#mencallmethings: identity and difference online
DESCRIPTION
BCM112 lecture by Dr Tanja DreherTRANSCRIPT
Women online 1997 (Spender 1997)
‘GIRLS NEED MODEMS’ ‘A virtual reality, in
which communication, relationships, community and cooperation are fostered, has to be seen to provide opportunities for women’s talents’
Women online 1997 (Spender 1997)
‘GIRLS NEED MODEMS’
Women under-represented in computer science training
Lack of women in decision-making capacities
Harassment and abuse, flaming
Risk assessment Macho culture
Women online 2012
High School education in the 21st century
BCM112 : blogging, tweeting, publishing and interacting
Social media
Computer Science @ UOW?
Gender gap?
Feminism online?
Misogyny?
Technological determinism?
Gender online
Women are from Pinterest, Men are from Dartituphttp://thediagonal.com/2012/04/16/the-gender-gap-online/
Gender Gap: Wikipediahttp://news.discovery.com/tech/is-there-a-gender-gap-online.html
Who are the most influential people online?
The 50 Most Important People on the Webhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/129301/the_50_most_important_people_on_the_web.html
The 50 Most Important People on the Webhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/129301/the_50_most_important_people_on_the_web.html
1 in 10 are women
First woman listed is #9, Marissa Meyer
The Top 10 Most Influential People Online
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-03-04/tech/29996072_1_larry-page-mark-zuckerberg-apple-products
Business Insider: 1 Woman in the Top Ten (#5 Ariana Huffington of HuffingtonPost.com)
Debating misogyny online
‘the hatred of women’‘a great dislike of women’
Misogyny:
#mencallmethings
Twitter hashtag and online conversation beginning November 2011
#mencallmethings
#mencallmethings
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3659712
htmlhttp://meanjin.com.au/blog/post/men-call-me-things/
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/trollattack-campaign-goes-viral-20111108-1n4j4.html
Internet Misogyny, Trolls and Gendered Comment Abuse http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=g8rr5Tq6MBA
By ThosePeskyDames http://www.youtube.com/user/
ThosePeskyDames
‘Poisoning the well of our discourse?’
In the online edition of Melbourne-based publication King's Tribune last month, editors Jane and Justin Shaw came to a radical decision. They resolved - after a few months of earnest consideration was capped by one post of anonymous, misogynist bilge too many - to turn comments on their website ''off'’.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/who-are-these-haters-that-poison-the-well-of-our-discourse-20120411-1ws5c.html
What Is 'Trolling'?
Answer: Internet 'trolling' is the anti-social act of causing of interpersonal conflict and shock-value controversy online.
Named for the wicked troll creatures of children's tales, trolling is purposely sowing hatred, bigotry, racism, misogyny, or just simple bickering between others. Trolls themselves are emotionally-immature users who thrive in any environment where they are allowed to make public comments, like blog sites, news sites, discussion forums, and game chat.
http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/netiquetteonlineculture/f/What-Is-Trolling.htm
Trolling
Anonymity Open forums and comments Chilling effect? Polarising debates? Extremes rather than middle ground?
Poisoning our discourse? (Stafford 2012)
More and more bloggers disabling comments
‘a minority is having a disproportionate influence on both the tone and direction of the print and electronic media’
‘Mostly, [anonymity] just allows people to indulge their worst tendencies, not only towards individuals but entire social groups’
Sexual violence online
Facebook bans pro-rape pages, kicking and screaming http://gawker.com/5858000/
facebook-removes-pro+rape-pages-kicking-and-screaming
‘It took Change.org two months, 186K signatures and a furious Twitter campaign to get pro-rape pages removed from Facebook.’ http://www.zdnet.com/blog/
violetblue/facebook-finally-removes-its-pro-rape-pages/788
Compared to: Attempts to ban
images of breastfeeding on facebook
Debate on banning the cover of Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ on facebook
Hate mail is not just for women …
‘pro-feminist’ men Eg. Dr Michael Flood UOW Sociology Receives hate mail and threats of
violence for his criticism of some men’s groups
Gender and Media
These issues are not only online …
Kyle Sandilands’ ‘fat slag’ remarks http://www.abc.net.au/news/
2012-03-27/sandilands-ruling-released/3914886?section=entertainment
2JJJ first ever ‘Hottest 100 of all time’ http://
hoydenabouttown.com/20090630.5557/alternative-youth-music-station-thinks-theres-no-alternative-to-being-a-bloke/
Community regulation / self-regulation
Stafford (2012)
‘genuine transparency of identity, a much tougher line on personal abuse and a greater weighting towards comments that actually expand discussion’
Community regulation / self-regulation
Balancing robust debate with respect and responsibility
Impasse on regulation and proactive interventions
What will you contribute?
RECAP: Women online 1997 (Spender 1997)
‘GIRLS NEED MODEMS’
Women under-represented in computer science training
Lack of women in decision-making capacities
Harassment and abuse, flaming
Risk assessment Macho culture
The feminist blogosphere
Settle Petal http://settlepetal.org.au/
Clementine Ford http://clementineford.tumblr.com/
Nina Funnell http://www.mamamia.com.au/author/nina-
funnell-2-2-2-2/ Those Pesky Dames
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThosePeskyDames Shakesville
http://www.shakesville.com/
