Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

[Pattern Ghost]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

 

Men are more powerful than women: financially, politically, and physically.

 

I'd like to cash in on my male financial power please!

[Zeropoint]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I'd like to sign up for this world where being male and having common decency somehow automatically means you have no problem with women.

[Pattern Ghost]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I'll settle for cash!

[Ranxerox]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I'd like to sign up for this world where being male and having common decency somehow automatically means you have no problem with women.

 

It's not being male; it's being a man. At least that is his take on it.

[Lucius]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I'd like to sign up for this world where being male and having common decency somehow automatically means you have no problem with women.

 

I'll settle for cash!

 

I'd like both

 

Lucius Alexander

 

And a palindromedary too

[Badger]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

It was high school and you were probably different enough from the herd. They probably went all "mean girl" on you. Some people in High School are cruel jerks. I wouldn't dwell on it. Just tell yourself that they were just another group of antagonists in the prison yard mentality that seems to grip some kids in HS.

 

THanks. Itis mostly just the "flashback" that pops up every once in a while. (like many of my high school miseries). And yeah when it came to that herd I was definitely different.

[Tasha]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I'd like to cash in on my male financial power please!

 

As a whole men have more power in the culture than Women. We ARE starting to catch up, but it's pretty plain that there are Way more men in positions of power, and Men do still on average get paid better than women.

 

There are exceptions to every generalization, those don't change the truth.

[Badger]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I was growing up; we didn't lock our doors until dark despite the socially maladjusted neighbor kid who was prone to just walking into the house without knocking (basically Urkel without the laugh track).

 

Yeah, when I was real little I dont think we locked doors until dark. (and that was probably because of the local drunk who had a habit of wandering into people's yards on weekend nights, and sometimes stealing stuff specifically so he could spend the winter in jail)

 

Now, 2 miles down the road we have a suspected crack house (trailer actually). And an 80 year old widowed neighbor of ours went Good Samaritan for a supposed pregnant woman letting her in to make a phone call and had some of her jewelry turn up missing.30 years seems to have made a change.

[Pattern Ghost]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

As a whole men have more power in the culture than Women. We ARE starting to catch up, but it's pretty plain that there are Way more men in positions of power, and Men do still on average get paid better than women.

 

There are exceptions to every generalization, those don't change the truth.

 

I should have put a smiley on that.

 

[Badger]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I actually DO know that. I was actually overstating things to make a point. Though I will admit that guys that I don't know very well I do get those twinges of (Can I really trust them).

 

Domestic violence is something totally different with very complicated victim psychology that is beyond the scope of this post/ thread

 

Well, to be honest I think anyone being suspicious of anyone they dont know well is perfectly natural. (that or I must be paranoid) You cant say without a reasonable doubt what anyone you dont know might do in certain situations.

[Tasha]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I am sure that many of you are sick of this thread. I was just made aware of an article from the New Statesman. Thought that it might cause some more thought and perhaps some discussion. It does go over some things and events that have been discussed in this thread. I am posting a link to the article.

 

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/internet/2012/07/what-online-harassment-looks

[Lucius]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I am sure that many of you are sick of this thread.

 

Not especially.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary is chewing it over

[Pattern Ghost]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I am sure that many of you are sick of this thread. I was just made aware of an article from the New Statesman. Thought that it might cause some more thought and perhaps some discussion. It does go over some things and events that have been discussed in this thread. I am posting a link to the article.

 

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/internet/2012/07/what-online-harassment-looks

 

I so scooped you on that one. =P

 

(But I found it from following the links you originally posted. =))

[lemming]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

There are a lot of people out there that I wouldn't mind being fed to a wood chipper.

 

Off hand stupid comments are one thing (if wrong), but going out of your way to be a total tool is pretty disgusting.

[Pattern Ghost]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

Yeah, the nits that did that stuff really need some time in a reeducation camp in a cold climate.

[Querysphinx]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

I am sure that many of you are sick of this thread. I was just made aware of an article from the New Statesman. Thought that it might cause some more thought and perhaps some discussion. It does go over some things and events that have been discussed in this thread. I am posting a link to the article.

 

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/internet/2012/07/what-online-harassment-looks

 

Not sick of the thread, just sick of the abuse heaped on women. I'm not fond of abuse heaped on men, children,or animals, either, but the fact that the portion of humanity that feel it is socially acceptable or even virtuous to engage in that sort of behavior toward women in particular is infuriating.

[Jhaierr]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

The Hardcore Computer Gaming Community is VERY violently reactionary toward any changes in the way Computer games are put together. They are highly resentful of Casual gamers invading their games. They also dislike how Game companies are "dumbing down" their favorite games. This includes any suggestion of changing the way women are presented in the game.

