Define Gender Gap? Look Up Wikipedia's Contributor List
Noam Cohen • New York Times • 30 Jan 2011
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
Wikipedia tries to lessen gender gap on site
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 different languages? Sure. …
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 different languages? Sure. …
QUOTE(Newsfeed @ Sun 30th January 2011, 9:06pm) 
Wikipedia tries to lessen gender gap on site
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 different languages? ...
and more »
View the article
Here comes the bullshit, boys and .... girls.
QUOTE
Sue Gardner, the executive director of the foundation, has set a goal to raise the share of women contributors to 25 percent by 2015, but she is running up against the traditions of the computer world and an obsessive fact-loving realm that is male-dominated and not friendly to women.
Her effort is not diversity for diversity’s sake, she says.
“This is about wanting to ensure that the encyclopedia is as good as it could be,†Gardner said in interview Thursday. “The difference between Wikipedia and other editorially created products is that Wikipedians are not professionals, they are only asked to bring what they know.â€
“Everyone brings their crumb of information to the table,†she said. “If they are not at the table, we don’t benefit from their crumb.â€
With so many subjects represented — most everything has an article on Wikipedia — the gender disparity often shows up in terms of emphasis. A topic generally restricted to teenage girls, like friendship bracelets, can seem short at four paragraphs when compared with lengthy articles on something boys might favor, like toy soldiers or baseball cards, whose voluminous entry includes a detailed chronological history of the subject.
Even the most famous fashion designers — Manolo Blahnik or Jimmy Choo — get but a handful of paragraphs. And consider the disparity between two popular series on HBO: The entry on “Sex and the City†includes only a brief summary of every episode, sometimes two or three sentences; The one on “The Sopranos†includes lengthy, detailed articles on each episode.
Is a category with five Mexican feminist writers impressive, or embarrassing when compared with the 45 articles on characters in “The Simpsons�
Whereas, in the chemistry and math articles, the womyns are in there slugging it out 50:50. Not. Yeah, let's try to compare one pop culture idea to another. And then let's try for some misdirection at the end.
QUOTE
Gardner, citing an example that resonates with her personally, pointed to the Wikipedia entry for one of her favorite authors, Pat Barker, which was a mere three paragraphs when she came across it. Barker is an acclaimed writer of psychologically nuanced novels, many set during World War I. She is 67 and lives in England.
By contrast, Niko Bellic had an article about five times as long as Barker’s at the time. It’s a question of demographics: Bellic is a character in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV; he is 30 and a former soldier. The public is increasingly going to Wikipedia as a research source: According to a recent Pew survey, the percentage of all American adults who use the site to look for information increased to 42 percent in May 2010, from 25 percent in February 2007. This translates to 53 percent of adults who regularly use the Internet.
By contrast, Niko Bellic had an article about five times as long as Barker’s at the time. It’s a question of demographics: Bellic is a character in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV; he is 30 and a former soldier. The public is increasingly going to Wikipedia as a research source: According to a recent Pew survey, the percentage of all American adults who use the site to look for information increased to 42 percent in May 2010, from 25 percent in February 2007. This translates to 53 percent of adults who regularly use the Internet.
There we go. Gardner manages to name the one article on Wikipedia-- the ONLY article--- that she personally has substantially improved in her 4 years of editing. At 2 edits/week, it's the only one she's had enough edits to improve.
QUOTE
Jane Margolis, co-author of a book on sexism in computer science, “Unlocking the Clubhouse,†argues that Wikipedia is experiencing the same problems of the offline world, where women are less willing to assert their opinions in public. “In almost every space, who are the authorities, the politicians, writers for op-ed pages?†said Margolis, a senior researcher at the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at the University of California, Los Angeles.
According to the OpEd Project, an organization based in New York that monitors the gender breakdown of contributors to “public thought-leadership forums,†a participation rate of roughly 85-to-15 percent, men to women, is common — whether members of Congress, or writers on The New York Times and Washington Post Op-Ed pages.
It would seem to be an irony that Wikipedia, where the amateur contributor is celebrated, is experiencing the same problem as forums that require expertise. But Catherine Orenstein, the founder and director of the OpEd Project, said many women lack the confidence to put forth their views. “When you are a minority voice, you begin to doubt your own competencies,†she said.
