant, organiser les anniversaires, prendre tout leur congé paternité de quatre semaines (même s’il n’y en a qu’une d’obligatoire), ce qui allège la charge mentale et émotionnelle des femmes.</p>

<h2 id="aux-alliées">Aux allié·es</h2>

<p><img src="https://www.duchess-france.fr/assets/2023/01/2023-01-15-manuel-survie-femme-tech/man-weighing-a-man-and-a-woman.png" alt="Crédit photo : Tumisu sur pixabay.com"></p>

<p>L’enjeu des femmes est de ne plus être <strong>invisibles</strong> pour être réellement prises en compte et apporter de la valeur comme toustes les autres.</p>

<p>Il faut donc accepter de laisser de la place et ne plus parler pendant cinq minutes non stop sans relâcher la parole.</p>

<p>C’est valable sur le choix du vocabulaire, où l’homme est omniprésent.</p>

<p>Imaginez que je vous raconte une histoire mettant en action 100 développeuses. Un développeur les rejoint. Le groupe est maintenant constitué de 101 développeurs, selon la règle du “masculin l’emportant sur le féminin”.</p>

<p>Que visualisez-vous lorsque je parle de 101 développeurs ? Il n’y a pas de femmes dedans. Les 100 premières développeuses ont disparu, elles deviennent invisibles<sup id="fnref:38" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Comment alors se projeter sur ce type de poste ?</p>

<p>Les <strong>mots sont importants</strong>. Les terminologies masculines comme “<strong><em>les gars</em></strong>”, “<strong><em>le mec</em></strong>”, “<strong><em>le dev</em></strong>” sont trop souvent utilisées et invisibilisent les femmes. Ce sont des formules excluantes. Comment réagissez-vous lorsque vous entendez “Bonjour Mesdames” quand vous êtes un 3 hommes dans un groupe de 30 personnes ? Plusieurs fois par jour ? Vous pouvez utiliser des termes épicènes “<em>les personnes</em>”, des formules englobantes “<em>l’équipe de développement</em>” ou doublonner “<em>le ou la dev</em>”, que personnellement je favorise.</p>

<p>Enfin, les blagues sexistes ou commentaires sur les tenues des femmes ont des conséquences (cette remarque est valable pour les femmes). <strong>Ne rien dire revient à cautionner</strong>. Si vous êtes témoin d’une situation sexiste, manifestez votre désaccord oralement et clairement, <strong>en votre nom</strong>. Si vous n’êtes pas certain de ne pas être d’accord et que vous exprimez votre malaise, c’est aussi d’une très grande aide, car la personne n’est plus seule. Votre voix a une portée différente, elle est beaucoup plus entendue.</p>

<p>Même sans privilège particulier, le rôle de “<strong>first follower</strong>” est déterminant<sup id="fnref:39" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Il est beaucoup plus facile de ne pas relever les actes sexistes. Lorsque je le fais, je vois souvent des personnes venir après en me disant “<em>tu as eu raison de le faire</em>”. D’un côté, j’apprécie le feedback. Et d’un autre, j’aurais aimé que sur le moment, il y ait d’autres voix que la mienne en soutien. Le fait que ce soit toujours les mêmes personnes qui s’expriment diminuent l’impact du message, car elle est rapidement étiquetée (encore plus quand il s’agit d’une femme, vous devez le savoir après avoir vu l’article). C’est <strong>quand il y a des retours dessus, que ce n’est plus drôle</strong>, <strong>que les actes sexistes cessent</strong>. Si vous ne savez pas quoi dire, faire, rien que <strong>réagir</strong> est très efficace.</p>

<p>Le site “Me and you too” propose une auto-évaluation de si vous avez des <a href="https://www.meandyoutoo.app/">comportements sexistes en tant que collègue</a>.</p>

<p>En plus d’avoir “des conséquences”, les blagues sexistes sont un délit depuis août 2021<sup id="fnref:40" role="doc-noteref"></sup>, de par leur qualification en harcèlement sexuel. Ce dernier est “<em>constitué par des propos ou comportements à connotation sexuelle ou sexiste répétés qui soit portent atteinte à sa dignité en raison de leur caractère dégradant ou humiliant, soit créent à son encontre une situation intimidante, hostile ou offensante</em>”. Le caractère répété est reconnu même s’il vient de personnes différentes<sup id="fnref:41" role="doc-noteref"></sup>. Si vous avez un doute sur ce qui est ok ou non, le mieux est de demander à chaque fois, mais connaître la loi peut aussi être utile<sup id="fnref:42" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>En tant que recruteuse ou recruteur, je n’ai pas toujours été une alliée. J’en parle dans <a href="https://fchabanois.medium.com/une-%C3%A9quipe-it-diverse-1-x-e645f6d2d5fa">cet article</a> et de solutions dans cette <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=212xdm2ZhRo">conférence</a>. Au début, on ne sait pas où chercher mais <a href="https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/tags/decision-makers-inclusion-diversity">les ressources sont en réalité nombreuses</a>.</p>

<p>Il y a aussi des entreprises qui se sont spécialisées sur la diversité dans la tech, en particulier de genre, comme <a href="https://www.womenwhocode.com/">50inTech</a> ou <a href="https://theallyance.one/">The Allyance</a>. Vous y trouverez des offres d’emplois et des contenus vidéos.</p>

<h2 id="et-maintenant-">Et maintenant ?</h2>

<p>Je n’ai pas de solution magique. Le fait de <strong>connaître</strong> les mythes, les injonctions, les stéréotypes, les préjugés et les discriminations devrait vous faire relativiser l’accueil mitigé que vous avez reçu à votre dernière idée ou votre demande d’augmentation. Ce n’est pas vous. Chacun, chacune peut avoir une influence sur ce système, même si avoir conscience de ces biais ne vous en protège pas<sup id="fnref:43" role="doc-noteref"></sup>.</p>

<p>J’espère aussi que cela vous donne envie de développer de la <strong>sororité</strong> avec vos paires; de vous soutenir ; de faire mentir le cliché des femmes dures et jalouses entre elles, car ceci est aussi un fruit du patriarcat. Les hommes savent très bien se serrer les coudes et ils ont raison. Les <strong>réseaux de femmes dans la tech</strong> sont nombreux : les Duchess, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/Ladies-of-Code-Paris/">Ladies of Code</a>, Women On Rails (<a href="https://women-on-rails.github.io/ressources/">ressources</a>, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/Women-On-Rails/">meetup</a> et incontournable <a href="https://womenonrails.substack.com/">newsletter</a>), <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/paris-women-in-machine-learning-data-science/">Women In Machine Learning Data Science Paris (WiMLDS)</a>, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/paris-dataladies/">Paris Data Ladies</a>, le <a href="https://cefcys.fr/">Cercle des Femmes de la Cybersécurité (CEFCYS)</a>, <a href="http://www.womenwhogo.org/">Women who go</a>, <a href="https://www.womeninproduct.com/">Women in product</a>, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/pyladiesparis/">PyLadies</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/womenintech">Women in tech</a>, <a href="https://www.womenwhocode.com/">Women who code</a>, <a href="https://www.motivher.fr/">Motiv’Her</a> pour les plus juniores, <a href="https://womenincloudnative.com/">Women in Cloud native</a>, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/Paris-js/">ParisJS</a> (mixte mais safe). Les meetups sont une mine d’or pour trouver la communauté qui vous conviendra le mieux. S’il n’y en a pas de spécifiquement féminin, vous pourrez toujours créer une branche women en son sein, comme nous l’avons fait avec <a href="https://www.tech.rocks/">Tech Rocks</a> et qui a abouti à la création de <a href="http://womenofinfluence.fr/">Women of influence</a>. Si vous n’êtes pas dans la tech et lisez cet article, vous pouvez aussi rejoindre la safe place <a href="https://lapdg.fr/">La Place Des Grenouilles</a> pour échanger et avoir du soutien au quotidien.</p>

<p>Il est largement prouvé qu’il n’y a qu’un moyen de faire entrer plus de femmes dans la tech. C’est par le biais de la <strong>représentativité</strong>. Les jeunes femmes ne peuvent pas se projeter dans des rôles qu’elles ne connaissent pas. J’espère qu’à un moment où un autre, vous aurez vous aussi envie d’occuper l’espace et de vous rendre visible, pour montrer que les femmes dans la tech existent et que c’est une voie royale. Vous pouvez aussi être <strong>marraine</strong> et intervenir dans des écoles avec <a href="https://www.ellesbougent.com/">Elles bougent</a> ou <a href="https://www.intrepidesdelatech.org/">Les intrépides de la tech</a>.</p>

