Gender roles in forums

[PaganAngel]

I've been in several forums throughout my life here on planet Earth, and I've noticed some general trends about what is expected of each gender in the forums. The guys are usually the boisterous ones, the ones with the hilarious avatars and sigs, the ones who type in leet-speak, the ones who tend to get warned and banned more frequently, and the ones who seem to gather so much more infamy. The females are a lot more timid, tend to have anime-themed avatars and sigs, and have a lot less outstanding natures. They don't generally attract as much notoriety as a lot of the guys. Why do you guys think this is? Is it just a manifestation of gender roles in real life, or is it just that girls aren't really expected to be the same magnitude of nerd as guys? Am I the only one who notices this, or am I just a paranoid freak? (Yes, yes you are...)

[Starwind]

I'll admit that your point isn't completely unfounded. Though I suppose I;m such an exception to this gender role. I'm a guy and I don't go causing problems, I have only ever used anime themed avatars and banners, and I try not to draw to much attention to myself if I possibly can.

I suppose your right in addressing the idea, since there are problems like this in some forums, but I don't really see such problems as those here. I have noted that no such roles seem to apply. If you want to know someones gender, you have to ask, or watch out for any self references in there posts.

[Dagger]

I would imagine that gender dynamics differ from forum to forum. One of the forums that I post at on a more or less daily basis is about 75% male and 25% female. It could be because of fewer "frills" (signatures must be text-only and only four lines long, including code), but I find that if people there don't include their gender in their profiles, it can be almost impossible to determine who's male or female. I've gotten PMs there from people who were bewildered about my gender, and I've been mistaken about the genders of members whose posts I read frequently.

I really would hesitate to make these kind of generalizations, particularly since they don't seem to hold true as you move across the age spectrum. To put it another way... what you've described, PaganAngel, is not atypical as far as adolescent behavior is concerned (just think of it in a high school context; males are nearly always the class clowns).

I think the true peculiarity of gender roles in forums is that you can never really know if someone is being honest about his or her identity. There are forum-goers everywhere who actually seem to enjoy confounding others (and yeah, I'll admit that it tickles me when people peg me for the wrong gender). Getting confused or misled about others' genders is far more common on forums than in real life.

~Dagger~

[PaganAngel]

[QUOTE=Dagger]
I really would hesitate to make these kind of generalizations, particularly since they don't seem to hold true as you move across the age spectrum. To put it another way... what you've described, PaganAngel, is not atypical as far as adolescent behavior is concerned (just think of it in a high school context; males are nearly always the class clowns).
[/QUOTE]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I was making no vast generalizations, it was just a trend I've noticed around. So if I sounded too general, forgive me. It was just a pattern I found rather curious and decided to explore if others felt the same way. As far as OtakuBoards goes, the pattern's not as strict, but many other forums can be that way.

[Caine]

while i agree that usually the more noticeable people are guys, this isn't always true. Also, its not like all guys are flashy show offs using leet and getting banned. Quite a few guys are subdued, and its not easy to know who's a guy and who's a girl just from their sig, avatar, and posts.

[Dagger]

Another amusing phenomenon that I was just reminded of... it doesn't hold true here, but there are some anime discussion forums where you can easily pick out who's male and female by looking at their avatars. That is, the straight men have female avatars and the straight women have male avatars, while the gay men and women are basically wild cards. :animesmil

~Dagger~

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS][quote name='Dagger']I I've gotten PMs there from people who were bewildered about my gender, and I've been mistaken about the genders of members whose posts I read frequently.[/quote]
You know to be completly honost, I though you were a male for the first four months that I was at this forum. Then for about the next half of a month I was just in question. Then I finally got it but hey. Atleast I am honost?

Considering this is really the first forum that I actually keep a continous amount of posting on. I really find it intresting that for the most part there are no gender specification. I think for all of the people that I have guessed on what there genders were. I have been right just about 25% of the time if not lower.

So in other words. I really don't think that there is a thinkg that most girls do on forums that some guys do. Well in some cases yeah, but on Otakuboards I can kind of see it in some members. Yet others can really be a mystery I am pretty sure that there may be some member on the Ob whos gender that I am not sure of.