She said her group has persuaded women to express themselves by urging them to shift the focus “away from oneself — ‘do I know enough, am I bragging?’ — and turn the focus outward, thinking about the value of your knowledge.â€
Margolis said she was an advocate of recruiting women as a group to fields or forums where they are under-represented. That way, a solitary woman does not face the burden alone.
According to the OpEd Project, an organization based in New York that monitors the gender breakdown of contributors to “public thought-leadership forums,†a participation rate of roughly 85-to-15 percent, men to women, is common — whether members of Congress, or writers on The New York Times and Washington Post Op-Ed pages.
It would seem to be an irony that Wikipedia, where the amateur contributor is celebrated, is experiencing the same problem as forums that require expertise. But Catherine Orenstein, the founder and director of the OpEd Project, said many women lack the confidence to put forth their views. “When you are a minority voice, you begin to doubt your own competencies,†she said.
She said her group has persuaded women to express themselves by urging them to shift the focus “away from oneself — ‘do I know enough, am I bragging?’ — and turn the focus outward, thinking about the value of your knowledge.â€
Margolis said she was an advocate of recruiting women as a group to fields or forums where they are under-represented. That way, a solitary woman does not face the burden alone.
But Ms. Margolis: on the internet, nobody knows what sex you are, unless you tell them. And here you are, telling us that anonymous women are intimidated into not participating on WP. Riiiight.
Has it not occured to you that the atmosphere of WP is toxic to women, and that this is true even if they can wear a mask and not be known as female? Hmmm?
And now for the lawyerly piece of misdirection. In a style that Jimbo and Godwin would be proud of, Gardner uses her single WP accomplishment to imply and suggest (without actually claiming it) that she's fighting the good fight, all alone, making substantial improvements all by her lonesome XX self:
QUOTE
Gardner said that for now she is trying to use subtle persuasion and outreach through her foundation to welcome all newcomers to Wikipedia, rather than advocate for women-specific remedies like recruitment or quotas. “Gender is a huge hot-button issue for lots of people who feel strongly about it,†she said. “I am not interested in triggering those strong feelings.â€
Kat Walsh, a policy analyst and longtime Wikipedia contributor who was elected to the Wikimedia board, agreed that indirect initiatives would cause less unease in the Wikipedia community than more overt efforts.But she acknowledged the hurdles: “The big problem is that the current Wikipedia community is what came about by letting things develop naturally — trying to influence it in another direction is no longer the easiest path, and requires conscious effort to change.â€
Sometimes, conscious effort works. After seeing the short entry on Barker, Gardner added a substantial amount of background. During the same time, Niko Bellic’s page has grown by only a few sentences.
Arhhhhhhggggg!!!
Gardner, you're a goddamned deceptive corporate lackie marshmellow. If you think you can really change the world one lie at a time, then you and your fellow "feminists" still have a LOT of lessons to go.
Wikipedia : Why aren't women contributing?
NDTV.com
New York: In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
NDTV.com
New York: In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
Define Gender Gap? Look Up Wikipedia's Contributor List
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
Define Gender Gap? Look Up Wikipedia's Contributor List
BlueRidgeNow.com
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
BlueRidgeNow.com
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
Define Gender Gap? Look Up Wikipedia's Contributor List
The Ledger
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
The Ledger
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
Define Gender Gap? Look Up Wikipedia's Contributor List
Lexington Dispatch
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
Lexington Dispatch
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
Wikipedia Is Hampered By Its Huge Gender Gap
The Business Insider
This has implications for the content on the site. For example, entries on Sex in the City are much more succint than those on The Sopranos. …
The Business Insider
This has implications for the content on the site. For example, entries on Sex in the City are much more succint than those on The Sopranos. …
Damn it. I was scooped by the New York Times. I have an Examiner article about this topic, not fully completed yet. I've even got fancy quotes and comments from experts in the field of women's rights, etc.
Oh, well. My article will just have to come on the heels of this one.
Oh, well. My article will just have to come on the heels of this one.