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<article>
<header>
<h1>Redeployment Part One</h1>
</header>
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<hr>
<p><em>This is part one of a multi-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">part two</a> and
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-three">part three</a> next!</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Hello everyone! Thank you all for your patience, and thank you to everyone who reached out to make sure I was
OK.</p>
<p>I’m free! I left Antarctica in mid-November 2023. A bit behind schedule, but well within the typical delays
experienced by departing winterover personnel.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/walking-to-plane-mcmurdo-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/walking-to-plane-mcmurdo-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/walking-to-plane-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/walking-to-plane-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" alt="Walking to Plane McMurdo 01">
</picture>
<em>Walking to the final plane, about to depart McMurdo and travel to Christchurch!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>In this series of posts, I will catch you all up on the process for
“redeploying”, aka “getting the heck out of Antarctica”. This roughly covers the time period
from September 2023 through November 2023.</p>
<p>This series will take me 8,300 miles, from the dark depths of South Pole winter, all the way through sitting
on my couch back in San Francisco. Thanks again for your patience, and I hope these next several posts
will be worth the wait.</p>
<p>Sitting here now, looking back at 14 months in Antarctica, it all seems so very, very far away. Not just physically,
but mentally as well. I’m completely re-integrated back into real life, going about my normal day-to-day activities.</p>
<h1 id="overview">Overview</h1>
<p>At one point, shortly after redeploying to Christchurch, I found myself
sitting outdoors on a beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon. I was in
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%27s_Pass">Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand</a>,
and the contrast could not have been more stark from where I was just a few days earlier.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/arthurs-pass-mobile-office-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/arthurs-pass-mobile-office-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/arthurs-pass-mobile-office-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/arthurs-pass-mobile-office-01-small.jpg" alt="Arthur's Pass Mobile Office 01">
</picture>
<em>A beautiful day for blogging, in warm, sunny New Zealand.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Everything was <em>alive</em>, everything was <em>vibrant</em>. The natural world was <em>vast</em> and <em>full of wonders</em>.</p>
<p>It’s now January 2024, and I’m settled back into my Real Life™. I’m reconnecting with friends and family,
re-learning old habits, and, unfortunately, remembering that I have to pay for food once again.</p>
<p>Just two short months ago, I was trudging through the snow in -70°F weather, living in small group isolation
at the bottom of the world, and soaking up every precious second of our limited Internet connectivity.</p>
<p>Now I’m strolling around town, wearing a light jacket, shopping for groceries, catching up on medical appointments,
and going through 14 months of accumulated postal mail. I’m once again engaging with the world through near-ubiquitous,
fast Internet at my fingertips.</p>
<p>So – how did I get here? How does one start off geeking out about
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/south-pole-electrical-infrastructure">South Pole Electrical Infrastructure</a>,
in the depths of winter, and end up back home after <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/travel-begins">16 months</a> away?</p>
<h1 id="sunrise">Sunrise</h1>
<p>The journey began with our slow climb out of <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/polar-night">Polar Night</a>.
Recall that the South Pole experiences six months of
24x7 darkness, and six months of 24x7 daylight. We experience one very long sunset, and one very long sunrise,
each year. For a refresher on this, check out my previous post about <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/sunset">Sunset</a> at the South Pole.</p>
<p>Faint light appeared on the horizon several weeks prior to sunrise, as expected. It was
subtle at first – so subtle in fact that we weren’t sure if we were seeing light from the sun, or
light from lingering auroras. But by early September, it was clear that we were approaching sunrise.</p>
<p>Here’s a photo from fellow winterover Jeff Capps (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thejeffcapps/">Instagram</a>)
that captures the emerging sun against the snow:</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/jeff-sunrise-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/jeff-sunrise-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/jeff-sunrise-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/jeff-sunrise-01-small.jpg" alt="Jeff Sunrise 01">
</picture>
<em>Sun reflecting off the snow, from September 4, 2023. Photo credit: Jeff Capps</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Lest you be fooled into thinking we had a clear view as the sunrise progressed – the weather was <em>especially</em>
temperamental this year. Most days in September were overcast, which meant fewer beautiful sunrise photos
and more… gray.</p>
<p>We were vaguely aware of where the sun was in the sky, as its perfect
counter-clockwise circles got closer and closer to the horizon. However, we mostly observed a steady increase in
overall diffuse light, filtered through clouds and haze.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-01-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 01">
</picture>
<em>Perfect, featureless overcast gray, from September 12, 2023. Note the drifts that formed
around these buildings! Recall that this was all flat last summer.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-02.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-02-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-02-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-02-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 02">
</picture>
<em>More overcast scenes as it got lighter outside. These are our emergency surface fuel tanks.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-03.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-03-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-03-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-03-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 03">
</picture>
<em>More overcast scenes as it got lighter outside. Heavy equipment, parked outside and covered with snow.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>With the increasing light from the sun, our dark-sky science projects were switched off for the summer.</p>
<p>This meant we could finally uncover our windows! Recall from <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/polar-night">Polar Night</a> that we
took great care to avoid any stray light pollution outside during the night. This ensured that we could collect
scientific data that depended on the absence of visible light.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/window-covering-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/window-covering-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/window-covering-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/window-covering-01-small.jpg" alt="Windows Covering 01">
</picture>
<em>Window coverings removed, and light from outside reaching the galley for the first time in months!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-04.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-04-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-04-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-04-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 04">
</picture>
<em>The vehicle entrance to our arches. On the left, lit up, is the logistics arch. On the right is
the vehicle maintenance facility.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-05.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-05-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-05-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-05-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 05">
</picture>
<em>The elevated station, from afar. Note the absence of window covers, and visible light shining
out from the building.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Sunrise itself was a subdued affair. Technically, it occurred right on schedule
(September 21, 2023 at 3:39pm New Zealand Time), but we were enveloped by cloud
cover. It’s so gradual anyway, occurring over the course of several days, that we wouldn’t have noticed the
exact event even if we did have a clear view.</p>
<p>Fortunately the clouds cleared up later, and we got our first real glimpse of the sun around
September 26, 2023:</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sunrise-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sunrise-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sunrise-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sunrise-01-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 01">
</picture>
<em>September 26, 2023, a few days after sunrise, once we finally got a break in the clouds!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>The sun continued to rise, and daylight gradually returned to the South Pole. By early October, we were
treated to a beautiful glow reflecting off our buildings, as the sun continued its rotation and its slow
ascent into the sky. Just like during <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/sunset">Sunset</a>,
you could witness a sunrise from whatever direction you wanted, just by going outside at different times of day.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-01-small.jpg" alt="Sun Glow 01">
</picture>
<em>Sunrise reflecting off of the station.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-02.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-02-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-02-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-02-small.jpg" alt="Sun Glow 02">
</picture>
<em>Another view of the sunrise reflecting off of the station.</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="station-prep">Station Prep</h1>
<p>As the sun rose, and as we approached the late-October arrival of our first flight, we began preparing the
station for “summer mode”.</p>
<p>As I mentioned in <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/last-flight-out">Last Flight Out</a>, Summer and Winter in
Antarctica are vastly different. Winter is… quiet. The crew size is smaller.
Things are more casual, more laid back. We’re a fixed, stable
population, isolated together for 8.5 months.</p>
<p>It begins to feel less like a place of employment, and more like a large co-living / shared housing community.
Of course, it’s still a federal government property, and subject to the compliance and work obligations
that come along with this. However, given the reduced population, isolation, and change in pace,
it does begin to feel familiar and comfortable.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/quiet-reading-room-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/quiet-reading-room-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/quiet-reading-room-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/quiet-reading-room-01-small.jpg" alt="Quiet Reading Room 01">
</picture>
<em>The quiet reading room, a cozy spot to relax.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>During the winter, many departments, IT included, are subject to a more casual
daily task schedule. Our goal over the winter is to stay on top of day-to-day upkeep, to execute on
long-running projects, to respond to incidents, and to tackle any larger maintenance items
that can’t be done when the station is “full” over the summer.</p>
<p>It’s important to have expertise on site,
in case of any issues with the facilities, systems, or science. This is true
even if we aren’t always using this expertise on a day-to-day basis.
The majority of the winter, I absolutely did not operate at the cutting edge of my IT experience.
The workload simply did not require it. But –
there were a few times I did, and it was a good thing someone with that experience was readily available.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/it-office-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/it-office-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/it-office-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/it-office-01-small.jpg" alt="IT Office 01">
</picture>
<em>The IT office at Pole, in the process of getting cleaned up and prepared for the incoming summer crew.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>By contrast, Summer is a short, frantic, hectic, and crowded season. The sun is up, we can fly people and
equipment in and out,
and it’s warm enough to do outdoor work that isn’t feasible during winter.
The population at Pole grows dramatically:
from ~40-50 during the winter, up to ~150 or more during the summer.</p>
<p>During the roughly 3.5-month summer (early November through mid-February), we’re flying down supplies,
doing major projects and construction, training the next batch of winterover staff, and taking advantage of being
“connected”, for a few short months, to the outside world.</p>
<p>Flights come and go several times a week. Experts / specialists come down. All the
“fulltimers” (staff who work on the Antarctic program year-round) come onsite. The admin offices
fill up. Comms is once again staffed with dedicated personnel.</p>
<p>All of this means that we have less “wiggle room” for anything off-script or inefficient. The station switches
into an operating mode that maximizes occupancy, personnel throughput, and regimented productivity. Every day
counts – we have just a few short months before winter isolation begins all over again.</p>
<p>Take the galley for example. Over the winter, it’s a chill, relaxing place to hang out, relax, read,
socialize, drink, perhaps catch a nap, and enjoy a meal at the bottom of the world:</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-winter-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-winter-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-winter-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-winter-01-small.jpg" alt="Galley Winter 01">
</picture>
<em>The galley configuration over the winter -- fewer tables, plenty of space for a cozy lounge.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/karaoke-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/karaoke-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/karaoke-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/karaoke-01-small.jpg" alt="Karaoke 01">
</picture>
<em>... or plenty of space for weekend Karaoke.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Contrast that with the same galley, optimized for summer. The goal in summer is to cram in as many seats as
possible. There are 150+ people using this space. There are lines. Dishes run low. The creature comforts are
gone, and it looks more like an anonymous, institutional cafeteria.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-summer-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-summer-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-summer-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-summer-01-small.jpg" alt="Galley Summer 01">
</picture>
<em>The galley configuration over the summer -- optimized for raw capacity.
More seating, less cozy.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>To prepare for summer, the winterovers conduct a thorough deep cleaning, known around station as “Mighty Mouse”.
This is a reference to our standard weekly “House Mouse” chores – cleaning the bathrooms, mopping, etc.</p>
<p>During Mighty Mouse, we clean things more thoroughly. It’s a once-per-year endeavor where we get into all the
nooks and crannies of the station, we organize the Piles™ of random items that accumulate in corners, and
we reset any winter changes (authorized or otherwise) back to the summer standard configuration.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/greenhouse-deep-clean-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/greenhouse-deep-clean-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/greenhouse-deep-clean-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/greenhouse-deep-clean-01-small.jpg" alt="Greenhouse Deep Clean 01">
</picture>
<em>Initial re-seeding of the greenhouse, after our thorough, annual deep clean.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Also toward the end of winter, we begin the herculean task of preparing the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_F._Paulus_Skiway">skiway</a> to receive
flights. The skiway is 12,000 feet long! It accumulates snowdrifts over the winter. It’s a multi-day effort to
smooth it all down so that ski-equipped planes can safely land. This is a job for our heavy equipment
operator and other trained staff.</p>
<p>In addition to leveling the skiway, we have to reinstall all the flags!
The skiway is marked by flags, along the sides, and at either end.
These are arranged in an approved pattern that is understood by the flight crews.
We take down the flags over the winter to protect them from damage.
Before flights resume, we have to drive up and down the entire skiway and re-install them all!
This is also a multi-day (and cold!!) endeavor for a group of hardy volunteers.</p>
<p>This photo is courtesy of Manwei Chan (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/stellarpuns">Instagram</a>):</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/manwei-skiway-flags-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/manwei-skiway-flags-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/manwei-skiway-flags-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/manwei-skiway-flags-01-small.jpg" alt="Manwei Skiway Flags 01">
</picture>
<em>Reinstalling the skiway flags. Photo credit: Manwei Chan</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>For departing winterovers, the summer changes meant it was time to start thinking about the logistics of
getting us, and our stuff, home safely. Obviously the program will get you out of Antarctica. They will also get
you home, to your “Airport of Departure” (AOD), the nearest major airport to your home address.</p>
<p>The program allows you to take personal travel once you get off ice, prior to returning home.
This means that you can defer your flight home from Christchurch to your airport of departure, and instead
take some time to explore. The program won’t pay for any of this, but they <em>will</em> pay for your return flight
from Christchurch on a date of your choosing.</p>
<p>Many winterovers, myself included, had no interest in hauling around huge suitcases full of gear. The items
you need for leisure travel around New Zealand are much different than the items you need to live for
a year at the South Pole.</p>
<p>To avoid the hassle of dealing with a huge suitcase,
many of us simply mailed our suitcases home. Recall from <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/mcmurdo-postal-mail">McMurdo Postal Mail</a>
that there are USPS services available in Antarctica! I discussed the McMurdo setup at length in
that post. Pole is similar, just smaller and less formal (this can be said about a lot of things at Pole
vs. McMurdo).</p>
<p>Here’s my largest suitcase, prepped and ready to mail home. It cost $80.49 to ship this 41-pound suitcase
from the South Pole to the San Francisco Bay Area.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/mail-suitcase-home-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/mail-suitcase-home-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/mail-suitcase-home-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/mail-suitcase-home-01-small.jpg" alt="Mail Suitcase Home 01">
</picture>
<em>Mailing a suitcase home, to avoid having to haul it around New Zealand.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>And of course – tracking it on its journey North. Fun fact: when I flew out of Pole on November 16, I
was on the same flight as my suitcase! It had been combined with the rest of our outgoing winter mail,
palletized, and loaded onto the flight, to begin its long journey back to the United States.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/suitcase-tracking-01.png">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/suitcase-tracking-01.png" type="image/png"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/suitcase-tracking-01.png" alt="Suitcase Tracking 01">
</picture>
<em>USPS tracking for my suitcase, from the South Pole to the San Francisco Bay Area.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>With the station reconfigured for summer mode, and the skiway prepped for flights, it was time to welcome new
faces to Pole for the first time in 8.5 months!</p>
<p><em>This is part one of a multi-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">part two</a> and
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-three">part three</a> next!</em></p>
</article>


