I've been pondering the gender dynamics on OLO, and this has led to a few questions.
What is your opinion as to the way commenters respond to one another depending on which gender they are addressing?
Do you think you might pull your punches or become more strident in your approach depending on the gender of the person you are addressing in a rebuttal?
Does gender have any influence at all on the mood of the debate?
I ask this because,for some reason, when I was registering I chose a masculine identity even though I'm a woman.
I have no idea whether this fact was obvious, but to me it felt like I was travelling through cyberspace genderless.
In the end, I found that I would prefer my gender to be known.

Dear Poirot,

Does gender influence debate on OLO?

I can only speak for myself.

It doesn't for me.

I don't repond to a person's gender - but to their
comments. Admittedly I do have posters whose
opinions I value. They're from both genders.

As I stated on another thread - it's a person's
individual human qualities, rather than his or
her biological sex, that to me is the primary
measure of that person's worth and achievement.

I find that one of the attractions of OLO is that
opinions are valued equally from both sexes.

I think world views speak a lot more than gender on OLO. Some females are just as forthright, crude and insulting as some men.

I couldn't tell ya who's what.

But, I wouldn't be that patronising to change how I address someone even if I did know their gender. Gender is irrelevant, on the whole.

We all want to think it does not I know it has no affect on me.
But I have seen some who plainly dislike women, others who show Little respect.
But they are very much a minority.
Runner? what else can I say?

In repect of my response to individuals, it makes no difference - I respond to the words. On the other hand, I have noted that many of the women posters are far more eager to claim that they are being "bullied" or that a poster "hates women" for refusing to accept their particular POV or even pointing out perceived flaws in their reasoning. That usually triggers a bout of whiteknighitis within the victim appreciation society and the discussion degenerates.

belly:"But I have seen some who plainly dislike women, others who show Little respect."

Speaking for myself, rspect is not given, it is earnt. One's gender should be irrelevant to that process. People who grasp that fact have already gone a long way toward being respected and are likely to continue the process. Those who expect respect to be handed to them on a platter are likely to be respected by nobody, even themselves.

What's the current rate of Unionisation in the mining industry, belly?