Oh yeah, one last thing..

Ph345r T3h 1337

..yeah thats all.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=SeaGreen][quote name='PaganAngel']The females are a lot more timid, tend to have anime-themed avatars and sigs, and have a lot less outstanding natures. They don't generally attract as much notoriety as a lot of the guys. Why do you guys think this is? Is it just a manifestation of gender roles in real life, or is it just that girls aren't really expected to be the same magnitude of nerd as guys? Am I the only one who notices this, or am I just a paranoid freak? (Yes, yes you are...)[/quote]I?m wondering where that puts me with my Bichon theme. :p It?s usually pretty evident that I?m a girl, but I?ve just never had the urge to have an anime theme. I love anime, but I love my dog more. ;)

I don?t know about what girls are expected to do elsewhere, but here in Utah, especially if you are LDS/Mormon you are expected to get married and have a family. And pretty much let your husband run everything. Something that has never appealed to me. Sorry guys I like to make my own decisions.

Anyway, I?ve gotten people?s gender mixed up online, but that?s primarily because it?s hard to tell what someone really is unless they tell you or it?s part of the information about them. Most of the time I don?t think about. I just go by whether or not what they posted is interesting to read or not. For the most part I don't think about whether or not they are a girl or guy.[/COLOR]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]Well, people still think I'm a guy most of the time (and I actually like that). I feel kind of sorry for Trevor...people are probably convinced he's gay. XD

I think what Dagger said about girls having cute anime boys and guys having cute anime girls is pretty amusing, really, because it does stand true. I think I've noticed that lots of males have 'darker' signatures, if you get my meaning. Whether it's some threatening quote from an anime, a more 'action filled' banner or just some writing saying how they like to push old people over. Girls seem to have a lot of 'I love ????' and '????? is so hot! :animestun :animeblus :animeshy: :catgirl: :animenose '

Of course I'm talking about the younger members here, as I think that's where it's easier to distunguish gender (not all the time, of course). When older teens type they seem to have moved on from their young obsessions and act pretty equal. I know I usually RP as a male character and I don't act very feminine, so I totally get why people think I'm male and I can't blame them.

I think because this forum is pretty mixed with regards to subject matter also adds to the fact that genders are easily confused. If you only see someone giving their opinion on a subject it isn't easy to suss their gender. I guess people will judge by signatures and usernames when it comes down to that.[/SIZE]

[Sandy]

In another forum I joined recently I was automatically taken as a girl because my screenname is Sandy and my profile says something about my boyfriend. The funny thing is that I haven't even bothered to correct them (although I probably wouldn't lie about it if somebody asked directly).

Why? Because it's a gaming forum (Final Fantasy XIII themed), where almost everybody are male, and as I'm "posing" as a girl, I get more respect/admiration/attention than I would if I was acting as what I am. I can also get away with plenty of things, such as acting as a moderator when there in fact isn't any yet (it's a budding community).

I'm not doing this out of malice, I just want to experience "the other side of the coin". No harm done, huh? Although my boyfriend didn't like it very much when I mentioned this to him, I think he's afraid I'm turning into a tranny... XP

[Random]

[COLOR=Navy][SIZE=1][QUOTE=Sandy]In another forum I joined recently I was automatically taken as a girl because my screenname is Sandy and my profile says something about my boyfriend. The funny thing is that I haven't even bothered to correct them (although I probably wouldn't lie about it if somebody asked directly).

Why? Because it's a gaming forum (Final Fantasy XIII themed), where almost everybody are male, and as I'm "posing" as a girl, I get more respect/admiration/attention than I would if I was acting as what I am. I can also get away with plenty of things, such as acting as a moderator when there in fact isn't any yet (it's a budding community).

I'm not doing this out of malice, I just want to experience "the other side of the coin". No harm done, huh? Although my boyfriend didn't like it very much when I mentioned this to him, I think he's afraid I'm turning into a tranny... XP[/QUOTE]

Sandy, only you...XD

Aaaaaanyways, I don't think that very many people have mistaken me for a girl...I think. Correct me if I'm wrong. But, then again, I've been pritty obvious and open about who I am. As for my guess on people's genders, I've been right, and I've been wrong. Heh, we're not all perfect, right?

