[Closed] Why aren't there more women posting on the forum? Some research

The message is clear, TJ MUST leave the forum.

😈

I think that's exactly the kind of post she was talking about actually.

STW = Clash of the Keyboard Warrior Egos

There's never a dull day on here. It's a wonderful balance of people who know how to wind people up, and flaky people who take the bait easily.

i agree 110% with her, i hope she's reading this and will see me as a friend, if it turns out she doesnt like me then i take it back 😆

mrsconsequences main reason for hardly using the forum, despite finding the good guys very funny (cougar, deadly, binners, jamie, TSY, b'mitch etc) is pretty much identical to what's posted in the OP

🙂 @ phil

I'm scared that I might say the wrong thing and be torn apart for it!

Tbh, this is the reason a lot of people don't get involved - not just girls - mostly, I'm just here for humour and a bit of mickey-pulling with those who realise what I'm up to.

The only threads which I can dogmatic on are the wooden flooring threads - which pop up every couple of weeks or so - that about fulfills my need to be a cock. 🙂

Maybe you should point your friend in the direction of some of the threads where people have been experiencing some RealLife anguish and they could see how supportive STW can be sometimes. Also, recently when I was in Manchester, a bunch of really nice chaps took me out for a few beers - for me, that is what STW is all about. Mrs deadly sometimes looks at threads here and just rolls her eyes - she has a point.

I agree with the creepy thing. You can see the change in some people's approach as soon as they realise it's a girl.

DD - I did mention that originally actually. People on here always show a far better side when serious things are being discussed or just setting up real world meetings. Trouble is that the norm seems to be cock-fighting even if that's not really what people are really like as the type of threads you mention show.

I agree with the creepy thing. You can see the change in some people's approach as soon as they realise it's a girl.

This is true - I do think though (and not arguing with you samuri) that some posters are genuinely trying to make the wimmin feel more welcome, but their borderline personality disorders ensure that they go just slightly too far - which ends up reading a bit creepy.

It's not just girls though who get fed up with the arguing.

I now can generally identify threads that are starting to degenerate & try not to post in them or get involved, even if the initial 'point' of the thread was a good one.

I also find myself reading over something I am about to post to see if I have covered every conceivable angle that it can be taken, because otherwise someone will pull it to bits.

Quite often I write a fairly lengthy reply to something, read through it, decide I don't want to get involved as it's more hassle that it's worth and just delete it all.

Trouble is that the norm seems to be cock-fighting

Sadly, I can't find any reason to disagree with you. 😐

The forum's full of cocks.

Too much self righteousness, too many combative egos, indeed too many people who I assume are believing they're forum elders and hence opinions carry more weight, limited rational argument, inconsistent user moderation, uber cliquey, a lot of "noise".

A fair bit different to road forums...but probably symptomatic of more users - more topics and more to shout about.

But some good people.

I probably shouldn't mention this, but the Big Hitters thread I started yesterday was a ploy. It seems to be working too.

The idea was that by having a thread that was so self-reverential and indulgent, they couldn't resist the lure of loudly arguing with each other endlessly, while weeing higher and higher and higher up the wall.

While they're safely taken care of, stuck as they are in the endless circle of Armageddon and borderline flouncing, the rest of us can get on with taking the piss out of each other and talking utter crap. Surely what the interweb was [i]really[/i] invented for. Well.... apart from the pron obviously.

But, Sssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhh. Don't tell 'em! We seem to be getting away with it 😉

[i]the rest of us can get on with taking the piss out of each other and talking utter crap[/i]

I think it's the taking the piss bit that gets misconstrued sometimes.

anyone coming on here for the first time and seeign the sort of reaction anything 'hora' related gets must wonder who the poor bloke is and what he's done to antagonise such a wide range of people.

There are some really helpful folk on here and it is a genuine shame that some people, regardless of sex, feel uncomfortable posting. However there are some genuinely nasty people too, the STW Taliban spring to mind (you know who you are!) who masquerade as "the good guys".

Edit: Tada!!