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title: Redeployment Part One
url: https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one
hash_url: da7e5578fd96fe31d46bfb207d041880
archive_date: 2024-01-21

<p><em>This is part one of a multi-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">part two</a> and
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-three">part three</a> next!</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Hello everyone! Thank you all for your patience, and thank you to everyone who reached out to make sure I was
OK.</p>
<p>I’m free! I left Antarctica in mid-November 2023. A bit behind schedule, but well within the typical delays
experienced by departing winterover personnel.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/walking-to-plane-mcmurdo-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/walking-to-plane-mcmurdo-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/walking-to-plane-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/walking-to-plane-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" alt="Walking to Plane McMurdo 01">
</picture>
<em>Walking to the final plane, about to depart McMurdo and travel to Christchurch!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>In this series of posts, I will catch you all up on the process for
“redeploying”, aka “getting the heck out of Antarctica”. This roughly covers the time period
from September 2023 through November 2023.</p>
<p>This series will take me 8,300 miles, from the dark depths of South Pole winter, all the way through sitting
on my couch back in San Francisco. Thanks again for your patience, and I hope these next several posts
will be worth the wait.</p>
<p>Sitting here now, looking back at 14 months in Antarctica, it all seems so very, very far away. Not just physically,
but mentally as well. I’m completely re-integrated back into real life, going about my normal day-to-day activities.</p>
<h1 id="overview">Overview</h1>
<p>At one point, shortly after redeploying to Christchurch, I found myself
sitting outdoors on a beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon. I was in
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%27s_Pass">Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand</a>,
and the contrast could not have been more stark from where I was just a few days earlier.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/arthurs-pass-mobile-office-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/arthurs-pass-mobile-office-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/arthurs-pass-mobile-office-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/arthurs-pass-mobile-office-01-small.jpg" alt="Arthur's Pass Mobile Office 01">
</picture>
<em>A beautiful day for blogging, in warm, sunny New Zealand.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Everything was <em>alive</em>, everything was <em>vibrant</em>. The natural world was <em>vast</em> and <em>full of wonders</em>.</p>
<p>It’s now January 2024, and I’m settled back into my Real Life™. I’m reconnecting with friends and family,
re-learning old habits, and, unfortunately, remembering that I have to pay for food once again.</p>
<p>Just two short months ago, I was trudging through the snow in -70°F weather, living in small group isolation
at the bottom of the world, and soaking up every precious second of our limited Internet connectivity.</p>
<p>Now I’m strolling around town, wearing a light jacket, shopping for groceries, catching up on medical appointments,
and going through 14 months of accumulated postal mail. I’m once again engaging with the world through near-ubiquitous,
fast Internet at my fingertips.</p>
<p>So – how did I get here? How does one start off geeking out about
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/south-pole-electrical-infrastructure">South Pole Electrical Infrastructure</a>,
in the depths of winter, and end up back home after <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/travel-begins">16 months</a> away?</p>
<h1 id="sunrise">Sunrise</h1>
<p>The journey began with our slow climb out of <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/polar-night">Polar Night</a>.
Recall that the South Pole experiences six months of
24x7 darkness, and six months of 24x7 daylight. We experience one very long sunset, and one very long sunrise,
each year. For a refresher on this, check out my previous post about <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/sunset">Sunset</a> at the South Pole.</p>
<p>Faint light appeared on the horizon several weeks prior to sunrise, as expected. It was
subtle at first – so subtle in fact that we weren’t sure if we were seeing light from the sun, or
light from lingering auroras. But by early September, it was clear that we were approaching sunrise.</p>
<p>Here’s a photo from fellow winterover Jeff Capps (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thejeffcapps/">Instagram</a>)
that captures the emerging sun against the snow:</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/jeff-sunrise-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/jeff-sunrise-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/jeff-sunrise-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/jeff-sunrise-01-small.jpg" alt="Jeff Sunrise 01">
</picture>
<em>Sun reflecting off the snow, from September 4, 2023. Photo credit: Jeff Capps</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Lest you be fooled into thinking we had a clear view as the sunrise progressed – the weather was <em>especially</em>
temperamental this year. Most days in September were overcast, which meant fewer beautiful sunrise photos
and more… gray.</p>
<p>We were vaguely aware of where the sun was in the sky, as its perfect
counter-clockwise circles got closer and closer to the horizon. However, we mostly observed a steady increase in
overall diffuse light, filtered through clouds and haze.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-01-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 01">
</picture>
<em>Perfect, featureless overcast gray, from September 12, 2023. Note the drifts that formed
around these buildings! Recall that this was all flat last summer.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-02.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-02-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-02-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-02-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 02">
</picture>
<em>More overcast scenes as it got lighter outside. These are our emergency surface fuel tanks.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-03.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-03-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-03-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-03-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 03">
</picture>
<em>More overcast scenes as it got lighter outside. Heavy equipment, parked outside and covered with snow.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>With the increasing light from the sun, our dark-sky science projects were switched off for the summer.</p>
<p>This meant we could finally uncover our windows! Recall from <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/polar-night">Polar Night</a> that we
took great care to avoid any stray light pollution outside during the night. This ensured that we could collect
scientific data that depended on the absence of visible light.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/window-covering-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/window-covering-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/window-covering-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/window-covering-01-small.jpg" alt="Windows Covering 01">
</picture>
<em>Window coverings removed, and light from outside reaching the galley for the first time in months!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-04.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-04-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-04-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-04-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 04">
</picture>
<em>The vehicle entrance to our arches. On the left, lit up, is the logistics arch. On the right is
the vehicle maintenance facility.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-05.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-05-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-05-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/overcast-05-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 05">
</picture>
<em>The elevated station, from afar. Note the absence of window covers, and visible light shining
out from the building.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Sunrise itself was a subdued affair. Technically, it occurred right on schedule
(September 21, 2023 at 3:39pm New Zealand Time), but we were enveloped by cloud
cover. It’s so gradual anyway, occurring over the course of several days, that we wouldn’t have noticed the
exact event even if we did have a clear view.</p>
<p>Fortunately the clouds cleared up later, and we got our first real glimpse of the sun around
September 26, 2023:</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sunrise-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sunrise-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sunrise-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sunrise-01-small.jpg" alt="Overcast 01">
</picture>
<em>September 26, 2023, a few days after sunrise, once we finally got a break in the clouds!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>The sun continued to rise, and daylight gradually returned to the South Pole. By early October, we were
treated to a beautiful glow reflecting off our buildings, as the sun continued its rotation and its slow
ascent into the sky. Just like during <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/sunset">Sunset</a>,
you could witness a sunrise from whatever direction you wanted, just by going outside at different times of day.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-01-small.jpg" alt="Sun Glow 01">
</picture>
<em>Sunrise reflecting off of the station.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-02.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-02-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-02-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/sun-glow-02-small.jpg" alt="Sun Glow 02">
</picture>
<em>Another view of the sunrise reflecting off of the station.</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="station-prep">Station Prep</h1>
<p>As the sun rose, and as we approached the late-October arrival of our first flight, we began preparing the
station for “summer mode”.</p>
<p>As I mentioned in <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/last-flight-out">Last Flight Out</a>, Summer and Winter in
Antarctica are vastly different. Winter is… quiet. The crew size is smaller.
Things are more casual, more laid back. We’re a fixed, stable
population, isolated together for 8.5 months.</p>
<p>It begins to feel less like a place of employment, and more like a large co-living / shared housing community.
Of course, it’s still a federal government property, and subject to the compliance and work obligations
that come along with this. However, given the reduced population, isolation, and change in pace,
it does begin to feel familiar and comfortable.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/quiet-reading-room-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/quiet-reading-room-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/quiet-reading-room-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/quiet-reading-room-01-small.jpg" alt="Quiet Reading Room 01">
</picture>
<em>The quiet reading room, a cozy spot to relax.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>During the winter, many departments, IT included, are subject to a more casual
daily task schedule. Our goal over the winter is to stay on top of day-to-day upkeep, to execute on
long-running projects, to respond to incidents, and to tackle any larger maintenance items
that can’t be done when the station is “full” over the summer.</p>
<p>It’s important to have expertise on site,
in case of any issues with the facilities, systems, or science. This is true
even if we aren’t always using this expertise on a day-to-day basis.
The majority of the winter, I absolutely did not operate at the cutting edge of my IT experience.
The workload simply did not require it. But –
there were a few times I did, and it was a good thing someone with that experience was readily available.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/it-office-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/it-office-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/it-office-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/it-office-01-small.jpg" alt="IT Office 01">
</picture>
<em>The IT office at Pole, in the process of getting cleaned up and prepared for the incoming summer crew.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>By contrast, Summer is a short, frantic, hectic, and crowded season. The sun is up, we can fly people and
equipment in and out,
and it’s warm enough to do outdoor work that isn’t feasible during winter.
The population at Pole grows dramatically:
from ~40-50 during the winter, up to ~150 or more during the summer.</p>
<p>During the roughly 3.5-month summer (early November through mid-February), we’re flying down supplies,
doing major projects and construction, training the next batch of winterover staff, and taking advantage of being
“connected”, for a few short months, to the outside world.</p>
<p>Flights come and go several times a week. Experts / specialists come down. All the
“fulltimers” (staff who work on the Antarctic program year-round) come onsite. The admin offices
fill up. Comms is once again staffed with dedicated personnel.</p>
<p>All of this means that we have less “wiggle room” for anything off-script or inefficient. The station switches
into an operating mode that maximizes occupancy, personnel throughput, and regimented productivity. Every day
counts – we have just a few short months before winter isolation begins all over again.</p>
<p>Take the galley for example. Over the winter, it’s a chill, relaxing place to hang out, relax, read,
socialize, drink, perhaps catch a nap, and enjoy a meal at the bottom of the world:</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-winter-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-winter-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-winter-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-winter-01-small.jpg" alt="Galley Winter 01">
</picture>
<em>The galley configuration over the winter -- fewer tables, plenty of space for a cozy lounge.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/karaoke-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/karaoke-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/karaoke-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/karaoke-01-small.jpg" alt="Karaoke 01">
</picture>
<em>... or plenty of space for weekend Karaoke.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Contrast that with the same galley, optimized for summer. The goal in summer is to cram in as many seats as
possible. There are 150+ people using this space. There are lines. Dishes run low. The creature comforts are
gone, and it looks more like an anonymous, institutional cafeteria.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-summer-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-summer-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-summer-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/galley-summer-01-small.jpg" alt="Galley Summer 01">
</picture>
<em>The galley configuration over the summer -- optimized for raw capacity.
More seating, less cozy.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>To prepare for summer, the winterovers conduct a thorough deep cleaning, known around station as “Mighty Mouse”.
This is a reference to our standard weekly “House Mouse” chores – cleaning the bathrooms, mopping, etc.</p>
<p>During Mighty Mouse, we clean things more thoroughly. It’s a once-per-year endeavor where we get into all the
nooks and crannies of the station, we organize the Piles™ of random items that accumulate in corners, and
we reset any winter changes (authorized or otherwise) back to the summer standard configuration.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/greenhouse-deep-clean-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/greenhouse-deep-clean-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/greenhouse-deep-clean-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/greenhouse-deep-clean-01-small.jpg" alt="Greenhouse Deep Clean 01">
</picture>
<em>Initial re-seeding of the greenhouse, after our thorough, annual deep clean.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Also toward the end of winter, we begin the herculean task of preparing the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_F._Paulus_Skiway">skiway</a> to receive
flights. The skiway is 12,000 feet long! It accumulates snowdrifts over the winter. It’s a multi-day effort to
smooth it all down so that ski-equipped planes can safely land. This is a job for our heavy equipment
operator and other trained staff.</p>
<p>In addition to leveling the skiway, we have to reinstall all the flags!
The skiway is marked by flags, along the sides, and at either end.
These are arranged in an approved pattern that is understood by the flight crews.
We take down the flags over the winter to protect them from damage.
Before flights resume, we have to drive up and down the entire skiway and re-install them all!
This is also a multi-day (and cold!!) endeavor for a group of hardy volunteers.</p>
<p>This photo is courtesy of Manwei Chan (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/stellarpuns">Instagram</a>):</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/manwei-skiway-flags-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/manwei-skiway-flags-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/manwei-skiway-flags-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/manwei-skiway-flags-01-small.jpg" alt="Manwei Skiway Flags 01">
</picture>
<em>Reinstalling the skiway flags. Photo credit: Manwei Chan</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>For departing winterovers, the summer changes meant it was time to start thinking about the logistics of
getting us, and our stuff, home safely. Obviously the program will get you out of Antarctica. They will also get
you home, to your “Airport of Departure” (AOD), the nearest major airport to your home address.</p>
<p>The program allows you to take personal travel once you get off ice, prior to returning home.
This means that you can defer your flight home from Christchurch to your airport of departure, and instead
take some time to explore. The program won’t pay for any of this, but they <em>will</em> pay for your return flight
from Christchurch on a date of your choosing.</p>
<p>Many winterovers, myself included, had no interest in hauling around huge suitcases full of gear. The items
you need for leisure travel around New Zealand are much different than the items you need to live for
a year at the South Pole.</p>
<p>To avoid the hassle of dealing with a huge suitcase,
many of us simply mailed our suitcases home. Recall from <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/mcmurdo-postal-mail">McMurdo Postal Mail</a>
that there are USPS services available in Antarctica! I discussed the McMurdo setup at length in
that post. Pole is similar, just smaller and less formal (this can be said about a lot of things at Pole
vs. McMurdo).</p>
<p>Here’s my largest suitcase, prepped and ready to mail home. It cost $80.49 to ship this 41-pound suitcase
from the South Pole to the San Francisco Bay Area.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/mail-suitcase-home-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/mail-suitcase-home-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/mail-suitcase-home-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/mail-suitcase-home-01-small.jpg" alt="Mail Suitcase Home 01">
</picture>
<em>Mailing a suitcase home, to avoid having to haul it around New Zealand.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>And of course – tracking it on its journey North. Fun fact: when I flew out of Pole on November 16, I
was on the same flight as my suitcase! It had been combined with the rest of our outgoing winter mail,
palletized, and loaded onto the flight, to begin its long journey back to the United States.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/suitcase-tracking-01.png">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/suitcase-tracking-01.png" type="image/png"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-one/suitcase-tracking-01.png" alt="Suitcase Tracking 01">
</picture>
<em>USPS tracking for my suitcase, from the South Pole to the San Francisco Bay Area.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>With the station reconfigured for summer mode, and the skiway prepped for flights, it was time to welcome new
faces to Pole for the first time in 8.5 months!</p>
<p><em>This is part one of a multi-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">part two</a> and
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-three">part three</a> next!</em></p>

