[Varax]

Yes, this forum is so dead which is why it's been active for over 10 years and has close to 3 million posts. Please tell me more of what you've learned about us over your many interactions with this board having been here for a month and making 2 posts, Intr0vert. Having a wide range of political views is what makes things here interesting.

Anyway this thread has at least partly answered its own question, though not in the way it intended. It was really quite awful to read (and before you get defensive Godstud I'm not talking about you ).

[Dagoth Ur]

PoFo is made worse by the fact that patriarchy disinclines women from taking interest in politics. I've known women who literally think arguing over politics is totally unfeminine.

[Rich]

The forum is filled with sexists. Just look at the amount of threads dedicated to rape and discussions about whether the victim made a false allegation, if it actually qualified as rape or sexual assault to begin with and whether the woman in question deserved because of her dress or behavior. The misogyny here is rampant. To top that off, the site is full of extremists......far left, far right and Islamic radicals who on any given day can be found discussing the list of persons they would like to torture, kill or be killed in far away lands. Women aren't really into this kind of blood lust and extremists will turn off many wishing to join. Hence why this forum is dead and has a very low number of active posters.

I think there is a lot of truth if this is taken as a critique of Political internet forums, rather than as a critique of PoFo. PoFo is very small when you consider that it has virtually no competition.

This is not the fault of Siberian Fox it is the inevitable dynamics of political internet forums. I'm sure lots and lots of men are put off not just women. On the particular issue of rape, no doubt rape threads provide an opening for misogyny, however there is a particular problem with rape in that most of the time it can not proved to the normal standards required of a criminal prosecution. In the wider world there's plenty of men hating feminists, but unsurprisingly they don't operate on this forum. Extremism on a political forum is inevitable even if its extremist defenders of the status Quo.

I have to say though for all its faults this forum certainly beats main stream political discourse, eg the BBC where 95% of the discussion is not about policy, and 90% of what is about policy is just politicians repeating their tiresome scripts.

Yes, this forum is so dead which is why it's been active for over 10 years and has close to 3 million posts.

3 Million is a tiny number of posts for a world wide forum when you consider that FRS alone has 20,000 posts.

[Varax]

PoFo is made worse by the fact that patriarchy disinclines women from taking interest in politics. I've known women who literally think arguing over politics is totally unfeminine.

Yes, that very much cuts to the heart of the issue. I think PoFo is somewhat better overall but the underlying relations of patriarchy in society as a whole and how it effects genders with respect to political participation/ interest is very much prevalent. PoFo is a product of these relations, not an island in itself.

3 Million is a tiny number of posts for a world wide forum when you consider that FRS alone has 20,000 posts.

"No other forums" notwithstanding it still puts it as one of the more active forums for this kind of discussion. Plenty to sustain itself at any rate. Also quality > quantity. I'd rather have substantive discourse on real issues than a sea of one liners and people hurling banal invective at one another.

I have to say though for all its faults this forum certainly beats main stream political discourse, eg the BBC where 95% of the discussion is not about policy, and 90% of what is about policy is just politicians repeating their tiresome scripts.

I definitely agree there.

[Saeko]

Women care more about the size of their bums than the size of the budget deficit.

Men also care more about the size of women's bums than the size of the budget deficit. Women's bums are very important.

I would say that the reason there are so few women on the internet in general is because they don't understand the rules in "man-space". I think the ones that do (or think that they do!) such as myself, do so because they are close with male family members such as fathers or brothers and spend a lot of time with them and their friends, and thus pick up on the ways men interact.

[Bulaba Khan Jones]

Men also care more about the size of women's bums than the size of the budget deficit. Women's bums are very important.

In absolute seriousness I care far more about the size and shape of women's bums than the size and shape of the national deficit. One is a source of natural beauty, perhaps even art when considered in a certain frame of mind, and is one means of happiness, while the deficit doesn't tangibly affect me all that much. However, were I a politician or an economist I would care more about the deficit, but I think my point stands about why it's more important for most people, and I don't see why it is implied that this arrangement is any more superficial than caring about intangible matters of far-away economic issues.