Did it take you a long time to make all that up, Clubber? 😉

peterfile - Member
...There's never a dull day on here. It's a wonderful balance of people who know how to wind people up, and flaky people who take the bait easily.

Which would be fine if they restricted it to the chat forum.

I think it also stops people posting in the bike section.

The arguing and general miserable attitude a lot of people have here does get a bit overwhelming at times. Not really sure why I keep visiting the forum 😆

Who cares, other than ST and potential lost advertising revenue.

Who are the STW Taliban? Is this a gay muslim swan thing again?

I'd watch it. They'll break your arm 😉

Why aren't there more women posting on the forum?

Because there are more men than women mountain biking?

Quite often I write a fairly lengthy reply to something, read through it, decide I don't want to get involved as it's more hassle that it's worth and just delete it all.

Plus 1, completely. I hardly post because of it.
If I did, it would enrich all your lives, so you're all missing out really. I get to hear my opinions all the time, so it's no great loss to me.

😉

Genuine LOL (well a chuckle at least) at clubber's friend's "review" of the forum. It's absolutely spot on in my opinion.

I don't understand all this 'getting upset by people on the internet'.

In the words of comedian Steve Hughes:

"I want to live in a democracy but I don't want to be offended"

Well, you're an idiot!

Why aren't there more women posting on the forum?
Because there are more men than women mountain biking?

Plus not as many women are internerds.

DezB - you forgot the real reason: women are better at making friends and forming relationships in the real world so they don't need pretend ones on the interwebs.

Oi, I've got loads of friends. Just look at my Facebook page! 😉

you forgot the real reason: women are better at making friends and forming relationships in the real world so they don't need pretend ones on the interwebs.

is that the reason people are here? as a side effect fair enough. i'm here as i'm ******* bored at work assumed everyone else was the same.

She has absolutely nailed it IMO.
Sad as it is, STW would be more popular if it got rid of the chat forum. This shouldn't be the case.

i'm here as i'm ******* bored at work assumed everyone else was the same

Yep.

And this should be the only reason to be on an internet forum: because it's the absolute last resort

That's just my opinion of course.

I appreciate some people think forums are important or significant or something 😕

the "sexism" thing I really disliked was the people who as soon as it was clear that a woman was posting something, tried to show how equal ops they were.

That kind of hits the nail on the head.

I ended up banned on that very thread. My point wasnt anything sexist at all but on the obvious attempt at protecting and generally creepy behaviour your friend has described there ^

The "big hitters" jumping to protect sue and emsz was a joke.

She has absolutely nailed it IMO.
Sad as it is, STW would be more popular if it got rid of the chat forum. This shouldn't be the case.

I dunno, one of the best things about the chat forum is that it helps keep the actual bike chat safer from the banging-head-repeatedly-against-wall-until-everyone-listens-to-me nonsense.

Without the chat forum, a thread about Shimano BB cups would rapidly descend into 6 pages of random shouting about anything.

STW would be more popular if it got rid of the chat forum

More members/unique users probably. I doubt it would be as busy in terms of page impressions during the day though.

How many people would come back day after day to read more bike maintenance threads?

The stats on the forum home page support this. The Chat forum has half the number of threads yet a similar number of posts, showing that the Chat forum threads are more popular.

So from an advertising/revenue point of view making the forum more inclusive is not necessarily a good thing. As long as it doesn't become too exclusive.

I've heard it rumoured that some people post on interweb forums in 'their own' time. Madness!

I'll get involved at the risk of being "torn to pieces".

It's a forum. Unlike the real world (although in many ways the same) you have a choice of who you interact with. This particular forum has clearly defined sections that you [b]choose[/b] to view or not, but it is [b]a choice[/b].

Over-sensitive types keep trying to explain what it is about others that make them reticent but ultimately we'd all be the same if we pander to everyone's whimsical idiosyncracies and I for one find that idea abhorent.

As far as your friend being able to 'read' the intention of another post (i.e. the slimy bloke thing), quite frankly it's absolutely incredible. No, really - incredible. So many think they understand another person but we as beings have a hard enough time doing so when someone is communicating face-to-face let alone trying to glean their meaning from a few (hastily) written words.