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<article>
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<h1>Redeployment Part Three</h1>
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<p><em>This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">part one</a> and <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">part two</a> if you haven’t already!</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Hello and welcome back! We’re going to pick up right where we left off.
In <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">Redeployment Part Two</a>, we got our first flight of the season and handed over
responsibilities to the summer crew. Then, finally, I departed South Pole for McMurdo.</p>
<h1 id="back-in-mcmurdo">Back in McMurdo</h1>
<p>After just over 3 hours in the air, our plane landed at Williams Field in McMurdo and parked for the “night”:</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/lc130-mcmurdo-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/lc130-mcmurdo-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/lc130-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/lc130-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" alt="LC-130 McMurdo 01">
</picture>
<em>Our LC-130 parked at McMurdo.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>There are no direct flights from Pole to Christchurch – everyone connects through McMurdo.</p>
<p>Most of the time, people departing Pole have to spend a few hours or even a few days in McMurdo. This is
based on flight schedules and delays. Efforts to schedule “straight through” flights, where you transfer to
a Christchurch-bound plane right on the airfield, are usually thwarted by weather or other factors. Sometimes
it works out, but most of the time it does not.</p>
<p>In our case, we were scheduled to depart McMurdo the following afternoon, which meant spending the night.</p>
<p>Our ride from Williams Field into McMurdo was a “Delta”. These are McMurdo’s oldest still-operating passenger
vehicles. The ride into town was about 40 minutes.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/delta-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/delta-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/delta-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/delta-01-small.jpg" alt="Delta 01">
</picture>
<em>Our ride into town for the night -- one of McMurdo's oldest personnel
transport vehicles, known as a "Delta".</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>When we landed in McMurdo, we started breathing sea-level air for the first time in a very long time.
After living at <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/pressure-altitude">10,000 feet</a> for a year,
and then suddenly arriving at sea level, you immediately notice differences. Most importantly –
you feel like a superhero. The air is so thick and full of oxygen!
The effect only lasts a few days, but it’s a good time to
tackle any hikes in McMurdo. It was fun to scramble up Observation Hill with this newfound, sea-level energy.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-observation-hill-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-observation-hill-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-observation-hill-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-observation-hill-01-small.jpg" alt="Observation Hill 01">
</picture>
<em>McMurdo's Observation Hill, on my brief one-day layover.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>It was great being back in McMurdo, if only for a day. I got to catch up with friends from
my time in McMurdo last summer. Many of us descend on Antarctica from far-flung places,
and it’s not always guaranteed we’ll see each other again in Real Life. I tried to make the most of my brief
stop in town.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-construction-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-construction-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-construction-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-construction-01-small.jpg" alt="McMurdo construction 01">
</picture>
<em>Construction in McMurdo! Framing for a new building on the site of the former Dorm 203.
This wasn't here last summer when I left for Pole!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>It was surreal <strong>still</strong> being in Antarctica, and meeting up with folks again.
Most of my friends had left, had time off, and were now
<em>back for more</em>, here for a second season. I even knew people who had left, come back, and then had already
<em>left again</em>. Meanwhile, I was still on-continent. I was just now, finally, getting ready
to leave after my first mega-season.</p>
<p>There are pros and cons to experiencing Antarctica the way I did.
I was fortunate that I got to try out much of what
the program has to offer, all in one single, very long season.
The only primary USAP Antarctic sites I haven’t seen yet are
<a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/support/palmerst.jsp">Palmer Station</a>
and the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/support/ships.jsp">research vessels</a>, currently the
R/V Laurence M. Gould and the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer.</p>
<p>I arrived in Antarctica at <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/mcmurdo-arrival">Winfly</a>, and I got to experience McMurdo winter.
Winter transitioned into summer,
and I got to witness the majestic splendor of the warm, sunny, and <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/mud-murdo">muddy</a> peak season at McMurdo.
I <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/south-pole-arrival">flew to the South Pole</a> at the peak of summer, and I experienced the
bustling chaos as the station frantically prepared for the upcoming winter. When the
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/last-flight-out">last flight</a> departed, the station slowed down for winter.
After <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/sunset">sunset</a>, Pole entered a long <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/polar-night">polar night</a>.
I saw <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">sunrise</a> at Pole
and I saw the station <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">reopen</a> for summer.
Now I was back in McMurdo, finally ready to depart.</p>
<p>Most people… do not do all of this at once. I was fortunate that the opportunity arose for me to do this.
I was fortunate that
my life circumstances happened to line up in a way that I was able to accept.
14 months on ice is a long time. It’s a long time to be away from friends, family,
and “real life”. It’s a long time to commit to a single, strange place. I do not regret taking the opportunity.
But, for anyone considering something similar, please do not make this decision lightly.</p>
<h1 id="phoenix-airfield">Phoenix Airfield</h1>
<p>On the evening of November 17, 2023, I departed McMurdo.
I was headed out to Phoenix Airfield, where I would catch my flight out of Antarctica.</p>
<p>Our ride to the airport was something much different – we rode out in the Kress. The
Kress is a gigantic transport vehicle, one of McMurdo’s newest.
It’s designed for moving dozens of people between far-flung McMurdo sites. These sites include airfields,
as well as other infrastructure out on the ice such as the
<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/missions/scientific-balloons/nasa-scientific-balloons-ready-for-flights-over-antarctica/">Long Duration Balloon (LDB)</a>
site.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-01-small.jpg" alt="Kress 01">
</picture>
<em>The Kress, our gigantic transport vehicle to Phoenix Airfield. 6'2" brr.fyi author for scale.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-02.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-02-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-02-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-02-small.jpg" alt="Kress 02">
</picture>
<em>Another view of the Kress, showing its gigantic passenger transport compartment.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>This was my first time seeing Phoenix Airfield in the “daytime”. Recall that when I <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/mcmurdo-arrival">arrived</a>
in McMurdo from Christchurch in August 2022, it was dark out.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/phoenix-passenger-terminal-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/phoenix-passenger-terminal-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/phoenix-passenger-terminal-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/phoenix-passenger-terminal-01-small.jpg" alt="Phoenix Passenger Terminal 01">
</picture>
<em>The passenger terminal at Phoenix Airfield.</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="departing-antarctica">Departing Antarctica</h1>
<p>Our ride back to Christchurch was an Italian Air Force C-130J. There are a number of national Antarctic programs in
this region, besides just the United States Antarctic Program.
Most of them use Christchurch as their gateway city and Phoenix Airfield as their
intercontinental Antarctic runway. It’s common for programs to share infrastructure. Sometimes USAP will fly
personnel for other national Antarctic programs on our flights, and sometimes other programs will fly USAP personnel.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/italian-c130j-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/italian-c130j-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/italian-c130j-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/italian-c130j-01-small.jpg" alt="Italian C-130J 01">
</picture>
<em>Boarding our aircraft from McMurdo to Christchurch -- an Italian Air Force C-130J.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>And with that, we were off! We departed Antarctica at 9:22pm on November 17, 2023. This marked 446 days since
I arrived on-continent on August 28, 2022.</p>
<p>What an adventure!</p>
<h1 id="christchurch">Christchurch</h1>
<p>At just after 4:00am, on the morning of November 18, 2023, our C-130J arrived at Christchurch International
Airport. Taxiing to an unloading area was short, but it felt like an eternity. We were tired from a long flight,
but we were also giddy with excitement about finally being back in the Real World.</p>
<p>It was dark, but it was warm. And most importantly it was <em>humid</em>. When we stepped off the plane,
we could smell rain, dirt, and living things, for the first time in over a year.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-bus-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-bus-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-bus-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-bus-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Bus 01">
</picture>
<em>First thing we saw upon arrival in Christchurch -- a bus, to take us to the airport.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>When you arrive in Christchurch from Antarctica, you are required to clear customs and immigration. The exact nuance of
New Zealand immigration law, as it applies to US Antarctic personnel, is <strong><em>far</em></strong> outside the scope of this post.
Suffice to say, the first order of business was to get us all processed.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-customs-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-customs-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-customs-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-customs-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Customs 01">
</picture>
<em>Christchurch airport, heading toward customs at 4:30am. Our first Real-Life Building.
Truly a surreal re-introduction into modern society.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>There was a section on the traveler form that asked <em>“Overseas Port where you boarded THIS aircraft/ship”</em>.
In the absence of any clarifying instruction, I just wrote “Antarctica”. It’s a moot point, because we had
a special customs agent show up just for us (customs isn’t normally open at this time). They were
well aware that we had all come from Antarctica.</p>
<p>Still, it’s amusing when I think about this form being filed
in a drawer somewhere at NZ Immigration. We did, indeed, arrive from “overseas”. Far, far overseas,
from a world that, already, had started fading from our minds.
<em>Did we</em> <strong><em>really</em></strong> <em>just come from</em> <strong><em>Antarctica</em></strong><em>?</em></p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/traveler-declaration-form-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/traveler-declaration-form-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/traveler-declaration-form-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/traveler-declaration-form-01-small.jpg" alt="Traveler Declaration Form 01">
