Male or female?

[Coriolis]

Female, only because a woman would be more likely to create a thread of this nature IMO.

Why would you think so? Would men be less interested in how gender comes across (or doesn't) in writing, applied to themselves or more generally? Several people have made this suggestion, which I find curious. I know far more men than women who would be disturbed at being mistaken for the opposite gender.

 

[Lethe]

Online unless someone has an overtly "feminine" presence ie girly name, avatar or way of expressing themselves the assumption is often made that they are male. As the old saying goes "there are no women online".

That's pretty much how it goes (especially when it concerns gaming), unless you happen to be browsing on a female-dominated forum or what not. Then the 'default' gender would immediately be changed to female.

 

[Jonny]

Why would you think so? Would men be less interested in how gender comes across (or doesn't) in writing, applied to themselves or more generally? Several people have made this suggestion, which I find curious. I know far more men than women who would be disturbed at being mistaken for the opposite gender.

Sure, but on the internet or in person? Remember, this is the internet, where most everyone is male until proven otherwise.

 

[Coriolis]

They might be particularly put out online, precisely because the default assumption seems to be male. It would take much more, then, to override it. (Unless, of course, they are deliberately posing as female for some reason.)

 

[Glycerine]

For some reason, I thought you were most likely a guy.....

 

[Coriolis]

What reason?

I did consider that just asking these questions might bias the results, but it seemed the most straightforward way to start the topic. I am more interested in general about how our writing reflects gender, assuming we are being ourselves and not making any deliberate attempt to appear one way or the other. People can use my writing as an example, or other people's, or just comment more generally.

 

[JocktheMotie]

I think you're a female, but I don't know your age. If you're 30+ then I change my answer to male.

 

[Totenkindly]

I do a vanity search, and I found myself slandered again by Jennifer.

Just like a woman, to take things so sensitively! Posh! Who do you think you are fooling???




Whether or not I think it's accurate (and I don't), I'm going to guess that to the average reader, flatter and/or more impersonal writing is going to sound more male, while more emotive and/or "fussier" writing will come off as more female.

Usually where the confusion happens is either when a person fits in the opposite gender's cliche... or comes across as ambiguous for mixing together elements of both cliches.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Another member asked me once, was I male or female. I realized I never did answer. Before doing so, I'd like to see what people think.

Often the avatar or name makes it obvious what gender the person is (e.g. Lady X). Other than that I try to figure out the gender based on their posts. Often reading a few posts in the relationship forum makes it obvious what gender a person is.

In your case I don't know but I'm leaning female 55% certainty, male 45%. I think Coriolis sounds more like a female name (but the avatar is something I'd guess a male would have).

 

[Qlip]

I do a vanity search, and I found myself slandered again by Jennifer.

Slandered? Being called female is an insult?

 

[MacGuffin]

Slandered? Being called female is an insult?

Don't get your panties in a bunch.

 

[Coriolis]

Slandered? Being called female is an insult?

If you're not one, you might take it that way, just as a female might be insulted to be called a male.

 

[Glycerine]

I just thought you were male but didn't think much about it. Your arguing style and your writing style but after the last comment, female. I have been called a male MANY times.

 

[rav3n]

Come on Coriolis, spill. It's now been 20 days of curiosity.

I also get mistaken for male more than enough times due to posting style.

 

[Savage Idealist]

To be honest Coriolis, you could be either male of female, regardless of what I or other think. A person's stlye of writing, their tone, thier avatar, everything about them cannot accurately identify their immediate gender. For all members within an internet forum share a certain amount of anonyomy; there's no telling if an obviously female member, who considers themsleves a female, is actually a real female of a male who simply possess as a female. Most people though don't typically do this anymore, as the social norm of the internet these days is to be more open with one's personal identity. But even so there still some may lie about there true gender and I can never be 100% sure who someone says there are. So even if you were to reveal to me that you're male or female, I can still never really be sure, at best i could take your wood for granted.

 

[Salomé]

I can still never really be sure, at best i could take your wood for granted.

Taking wood for granted is a big mistake.

Do most people, then (or at least forum members) not care much whether someone posting is male or female, unless it is directly relevant to the topic? I have to admit, I don't think about it that often myself. I try to see people first and foremost as human beings, with any other distinctions being secondary, even IRL. Obviously this is easier on a forum where we just see each other's typed words, plus an occasional avatar.

Most people care quite a lot it seems.
I don't even think of you as a person, let alone a gendered one. Hope that helps.

 

[Patches]

I wondered myself if there was any kind of 'male' association with the ISTJ type. I didn't think my avatar was particularly masculine, and my name seemed rather neutral... Yet when I first joined it seemed everyone thought I was male.

 

[Xenon]

I posted in another thread that if I don't know someone's gender, my mind seems to go by name and avatar first, and type if those don't give me a clear picture. I think that 'everyone's male on the internet' rule only applies of you have no clues, and more often than not you do. I see male posters mention being mistaken for female on here as often as female ones being mistaken for male.

And yeah, if I have no other clues, I assume T posters are male and F posters are female until shown otherwise. In the general population it's true more often than not.

I don't really care if someone gets my gender wrong. If you're really curious I'll tell ya; it's no secret. But if it's not relevant to the discussion, it doesn't matter to me.

 

[Savage Idealist]

Originally posted by Morgan Le Fay
Taking wood for granted is a big mistake.

I really need to proof read my posts before submitting them.

 

[fduniho]

More to the point, in the absence of obvious clues or self-identification, what causes you to think a member is male or female, just from their writing? Is content or style more telling? To what degree are you influenced by type or profession/major, if stated? Are your guesses usually correct?

I assume avatars and names count as obvious clues. For example, I think Jennifer is a woman, because Jennifer is a woman's name and her avatar is of a woman. Without these clues, I go with content more than style. For example, I once read a post from someone talking about the man he was in love with, and I assumed he was a woman until I learned otherwise. I'm not sure how influenced I am by type. I'm usually on INTPCentral, where almost everyone's type is listed as INTP anyway, and in that context it doesn't come up.

When someone offers no clues and keeps their gender out of their profile, as you have done, I'm more inclined to think female. It's like when women in the phone book use only their first initial, while men normally let the phone book print their whole names. Even on the internet, women are more likely to be sexually harassed than men, giving them more of a reason to hide their gender than men have. But when a man hides his gender, I imagine it is more out of curiosity to see what it is like to be taken as a woman or to see what people regard him as. Given your curiosity over what people regard you as, I'll say you're probably a male.