One word - perspective.

Ed. Sorry, fat fingers.

[i]Without the chat forum, a thread about Shimano BB cups would rapidly descend into 6 pages of random shouting about anything.[/i]

[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/probably-a-stupid-headset-question ]Errmm...?[/url]

Oi, I've got loads of friends. Just look at my Facebook page!

And some of them are even real! 😮

I got the sander today Dezinald, thanks! 😀

Is there a reason why there's no back on the plug? 😕

Agree used to spend more time on here avoiding work
and enjoyed the good humour and ...ahem razor sharp wit
this seems to get sucked out of posts pretty quick these
days with the usual shouty,bad attitude,everyone listen to me mob
although sometimes it can still be quite funny ....
i live in hope 🙄

Given the gender makeup of mountain biking in the real world, I don't see why more women should post. It always strikes me as one of those perhaps middle class issues; that people are concerned about women's voices when women are capable of making their own choices..
I suspect mumsnet don't have similar threads about getting more men to post there; its an odd kind of sexism to think that we should change the place so women feel better.

I got the sander today Dezinald, thanks!

Is there a reason why there's no back on the plug?

Dunno, just try not to touch it when it's plugged in 😉

Elfinsafety - Member
Did it take you a long time to make all that up, Clubber?

Given the positive responses it seems to be getting I'd love to claim credit though I guess I'd have to think up a female alter-ego name. Clubbette maybe 🙂

Just seen the tags too - I figured that some would rather believe it to be made up than actually have to think about their own behaviour.

What's that hiding under my bridge is it a monster?

Or some other form of mythical creature found in Norse folklore?

crikey - you're pretty bang on there. I'm reminded of the big survey nu labour did on why ethnic minorities don't go walking in the lake district more often, and how they could encourage them.

Utterly facile and pointless

Tropiuble is Binners; if brown people go to places like the Lakes and that, with large rucksacks, they tend to arouse suspicion of the locals, and end up in Gitmo Bay. 😐

Puts hand up ... perhaps I have a different way of thinking but just feel that if you post on a Forum then you need to put on a thick skin. I do accept that on a male-dominated Forum this is particularly so.

But you have to accept that in the real world people are wired up differently and sometimes one needs to step back and take a deep breath. Same as on here.

Maybe because I've ridden with so many folk from here that I'm 'accepted' but this is a good place to be. One thing I reckon would help is if people learned a little self-deprecation. 🙂

The Mods at ST Towers are doing a good job of stamping out sexist behaviour and, fwiw, I reckon most of the guys enjoy the girls' input on threads.

Edit: I might add that my introduction to the Forum was promoting ladies rides and having to dodge flak from a certain simonfbarnes. We both learned a lot from that thread!

Why aren't there more women mountain biking?

Well, I asked my friend Chantelle, right, and she din't want to join the forum but she did give me this response to post here:

I ain't into that mahntin biking, right, cos all you see is fat blokes wearing nasty cloves d'you nah wot I mean? I like men what are well buff an ting, innit? I ain't going on no mahntin bike ride wiv all dem sad old gits cos dey is well butters.

That's what she said. I'm not making it up or anything, honest. 😐

Contemplates replying ... looks out the window ... rain has stopped, sun's coming out ... getting changed and going for a ride instead.

Maybe that's why not so many women post on the forum - girls ride while guys rant 🙂

[i]girls ride while guys [s]rant[/s] sit at work bored out of their tiny little minds[/i]

Fixed

I aint ranting, I'm trying to find my zip ties to stick my mudguards on cos I'm a wet weather wuss. Stop faffing Sue..

😆 @ Elf's quote !

Phil > that's sweet, thank you.

Couple of random thoughts. Your friend's fear of being 'torn apart' is, I would think / hope, unfounded. The, ah, let's say "competitive debaters" tend to mass-debate with each other. I can readily see why she'd be concerned but I suspect that she might've been pleasantly surprised if she'd chanced her arm and found out. Or at least, I'd hope so.