With the whole "gender role" issue, I see no real problems, per say. As it's been stated before, it's not that big of an issue here. Most people don't really think about it, but we all assume that this person's this, and that person's that...online, it's just a fact we all need to accept, if we like it or not. We base it on what we think is "feminine" or "masculine" in, as 'Zeke said, the sig's and user names. And, that's that.

~Ex[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[2010DigitalBoy]

PA I have to slightly disagree.

I have been to many, many a message board and I find it to be slightly different. On the one hand, yes the guys do have a tendency to use l33t speak, they have RPG heroes dancing about their sigs, and they are almost always enraptured in battle. When they talk, they speak of topics, not of each other.

But girls being timid and without boistrous sigs? I scoff at thine comment!

As far as I've seen, girls tend to have always anime sigs with either A. Bishie boys or B. cute (usually neko) anime girls. Forum girls have an EXTREMELY high penchant for being random. (Random as they are, it comes off as just stupid once you've been around it a while) usually talking in 'u r so dumb' although that is less frequent now. Girls also use more emoticons and talk slightly more about themselves then about subjects.

Although personally I am a testament against all aforementioned theories, and I know many more who are likewise, especiallyy on OB.

[Boo]

[size=1]I am called [i]'she'[/i] plenty of times ¬_¬;; My username doesn't reveal much, and mostly my banner/avater doesn't reveal much either.

I oftenly think people are from the opposite gender. Just because. I thought Deathknight was a girl for about a full year. I also thought Dagger was a man for a small while. For a really short while I thought Stuart (then [i]Hack Helba[/i]) was a womanses. (Maybe they still were at that time, who will tell?)

New member-ish people are easier to divide. Girls tend to use a lot of weird emoticons, and boys tend to put in quotes of either samurais or violent anime. [/size]

[Zen]

[color=dimgray][size=1]

I'm sure most of you know by now that I'm a heterosexual male. Point, I've never used a "cute anime girl" as my avatar on any site ever. Even though my current set is a woman, it's The Boss from the Metal Gear Solid, who is very, very, very, very far from being cute... or even that attractive. Before now I've never even used a woman in my sets. There's one gender role stereotype I don't follow.

Second. Well at one point long ago I did use noobish grammar, but never 133t speak. That emproved greatly upon my second run on the OBs. Now I never make that mistake. Note, this was three years ago.

So really, I never do and never have followed the general gender role 'rules' of the anime message board and my gender has never been mistaken. So... yeah.[/color][/size]

[DeathKnight]

[quote name='The Boss][color=dimgray][size=1]Point, I've never used a "cute anime girl" as my avatar on any site ever.[/color'][/size][/quote]

[color=crimson]Same here. ;)

There are certain trends but it all depends on a number of things. Are you dealing with younger people? What is the general 'feel' of the message board (is it mature)? Things like affect what kind of forum goers you have and the generalizations that can apply to them.

As for me, well. I don't think there is much mystery as to what gender I am.. unless you're as confused and nutty as [strike]Ms.[/strike] Boo.[/color]

[Delta]

[COLOR=#35425E][SIZE=1]PaganAngel - ♀
Starwind - ♂
Dagger - ♀
Caine - ♂
Ikillion - ♂
Aaryanna - ♀
Ezekiel - ♀
Sandy - ♂
Ecstasy - ♂
Tical - ♂
Boo - ♂
The Boss - ♂
DeathKnight - ♂

I'll wager I got someone's gender wrong. *∀*

I still get extremely amused when somebody mistakes me for a guy. It's in the way I post, I think (well, what else?). And perhaps because I go against some of the forum-girl stereotypes mentioned in the starting post.

Really, the only time I feel compelled to know someone's gender is when I've to use pronouns. But the task would entail sending PM's and/or calling up the Search function so I never really bothered to find out whether one's a guy or a girl.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Esther]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=1]Mhm.

Interesting.

Well, most people think of me as a guy when the first meet me online, I really don't know why. But then I go into using smileys and stuff and they end up finding out I am a girl.

I think that's another sterotype for girls on the forums across the Internet. If you use tons of smileys, people will start to think of you as a girly figure. Tee hee.

