As recriminations and ideological differences split the international Webgrrls organisation, the Hong Kong chapter has re-emerged under a new, independent identity.
The international non-profit women's group recently reworked its charter to become a commercial organisation. Now the SAR club, renamed HK Webgirls, has stayed on the non-profit path - dropping its affiliation and the extra 'r' in its name.
'We just decided to go our own way,' said 'co-point girl' Sarah Kochling. 'We wanted to be independent and we wanted to maintain non-profitability status.'
The group's choice, to be neutral and provide low-cost technology workshops and discussions to help Web neophytes of both genders, was sparked in part by a debate over direction between two bigger organisations. The original Webgrrls, which now aims to become more professional and corporate, and a newer group called DigitalEve, created in part by unhappy ex-Webgrrls, have been interested in the same types of people.
Webgrrls was the 1995 brainchild of New York entrepreneur Aliza Sherman. In the Internet's early days, 'grrl' was a way for women to identify themselves.