The other thing is, a large part of communication is non-verbal and it's very easy to misconstrue what's been said. Something said face-to-face in jest accompanied by a cheeky grin, when transposed to text loses all those nuances. I'm rarely serious, but I worry that this gets lost sometimes, especially when I'm new to a forum or somewhere. Someone said something recently along the lines of me being 'one of the most insincere persons on the forum,' and I was absolutely crushed; do I really misrepresent myself that badly? Of course I do, so does everyone else, it's a purely written form of communication.

Still. Even if you don't agree with the sentiment, I think there's a good lesson to be learned from the OP in terms of how we come across to others.

Spats like the one in the 'big hitters' forum, whilst perhaps is something that needed to be said, perhaps isn't something that needed to be said in a public forum. There was a point a couple of pages earlier where someone should've gone "hang on a minute, this needs to go to PM / u2u / email." Plenty of people argue, face to face, all the time; not everyone does it at full volume in the middle of the town centre.

Youse going out riding Sue and Kevs?

Ah what well jelus.... 😡

[s]riding[/s] cake

elfin, are you deliberately trying to start an argument on a thread that is highlighting how certain forum members arguing all the time is creating a negative image of the forum?

you can't see me right now but i'm shaking my head and tutting, i may or may not be naked*.

*i'm not.

Oh I gots stuffs for you email me your addy, innit?

I'd have to think up a female alter-ego name. Clubbette maybe

To start a 'men, they're all bastards' thread? I suggest the names 'Clubber Babe' or 'Clubber Chick' would be better choices for an alias.

So what you're saying Cougar is that the big hitters are the interweb equivalent of Sharon standing outside the kebab house at 3 in the morning, in some provincial shit-hole, shouting "LEAVE IT DARREN!!! HE'S NOT WORTH IT!!!!!"

😀

elfin, are you deliberately trying to start an argument on a thread that is highlighting how certain forum members arguing all the time is creating a negative image of the forum?

What, [i]me[/i]?

Phil, I am devastated that you could think such a thing of me, and I'm now going to run away sobbing.

Should I post THAT picture?

Hmm, decisions decisions....

[i]the 'big hitters' forum[/i]

I think that might work.

anythign that degenrates into a spat between the usual suspects is reported to the mods who move it to a different forum.

Might do 2 things;

1) keep the rows out of the main forums

2) make the participants moderate their behaviour

I struggle with long sentences - It's because I'm no longer single, I know.

Given the gender makeup of mountain biking in the real world, I don't see why more women should post. It always strikes me as one of those perhaps middle class issues; that people are concerned about women's voices when women are capable of making their own choices..
I suspect mumsnet don't have similar threads about getting more men to post there; its an odd kind of sexism to think that we should change the place so women feel better.

Very good point.

haha elfin nearly everytime you've entered a thread i've read recently its seemed like you're doing a scrappy do impression, fists up in the air ready shouting 'let me at em, let me at em!' 😆

you're capable of much nicer contributions, in the words of lance armstrong - 'dont be afraid to reach your potential young elfin'

(note, lance armstrong probably didnt say that)

Nah, Phil, that was Fabiana Luperini.

Lance nicked Fabiana's quote and made it famous. Bloody men. 🙄

Oh, and just for the record... I've never tried to make ladies feel more comfortable on here... I just try and look up their skirts.

i think that men trying to defend women suggests they dont think women can defend themselves... not only is it creepy and the kinda thing a lonely, single, middle aged man with limited social skills would do.... tis kinda sexist in itself.

of course the statement above is way too sensible so here's a cat:

[img] [/img]

Lance learnt everything he knows from Dupree.

More forum naval-gazing and self-flaggellation 😆

Maybe we should set-up a sub-forum to discuss the state of the chat forum at this rate?

PS I have no idea if 'flagellation' is actually a word.

haha elfin nearly everytime you've entered a thread i've read recently its seemed like you're doing a scrappy do impression, fists up in the air ready shouting 'let me at em, let me at em!'