Wikipedia aims for more women
News & Observer
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. …
News & Observer
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. …
QUOTE(Milton Roe @ Mon 31st January 2011, 1:35am)
Gardner, you're a goddamned deceptive corporate lackie marshmellow. If you think you can really change the world one lie at a time, then you and your fellow "feminists" still have a LOT of lessons to go.
Gee, Milton, why don't you try telling people who don't already know?
Jon
Wikipedia Contributors Are Mostly Men
Slate Magazine (blog)
Why does Grand Theft Auto IV protagonist Niko Bellic have a Wikipedia entry four times the length of acclaimed British novelist Pat Barker's? …
Slate Magazine (blog)
Why does Grand Theft Auto IV protagonist Niko Bellic have a Wikipedia entry four times the length of acclaimed British novelist Pat Barker's? …
QUOTE(Newsfeed @ Sun 30th January 2011, 11:06pm)
Wikipedia tries to lessen gender gap on site
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 different languages? …
QUOTE
I suspect the statistics are comparable to the percentage of women who participate in online games and street gangs, those being the closest approximations to Wikipediot Culture outside its sphere.
Jon Awbrey, 31 Jan 2011 @ 07:24 am
Their comment function seems to be a little flakey, so I don't know if this is showing up.
I think Kat's comment is interesting in that it shows the strength of Jimmy's influence on her and her thinking. Jimmy is, of course, very very concerned about participation rate, for reasons we've discussed at length before. He doesn't want any changes made to the site that might reduce participation among the groups that are already active, hence her comments about "letting things develop naturally".
Jimmy's torn on the horns of a dilemma here. On one hand he wants more participants, and in particular more women; on the other hand he doesn't want to change the environment to make it more friendly to women because doing so might chase off current contributors. Neither he nor anyone else involved in Wikipedia has any sense of how to proceed here, in part because they've established for themselves what is almost certainly an impossible goal: the reason more women don't participate in Wikipedia is because its current environment is hostile to most women (and in fact to most people), and the sort of person that it appeals to long-term is almost exclusively male.
Jimmy's torn on the horns of a dilemma here. On one hand he wants more participants, and in particular more women; on the other hand he doesn't want to change the environment to make it more friendly to women because doing so might chase off current contributors. Neither he nor anyone else involved in Wikipedia has any sense of how to proceed here, in part because they've established for themselves what is almost certainly an impossible goal: the reason more women don't participate in Wikipedia is because its current environment is hostile to most women (and in fact to most people), and the sort of person that it appeals to long-term is almost exclusively male.
Wikipedia seeks women writers
Telegraph.co.uk
Wikipedia is to mount an effort to recruit more women contributors, after research found more than 85 per cent of articles are written by men.
Telegraph.co.uk
Wikipedia is to mount an effort to recruit more women contributors, after research found more than 85 per cent of articles are written by men.
QUOTE(Newsfeed @ Mon 31st January 2011, 7:08am)
Wikipedia Contributors Are Mostly Men
Slate Magazine (blog)
Why does Grand Theft Auto IV protagonist Niko Bellic have a Wikipedia entry four times the length of acclaimed British novelist Pat Barker's? …
From the Shoulda Said Files —
Wikipedia = Grand Theft Authorship
But I'm sure I'll get another chance to use it …
Jon
Wikipedia seeks women writers —Telegraph.co.uk
NSBNEWS.net
NSBNEWS.net provides around the clock news, features, and commentary for the Southeast Volusia communities of New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Oak Hill, …
NSBNEWS.net
NSBNEWS.net provides around the clock news, features, and commentary for the Southeast Volusia communities of New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Oak Hill, …
Why Wikipedia's editors are mostly male
Telegraph.co.uk
As Jimmy Wales travels the world and meets the Wikipedians — people who contribute to the …
Telegraph.co.uk
As Jimmy Wales travels the world and meets the Wikipedians — people who contribute to the …
Daily Digest : Americans in Egypt, Women and Wikipedia, Students Against Color Lines
Minnesota Daily (blog)
Happy Monday morning. While snow continues to fall outside my window and I look forward to a long wait for a bus, here is your Daily Digest for January 31, 2011 …
Minnesota Daily (blog)
Happy Monday morning. While snow continues to fall outside my window and I look forward to a long wait for a bus, here is your Daily Digest for January 31, 2011 …
85% of Wikipedia entries are made by men
TG Daily
If you compare the Wikipedia entries for Sex and the City compared to The Sopranos, it doesn't take long to realize there's a serious gender gap when it …
TG Daily
If you compare the Wikipedia entries for Sex and the City compared to The Sopranos, it doesn't take long to realize there's a serious gender gap when it …
Define gender gap? Look up Wikipedia's contributor list
eSchool News
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
eSchool News
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
Define Gender Gap? Look Up Wikipedia's Contributor List
ResourceShelf (blog)
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
ResourceShelf (blog)
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
QUOTE(Jon Awbrey @ Mon 31st January 2011, 4:52am)
QUOTE(Milton Roe @ Mon 31st January 2011, 1:35am)
Gardner, you're a goddamned deceptive corporate lackie marshmellow. If you think you can really change the world one lie at a time, then you and your fellow "feminists" still have a LOT of lessons to go.