</picture>
<em>New Zealand Traveler Declaration form.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Once we were through customs, we proceeded to the United States Antarctic Program’s
Clothing Distribution Center (CDC). We were all <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/flight-perhaps">issued</a> Extreme Cold Weather gear before we
departed for Antarctica, and we returned it all now that we were done.
This clothing is property of the program, and it gets cleaned and re-issued to new staff.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/clothing-pile-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/clothing-pile-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/clothing-pile-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/clothing-pile-01-small.jpg" alt="Clothing Pile 01">
</picture>
<em>Returning our issued Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear at the USAP CDC in Christchurch.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Finally, we were issued our complimentary hotel reservation information. Most of us were taking personal
travel in New Zealand. This travel, of course, isn’t paid for by the program. The program covers one night
in a hotel, for us to have a soft landing and get our bearings. This is the same thing that they
offer to people who are flying straight home, known as “First Available Air”, or “FAA”.</p>
<p>Luckily for us, because we arrived so late, we got the rest of our current night (by this time it was 5:30am),
and the following night. It was good to be able to sleep in.</p>
<p>And with that? They turned us loose. We were done.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/usap-complex-christchurch-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/usap-complex-christchurch-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/usap-complex-christchurch-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/usap-complex-christchurch-01-small.jpg" alt="USAP Complex Christchurch 01">
</picture>
<em>The United States Antarctic Program complex in Christchurch. Home of the CDC as well as other
support and administrative buildings. Pictured here, early morning on November 18, 2023, after we had
all just completed returning our ECW clothing.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>We all groggily stood in line to check into our hotel at 5:30am.
We had just spent 7 hours on a military plane. We had departed a strange land, full of 24x7 sunlight,
people in puffy coats, and US Antarctic Program logos everywhere. This had been our reality for over a year.</p>
<p>Suddenly, we found ourselves listening to smooth jazz, in the sleek lobby of an airport hotel, as the hotel
receptionist talked about continental breakfast, check-out times, the hotel wifi password, public transit, and
points of interest around town.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/hotel-hallway-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/hotel-hallway-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/hotel-hallway-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/hotel-hallway-01-small.jpg" alt="Hotel Hallway 01">
</picture>
<em>Hallway at my hotel. Is this real life? Did I really just spend 14 months in Antarctica?</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>We were back in civilization, back in the real world. For ASC support staff, our contracts
ended the day we landed in Christchurch after departing the ice. We immediately stopped receiving a salary.
Our health insurance was paid through the end of the month. I went from living and working
in Antarctica, into my Christchurch hotel, and then… <em>that was it</em>.
I was suddenly on my own, on vacation, in Christchurch.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-passenger-terminal-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-passenger-terminal-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-passenger-terminal-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-passenger-terminal-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Passenger Terminal 01">
</picture>
<em>Back the next day, for some quick photos of the Antarctic Passenger Terminal during the daylight.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-warehouse-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-warehouse-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-warehouse-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-warehouse-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Warehouse 01">
</picture>
<em>The USAP warehouse in Christchurch.</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="personal-travel">Personal Travel</h1>
<p>I spent my leisure time in New Zealand eating fresh fruit and vegetables nonstop.
I averaged about three flat whites per day, made from fresh coffee and real milk.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/new-zealand-latte-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/new-zealand-latte-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/new-zealand-latte-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/new-zealand-latte-01-small.jpg" alt="New Zealand Latte 01">
</picture>
<em>Real life, real coffee. Fresh beans, fresh New Zealand milk.
Pure bliss, after 14 months of expired beans and powdered milk.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-fresh-food-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-fresh-food-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-fresh-food-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-fresh-food-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Fresh Food 01">
</picture>
<em>Delicious and abundant fresh food in Christchurch, after a long period without in Antarctica.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>My translucent Antarctican skin, fresh off an entire season of darkness, and normally covered by 30 lbs of
clothing regardless, did not survive first contact with the New Zealand sun. I almost immediately got a sunburn.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-sun-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-sun-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-sun-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-sun-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Sun 01">
</picture>
<em>Sun, warmth, blue sky, trees, and birds. Strolling casually around Christchurch.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Christchurch, and Real Life, very quickly began to feel <em>normal</em>, even after being away for so long.
A group of us met up for dinner. We ate in a restaurant, went to
a bar, called a taxi, and navigated through day-to-day city life. We rode trains. We hiked through mountains
and forests. We relaxed on beaches.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/arthurs-pass-stream-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/arthurs-pass-stream-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/arthurs-pass-stream-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/arthurs-pass-stream-01-small.jpg" alt="Arthur's Pass Stream 01">
</picture>
<em>A stream, at Arthur's Pass, New Zealand.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/sunset-punakaiki-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/sunset-punakaiki-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/sunset-punakaiki-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/sunset-punakaiki-01-small.jpg" alt="Sunset Punakaiki 01">
</picture>
<em>Sunset in Punakaiki, New Zealand.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/greymouth-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/greymouth-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/greymouth-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/greymouth-01-small.jpg" alt="Greymouth 01">
</picture>
<em>Ocean view in Greymouth, New Zealand.</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="san-francisco">San Francisco</h1>
<p>After two weeks of much-needed rest and relaxation in New Zealand, I flew back home to San Francisco.
This flight was paid for by the program, fulfilling their final obligation to return me to my
Airport of Departure (AOD).
On December 1, I departed Christchurch at 12:00 noon. Thanks to the magic of time zones, I arrived in
San Francisco, also on December 1, at 7:00am.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/san-francisco-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/san-francisco-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/san-francisco-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/san-francisco-01-small.jpg" alt="San Francisco 01">
</picture>
<em>Descending toward San Francisco International Airport, at 6:48am on December 1, 2023.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>I landed, and I took <a href="https://www.bart.gov/">BART</a> home to my apartment.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/bart-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/bart-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/bart-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/bart-01-small.jpg" alt="BART 01">
</picture>
<em>Riding BART home from the airport to my apartment.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>My apartment was just how I left it, back before I started this wild journey, on August 12, 2022, when I
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/travel-begins">departed San Francisco</a> for Christchurch, Antarctica, and the strangest 16 months of my
life.</p>
<p>It was surprising to me how… <em>normal</em> it felt to get back to real life. I had just completed <em>14.5 months</em> on the
ice. For <em>more than a year</em>, I worked, ate, slept, showered, relaxed, laughed, and cried, all at the whim of a
federal government agency and its designated contractors, almost all under one roof, at the bottom of the world.
We certainly had personal autonomy, but it was within a defined framework. It was at a small, isolated
location.</p>
<p>Sometimes I’d have a realization that I was doing something for the first time since I
had left home, 16 months earlier.
First time pumping gas. First time ringing a doorbell. First time going to a grocery store.
First time swimming. Each of these instances brought with it a small feeling of novelty,
but it didn’t amount to much. It took conscious effort to remember that I was pumping gas for the first time in 16
months. It felt normal.</p>
<p>I was back in my real life,
and although I put it on hold for Antarctica, it was waiting for me when I got back. Antarctica was a
a different world, a radical departure from my normal reality. It was so different, in fact, that I simply
could not merge the two realities into one. I had my real life, and I had my Antarctica life. When my
Antarctica life finished, I resumed my real life.</p>
<h1 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h1>
<p>I hope everyone enjoyed following along on this journey. I certainly enjoyed writing about the experience.</p>
<p>Truth be told, when I started this blog, I was writing for an audience of about 6 people, friends and family
back home. At some point in November 2022, this blog took off in popularity.
I wasn’t expecting this, but it has been a lot of fun writing something that has brought joy to so many people.</p>
<p>I appreciate everyone who reached out along the way. People wrote to me from other Antarctic stations.
People recounted their own Antarctic adventures from years or decades in the past. Folks with upcoming
McMurdo and Pole contracts reached out to ask for advice.</p>
<p>So, with that, I’ll leave you with my favorite photo I took all season. This is from May 8, 2023, taken off
the back deck of the A1 berthing pod. It shows our power plant and all the backyard outbuildings. Just
out of frame to the left is the geographic South Pole marker. It was -70°F. The only light was from
the moon. If you walked out just a few hundred feet from station, it was pindrop quiet. The closest next
inhabited station was hundreds of miles away. Truly a different world, and one that I’m lucky to have
experienced.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/pole-winter-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/pole-winter-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/pole-winter-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/pole-winter-01-small.jpg" alt="Pole Winter 01">
</picture>
<em>Backyard during Winter 2023 at the South Pole.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p><em>This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">part one</a> and <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">part two</a> if you haven’t already.</em></p>
</article>


