[Gendergap] Hello and a (small!) manifesto

[Risker]

On 3 February 2011 16:57, Nepenthe <topazbutterfly at gmail.com> wrote:

> I wonder if Wikipe-tan is more of a generational issue than a gender one.
> I'm pretty much as humorless feminist as they come, but being in my early
> 20s, I grew up with anime and Wikipe-tan is no more disturbing to me in the
> Wikipedia context than if we had come up with a Disney-style mascot not
> wearing pants. (Granted, that OS-tans are pretty universally female is
> undoubtedly a gender issue and the anime style is a legitimate concern as
> well, but I think it's part of culture at large, not one that Wikimedia can
> really address.)
>
> I guess my point is that it might be a wash whether Wikipe-tan drives off
> more older editors who find her offensive than she attracts younger editors
> who find her friendly and familiar. It's really a side point though. It
> never occurred to me that Wikipe-tan might be considered embarrassing or
> inappropriate and I'm finding this conversation eye-opening.
>
> Nepenthe
>
>
>

Well, I'm not thrilled about Wikipe-Tan, but the one that I identified
specifically ("Gothic Lolita") is particularly troublesome because of the
implications of the term "Lolita", which has a definite sexual meaning of
the type that Wikipedia probably doesn't want itself associated, even
indirectly.  And no, I don't think that's age-specific; even young people
know that's a loaded term.

Risker/Anne
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