[Saeko]

PoFo is made worse by the fact that patriarchy disinclines women from taking interest in politics. I've known women who literally think arguing over politics is totally unfeminine.

That's because it's true. Self-fulfilling prophecies and all that. It's also why I confine all of my serious intellectual discussions to internet forums.

I've also had friends stop speaking to each other because of some worthless disagreement over politics or religion.

In absolute seriousness I care far more about the size and shape of women's bums than the size and shape of the national deficit. One is a source of natural beauty, perhaps even art when considered in a certain frame of mind, and is one means of happiness, while the deficit doesn't tangibly affect me all that much. However, were I a politician or an economist I would care more about the deficit, but I think my point stands about why it's more important for most people, and I don't see why it is implied that this arrangement is any more superficial than caring about intangible matters of far-away economic issues.

Indeed. The size and shape of your bum is something you have to live with on a daily basis, and it can make or break your sex life and self-confidence, etc. National deficits are mostly beyond one's control anyway.

[Dagoth Ur]

That's because it's true. Self-fulfilling prophecies and all that. It's also why I confine all of my serious intellectual discussions to internet forums.

I've also had friends stop speaking to each other because of some worthless disagreement over politics or religion.

I completely agree. The only people who ever even try to wrangle me into political discussions in real life are men. And I have to admit I often let my friends say stupid political things that I could easily dismiss but I usually find a way to just move on instead of addressing it. Being a product of patriarchy sure is a peach.

[Potemkin]

PoFo is made worse by the fact that patriarchy disinclines women from taking interest in politics. I've known women who literally think arguing over politics is totally unfeminine.

Of course it's totally unfeminine, as this helpful and informative public information film makes clear:

[youtube]LS37SNYjg8w[/youtube]

[Goldberk]

Intr0vert is right about one thing the forum is full of sexists

[Gassho]

@Saeko

You're completely correct about a woman's bum. In terms of real life it can be far more beneficial to a woman's life than virtually any political issue; it's an advantage. If men were not so visual sexually then women would not need to so concerned with appearance. It's quite a fair exchange and not in the least superficial.

As to the OP the lack of female interest in intellectual pursuits, is firstly, not true, hence women being interested in intellectual pursuits; and where it can sometimes feel true, that's nothing more than a cultural reflection. I dislike gender discussions in general. Essentially we have the same minds, hence the same possibilities.

[Intr0vert]

I didn't see the replies in this thread before. OMG, you're a newbie, you don't know shit! Has anyone ever heard of lurking? I've been reading the threads on this forum for a few years. I don't have the luxury of spending so much time here as I am actually part of the working class that everyone here worships. I gotta work to eat, people.

I stand by my previous comments. This forum is full of sexists. Feminism this and feminism that. Women need to dress modestly. Women invite rape by being sluts. Blah, blah, blah.

[Intr0vert]

Ten bucks says intr0vert is a liberal boy who doesn't know that he's a liberal. Also lol extremists.

You call everyone a liberal. Is that supposed to be some sort of insult? That's kinda funny considering you're nothing but the product of a liberal, capitalist society. You're an overweight, drug using cross dresser who calls himself a Communist and a Muslim. You are confused. I don't blame you. Identity issues. First world problems.

[ThereBeDragons]

Politics is confrontational, and women are not.

The heart of the matter has been exposed.

[Thompson_NCL]

Intr0vert is right about one thing the forum is full of sexists

It's got it's share of emasculated men too, but that is what makes it so interesting! I mean, I could honestly believe that some of them are undergoing hormone therapy.

If women are so easily subdued by a bit of sexism, then perhaps they ought to just accept a more submissive position in society and stop whining?

Credit where it's due, there are several women on this forum who give as good as they get. There's a few you couldn't shut up even if you tried. If having a uterus hasn't stopped them, why should it stop the rest?

In short, the sexism angle is not worth thinking about.