# Why do males predominate the SDMB (actually almost any Message Board)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146 "2013-02-13T02:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/1 "2013-02-13T02:49:34Z")
(This thread is kind of a parody of [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=681770).) It seems like there are almost always more males on online forums as well as this Board. If you look at any males vs females polls, they always have more males voting. Here are some examples of those polls: [The males vs females pizza poll.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=679973) [The “buddy” poll.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=681838) If you look at these polls, you can see how there are significantly more men voting. Now I know this doesn’t guarantee that there are indeed more men on online message boards, but I have noticed that it seems like there usually are more males than females. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/2 "2013-02-13T03:34:00Z")
I’d like to point out the faulty premise; it may not be that more males are on the message board, it may just mean that more males are voting in polls. ---
**Author:** ![Altivu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Altivu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Altivu)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/3 "2013-02-13T04:00:42Z")
I find your deductive skills need some work. Saying “almost any Message Board” is predominately male and having two polls that are by no means an indicator of the general population as your proof isn’t going to slide by anyone with half a brain. Okay, that may have came off as a little harsh. But you’re going to need some more conclusive evidence before making such a bold statement. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/4 "2013-02-13T04:12:30Z")
Maybe the guys are just more likely to speak up. Maybe guys have more time to speak up because, according to stereotype, the women are too busy multitasking. Maybe some of those you think are guys are women (and vice versa). And who says we actually vote by gender even when we are asked politely to do so? ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/5 "2013-02-13T04:53:10Z")
Are there more men than women on message boards, or just the message boards you frequent? Seems like a lot of self-selection bias going on here. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/6 "2013-02-13T05:20:47Z")
I have to disagree. I think the balance here is closer to 50/50 than you might think. While there might be somewhat more male posters I don’t think the ratio is overwhelming by any means. As a side note there are many, many message boards catering to specific interests where there is little, if any, sausage in the house. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/7 "2013-02-13T05:39:34Z")
We women are all off at quilting circles, knitting klatsches, book clubs, slumber parties, and wicca/goddess celebrations. Who has time to post here? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/8 "2013-02-13T05:53:46Z")
Girls don’t use the internet anyway there’s way more females here than most message boards i go to ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/9 "2013-02-13T11:57:54Z")
People have a tendency to think that unless you have “girl”, “mom”, “baby”, or -“ette” in your username, you must be a male. And people also presume that posters around here are white unless otherwise stated. Take of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/10 "2013-02-13T19:03:36Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > We women are all off at quilting circles, knitting klatsches, book clubs, slumber parties, and wicca/goddess celebrations. Who has time to post here? You forgot pole dancing lessons and La Leche League workshops, you silly little thing. 😃 ( now, just how fast can I run? Not very… :eek: ) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/11 "2013-02-13T19:11:22Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > We women are all off at quilting circles, knitting klatsches, book clubs, slumber parties, and wicca/goddess celebrations. Who has time to post here? You forgot to mention the half-naked pillow fights. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/12 "2013-02-13T19:12:52Z")
Don’t steal my “predominate” word. I have a copyright on it now, so you should rephrase your thread title by replacing “predominate” with “dominate”. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/13 "2013-02-13T19:16:48Z")
There are message boards where women predominate. Go to a pregnancy or parenting message board and women are the overwhelming majority, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/14 "2013-02-13T21:11:33Z")
Second vote for “posters with non-gender-specific usernames are assumed to be male.” Everyone always thinks I’m a dude. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/15 "2013-02-13T21:16:29Z")
It’s because we’re bigger, stronger, and have webbed feet. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/16 "2013-02-13T21:33:43Z")
> [@Turpentine](#): > > Second vote for “posters with non-gender-specific usernames are assumed to be male.” Everyone always thinks I’m a dude. – jaw drops – Well, _that_ explains a lot !!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/17 "2013-02-13T21:54:56Z")
> [@Turpentine](#): > > Second vote for “posters with non-gender-specific usernames are assumed to be male.” Everyone always thinks I’m a dude. Are you caustic? ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/18 "2013-02-13T21:58:18Z")
I’m pretty sure Turpentine is a stripper. Paint stripper, obviously. 😃 In the interest of fighting ignorance, I suggest the OP look up self-selection bias. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/19 "2013-02-13T22:25:36Z")
I’m also a poster frequently assumed to be male, and this is the only message board I visit that is predominantly male. If you hang out on shopping or fashion boards, the males will be few and far between. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146/20 "2013-02-13T22:48:00Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > People have a tendency to think that unless you have “girl”, “mom”, “baby”, or -“ette” in your username, you must be a male. > > And people also presume that posters around here are white unless otherwise stated. > > Take of that what you will. Yep. I usually choose androgynous names, and I mostly get mistaken for male, unless I specifically say otherwise. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-males-predominate-the-sdmb-actually-almost-any-message-board/650146.md?page=2)