Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
What is the point of showing user gender on the forums? Genderism is a potentially discriminatory social construct that has nothing to do with a piece of text displayed on an Internet forum, so why? Why would anyone want to label their mind with contingent labels?
Joined: 8/14/2009
Posts: 4089
Location: The Netherlands
Aqfaq wrote:
What is the point of showing user gender on the forums?
Because people wanted to.
Aqfaq wrote:
Genderism is a potentially discriminatory social construct that has nothing to do with a piece of text displayed on an Internet forum, so why?
Tell that to the people who started this and this and the others who were supportive of this addition.
Aqfaq wrote:
Why would anyone want to label their mind with contingent labels?
Because they choose to.
http://www.youtube.com/Noxxa
<dwangoAC> This is a TAS (...). Not suitable for all audiences. May cause undesirable side-effects. May contain emulator abuse. Emulator may be abusive. This product contains glitches known to the state of California to cause egg defects.
<Masterjun> I'm just a guy arranging bits in a sequence which could potentially amuse other people looking at these bits
<adelikat> In Oregon Trail, I sacrificed my own family to save time. In Star trek, I killed helpless comrades in escape pods to save time. Here, I kill my allies to save time. I think I need help.
While I feel I've already said my piece and I don't want to be accused of "white knighting", I would like to take one last opportunity to express my opposition.
The mods and judges, more than anyone else on the site, should understand that the site does not operate as a democracy. That's not how we publish videos, nor is it how we set policy. The idea is to take action (or, in this case, not take action) that fosters a better community. If people want a movie published or want some policy set, that has no direct relevance on whether or not it is a good idea.
While I don't think that giving the users the option to directly reveal their gender (rather than mention it in discussion or put it in their profile text or signature) is likely to cause problems, I also don't see any way that it improves the site. Furthermore, although I think the probability is somewhat remote, I do believe that highlighting our female members opens the door to some really nasty harassment that sadly permeates a lot of the internet. I would have liked some of these concerns acknowledged before the policy was put in place. For example, the mods could have instituted a zero-tolerance policy and said, "At the first instance of sexual or other harassment, we're doing away with the gender option." Instead, I fear that the policy is here to stay simply because it seemed like a good idea at the time.
So that's really all I have to say on the matter. It was instituted, I didn't like it, and (predictably), the world has not crashed down around us. Nevertheless, thousands of forums across the internet-- a majority, I'd argue-- operate just fine without any specific reference to gender. Why should one dedicated to beating video games as quickly as possible be any different?
Joined: 3/9/2004
Posts: 4588
Location: In his lab studying psychology to find new ways to torture TASers and forumers
Bobo the King wrote:
I do believe that highlighting our female members opens the door to some really nasty harassment that sadly permeates a lot of the internet.
You do realize that there's some really nasty harassment that happens in person to women when they're noticed on sight, right? I doubt it's any worse on the Internet than in person, except that some people think that if they harass someone on the Internet there won't be any retribution, so they can be a lot more bold and do things they wouldn't do in person.
Bobo the King wrote:
For example, the mods could have instituted a zero-tolerance policy and said, "At the first instance of sexual or other harassment, we're doing away with the gender option."
How about on first instance of harassment based on gender, we're terminating the offending user in question?
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
Joined: 2/28/2006
Posts: 2275
Location: Milky Way -> Earth -> Brazil
brb, checking my white male privililege
EDIT: Clearly the list is very limited
You should learn with Facebook:
Asexual
Agender
Androgyne
Androgynes
Androgynous
Bigender
Cis
Cis Female
Cis Male
Cis Man
Cis Woman
Cisgender
Cisgender Female
Cisgender Male
Cisgender Man
Cisgender Woman
F2M
Female to Male
Female to male trans man
Female to male transgender man
Female to male transsexual man
FTM
Gender Fluid
Gender neutral
Gender Nonconforming
Gender Questioning
Gender Variant
Genderqueer
Hermaphrodite
Intersex
Intersex man
Intersex person
Intersex woman
M2F
Male to Female
Male to female trans woman
Male to female transgender woman
Male to female transsexual woman
Man
MTF
Neither
Neutrois
Non-binary
Other
Pangender
Polygender
T* man
T* woman
Trans
Trans Female
Trans Male
Trans Man
Trans Person
Trans*Female
Trans*Male
Trans*Man
Trans*Person
Trans*Woman
Transexual
Transexual Female
Transexual Male
Transexual Man
Transexual Person
Transexual Woman
Transgender Female
Transgender Person
Transmasculine
Two* person
Two-spirit
Two-spirit person
Woman
"Genuine self-esteem, however, consists not of causeless feelings, but of certain knowledge about yourself.