 

I've seen this as well (and even on these boards) as far as LGB aspects of games are concerned. Heaven forbid we spend any amount of "effort" to add any LGB characters or options to games--any "effort" spent will naturally reduce the quality of the games. One example is adding same-sex romance options to Star Wars: The Old Republic. Another is adding any references to same-sex relationships in Champions/Hero sourcebooks. And it's all seen as being "political" or a case of "if we do that then we'll have to do that for every conceivable iteration of 'minority.' OMGERD!"

[Jhaierr]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

That last post was more of a derail than I intended. This thread was an excellent read and brought up so many important points. This semester I'm teaching a class on gender. I think I might use some of the material linked here in my class discussions.

[Cygnia]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

From Colleen Doran's site

 

Read the most disturbing thing today by a much older person on the comics scene, an anti-feminist of the sort who declares that women really need to get over being upset by things like harassment and just ignore it and it will go away. By golly, back in her day, we had to put up with much worse, and if we had to take it, you have to take it too!

And I realize where this comes from: a misguided anger at the men she could never get to treat her with respect. She had to develop a mask of respect by keeping her head down and being one of the boys. And so, she is imperious and Alpha Dog Female to the girls.

But I like to think that things like stalking and harassment should be addressed and dealt with whenever we can, and to the best of our individual ability. I know that everyone has their limits, and not everyone can deal with directly addressing this problem. You should definitely pick your battles. But you’ll never win the war unless you fight sometime. Always keeping your head down, sticking to “the work” as if it will go away if you ever get the guts to look up, is not only harmful to you, it’s nothing like respect, and it enables the cycle of emotional violence to continue.

I like to think younger generations of women will not have to grow up armored assholes to deal with assholes, tossing off a crusty “Get over it!” every time a young girl gets groped at a con, or gets a barrage of rape threats on twitter. I prefer a world where men and women stand up and say, “This is not acceptable,” to a world where men and women chastise others to develop crocodile hides as if ugly words and ugly actions bounce off it.

It doesn’t. It just makes you ugly, too.

 

[Cygnia]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

Also...

 

[h=2]This is what it’s like to be harassed on the Internet[/h]

[psyber624]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

Deleting post (cant find the delete button right now, too tired, sorry)

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

Also...

 

This is what it’s like to be harassed on the Internet

 

 

My one concern here is the same as it is with other really egregious crimes. If you start with the proposition that there's something wrong with the world if a rational, sane person could do this, then you've gone the wrong way. If you start with the proposition that people's free speech needs to be protected, you're on an even more mistaken footing.

 

This guy is mentally ill. This is a mental health issue. Now, there wouldn't be a mental health problem if people owned their problem and sought treatment, but they don't. I understand that society walks a very fine line between helping and brutalising the mentally ill, but there comes a point. The stalker described in the link above needs involuntary commitment, not "freedom of speech."

[Bloodstone]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

Also...

 

[h=2]This is what it’s like to be harassed on the Internet[/h]

 

Damn. She has my sympathy and I agree this kind of crap needs to be stopped.

 

However:

 

Frankly if you are a woman on the internet you might as well have a sign on your back that says, “Troll me”. If you have an opinion or focus on a commenting in a male dominated field, you probably double your chances.

 

This isn't unique to being a woman involved within a male dominated field, though I'm sure it feels that way given her situation and the targeted nature of these attacks.

 

Frankly, this can happen to anyone, especially if they hold an unpopular opinion or rock the boat in a highly public way.

 

I have a friend that has been trolled for YEARS for the comments he's made within his field. Some of the stuff is really mindblowig... "raving lunatic" type posts directed his way... the threats have on occasion been incredibly violent, including murder and rape. Yes, faceless trolls on the internet have threatened in graphic detail how they plan to rape a grown man that they disagree with about sports...

 

Frankly, it ruined his business, several aspects of his personal life and he pretty much hates the Internet with a passion now (and I can't say I blame him).

[Matt the Bruins]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

This isn't unique to being a woman involved within a male dominated field, though I'm sure it feels that way given her situation and the targeted nature of these attacks.

 

It is, however, a far more frequent and pronounced experience for women than for men. The amount of harassment and for that matter simple rude know-it-all refutation I've gotten on the internet is nothing compared to what my female friends face virtually anywhere online where their identities as women are known.

[Bloodstone]

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

 

It is' date=' however, a far more frequent and pronounced experience for women than for men.[/quote']

 

Yeah, that probably is true.

 

Thinking about it, that sort of thing is obviously not directed my way and I hang out in a fair number of well moderated places so I probably don't see it as much as many others do...