Gee, Milton, why don't you try telling people who don't already know?
Jon
Because (unlike you this AM) I had no idea when I wrote that, that this news story was going to get copied endlessly. I'll see what I can do in various commentary sections. But as we both know, journalists are overworked/lazy (I guess you have to be a journalist to figure out which it REALLY is). But their environment and job just about guarantees they'll take ANY prepackaged BS which is sold in the form of press release or puff interview. The chance that any given journalist will go digging like Woodward and Bernstein to see how much Gardner really DOES write in WP, is just about nil in 2011. The story isn't that big and newspapers aren't what they were. So Sue can and will trot out the ONE AND ONLY article she's improved in 4 years, Potemkin style, and let the
Did anyone notice that Sue Gardner, according to the New York Times, has a little white dog named James Owen?
QUOTE(Newsfeed @ Mon 31st January 2011, 7:32am)
Wikipedia seeks women writers
Telegraph.co.uk
Wikipedia is to mount an effort to recruit more women contributors, after research found more than 85 per cent of articles are written by men.
QUOTE
Oh good, Monday morning, and time for the Wikipedia Viral Media Blintz Of The Week — yes, I know how I spelled it.
Like it's a Big Shocker, I suspect the statistics are comparable to the percentage of women who participate in online games and street gangs, those being the closest approximations to Wikipediot Culture in the outside world.
Wikipedia Is A Sausage Fest But Women Love Sex And The City
Village Voice (blog)
​Less than 15 percent of Wikipedia's hundreds of thousands of unpaid contributors — responsible for over 3.5 …
Village Voice (blog)
​Less than 15 percent of Wikipedia's hundreds of thousands of unpaid contributors — responsible for over 3.5 …
Why Don't More Women Contribute To Wikipedia?
Care2.com (blog)
The executive director of the Wikipedia Foundation, Sue Gardner, says that she wants the number to rise to 25 percent by 2015, but she may be fighting an …
Care2.com (blog)
The executive director of the Wikipedia Foundation, Sue Gardner, says that she wants the number to rise to 25 percent by 2015, but she may be fighting an …
QUOTE(Newsfeed @ Mon 31st January 2011, 12:19pm)
Why Don't More Women Contribute To Wikipedia?
Care2.com (blog)
The executive director of the Wikipedia Foundation, Sue Gardner, says that she wants the number to rise to 25 percent by 2015, but she may be fighting an …
QUOTE
Wikipedia's Gender Problem
Mother Jones
About a year ago, the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that runs Wikipedia, collaborated on a study of Wikipedia's contributor base and discovered …
Mother Jones
About a year ago, the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that runs Wikipedia, collaborated on a study of Wikipedia's contributor base and discovered …
Behind Wikipedia's Millions of Articles : Mostly Men
Newser
Wikipedia is one of the Internet's biggest success stories, with more than 3.5 million articles in English …
Newser
Wikipedia is one of the Internet's biggest success stories, with more than 3.5 million articles in English …
QUOTE(Newsfeed @ Mon 31st January 2011, 12:58pm)
Wikipedia's Gender Problem
Mother Jones
About a year ago, the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that runs Wikipedia, collaborated on a study of Wikipedia's contributor base and discovered …
QUOTE
For those of you who just can't get enough of it, 30 more variations on this same piece of Virally Regurgitated Wikipedia PR Du Jour can be sampled at The Wikipedia Review:
http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?showtopic=32780
Oh, and not that it really matters, but you might just find a small amount of commentary from people who actually know what they are talking about.
