This is in the Women's Shooters section. Can we act like it, please?

I love a happy ending.

I am in the women's forum.

 

Its not that I'm sensitive. I just know what wonderful amazing women we have on this site.

Ta-Da! Thanks for putting it where you can understand it.

 

Men are pigs.

TRG

Bullshit. Stop just posting cop outs  

 

Cop outs?

You've obviously not spent much time as a man.

I speak from first hand experience here.

TRG

I'm going to see if I can translate SPJ and the other ladies here.

They're complaining about what is said about women in general in GD, not the real world. I've only been on the site a few years, but I have never seen a thread in any section of this vast forum mentioned "men are pigs" or anything to that effect. However, on any given day of the week or hour, you can step into GD and see a thread about how women are crazy, "guilty or not", etc.

That said, I don't really give a shit what the men on here think of women, or what whoever thinks of whomever about whatever. Opinions are as abundant as assholes, and unfortunately, we can't live without them.

Edited for clarity.

You mean to tell me that on a male dominated website, populated by men who have problems with women (Bronies, Neckbeards, Chronic Virgins, Fat Bodies, White Knights, Teenagers, Mid-Life Crisis Survivors, Divorcees, Anti-Abortion, et al) that there is a base level of misogyny and sexism and an undercurrent of fear and resentment of women?

Shocked, I say.

Shocked.

This is not an Arfcom issue.  

TRG

Perhaps not.  But it is patently an ARFCOM characteristic.  And when that dysfunctionality manifests itself as egregiously offensive sexual comments directed toward Second Amendment supporting female legislators, all but the most abysmally clueless recognize the behavior as self-defeating in terms of defending gun rights.

Not that they care, obviously.

They don't care because they don't see the problem.

TRG

So, if I went to a site where 95% of the participants were female, what would I find?  We're too controlling, we aren't ambitious enough.  We let ourselves go.  We don't have common sense.  We're too close to our mothers.  We're too old.  We're too young.  We will never make anyone happy....

And in terms of attractiveness, women are often persuaded by that more than any other factor.  I remember discussing Clinton with middle aged women, and all they could say was "He's easy on the eyes..."

Then it is incumbent on those of us who do to lead them into the light.

So you're telling me y'all act like a bunch of women?

No, I'm telling you that lots of complaints are merely projection.

I don't know, guy.  Sounds like you're saying men here act just like the women they bitch about.

So in other words, you're just giving them another excuse?

 

I gave up trying to explain to my dog that licking his butt, while pleasurable, was unhygienic.

It was simpler to just not let him lick me on the face.

TRG

TRG

In truth, I can't fault you for this.  I just have a weakness for lost causes.

I didn't judge him either.

TRG

Why do you care?

Different people here have different opinions. Don't like a certain topic? Exit out of it, or create your own. You have a Woman's section here, no? How's it? Filled with disgusting male stereotypical nonsense? No? Looks pretty civilized.

There are sections of ARFCOM that are excellent, both in terms of technicality and FAQ's, or social networking. Then there is GD where people mostly BS, and don't take each other seriously, or they do.

I think most men here would treat a woman with respect, including myself, on ARFCOM, or outside of it. The times you see us, including myself, act foolish, or post ridiculous stuff is mostly done for entertainment in the appropriate sub sections. Relax. You are welcome here.

Actually, I suspect you did, but by your expectations of canine intelligence. Obviously, would be inappropriate to have the same expectations of a dog as for a human being.

Frankly, I just assumed that if my tongue was long enough I might see his point.

TRG

That makes me sad.

Me too.

TRG

Its seems I've touched a nerve. With the guys. In the women's forum.

if this forum and the ham radio forum were excluded from the default "Active Topics" button search,
y'all might be a tad more peaceful

FWIW,  I used to keep up with my friends in other states until they removed the Hometown Forums from the Active topics.

It sucks.  

It turned the HTFs in to backwaters.

TRG

And I also. I have on occasion commented on a womans beauty in what was not a respectful manner.
I do not look down on women or think of them as something less than any other person,
but to me a woman is one of the most beautiful creations God graced the planet with.

TBH, I really wish the rest of the threads in the women's forum had as many replies as this thread addressing the goobers over in the GD does.  Ammirite?

Also, SP1Girl. Can't remember if that is how you spell it but I used to read her posts.

MissMagnum? Titiana? Catsclaw?

Edited for stupid.


I'm not seeing the reason for Site Staff to be insulting in a tech forum.

I think Staff should have more class than to make this kind of edit/insult.  Especially in a technical forum.

Staff edit reported for COC violation:

6) Attacking or insulting a person in an effort to elicit a negative response. You have a right to disagree, but please do so in a respectful manner.

You made that edit to intentionally insult me and elicit a negative response.

TRG

I think your statement about the comments being locker-room-esque points to the real problem.  I personally don't have a problem with rough language in a locker-room, or with a group of guys in one discussing their sexual attraction to a woman in the bawdiest of ways.  It becomes a problem when that same language is used in an inappropriate environment, such as in public.  It's easy to forget that GD is the internet equivalent of a public space.

A second problem is that with such a very small percentage of the forum being women, it's easy to forget that we are in mixed company.  I think that some of the ideas and sentiments you hear about your gender are being said by men who would never say such in a room full of women.  This next sentence might make a feminist pull her hair:  I personally try not to use foul language in front of females I don't know well.  It's not because I think they are delicate flowers who need to be protected or in some way weaker than men.  My mother broke horses for a living, and was a black belt.  She's a tough lady.  I dated a woman who served in the army.  While she generally comported herself like a lady, on certain occasions, like hitting her thumb with a hammer, she could string curse words together into what I swear was iambic pentameter.  In that context I found it endearing.  Nor am I Ned Flanders.  I have no problem telling one of my welders or mechanics that I'll stomp a mud puddle in his ass if he @#$%s with me.  Yet, that same language wouldn't be appropriate in a meeting with one of our corporate clients.  I choose not to use that kind of language in front of a female I don't know, not because I think she's delicate, but as a way of showing how much I respect and cherish ladies.  They're one of the best things we have.

