Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Diana Duncan" <art2mis AT nc.rr.com>]

What I don't understand is, why these types of things are of any interest,
and why they are being researched.  People are people, and each and every
one of us is different than every other -- we're like snowflakes.  The fact
that I have brown hair as opposed to blond probably could be used to group
me in a brunette category of email users.  The fact that we're a bunch of
technologists that like beer obviously groups us.  As the only sane quote in
the piece reads, "The key word is context."

I'm truly disturbed with the continuing characterization of men's speech as
"instrumental, functional or transactional" which implies that women's
speech is everything but.  This is a pervasive and untrue societal belief
that fails to recognize the importance of human interaction.  Humans should
be more than functional - otherwise we can easily be replaced by machines.

Whenever studies are done on the differences between men and women, or
blacks and whites, or blondes and brunettes, it denigrates the basic
principle that we are all human.  Our differences should be celebrated and
accepted, not analyzed.  I'm human, damnit, and that's what I answer
whenever some form asks for "race".  That's all that is important.

How's that for some strong assertions?

Diana


----- Original Message -----
From: "Rani Gill" <ranigrrl AT yahoo.com>
To: "InterNetWorkers" <internetworkers AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 10:49 AM
Subject: [internetworkers] NYTimes article: He-Mails, She-Mails: Where
Sender Meets Gender


>
> An interesting little piece on gender differences in using e-mail. My
> favirote quote -- though I don't really agree with it:
>
> Her research shows that in online groups, "men tend to make strong
> assertions," disagree with others and use profanity, insults and
> sarcasm. By contrast, women tend to use mitigated assertions along
> with questions, offers, suggestions and polite expressions, she
> said.
>
> \----------------------------------------------------------/
>
> He-Mails, She-Mails: Where Sender Meets Gender
>
>
> By JOYCE COHEN
>
>