Jonny Cache
31 Jan 2011 @ 2:40 pm
Why Don't More Women Contribute to Wikipedia?
Switched
To most people, Wikipedia represents the ultimate in egalitarian encyclopedias. It's a place where any Internet …
Switched
To most people, Wikipedia represents the ultimate in egalitarian encyclopedias. It's a place where any Internet …
Facing Serious Gender Gap, Wikipedia Vows To Add More Women Contributors
NPR (blog)
Maybe you suspected this, but the raw numbers are still a bit surprising: After surveying contributors to Wikipedia, the Wikimedia Foundation …
NPR (blog)
Maybe you suspected this, but the raw numbers are still a bit surprising: After surveying contributors to Wikipedia, the Wikimedia Foundation …
<img alt="" height="1" width="1" />Dude-centric [b]Wikipedia needs more women[/b]
msnbc.com
Facebook, iPhone, Twitter and Wii. Technology evolves at the speed of light. Msnbc.com's tech reporters and editors look at the gadgets, ...
and more »
View the article
QUOTE(Newsfeed @ Mon 31st January 2011, 1:55pm)
Facing Serious Gender Gap, Wikipedia Vows To Add More Women Contributors
NPR (blog)
Maybe you suspected this, but the raw numbers are still a bit surprising: After surveying contributors to Wikipedia, the Wikimedia Foundation …
QUOTE
I doubt if we can take too seriously any study sponsored by the Wikimedia Foundation itself — Sockpuppet Science has yet to begin tackling the problems associated with random sampling in populations of multiple pseudonymous accounts per person — but no one acquainted with Wikipedia Culture needs to resort to the orders of high-falutin theories we have heard today, not unless of course they have some reason to cloud-sauce the obvious truth.
The simple truth is that the statistics suggested here are comparable to the percentage of women who participate in online games and street gangs, those being the closest approximations to Wikipediot Culture in the outside world.
Jon Awbrey
31 Jan 2011 @ 4:24 pm
<img alt="" height="1" width="1" />Define gender gap? Look up [b]Wikipedia's contributor list[/b]
eCampus News
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. ...
and more »
View the article
Wikipedia Ponders Its Gender-Skewed Contributions
Huffington Post
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? …
Huffington Post
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? …
Today's Lady News : Wikipedia Is A Dickipedia
The Frisky
Less than 15 percent of users who edit Wikipedia's content are women, which means the encyclopedia's entries are likely presenting a gender-skewed version …
The Frisky
Less than 15 percent of users who edit Wikipedia's content are women, which means the encyclopedia's entries are likely presenting a gender-skewed version …
QUOTE(Newsfeed @ Mon 31st January 2011, 4:12pm)
Today's Lady News: Wikipedia Is A Dickipedia
The Frisky (blog)
Less than 15 percent of users who edit Wikipedia's content are women, which means the encyclopedia's entries are likely presenting a gender-skewed version ...
View the article
This newspaper for women (ostensibly) says Wikipedia is a "Dickipedia" and says: "Get on-line and start editing, ladies." And presumably this is what WP's interests would look like if that happened: The Frisky: "Love, Life, Stars, Style." http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-todays-lady-news-01311/The Good, The Bad & The Meh At The 2011 SAG Awards
I’m A Feminist But I Think I Want To Date A More Traditional Dude
8 Ways To Meet Guys Offline
10 Sexual Practices We Were Totally Unaware Of
Dior Haute Couture Brings The Glam To Spring/Summer 2011
Oscars James Franco The Frisky's 2011 Astro Guide Glee Polls: What Do You Think?
Hotties news entertainment celebs parenting relationships sex guys style horoscopes money tv photos
*One hundred mothers staged a “nurse-in†in a Montreal mall after a woman was kicked out of a children’s clothing store (a children’s clothing store!) for breastfeeding her five-month-old baby.