Finally I think you're running up against the anonymous nature of the internet.  Look at the comments section of youtube videos or the latest news articles and you'll find people speaking to each other, and expressing opinions in ways most wouldn't dare do in person.  A certain large and miserable portion of every internet forum is composed of people who spend great amounts of time on it, because they are too socially dysfunctional to operate in the real world.  On the anonymous internet, their lack of tact and manners do not result in any repercussions.  They get to be the cool kids online with their snarky jokes, feigned detachment or juvenile shock tactics  when in real life the same would result in any decent man popping them upside the grape.

Sexism is like racism.  We all have it to some degree.
Speaking for myself, I sometimes parrot the jokes about women ("Make me a sammich!") for humor's sake, not for a moment really believing that any woman I associate with is consigned to the role of servant.  The older I get, though, the more I realize that racist or sexist jokes are, in and of themselves, racist and sexist, and that no amount of deflection ("C'mon, get thicker skin...) changes that fundamental fact, or the fact that telling them perpetrates the sexism and the racism.
An anonymous forum is a place where real sexists and racists can hide behind the jokes.  It's not really hard to sniff them out, and it's easy to just ignore them.  Women are not immune to this.
Sometimes in the 'type first, think later' world of an internet forum, people say things that paint them in a certain light.  It takes time to discern the nature of a man, or a woman.  I remember my very first interaction with PlaneJane.  I made a comment, and she blasted me for being a typical member of the He-Man Woman Hater Club.  I shot back that she didn't know me at all, and to her credit, she knew that she'd been reactive and judgemental.  Since then we've never had any bad words for each other.  In fact, I think of Jane as one of the more interesting and intellectually capable members here.
The world is full of stupid bigots, and people who are not stupid bigots.  After twelve years here I believe that the stupid bigots filter themselves out as time goes by.  It's not worth it to focus on the haters, and I really believe that this place is worth sticking around because of the good people who remain.  Yeah, there's always a fresh crop of stupid people coming in. Call it a target-rich environment, if you will...



 

http://philosophtly.blogspot.com/2008/11/offended-is-choice.html

When a significant proportion in the theads specifically intended to disparage women include a "In before PlaneJane" post or references to "the women here", or my all-time favorite, "ARFCOM's harpies", I'm confident that the men here are aware of women's presence on ARFCOM.  I'm equally confident the pleasure some here take in their flaunting sexism/misogyny is heightened by just that awareness.  In fact, you need not look far to see just such a case.

Otherwise, I see nothing in your post with which to take issue.




Regarding our initial interaction, in my defense: if one would not be taken for a duck, don't quack.

Otherwise, I see nothing in your post with which to take issue and thank you for the kind words.

"ARFCOM's harpies?"

i had no idea some of the GD denizens were that literate

If it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck.....





AFLAC!



 

I was impressed.

I didn't see the op's linked post before it was closed but I have to agree with this. Like XCR said everyone here has insulted another "group" of people at some point. No one makes you click on a thread and read it or post in it. You should have been able to tell by the title that it wasn't your kind of thread. If you couldn't then you should have been able to tell by reading some posts. That's when you choose to back out or post your opinion.

As for the treatment of women on this site, I think some of you want kittens and rainbows all the time and that's just not how the world works. It's absolutely false that women don't get special treatment here. We do. The regular COC applies plus many unwritten rules about how we are treated. It's evident in all of BOTD. If your surfing GD and you feel personally insulted by a member or members you have every opportunity to speak up right then and there. Or report it if you think it's a direct violation of the site rules. Taking up a cause for respect on a predominantly male board is a lost cause. What exactly do you want changed about how the men post? Like it or not arfcom is a business and they won't alienate there majority customer to please the minority.

Do I like reading threads that are insulting towards women as a whole? No. But I'm not going to punish everyone for a few posters ideals on women. Try not to take it personal unless it is about you.

Beautiful_Stranger said it perfectly. Are there a few bad apples? Absolutely. Those few bad apples routinely say some pretty asinine, horrible things. My favorite so far has been the guys that have said, "if they didn't have vaginas, we'd hunt them with dogs," or "...there'd be a bounty on their heads." Site Staff can't be everywhere, monitoring everything, so there are a couple options.

1. Report button. If you truly feel it's a CoC volation, report it. If you want to report it to a specific member of the Site Staff, IM them a link.
2. Ignore button. If it's either not a CoC violaton, or you just don't report on people for whatever reason, ignore the asshole and move on.
3. Stay out of threads having anything to do with women. Ignorance can be bliss, and we can self select what we read bere.
4. Stay out of GD. We don't tell new women to stay out until they earn their Kevlar panties for nothing. There aren't many rules, and people go out of their way to be asshats. Sometimes they do it just to get a rise out of people.

I've been personally insulted many times in GD (just today, in fact). Yes, there's a pretty common attitude of misogyny and malcontent. There are also some great people there too. I really enjoy the 24/365 crew, and consider many of them to be friends.

I'm not keen on the anti-woman attitudes displayed by many, but I'm also not really in favor of further censorship. Either have some fun pointing out how shitty some people can be, report them, ignore them, or employ your own filters.