Women should just get off the internet

[Aimless]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/astra-...b_5125176.html

Indeed, a University of Maryland study strongly suggests just how programmatic such abuse is. Those posting with female usernames, researchers were shocked to discover, received 25 times as many malicious messages as those whose designations were masculine or ambiguous. The findings were so alarming that the authors advised parents to instruct their daughters to use sex-neutral monikers online. “Kids can still exercise plenty of creativity and self-expression without divulging their gender,” a well-meaning professor said, effectively accepting that young girls must hide who they are to participate in digital life.

The online female presence is turning the internet into a generally toxic environment. I propose that we randomly moderate posts by anyone who registers with an obviously female username. I further propose that we encourage girls to use mannish usernames and stock photos of fat bearded men in their profile pics.

[Ominous Gamer]

Maybe I missed the link buried in that article, but did they ever link to the maryland study that your quote focuses on? Curious cause I remember older studies showing that a lot of the abuse girls get online actually comes from other girls. Its no secret that 16 year old girls run the internet.

Florida was recently in the national spotlight because of a teenager that threw herself off a radio tower, turns out some other girls were cyber bullying her. Police never managed to bring a case against them.

[Kazuha Vinland]

I wish this was a joke, as it's actually kinda tragic, but if I sign up for a specific forum to get help with a specific task, I sign up as a woman to get fast replies. It's not just the people who go all frontal on you, but the men who like to help as best they can in the remote very dillusional hope they get a nude photograph in the PM folder as thanks.

[Wraith]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/astra-...b_5125176.html



The online female presence is turning the internet into a generally toxic environment. I propose that we randomly moderate posts by anyone who registers with an obviously female username. I further propose that we encourage girls to use mannish usernames and stock photos of fat bearded men in their profile pics.

Sounds like a good idea Minx...

[wiggin]

Sounds like a good idea Minx...

I was totally going to say that but then thought it was tasteless.

[Timbuk2]

It took me at least a year after Minxie registered to realise she was in fact a he.

I seem to remember thinking the way she wrote was cute.

[Flixy]

It took me at least a year after Minxie registered to realise she was in fact a he.

I seem to remember thinking the way she wrote was cute.

Would you have had the opinion 'cute' if you thought minx was male, you sexist pig?

[Aimless]

I think there may be some tragic irony to be found in the fact that I inherited that alias from a girl who seems to have left the internet, and that I eventually adopted this far more masculine one I'm not saying there were dick-pics and rape-threats involved, I mean, those were better more innocent days, but still. I remember her saying something about the forums being unusually free from behind-the-scenes low-grade sexual harrassment but I think I was too young and innocent to be able to appreciate the full meaning of that observation.

[Dreadnaught]

I wish this was a joke, as it's actually kinda tragic, but if I sign up for a specific forum to get help with a specific task, I sign up as a woman to get fast replies. It's not just the people who go all frontal on you, but the men who like to help as best they can in the remote very dillusional hope they get a nude photograph in the PM folder as thanks.

This is kinda sad/smart. Do you ever oblige them with a photo found randomly on the Web?

[Flixy]

I think you'll find that in real life you're also more likely to get help if you're a girl

[littlelolligagged]

I think you'll find that in real life you're also more likely to get help if you're a girl

Oh really?

[Ominous Gamer]

Beautiful people get special treatment, doesn't matter if it comes with a dick or tits. Online its easier to make someone beautiful in your mind (this community had a thread once where we aired similar matters about each other), until they post something moronic or image shattering.

[GGT]

Yeah, only certain people should be "allowed" access to news and information. /sarcasm

[Aimless]

/sarcasm

#irony

[agamemnus]

To OP:

A swell suggestion. You should run for public office..!

(Sorry, not very original. Maybe later.)