History of Feminism
Related: About this forumDo we have any idea of the male/female demographic at DU? I realize that
posters self-select to identify their sex, but I was wondering if there was a way of gauging it...
I do remember the early days of the Internet when women who identified themselves as female were hounded mercilessly and remember choosing a sex neutral name (this was before DU) to avoid the harassment I saw what other women endured. It was truly a jungle in those days (maybe still, some places).
So I am glad we self select on this. But I am interested in this phenomenon on the Internet and learning more about it...and I'm working on a little theory about misogyny on the Internet...
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Smarmie Doofus
(14,498 posts)When the DU profiles included sex it was easy to see that the vast majority of male DUers had identifiably male screen id's.
It seems to me for females it was about 50/50.
CTyankee
(65,556 posts)of women posting, similar to their voting patterns, compared to men. That would make sense to me. But then voting habits and Internet participation are two different activities...
cinnabonbon
(860 posts)used to choose gender neutral names in order to avoid the backlash. I still see women being harassed for daring to show that they're female on the internet. (Though I see this mostly in fandom, where I used to spend much of my time)
CTyankee
(65,556 posts)at a site where they feel comfortable, would attract in other similarly inclined women to the website. I know I had trepidation when I first ventured into DU back in the fall of 2004, which is why I selected a sex neutral user name. I don't think I quite trusted DU on that score at the time (for good reason, given the fact that I had already been burned).
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)tormented or picked on because of being female. Maybe it's because of where I am in my own head at this point in my life but I've never felt the need to have the approval of anonymous people on the internet
After thinking about it, it's probably the major reason that I don't fit into any of the clicks here.
CTyankee
(65,556 posts)because of anonymity (there's no penalty for being an out and out shithead if they don't know who you are).
I don't use the Ignore function because I feel comfortable in my ability to ignore on my own. That doesn't make me special and I don't feel superior. For one thing I am too damn old to care what people think. At a certain age you just don't care that much. Still, that doesn't override my feelings for other people. There are things I leave unsaid out of consideration...call me crazy...
No, approval has nothing to do with it as far as I am concerned.
cinnabonbon
(860 posts)avoiding death threats, rape threats, being belittled and stalked in rl, because that's what I've seen happen at the places of the internet where I usually frequent.
It's not about approval. If it were, I wouldn't say anything feminist-like at all.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)i am not bothered taking it on.
not everyone is me, either.
Laelth
(32,017 posts)I am, however, interested in the theory upon which you are working. Please share when you feel the time is right.
-Laelth
CTyankee
(65,556 posts)turning over in my mind. I want to get more information first...it's about misogyny and DU but I don't want to make flying leaps of assumptions without thinking it through a bit more...
Laelth
(32,017 posts)I appreciate the wisdom of your cautious approach.
-Laelth
ConcernedCanuk
(13,509 posts).
.
.
CC
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)am not into cats.
ya think?
ConcernedCanuk
(13,509 posts).
.
.
'twas just my twisted Canuck sense of humor
sheesh!
CC
CTyankee
(65,556 posts)I hate stereotypes, but you really stepped into THAT one!
BainsBane
(55,406 posts)That showed 60% male respondents.
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)Agschmid
(28,749 posts)In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)were anonymus (DU2) The Admin would do surveys and, gather demographic information. IIRC, I think DU, at the time of the last survey was Mature (median age in 40-50's)White Male with Mature White Female following closely.
I don't think it has changed much since the inception of DU3 but, I could be wrong about all this. My memory is not what it used to be.
BainsBane
(55,406 posts)It had the potential for so many good digs. I'm almost sorry to see it gone.