[Gendergap] Women and Wikipedia by Barbara Fisher

[Sue Gardner]

> On Friday, February 04, 2011, Steven Walling wrote:
> For example, on the rather huge set of comments on a "anti-genderist" site:
>
>> It makes me happy to know that men are dominating the internet and women have absolutely no excuses. What are they going to do? Silence men to ensure equal representation?
>
> Or elsewhere:
>
>> The NYT article below sees everything but the obvious in the fact that few women contribute to Wikipedia: That men are more interested in facts and women more interested in socio-emotional relationships. Men and women are the same, you see: Feminist bulldust. The fact that Wikpedia is voluntary and open to all DEMONSTRATES that men and women have inherently different interests. There is no oppressive "patriarchy" refusing to hire them


This is actually a thread of response to the gender gap stories that I
find troubling: people interpreting the gender gap on Wikipedia as
evidence to suggest that gender gaps in paid contexts are "natural,"
rather than ever attributable to (for example) workplace bias or
discrimination. I think that's a huge leap to make, and it irritates
me to see our situation used to support it.

Having said that: it's a side note, and not really germane to our
actual conversation here. So I'll leave it at that :-)