Though my own participation has been based on pleas expressed both in anger and sadness, and the circumstances tended to distort the message, I did want to send a quiet thank you to some folk who wrote in response to the issues raised about gender and perceived bias in weblogging. Then I will drop the subject, because I’m not doing it justice.
Riba Rambles wrote on on the original gender-based comments, and Seth Finkelstein wrote about the “lamentations of the women”.
AKMA should appreciate the Biblical notation after he was handed a difficult task, which he fulfilled with great delicacy – finding balance in the recent fooflah. More than that, though, he gave me a great deal of reassurance that the world hadn’t suddenly changed overnight by acknowledging that the introduction of gender was an issue that did deserve some discussion. The silence this last week, justified or not, was perhaps the most difficult event I’ve experienced in weblogging. It has permanently altered my view of this environment. Whether this leads to growth or not, I’m trying to figure out.
However, not all were silent.
Ken Camp also spoke out, and he has a wonderous way with a rant – and I mean that in the most complimentary way:
I will be posting a new sort of stance soon. My take on the blogosphere. And you all can read it or not. You can link or not. You can care or not. You can exercise your digital common sense. You can compliment all the various emporers on their finery. You can stick your head in the sand. But you can’t stop the changes underway.
Oh yeah, things are changing.
And don’t say troll like it’s a bad thing. Yeah you.
I wrote in comments recently that there’s a difference between a flame, and writing from outrage and anger. I think we’ll be seeing more outraged writing from Ken.
It’s hard, though, to maintain outrage here–always some new toy or game, some new political folly or technical wonder or… oh look! Keep the drunk man from falling over!
Mischief to Data had a great title on a related post: Lock Your Doors! Shrieking Banshee Women Invade Weblog Communities! . That’s me: Shrieking Banshee Woman. Too bad I don’t have space for a tagline now, because that would be my new one.
Mischief quoted the comment that started much of this discussion, and I was surprised to read in the post’s comments a person saying:
Actually ghani, upon reading his statement again, I’m unwilling to make a judgement on whether it was justified or not, without seeing some representative samples from the male and female haters.
If the men said “Man, it sucks that you shut it down, do you know an alternative I can use?” and the women said… just use your imagination for that one.
Then he might have a point.
Contrary to popular myth, the condemnation was more evenly divided over the sexes then recent discussions imply. Just some of us made a more tempting target.
It’s like when you play Dodgeball, or Red Rover – you target those you deem the weaker to make your blow seem more significant. What you’ll often find, though, is what you perceive to be weakness is nothing more than quiet strength.
Tracy Kennedy, otherwise known as Netwoman, also responded with a call to be active on her own:
Women should continue to voice their opinions, but why should we do it on our own? Shelley’s right, where are the responses from men in regards to this? Bystanders to sexism. It’s unacceptable. Step up the plate folks! Take responsibility and accountability and SAY something!
Jonas Galvez apologized for not saying something sooner because English is a second language for him. I thought he did okay, myself. He and those who commented in his post.
Jeneane specifically mentioned the fact that no one did answer my questions about the breakdown, and the redirect problems. I also would have been glad to help, and I do know something about DNS.
Finally, my South African brother, Mike Golby, also came out with a response that is wonderfully Golby – graphic and all. But I loved his unrelatedpost on the Jazz Singer even more than his defense. If you haven’t read it, you need to.
If I missed anyone, it was unintentional–I use Technorati to find who is linking to me and sometimes I don’t check it as often as I should. Please let me know and I’ll add a link.
I didn’t thank folks this last week, and perhaps I didn’t need to because this issue is beyond me, the person. So let me thank you, instead, as a woman among many.