# Lower share of female regulars. What to do? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 7, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612 "2018-06-07T16:44:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/141 "2018-06-08T20:24:39Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > This is another example of a shutdown. After a long post in which his own views are laid out at length, Sho declares the whole thing to be far too difficult and we should really just stop burdening the rest of the board with this discussion\*. > > \*Now that we have taken to the time to read through and consider HIS views, that is. This is 100%, certified, bottled-in-bond wrong. Not one single solitary word that I posted said, implied, or could reasonably be inferred to suggest that anyone should stop posting, and your allegation that it could is false. You make such a claim about my post, in the teeth of this kind of thing - > [@](#): > > And the first step is that we guys - at least those of us who want to be part of this conversation, and not just shut it down over and over again - need to get a better handle on how they’re experiencing the Dope. This is a conversation a number of us really want to have. > > But it’s damned hard to have it when people keep jumping in to make a hash of the whole conversation. > > So how about those of you who aren’t interested in the sort of conversation that involves listening to the other side and trying to understand what those people are trying to say, don’t go away mad, just go away. Take your own advice and DON’T OPEN THESE THREADS, if this conversation upsets you so much. And you have the gall to accuse me of trying to shut down discussion. Here’s a thought - how about No? How about if I post my opinion, and you post yours, and we can agree, or disagree, as the case may be? Guess what - people get to disagree. And if my disagreement makes you mad, that is not my problem. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/142 "2018-06-08T20:28:02Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Shodan. The women aren’t demanding _Michelangelo’s David_ be covered with a towel Shodan really couldn’t make it clearer that he wants to pat the womenfolk in these threads on the head and tell us to go back to our knitting. Posters like him are a big part of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/143 "2018-06-08T20:39:01Z")
> [@expectopatronum](#): > > Shodan really couldn’t make it clearer that he wants to pat the womenfolk in these threads on the head and tell us to go back to our knitting. Posters like him are a big part of the problem. It’s interesting that the default tactic to deal with a disagreement is misframe the argument then seek allies to pile on personal attacks. Forum mob justice to ensure compliance to arbitrary social norms. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/144 "2018-06-08T20:53:23Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > You know what might help, Shodan? **Listen** to the women who are trying to explain to us why they feel this board is hostile or hard to deal with. Given that there are a whole bunch of posters who feel the same way, it’s not just some isolated complaint by some random poster. How about we _listen_, and **take them seriously**? I thought that men and women were equal. Why is this board “hard to deal with” for women and not men? ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_Elliot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jane_elliot/32/6166_2.png) [@Jane\_Elliot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_Elliot)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/145 "2018-06-08T20:59:04Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > I thought that men and women were equal. Why is this board “hard to deal with” for women and not men? Equal does not mean identical. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/146 "2018-06-08T21:23:13Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > I thought that men and women were equal. Why is this board “hard to deal with” for women and not men? Perplexing, huh? ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/147 "2018-06-08T21:24:53Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > I thought that men and women were equal. Why is this board “hard to deal with” for women and not men? I thought trolling wasn’t allowed in ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/148 "2018-06-08T21:28:29Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > I thought that men and women were equal. Why is this board “hard to deal with” for women and not men? Have you read this thread…or any of the other threads where this subject is being discussed? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/149 "2018-06-08T21:30:13Z")
> [@tnetennba](#): > > I thought trolling wasn’t allowed in ATMB. You realize that there is a report button? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/150 "2018-06-08T21:33:49Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > I thought that men and women were equal. Why is this board “hard to deal with” for women and not men? We really need to see that everyone gets the memos from now on. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/151 "2018-06-08T21:38:04Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > You realize that there is a report button? How do you know nobody used it? You’re not a mod. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/152 "2018-06-08T21:44:14Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > For me, I participate most in GD and Elections so I think my exposure where some of the incident examples are located is lower. I like to argue/discuss current events, etc. and the social aspect is not as high a focus for me as it is for others. Me as well. > [@](#): > > I heavily favor the ability for open discussion about any topic. I believe that inside every malformed OP is a reasonable OP struggling to get out. Unfortunately, some OPs are so stunted that their better aspects remain unhatched. > [@](#): > > Ultimately in the marketplace of ideas we should expect good ideas and good arguments to win out. That only works if the marketplace has a certain critical mass and this can be thwarted if the environment is unwelcoming enough to drive membership and participation below that critical mass. The question is really how to balance the fact that uncomfortability may cause declining participation and an openess to any topic will inherently cause some uncomfortability. So in my mind it’s not necessarily a bright line rule, but how to best strike that balance. Agree that this is a balancing act. There’s another consideration though. The IMHO forum trends towards the anecdotal. And in some cases an OP can on net facilitate ignorance more than it impedes it. Hypothetical examples might include, [let’s gather some anecdotes about black dudes and five dollar bills](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=856351), or [what happens when a hawt babe enters a place of work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=856319)[sup]1[/sup]. Scientists take care not to produce biased datasets: this sort of sampling is anything but. Ignorance fighting fail. Yes, yes, I actually think that both could have been framed properly, though some topics are more challenging than others. But methinks IMHO has more scope for _editorial intervention_ – something familiar in any journalistic environment. In the past the consensus at this message board was to let malformed threads live and good speech conquer the bad. That’s one way of doing things. But there are others. None of the examples of sexism I’ve seen put forward so far have involved GQ or GD. OTOH, racism in the past has very much been an unfortunate component of those forums. I trust that will be revisited at some point, like everything else. ## Also, methinks I just outlined a lesser consideration, relative to concerns about board environment. [sup]1[/sup] To be absolutely clear, I misrepresented the thread titles to show clear if hypothetical examples of ignorance augmenting OPs. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/153 "2018-06-08T22:07:42Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > How do you know nobody used it? You’re not a mod. You are correct. I can only see the accusation of trolling. I suppose, though, the rules apply to some and not others? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/154 "2018-06-08T22:09:12Z")
Wow, my irony meter is smoking now. It may blow. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/155 "2018-06-08T22:18:33Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > You realize that there is a report button? So far three reports of trolling using the button. (none of which were you). ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/156 "2018-06-08T22:20:05Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > So far three reports of trolling using the button. (none of which were you). Yeah? Perhaps because I didn’t think it was trolling?:smack: ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/157 "2018-06-08T22:30:04Z")
While, octopus was right, accusations of trolling do not belong in this forum. Use the report button, > [@tnetennba](#): > > I thought trolling wasn’t allowed in ATMB. But neither is Jr Modding. Use the report button > [@octopus](#): > > You realize that there is a report button? ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/158 "2018-06-08T22:41:41Z")
I did. What happened next? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/159 "2018-06-08T22:45:04Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > … even the lovely language choices where we have ‘men’ and ‘females’ who post. Curious posters who are as clueless as myself might reference this reddit thread: [Reddit - Dive into anything](https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/25zk6q/men_and_females/) ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612/160 "2018-06-08T22:49:50Z")
> [@tnetennba](#): > > I did. What happened next? Something that generates an ATMB thread. That’s the way it works here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-share-of-female-regulars-what-to-do/815612.md?page=9)