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title: Redeployment Part Three
url: https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-three
hash_url: e8748af541273328d9aa9f1aeb1087b2
archive_date: 2024-01-21

<p><em>This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">part one</a> and <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">part two</a> if you haven’t already!</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Hello and welcome back! We’re going to pick up right where we left off.
In <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">Redeployment Part Two</a>, we got our first flight of the season and handed over
responsibilities to the summer crew. Then, finally, I departed South Pole for McMurdo.</p>
<h1 id="back-in-mcmurdo">Back in McMurdo</h1>
<p>After just over 3 hours in the air, our plane landed at Williams Field in McMurdo and parked for the “night”:</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/lc130-mcmurdo-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/lc130-mcmurdo-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/lc130-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/lc130-mcmurdo-01-small.jpg" alt="LC-130 McMurdo 01">
</picture>
<em>Our LC-130 parked at McMurdo.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>There are no direct flights from Pole to Christchurch – everyone connects through McMurdo.</p>
<p>Most of the time, people departing Pole have to spend a few hours or even a few days in McMurdo. This is
based on flight schedules and delays. Efforts to schedule “straight through” flights, where you transfer to
a Christchurch-bound plane right on the airfield, are usually thwarted by weather or other factors. Sometimes
it works out, but most of the time it does not.</p>
<p>In our case, we were scheduled to depart McMurdo the following afternoon, which meant spending the night.</p>
<p>Our ride from Williams Field into McMurdo was a “Delta”. These are McMurdo’s oldest still-operating passenger
vehicles. The ride into town was about 40 minutes.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/delta-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/delta-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/delta-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/delta-01-small.jpg" alt="Delta 01">
</picture>
<em>Our ride into town for the night -- one of McMurdo's oldest personnel
transport vehicles, known as a "Delta".</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>When we landed in McMurdo, we started breathing sea-level air for the first time in a very long time.
After living at <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/pressure-altitude">10,000 feet</a> for a year,
and then suddenly arriving at sea level, you immediately notice differences. Most importantly –
you feel like a superhero. The air is so thick and full of oxygen!
The effect only lasts a few days, but it’s a good time to
tackle any hikes in McMurdo. It was fun to scramble up Observation Hill with this newfound, sea-level energy.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-observation-hill-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-observation-hill-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-observation-hill-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-observation-hill-01-small.jpg" alt="Observation Hill 01">
</picture>
<em>McMurdo's Observation Hill, on my brief one-day layover.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>It was great being back in McMurdo, if only for a day. I got to catch up with friends from
my time in McMurdo last summer. Many of us descend on Antarctica from far-flung places,
and it’s not always guaranteed we’ll see each other again in Real Life. I tried to make the most of my brief
stop in town.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-construction-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-construction-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-construction-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/mcmurdo-construction-01-small.jpg" alt="McMurdo construction 01">
</picture>
<em>Construction in McMurdo! Framing for a new building on the site of the former Dorm 203.
This wasn't here last summer when I left for Pole!</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>It was surreal <strong>still</strong> being in Antarctica, and meeting up with folks again.
Most of my friends had left, had time off, and were now
<em>back for more</em>, here for a second season. I even knew people who had left, come back, and then had already
<em>left again</em>. Meanwhile, I was still on-continent. I was just now, finally, getting ready
to leave after my first mega-season.</p>
<p>There are pros and cons to experiencing Antarctica the way I did.
I was fortunate that I got to try out much of what
the program has to offer, all in one single, very long season.
The only primary USAP Antarctic sites I haven’t seen yet are
<a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/support/palmerst.jsp">Palmer Station</a>
and the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/support/ships.jsp">research vessels</a>, currently the
R/V Laurence M. Gould and the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer.</p>
<p>I arrived in Antarctica at <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/mcmurdo-arrival">Winfly</a>, and I got to experience McMurdo winter.
Winter transitioned into summer,
and I got to witness the majestic splendor of the warm, sunny, and <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/mud-murdo">muddy</a> peak season at McMurdo.
I <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/south-pole-arrival">flew to the South Pole</a> at the peak of summer, and I experienced the
bustling chaos as the station frantically prepared for the upcoming winter. When the
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/last-flight-out">last flight</a> departed, the station slowed down for winter.
After <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/sunset">sunset</a>, Pole entered a long <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/polar-night">polar night</a>.
I saw <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">sunrise</a> at Pole
and I saw the station <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">reopen</a> for summer.
Now I was back in McMurdo, finally ready to depart.</p>
<p>Most people… do not do all of this at once. I was fortunate that the opportunity arose for me to do this.
I was fortunate that
my life circumstances happened to line up in a way that I was able to accept.
14 months on ice is a long time. It’s a long time to be away from friends, family,
and “real life”. It’s a long time to commit to a single, strange place. I do not regret taking the opportunity.
But, for anyone considering something similar, please do not make this decision lightly.</p>
<h1 id="phoenix-airfield">Phoenix Airfield</h1>
<p>On the evening of November 17, 2023, I departed McMurdo.
I was headed out to Phoenix Airfield, where I would catch my flight out of Antarctica.</p>
<p>Our ride to the airport was something much different – we rode out in the Kress. The
Kress is a gigantic transport vehicle, one of McMurdo’s newest.
It’s designed for moving dozens of people between far-flung McMurdo sites. These sites include airfields,
as well as other infrastructure out on the ice such as the
<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/missions/scientific-balloons/nasa-scientific-balloons-ready-for-flights-over-antarctica/">Long Duration Balloon (LDB)</a>
site.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-01-small.jpg" alt="Kress 01">
</picture>
<em>The Kress, our gigantic transport vehicle to Phoenix Airfield. 6'2" brr.fyi author for scale.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-02.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-02-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-02-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/kress-02-small.jpg" alt="Kress 02">
</picture>
<em>Another view of the Kress, showing its gigantic passenger transport compartment.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>This was my first time seeing Phoenix Airfield in the “daytime”. Recall that when I <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/mcmurdo-arrival">arrived</a>
in McMurdo from Christchurch in August 2022, it was dark out.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/phoenix-passenger-terminal-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/phoenix-passenger-terminal-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/phoenix-passenger-terminal-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/phoenix-passenger-terminal-01-small.jpg" alt="Phoenix Passenger Terminal 01">
</picture>
<em>The passenger terminal at Phoenix Airfield.</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="departing-antarctica">Departing Antarctica</h1>
<p>Our ride back to Christchurch was an Italian Air Force C-130J. There are a number of national Antarctic programs in
this region, besides just the United States Antarctic Program.
Most of them use Christchurch as their gateway city and Phoenix Airfield as their
intercontinental Antarctic runway. It’s common for programs to share infrastructure. Sometimes USAP will fly
personnel for other national Antarctic programs on our flights, and sometimes other programs will fly USAP personnel.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/italian-c130j-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/italian-c130j-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/italian-c130j-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/italian-c130j-01-small.jpg" alt="Italian C-130J 01">
</picture>
<em>Boarding our aircraft from McMurdo to Christchurch -- an Italian Air Force C-130J.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>And with that, we were off! We departed Antarctica at 9:22pm on November 17, 2023. This marked 446 days since
I arrived on-continent on August 28, 2022.</p>
<p>What an adventure!</p>
<h1 id="christchurch">Christchurch</h1>
<p>At just after 4:00am, on the morning of November 18, 2023, our C-130J arrived at Christchurch International
Airport. Taxiing to an unloading area was short, but it felt like an eternity. We were tired from a long flight,
but we were also giddy with excitement about finally being back in the Real World.</p>
<p>It was dark, but it was warm. And most importantly it was <em>humid</em>. When we stepped off the plane,
we could smell rain, dirt, and living things, for the first time in over a year.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-bus-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-bus-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-bus-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-bus-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Bus 01">
</picture>
<em>First thing we saw upon arrival in Christchurch -- a bus, to take us to the airport.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>When you arrive in Christchurch from Antarctica, you are required to clear customs and immigration. The exact nuance of
New Zealand immigration law, as it applies to US Antarctic personnel, is <strong><em>far</em></strong> outside the scope of this post.
Suffice to say, the first order of business was to get us all processed.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-customs-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-customs-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-customs-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-customs-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Customs 01">
</picture>
<em>Christchurch airport, heading toward customs at 4:30am. Our first Real-Life Building.
Truly a surreal re-introduction into modern society.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>There was a section on the traveler form that asked <em>“Overseas Port where you boarded THIS aircraft/ship”</em>.
In the absence of any clarifying instruction, I just wrote “Antarctica”. It’s a moot point, because we had
a special customs agent show up just for us (customs isn’t normally open at this time). They were
well aware that we had all come from Antarctica.</p>
<p>Still, it’s amusing when I think about this form being filed
in a drawer somewhere at NZ Immigration. We did, indeed, arrive from “overseas”. Far, far overseas,
from a world that, already, had started fading from our minds.
<em>Did we</em> <strong><em>really</em></strong> <em>just come from</em> <strong><em>Antarctica</em></strong><em>?</em></p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/traveler-declaration-form-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/traveler-declaration-form-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/traveler-declaration-form-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/traveler-declaration-form-01-small.jpg" alt="Traveler Declaration Form 01">