XD

But, I think most of you think I'm a girl, right? I mean my screen name (also my name) is in fact Grace.

Unless... some of you find me manly.

:animeangr [/SIZE] [/FONT]

[Boo]

[QUOTE=DeathKnight][color=crimson]
As for me, well. I don't think there is much mystery as to what gender I am.. unless you're as confused and nutty as [strike]Ms.[/strike] Boo.[/color][/QUOTE]
[size=1]Hush, you had some woman in your avater for like, forever! Everyone thought you were a woman, unless they had spoken to you ¬¬'[/size]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]Actually, I always thought that Knighty-chan was a guy. His username is too manly for a girl to use it. Then again, I don't suppose many girls would opt for Methuselah, Gabriel or Ezekiel, either >_>

And I always thought you were a girl, Delta. Just a very [STRIKE]butch[/STRIKE] confident one. ^_~ (I kid. <3)[/SIZE]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]In forums where the member base is on the younger side I?ve noticed that the trend you are describing is fairly accurate. But that?s only from looking at a few places and I?ve no idea if it?s prevalent or just a small percentage.

I would have to agree with Dagger that generalizations like that don?t hold true once you move through different age groups. Being a girl myself, I?ve never cared for using anime avatars, I?ve always preferred video game characters since I was a video game fan long before I became an anime fan. Though in that respect I probably fit what you are describing as I tend to pick cute video game guys.

I tend to avoid trying to guess what someone?s gender is since the few times I?ve tried I?ve been wrong. I?m often mistake for a guy and I?m assuming it?s because I tend to use video game themes instead of anime.[/COLOR]

[kalon]

Personally, I can usually figure out someone's gender if they role play, because a lot of people tend to play a character of their own gender. I think I might have been mistaken as a guy once, but there have not been too many occasions where people have needed to refer to me by my gender online. I find it hard to tell most people's gender unless they state it, whether they use emoticons or anything else in their sigs. I ask rather than risk offending someone by using the wrong gender. Guys can use smiley hearts in their sigs, too.

My avatar and banner are kind of girly right now, but it can still be hard to determine gender with those. I am female, but my screen name seems more like a guy's to me.

[Prons]

Eh. I end up seeing a pattern of guys being pretty normal, all thoguh there being a few outrageous ones, while the girls sit back.

Of course, I always seem to suspect that women on forums have a lot of male friends just because the "omg a female that likez anime" fanboy syndrome.

[Cat]

I really don't care what gender you are. If you are a girl you are a girl. If you are a boy you are a boy. I just care about what you have writen, to see if you have oppinon on that topic. I have only been mistaken for a guy once on a different forum that I know of and that was because I used Tsume as a user name. I don't think anyone on OB thinks that I'm a guy but its kind of funny if they do. To me I seem to girly to be mistaken here as a guy.

[The13thMan]

[FONT=Century Gothic] [COLOR=DarkOrange]Gender roles are assigned by the society in which a person grows up in. If, let's say, a girl is raised in an African tribe where it is tradition that the women are the dominant gender and they are the heads of families. Then of course the women there will be much more outspoken and colorful, where as the men will settle down.

But i also believe this to only a certain extent. You also have to consider the science in it. Men are naturally more hotheaded because of harmones and testosterone. This is why i believe that most, if not all, societies have decided that men should be the more dominant of the genders.

Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying girls are inferior in any way. We are equals in mind, i firmly believe that. It's only in body that we are different.

Personally i don't even try to guess whether a person is a guy or a girl on a thread, unless it's blatantly obvious. But i'd love to see you guys guess my gender, just don't read my OB screen name. ^L^

Later.
[/COLOR] [/FONT]

[Desbreko]

[quote name='Boo][size=1']Hush, you had some woman in your avater for like, forever! Everyone thought you were a woman, unless they had spoken to you ¬¬'[/size][/quote][color=#4B0082]The ironic thing is, if that's the one I'm thinking of--the first avatar of his that I remember confusing people--then that was actually [url=http://chrono.lunar-net.com/cc/cross/characters/nikki/][u]a man[/u][/url].[/color]