Women's forum

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Displaying gender should be optional.

It may help to ease the concerns of some of the female members. I think that's a worthwhile achievement - some of the disruption that goes on really takes the piss. I do think the first thing to do is to see if there can be a concerted effort to seriously enforce the principle of why that sub-forum exists, and the specific rules it has. That may be enough to shut down the BS that goes on.

It's a faff to get another 'female' profile and to log in and out of it. It's also kind of sad. If a man really felt he had to, then so be it. I think it would be an 'out of sight, out of mind' thing. If the member with the fake profile started posting, I think they'd probably give themselves away (surely IPs can be checked?). The only way they would not be is if they actually contributed to the discussion. In which case, I'd say great. It took a convoluted set-up, but in the end they treated the subject seriously and respected the forum rules.

Non-identity is a bit trickier, but I think a workaround could be reached.

Now THERE is a great idea! The mods and Alex would still know, of course; but the average member could be cautioned against revealing too much about themselves right from the start.

My question is why you are so opposed to it ? What are you afraid of / concerned about ? What I don't understand is why some people believe that preventing a women's only forum here will somehow stop all the women everywhere from "plotting against the male of the species" ?

There are some topics - such as women's health issues - that absolutely cannot be open for "open discussion". And if there were topics on which I needed a man's opinion / POV, then I have a husband, brothers and numerous male cousins to seek advise / perspective from. I don't need to get an anonymous Internet stranger's POV when - as you pointed out - I may not even know for sure if the individual responding is most certainly a male. That said, I absolutely do not want or need a male responding to a question on my daughter's challenges with puberty, for instance, especially when my intention of posting such a question on the Women's forum is to solicit feedback from women with autism on the topic and to share their experiences or the experiences of other women closest to them.

That brings me to the question of "false security". Anyone over the age of 18 knows - or should reasonably know - that there is no such thing as "security" or "privacy" online. There is zero anonymity on the Internet, and if someone were determined to track you down and find you, then they probably can (even if you are hiding behind a VPN / Tor or were emailing / messaging whilst sitting behind multiple remailers). So, women who post on the forum, assuming that it's "women only" *are* taking a risk, posting there in the first place. Caveat emptor.

Finally, civil restraint. IMO, from my experience in this website, it appears that those who call for civil restraint from others are those least likely to extend that courtesy to others.

Raleigh, if you identify as female, then you are a female. Unless you start trolling the board or it becomes otherwise obvious that you are BS-ing about your gender, I see absolutely ZERO reason why a woman can't post on a women only board.

Last edited by HisMom on 24 Jan 2016, 6:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sorry that you got left out of this little discussion. There is a female sub forum, but it only seems accessible to the male gender and left to get sexually harassed and demeaned.
A discussion ought to be for Women if thats what it says, the same as conveniences.
We have periods, men have incontinance or erectile dysfunction. If we harped on about that, there'd be a green light overture for the miniature politicians of W.P.

So I agree with you, just like all the Parental stuff we've got here, that only parents seem allowed to use.
You want change? I want change, everybody wants change.
Bring on the polls.

Last edited by Empathy on 24 Jan 2016, 7:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hopper I do this or a living an part of my work is investigate cyber attacks on my clients. Believe me this is not trivial and very time consuming.

I don't think it is true at the Women's section is constantly under attack by males. There sometimes problem users.

However there are also men, or non-binary gendered people who may have something to contribute.

If the topic is about another gender, especially.

Resentment is not going to be addressed if there is not equitable solution.

Erectile dysfunction is hardly equivalent subject to menstruation. Menstruation is not a dysfunction. Women can also get sexual dysfunction. Incontinence is a problem for both men and women.

And your point is ? Men should be able to participate in threads pertaining to menstruation ? Or female dysfunction ?

I think Adam outlined the rules pertaining to the Women's Forum quite clearly. I think if we (women) took more control of the forum and consistently reported posts by males that were in violation of those rules, then we (women) should be fine.

This is an accurate description. What you are saying about various conditions 0_equals_true is correct, but irrelevant.

The forum is intended to be a place for women to hold discussions with other women. Men are not prohibited from going there, but they better have a good reason for butting in on the conversation among women. If someone reports them and they don't have a compelling reason as discussed in the forum specific rules, their post will likely be cut out of the thread.

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable posting in a women's only forum.
I woudn't read or post on such a forum.
I prefer to read and post open forums without gender restrictions.
But if other people want gender restrictions, they are free to make their own forum, as it is quite easy to start a forum on proboards or zetaboards.
They can try to restrict access to women, although I don't know how they would know that members really are women.

That is not the reason at least not for me, however I understand the those that would have an issue inequitable policy further reinforcing gender stereotypes.

This year has been the year of "safe spaces" in universities, proposals tantamount to segregation in public places, counter to what the civil right movement fought so hard for. Despite it such policies having little to do with the PTSD origins it has been borrowed from (and the fact that expert on PTSD say the clinical evidence doesn't support the idea as a viable treatment).

Though this is a privately own site I think its against the spirit of the site to restrict a section the site based on gender.



Like single dads for instance? Or to ask question? Generally I have not seen anyone interfering with post such as this, without honest intention and if they are then rightly they should be moderated.



Emphasis on "should know". It is surprising how often people take a suggestion of security at face value.



The main division between you Fnord seems unrelated to gender issues. From my understanding it is related to a subject quite controversial and emotive. So it is not that surprising that people will feel strongly about it after all this is an advice forum where people express their opinions. Men and women wouldn't necessarily express an opinion on that issue, which is polarised by gender on that issue. However the principle of "attack the idea not the person" should be followed, with the caveat of applying harm harm principle where you can criticise proposed actions. However i support you right to express you opinion on this as those that disagree.



This is exactly the point, who is going to be the final arbiter of gender issues? Who to to say when a user isn't being gender fluid, and why can't thy change their gender?

So you are saying that women's health discussions are closed to men, yet those that identify a women are welcome. Yet we have health discussion that would only be applicable to some people. There may be issue that don't apply to all of the people who's birth gender (or "sex" as preferred by some who indemnify as a different gender). So we are back to common sense moderation.

I agree, which is why I'm drafting a common sense proposal.

What is a women only topic?

duplicate

Last edited by 0_equals_true on 24 Jan 2016, 8:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

HisMom

My point was it was bad comparison.

I'm saying that common sense is the solution.

I doesn't make sense to for men to be joining in a discussion about menstruation, unless there was some valid experience through somebody they know as in passing on information, or through medical knowledge.

Women can join in discussions about male sexual dysfunction, and why shouldn't they if they have something valid to add?

Report the problem users, sure. I will report them if I see them.

Get the point? I'm not ridiculing you, but you're making a lot of demands out of a public forum to be tailored to your personal needs. There is such a thing as boys having challenges with puberty I might add, a topic rarely discussed. I wish I'd had a personal forum when I was thirteen that could have helped me understand puberty. My life was total hell back then. I cannot emphasize hell enough.