</picture>
<em>New Zealand Traveler Declaration form.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Once we were through customs, we proceeded to the United States Antarctic Program’s
Clothing Distribution Center (CDC). We were all <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/flight-perhaps">issued</a> Extreme Cold Weather gear before we
departed for Antarctica, and we returned it all now that we were done.
This clothing is property of the program, and it gets cleaned and re-issued to new staff.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/clothing-pile-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/clothing-pile-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/clothing-pile-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/clothing-pile-01-small.jpg" alt="Clothing Pile 01">
</picture>
<em>Returning our issued Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear at the USAP CDC in Christchurch.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Finally, we were issued our complimentary hotel reservation information. Most of us were taking personal
travel in New Zealand. This travel, of course, isn’t paid for by the program. The program covers one night
in a hotel, for us to have a soft landing and get our bearings. This is the same thing that they
offer to people who are flying straight home, known as “First Available Air”, or “FAA”.</p>
<p>Luckily for us, because we arrived so late, we got the rest of our current night (by this time it was 5:30am),
and the following night. It was good to be able to sleep in.</p>
<p>And with that? They turned us loose. We were done.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/usap-complex-christchurch-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/usap-complex-christchurch-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/usap-complex-christchurch-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/usap-complex-christchurch-01-small.jpg" alt="USAP Complex Christchurch 01">
</picture>
<em>The United States Antarctic Program complex in Christchurch. Home of the CDC as well as other
support and administrative buildings. Pictured here, early morning on November 18, 2023, after we had
all just completed returning our ECW clothing.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>We all groggily stood in line to check into our hotel at 5:30am.
We had just spent 7 hours on a military plane. We had departed a strange land, full of 24x7 sunlight,
people in puffy coats, and US Antarctic Program logos everywhere. This had been our reality for over a year.</p>
<p>Suddenly, we found ourselves listening to smooth jazz, in the sleek lobby of an airport hotel, as the hotel
receptionist talked about continental breakfast, check-out times, the hotel wifi password, public transit, and
points of interest around town.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/hotel-hallway-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/hotel-hallway-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/hotel-hallway-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/hotel-hallway-01-small.jpg" alt="Hotel Hallway 01">
</picture>
<em>Hallway at my hotel. Is this real life? Did I really just spend 14 months in Antarctica?</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>We were back in civilization, back in the real world. For ASC support staff, our contracts
ended the day we landed in Christchurch after departing the ice. We immediately stopped receiving a salary.
Our health insurance was paid through the end of the month. I went from living and working
in Antarctica, into my Christchurch hotel, and then… <em>that was it</em>.
I was suddenly on my own, on vacation, in Christchurch.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-passenger-terminal-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-passenger-terminal-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-passenger-terminal-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-passenger-terminal-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Passenger Terminal 01">
</picture>
<em>Back the next day, for some quick photos of the Antarctic Passenger Terminal during the daylight.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-warehouse-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-warehouse-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-warehouse-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-warehouse-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Warehouse 01">
</picture>
<em>The USAP warehouse in Christchurch.</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="personal-travel">Personal Travel</h1>
<p>I spent my leisure time in New Zealand eating fresh fruit and vegetables nonstop.
I averaged about three flat whites per day, made from fresh coffee and real milk.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/new-zealand-latte-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/new-zealand-latte-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/new-zealand-latte-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/new-zealand-latte-01-small.jpg" alt="New Zealand Latte 01">
</picture>
<em>Real life, real coffee. Fresh beans, fresh New Zealand milk.
Pure bliss, after 14 months of expired beans and powdered milk.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-fresh-food-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-fresh-food-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-fresh-food-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-fresh-food-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Fresh Food 01">
</picture>
<em>Delicious and abundant fresh food in Christchurch, after a long period without in Antarctica.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>My translucent Antarctican skin, fresh off an entire season of darkness, and normally covered by 30 lbs of
clothing regardless, did not survive first contact with the New Zealand sun. I almost immediately got a sunburn.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-sun-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-sun-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-sun-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/christchurch-sun-01-small.jpg" alt="Christchurch Sun 01">
</picture>
<em>Sun, warmth, blue sky, trees, and birds. Strolling casually around Christchurch.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>Christchurch, and Real Life, very quickly began to feel <em>normal</em>, even after being away for so long.
A group of us met up for dinner. We ate in a restaurant, went to
a bar, called a taxi, and navigated through day-to-day city life. We rode trains. We hiked through mountains
and forests. We relaxed on beaches.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/arthurs-pass-stream-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/arthurs-pass-stream-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/arthurs-pass-stream-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/arthurs-pass-stream-01-small.jpg" alt="Arthur's Pass Stream 01">
</picture>
<em>A stream, at Arthur's Pass, New Zealand.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/sunset-punakaiki-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/sunset-punakaiki-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/sunset-punakaiki-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/sunset-punakaiki-01-small.jpg" alt="Sunset Punakaiki 01">
</picture>
<em>Sunset in Punakaiki, New Zealand.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/greymouth-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/greymouth-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/greymouth-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/greymouth-01-small.jpg" alt="Greymouth 01">
</picture>
<em>Ocean view in Greymouth, New Zealand.</em>
</a>
</p>
<h1 id="san-francisco">San Francisco</h1>
<p>After two weeks of much-needed rest and relaxation in New Zealand, I flew back home to San Francisco.
This flight was paid for by the program, fulfilling their final obligation to return me to my
Airport of Departure (AOD).
On December 1, I departed Christchurch at 12:00 noon. Thanks to the magic of time zones, I arrived in
San Francisco, also on December 1, at 7:00am.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/san-francisco-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/san-francisco-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/san-francisco-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/san-francisco-01-small.jpg" alt="San Francisco 01">
</picture>
<em>Descending toward San Francisco International Airport, at 6:48am on December 1, 2023.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>I landed, and I took <a href="https://www.bart.gov/">BART</a> home to my apartment.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/bart-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/bart-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/bart-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/bart-01-small.jpg" alt="BART 01">
</picture>
<em>Riding BART home from the airport to my apartment.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p>My apartment was just how I left it, back before I started this wild journey, on August 12, 2022, when I
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/travel-begins">departed San Francisco</a> for Christchurch, Antarctica, and the strangest 16 months of my
life.</p>
<p>It was surprising to me how… <em>normal</em> it felt to get back to real life. I had just completed <em>14.5 months</em> on the
ice. For <em>more than a year</em>, I worked, ate, slept, showered, relaxed, laughed, and cried, all at the whim of a
federal government agency and its designated contractors, almost all under one roof, at the bottom of the world.
We certainly had personal autonomy, but it was within a defined framework. It was at a small, isolated
location.</p>
<p>Sometimes I’d have a realization that I was doing something for the first time since I
had left home, 16 months earlier.
First time pumping gas. First time ringing a doorbell. First time going to a grocery store.
First time swimming. Each of these instances brought with it a small feeling of novelty,
but it didn’t amount to much. It took conscious effort to remember that I was pumping gas for the first time in 16
months. It felt normal.</p>
<p>I was back in my real life,
and although I put it on hold for Antarctica, it was waiting for me when I got back. Antarctica was a
a different world, a radical departure from my normal reality. It was so different, in fact, that I simply
could not merge the two realities into one. I had my real life, and I had my Antarctica life. When my
Antarctica life finished, I resumed my real life.</p>
<h1 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h1>
<p>I hope everyone enjoyed following along on this journey. I certainly enjoyed writing about the experience.</p>
<p>Truth be told, when I started this blog, I was writing for an audience of about 6 people, friends and family
back home. At some point in November 2022, this blog took off in popularity.
I wasn’t expecting this, but it has been a lot of fun writing something that has brought joy to so many people.</p>
<p>I appreciate everyone who reached out along the way. People wrote to me from other Antarctic stations.
People recounted their own Antarctic adventures from years or decades in the past. Folks with upcoming
McMurdo and Pole contracts reached out to ask for advice.</p>
<p>So, with that, I’ll leave you with my favorite photo I took all season. This is from May 8, 2023, taken off
the back deck of the A1 berthing pod. It shows our power plant and all the backyard outbuildings. Just
out of frame to the left is the geographic South Pole marker. It was -70°F. The only light was from
the moon. If you walked out just a few hundred feet from station, it was pindrop quiet. The closest next
inhabited station was hundreds of miles away. Truly a different world, and one that I’m lucky to have
experienced.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/pole-winter-01.jpg">
<picture>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/pole-winter-01-small.webp" type="image/webp"></source>
<source srcset="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/pole-winter-01-small.jpg" type="image/jpg"></source>
<img src="https://brr.fyi/media/redeployment-part-three/pole-winter-01-small.jpg" alt="Pole Winter 01">
</picture>
<em>Backyard during Winter 2023 at the South Pole.</em>
</a>
</p>
<p><em>This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Check out
<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one">part one</a> and <a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two">part two</a> if you haven’t already.</em></p>