I'm just honest is all, and can see through the bullshit, and I'm not afraid to speak me mind.

I know this makes some folk uncomfortable as they can't handle their onions being challenged but hey ho, I can't be responsible for their inadequacy now can I? 🙂

Lance was taught everything he knows by Dupree.

What, Robert Mark Dupree?

Yeah, I could go with that. It's entirely feasible.

i think that men trying to defend women suggests they dont think women can defend themselves... not only is it creepy and the kinda thing a lonely, single, middle aged man with limited social skills would do.... tis kinda sexist in itself.

I think that some bloke suggesting that 'men trying to defend women suggests that they don't think they can defend themselves' suggests that that bloke is trying to appear all intellectual and enlightened and cool, which is in itself even more creepy than the supposed 'creepiness' they themselves are alluding to... 😉

Truth is, unless you know someone, you don't actually know what their intentions or true attitudes are really, so assuming things about them to fit into your own view is somewhat defensive and insecure ultimately.

I suggest the names 'Clubber Babe' or 'Clubber Chick'

Club Foot.

So what you're saying Cougar is that the big hitters are the interweb equivalent of Sharon standing outside the kebab house at 3 in the morning, in some provincial shit-hole, shouting "LEAVE IT DARREN!!! HE'S NOT WORTH IT!!!!!"

Sharon's shouting "he called you a poof, you know!" but other than that, yes, that's about the size of it.

Nope, this Dupree [url= http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463034/ ]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463034/[/url]

I can't be responsible for their inadequacy now can I?

Personally I find winning arguments on the internetz as being the best way to overcome any inadequacy that I feel. 😀

Right... is it time to show myself the (back) door?

My lady friend (who posts on here very occasionally) was emailed directly a while back by someone asking for detailed, rather anatomical information about women's saddles "on behalf of his OH". I think she nearly responded before thinking "hang on, that's a bit creepy..."

I'm just honest is all

as am i when i'm pointing out your recent upping of the argumentative input 🙂 i'm a lover not a fighter (as is evidenced by what could be perceived as 'bromosexual' relationship with darcy et al) so i'd prefer it if the forum was a less fighty place for the lurkers and regular posters alike.

as am i when i'm pointing out your recent upping of the argumentative input

Which is in itself antagonistic, Phil. Don't come all 'ooh I'm just a nice guy me', you love a good argue as much as the next person. You're as committed to 'proving' yourself on this forum as much as anyone. 😆 You seek affirmation from your peers the same way most folk do. No harm in that, but trust me sonny, you display the same need to appear superior as many on here do. Granted, you do it in a more positive manner than others, but the basic need for affirmation and attention is the same.

Otherwise you woon't have posted owt on this thread.... 😉

binners - Member
taking the piss out of each other and talking utter crap. Surely what the interweb was really invented for.

That's mostly what I do here too...

but trust me sonny

hang on hang on, i'm right confused now. I thought deadlydarcy was Mr.consequence's dad or is that his adopted dad and barnsleymitch his real one. Or has he adopted him too and elfin's the real father. So is yeti living in the shed or not?

I've missed too many episodes. 😕

not quite sure how its antagonistic, wasn't the intention.. just wanted to explain why i'm mentioning it. if it came across that way then i apologise, not looking to start a fight 🙂

trust me sonny, you display the same need to appear superior as many on here do. Granted, you do it in a more positive manner than others, but the basic need for affirmation and attention is the same.

Otherwise you woon't have posted owt on this thread.

i posted cos mrsconsequence has said the pretty much the same thing as in the OP's post to me several times, but i'm more than happy to admit and have done in the past, that i have the same basic need for affirmation as most ordinary hoomans. i do try and keep myself in check though in an effort to be a nice guy, figure its the nice thing to do 🙂

not quite sure how its antagonistic, wasn't the intention..

Come on Phil, you're not [i]that[/i] un-self-aware... 😉

Oh, and you are a nice guy. Speshly in real life when teh seckzy is in full effect...