It rests on the conviction that you — by your choices, effort and actions — have made yourself into the
kind of person able to deal with reality. It is the conviction — based on the evidence of your own volitional
functioning — that you are fundamentally able to succeed in life and, therefore, are deserving of that success."
- Onkar Ghate
Bisqwit wrote:
Joined: 12/8/2012
Posts: 706
Location: Missouri, USA
Aqfaq wrote:
What is the point of showing user gender on the forums? Genderism is a potentially discriminatory social construct that has nothing to do with a piece of text displayed on an Internet forum, so why? Why would anyone want to label their mind with contingent labels?
Aqfaq, this is just my take here and, while we probably won't see eye to eye, I only intend to have a civil exchange of ideas.
I've noticed here recently that there's been a bit of a movement regarding gender equality and, as you put it, genderism as a social construct. Now I have, at least, a degree of familiarity with these topics as I came across them quite a bit during my time at University (I'm a communication major, in real life). While I'm familiar with it, there's one foundation of thought that I don't agree with at all:
With the exception of medical anomalies, people are either born male or female. Specifically, you're born either with a set of male or female sexual organs.
It's not a label. It's what you are.
With that said, I agree with you that gender discrimination is a terrible reality. You know, the mindset of "Well, your such-and-such because you're a man!" or "You're no good because you're a woman!". And it obviously gets more graphic than that (trying to keep my language clean). A lot of people have been hurt, both ways, due to this.
As for this forum, I've gotta truthfully say that this is a pretty chill, welcoming place (for the most part). I've noticed that when things get heated and people start disrespecting others, the mods are usually quick about handling it. And I'm sure many of us here would defend one another and least try to solve the dispute peacefully if a debate/disagreement/whatever gets out of line.
As for me, I try to address others as if they were a brother or sister. Yes, there are nuances due to gender, but never from the notion that someone is less than a human being.
edit: Bobo the King, I also agree that it would be wise to eventually address a sexual harassment policy.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." - 1 Corinthians 2:9
That’s a stupid answer. ars4326 is absolutely right.
Anyway, this community is mature enough for there not to be any problems if a female decides to out herself as such. I’ve said it before in the other topic already but there’s no need for you guys to try to protect them by saying that displaying their genre is a bad idea and should be removed. Not a single female has been against this idea, it’s all guys thinking the poor girls must be protected from abuse.
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
ALAKTORN wrote:
I’ve said it before in the other topic already but there’s no need for you guys to try to protect them by saying that displaying their genre is a bad idea and should be removed. Not a single female has been against this idea, it’s all guys thinking the poor girls must be protected from abuse.
AzumaK wrote: I swear my 1 year old daughter's favorite TASVideo is your R4MI run :3
xxNKxx wrote: ok thanks handsome feos :D
Help improving TASVideos!
Joined: 2/28/2006
Posts: 2275
Location: Milky Way -> Earth -> Brazil
Aqfaq wrote:
What is the point of showing user gender on the forums? Genderism is a potentially discriminatory social construct that has nothing to do with a piece of text displayed on an Internet forum, so why? Why would anyone want to label their mind with contingent labels?
"Genuine self-esteem, however, consists not of causeless feelings, but of certain knowledge about yourself.
It rests on the conviction that you — by your choices, effort and actions — have made yourself into the
kind of person able to deal with reality. It is the conviction — based on the evidence of your own volitional
functioning — that you are fundamentally able to succeed in life and, therefore, are deserving of that success."
- Onkar Ghate
Bisqwit wrote:
Joined: 12/8/2012
Posts: 706
Location: Missouri, USA
Aqfaq wrote:
In other words, you're a dick?
I try not to be.
I also like the avatar, btw. Reminds me of hearing about my grandmother working the factories during WWII.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." - 1 Corinthians 2:9
Joined: 11/13/2006
Posts: 2822
Location: Northern California
Boy howdy, I love it when I wander into gender-based discussions and actually get legitimately offended over people pretending to be girls!
Tell me when you shitheels are done being smartasses and pretending to be women "for fun" so I can come back and not have to worry about relapsing back into the years of gender dysphoria I've been suffering through while casually browsing the threads on a fucking video game forum for playing video games fast.
TASvideos Admin and acting Senior Judge 💙 Currently unable to dedicate a lot of time to the site, taking care of family.
Now infrequently posting on BlueskywarmCabin wrote:
You shouldn't need a degree in computer science to get into this hobby.