*Chick-Fil-A in Pennsylvania donated sandwiches and brownies to a meeting of an anti-gay marriage group.
*CNN’s new talk show host Piers Morgan defends himself for asking Condoleezza Rice why she’s a dried-up old spinster. (Okay, he didn’t use those words exactly.)
*Woman Allegedly Mows Down Cousin After He Refuses Facebook Friend Request: (Today in “bitches be crazy!†news ...)
Plus lots of articles about abortion and gay rights.
The last making me seriously wonder what fraction of women on the net (when they do exist) are actually gay, so you guys are still out of luck. 
Any bets on whether "The Frisky" is actually owned by women? And edited in no small part by gay men?
Teh good news about WP: When women take over WP, we're NOT going to have to trade article-after-article about Power Rangers, for new article-after-article about Frida Kahlo-- like Sue Gardner wants. Instead, we're going to get, well, things of interest to more average women.
*Style by Jury: What Do You Think Of Anne Hathaway's Pattern-Mixing Marni Look?
*Woman Claims Yogurt Sample Tasted Like Semen: Stop reading if you're still eating.
Holy stereotypes, WikiBatGirl!! 
Gender Gap Emerges Among Wikipedia Contributors
Indian Express
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
Indian Express
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. …
QUOTE(Alison @ Mon 31st January 2011, 6:09pm)
Holy stereotypes, WikiBatGirl!!
I didn't make up a single one. That was my previous post on the topic, weeks ago. The stuff in the preceeding message is better than anything I ever came up with. My imagination is just not up to it. Even after decades of secretly scanning magazines in the checkout endcap racks in supermarkets.
QUOTE(Newsfeed @ Tue 1st February 2011, 10:12am)
Less than 15 percent of users who edit Wikipedia's content are women, which means the encyclopedia's entries are likely presenting a gender-skewed version ...
And I'm willing to bet of that 15%, over half of that number, maybe more, are transsexuals.
The gender gap, Wikipedia, and online registration
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
A lot of sites these days require you to log in to get their content. Some of them even want you to pay for it. When that happens, my preferred option is to …
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
A lot of sites these days require you to log in to get their content. Some of them even want you to pay for it. When that happens, my preferred option is to …
QUOTE(WikiWatch @ Mon 31st January 2011, 8:12pm)
QUOTE(Newsfeed @ Tue 1st February 2011, 10:12am)
Less than 15 percent of users who edit Wikipedia's content are women, which means the encyclopedia's entries are likely presenting a gender-skewed version ...
And I'm willing to bet of that 15%, over half of that number, maybe more, are transsexuals.
But....how many are sweet transvestites from Transexual, Transylvania?
Blah. "The Frisky" is just another of those shitty celeb blogs that Turner started years ago,
trying to compete with TMZ and Perez Hilton. Last I heard, they were all considered only
mildly successful.
They're just stupid. If you want to complain about something, complain about TMZ--possibly the
sleaziest, trashiest website in existence today. Examples abound.
And PS: there still is a "Dickipedia".
trying to compete with TMZ and Perez Hilton. Last I heard, they were all considered only
mildly successful.
They're just stupid. If you want to complain about something, complain about TMZ--possibly the
sleaziest, trashiest website in existence today. Examples abound.
And PS: there still is a "Dickipedia".
Women and Wikipedia
Daily Free Press (subscription)
Since its inception, the popular Wikipedia has been a worldwide sensation. The online encyclopedia is based on the premise that anyone can contribute to it …
Daily Free Press (subscription)
Since its inception, the popular Wikipedia has been a worldwide sensation. The online encyclopedia is based on the premise that anyone can contribute to it …
And if all that wasn't repulsive enough......
here are the consummate nerds of Metafilter, arguing about the NYT article.
Best comments:
here are the consummate nerds of Metafilter, arguing about the NYT article.