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<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/d236f33cf82727313d17cb23bf36a395/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Reconsider your partnership with Brave">Reconsider your partnership with Brave</a> (<a href="https://kagifeedback.org/d/2808-reconsider-your-partnership-with-brave/6" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Reconsider your partnership with Brave">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/da7e5578fd96fe31d46bfb207d041880/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Redeployment Part One">Redeployment Part One</a> (<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-one" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Redeployment Part One">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/e5c1ca8e3beeb0d256a064832c3566aa/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : The personality of a personal website">The personality of a personal website</a> (<a href="https://manuelmoreale.com/the-personality-of-a-personal-website" title="Accès à l’article original distant : The personality of a personal website">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/9bc04d41d25fc73391116d99b7259a3d/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : notes">notes</a> (<a href="https://www.la-grange.net/2023/07/10/notes-train" title="Accès à l’article original distant : notes">original</a>)</li>
@@ -90,6 +92,8 @@
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/7d2d2bce96cbc020423299e7de03d2cf/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Disillusioned with Deno">Disillusioned with Deno</a> (<a href="https://www.baldurbjarnason.com/2024/disillusioned-with-deno/" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Disillusioned with Deno">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/c4751e7c80b292e3533ee6b3e057b702/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Manuel de survie de la femme dans la tech">Manuel de survie de la femme dans la tech</a> (<a href="https://www.duchess-france.fr/dossier/women%20in%20tech/alli%C3%A9s/2023/01/15/manuel-survie-femme-tech.html" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Manuel de survie de la femme dans la tech">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/40aada3cc8d6897fda5a277c4299c1fd/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : We Need to Talk About the Front Web">We Need to Talk About the Front Web</a> (<a href="https://gericci.me/we-need-to-talk-about-the-front-web-5.html" title="Accès à l’article original distant : We Need to Talk About the Front Web">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/7a223e552e8a8e3e11c759cbc5bc3ffa/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Opening Mail / frantic.im">Opening Mail / frantic.im</a> (<a href="https://frantic.im/opening-mail/" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Opening Mail / frantic.im">original</a>)</li>
@@ -122,6 +126,8 @@
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/62bf3ce6ef66e39b7f250a6123d92e66/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow">Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow</a> (<a href="https://erinkissane.com/tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/291cddda62f18ec9355ec98761b7e9d9/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Writing with AI">Writing with AI</a> (<a href="https://ia.net/topics/writing-with-ai" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Writing with AI">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/ea2cfc9aa425a6967d2cacd9f96ceb9e/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Ask LukeW: New Ways into Web Content">Ask LukeW: New Ways into Web Content</a> (<a href="https://lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?2008" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Ask LukeW: New Ways into Web Content">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/4a56aa5497e68df0c5bb1d5331203219/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : When “Everything” Becomes Too Much: The npm Package Chaos of 2024">When “Everything” Becomes Too Much: The npm Package Chaos of 2024</a> (<a href="https://socket.dev/blog/when-everything-becomes-too-much" title="Accès à l’article original distant : When “Everything” Becomes Too Much: The npm Package Chaos of 2024">original</a>)</li>
@@ -130,6 +136,10 @@
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/b31ba18e3de1fc479b79f1885043026a/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : When to use CSS text-wrap: balance; vs text-wrap: pretty;">When to use CSS text-wrap: balance; vs text-wrap: pretty;</a> (<a href="https://blog.stephaniestimac.com/posts/2023/10/css-text-wrap/" title="Accès à l’article original distant : When to use CSS text-wrap: balance; vs text-wrap: pretty;">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/284205d0f99390dd18d3af12ff53227c/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Redeployment Part Two">Redeployment Part Two</a> (<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-two" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Redeployment Part Two">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/e8748af541273328d9aa9f1aeb1087b2/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Redeployment Part Three">Redeployment Part Three</a> (<a href="https://brr.fyi/posts/redeployment-part-three" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Redeployment Part Three">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/55477786fc56b6fc37bb97231b634d90/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Fabrique : concept">Fabrique : concept</a> (<a href="https://www.quaternum.net/2023/06/02/fabrique-concept/" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Fabrique : concept">original</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/david/cache/2024/7136e0810bfa42c4a9ca798a55cd2d53/" title="Accès à l’article dans le cache local : Where have all the flowers gone?">Where have all the flowers gone?</a> (<a href="https://daverupert.com/2024/01/where-have-all-the-websites-gone/" title="Accès à l’article original distant : Where have all the flowers gone?">original</a>)</li>

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