Best comments:
QUOTE
Maybe women have lives.
posted by Segundus at 6:51 AM on January 31 [9 favorites]
posted by Segundus at 6:51 AM on January 31 [9 favorites]
QUOTE
I'm surprised that the reputation for general jackassery wikipedia editors have hasn't come up yet. My disinterest in editing wikipedia has more to do with my lack of interest in stepping into flame wars, having topics I think are important deleted, having my edits undone with snippy comments in talk, and so on than it does with my theoretical difficulty with using a wiki.
posted by immlass at 7:05 AM on January 31 [17 favorites]
posted by immlass at 7:05 AM on January 31 [17 favorites]
QUOTE
Women already do this stuff, but we tend to do it in our own communities. You name just about any single media property with any kind of fanbase, and I can direct you to the Wiki, the Lexicon, the archive, and at least 2 major communities for them, all built by women.
Just because we're not building those things on Wikipedia doesn't mean we're not capable or interested. We are, and we're achieving them with perfectly elegant coding, scripting, and other technology.
I've tried to edit on Wikipedia, but I find the "This is my troll bridge, you may not pass!" attitude obnoxious. I can add all kinds of things to male YA authors' pages with minimal cites and no one says a word.
Whereas, every time I try to add a female YA author, or contribute to their pages, I invariably end up with some obnoxious gatekeeper complaining that my cites from Publisher's Weekly and School Library Journal aren't NEARLY enough, and besides, this author isn't SIGNIFICANT enough to have an entry, who cares if she published three books? They're not NOTEWORTHY. Meanwhile, 1-Book Nobody Dude's Wikipedia page is 14 printable pages long.
So, I wish Sue Gardner luck, I really do. But I have enough parity stuff I have to fight about; fighting to post on Wikipedia doesn't even make the top 100.
posted by headspace at 8:46 AM on January 31 [33 favorites]
Just because we're not building those things on Wikipedia doesn't mean we're not capable or interested. We are, and we're achieving them with perfectly elegant coding, scripting, and other technology.
I've tried to edit on Wikipedia, but I find the "This is my troll bridge, you may not pass!" attitude obnoxious. I can add all kinds of things to male YA authors' pages with minimal cites and no one says a word.
Whereas, every time I try to add a female YA author, or contribute to their pages, I invariably end up with some obnoxious gatekeeper complaining that my cites from Publisher's Weekly and School Library Journal aren't NEARLY enough, and besides, this author isn't SIGNIFICANT enough to have an entry, who cares if she published three books? They're not NOTEWORTHY. Meanwhile, 1-Book Nobody Dude's Wikipedia page is 14 printable pages long.
So, I wish Sue Gardner luck, I really do. But I have enough parity stuff I have to fight about; fighting to post on Wikipedia doesn't even make the top 100.
posted by headspace at 8:46 AM on January 31 [33 favorites]
QUOTE
My apologies then for misinterpreting your words, but we're talking about a gender imbalance in the Wikipedia editing community, so if by "general public" you mean men and women equally then the difficulty of the editing process can't be the cause.
Incorrect. It's simply reflecting the larger imbalance between the genders in technology enthusiasts... see the point made earlier about MIT comp sci students. Wikipedia is kept difficult to use and master for those who are not inclined to tackle steep technical and social learning curves - this includes almost everyone who isn't a computer hobbyist.
Consensus is not respected. Rules-lawyering and its attendant pecking-order macho male-aggressive bullshit is the order of the day. The environment is pretty hostile to newcomers and those who don't like long, protracted ego jousts to defend their "turf."
It's a culture designed to keep most women out.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:51 AM on January 31 [4 favorites]
Incorrect. It's simply reflecting the larger imbalance between the genders in technology enthusiasts... see the point made earlier about MIT comp sci students. Wikipedia is kept difficult to use and master for those who are not inclined to tackle steep technical and social learning curves - this includes almost everyone who isn't a computer hobbyist.
Consensus is not respected. Rules-lawyering and its attendant pecking-order macho male-aggressive bullshit is the order of the day. The environment is pretty hostile to newcomers and those who don't like long, protracted ego jousts to defend their "turf."
It's a culture designed to keep most women out.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:51 AM on January 31 [4 favorites]
Wikipedia Seeks Women
ITProPortal
Wikipedia has set a target to have women making up 25 per cent of it contributors by 2015. Sue Gardener, the Wikimedia foundation's executive director, …
ITProPortal
Wikipedia has set a target to have women making up 25 per cent of it contributors by 2015. Sue Gardener, the Wikimedia foundation's executive director, …
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