tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post374571086284075737..comments2024-03-28T13:45:42.289+00:00Comments on The IPKat: Wikipedia and the Gender GapVerónica RodrÃguez Arguijohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763207846940036921noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-15189757581381585442012-12-18T14:57:52.353+00:002012-12-18T14:57:52.353+00:00In the mid-1990's I mentioned to a US patent a...In the mid-1990's I mentioned to a US patent attorney that I knew of more Icelandic female patent attorneys than US: the Icelandic firm I had recently dealt with had three female attorneys whereas I had never dealt with a single female US patent attorney or seen any mentioned on letterheads. <br /><br />He reflected briefly and said he couldn't think of any female US patent attorneys either. I found this gender difference on opposite sides of the pond surprising, given the usual thrust for gender equality in the US. Perhaps things are different now?<br /><br />When I was a student member in the early 1990's the gender mix at CIPA informals lectures was about 50:50.Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-82373563495722664792012-12-18T12:08:23.451+00:002012-12-18T12:08:23.451+00:00Never mind that - where are the women inventors? S...Never mind that - where are the women inventors? Surely a much greater loss to society!<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-68249414658117781582012-12-18T01:02:21.739+00:002012-12-18T01:02:21.739+00:00I think I can recognise the paw of Herblock, the W...I think I can recognise the paw of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herblock" rel="nofollow">Herblock</a>, the Washington Post cartoonist, in the image with caption "Cat Ice".<br /><br />Am I right?Roufousse T. Fairflynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-25542963534001628472012-12-17T22:08:13.159+00:002012-12-17T22:08:13.159+00:00anon at 7:33 should read the first comment by Andy...anon at 7:33 should read the first comment by Andy and then realise that maybe they should have waited until their second morning cup of coffee before commenting on my own post at 19:39. Or was the train a little too shaky to read you iPad clearly?<br /><br />Always amused by how women may make observations whereas men simply make sexist remarks. One rule for some!<br /><br />Personally, I always seek out the views of women on a point for a balanced point of view. Where Wiki seems to fail, mumsnet fills the void!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-46509426604506393992012-12-17T12:30:50.681+00:002012-12-17T12:30:50.681+00:00In general men are better (or perhaps that should ...In general men are better (or perhaps that should be 'more interested') in the blue-sky-thinking/philosophising /concept considering side of things. That might be why they are more likely to write for Wikipedia. That is to the detriment of Wikipedia, but it's probably more important that the freeing of woman does not happen too fast, so that there's some chance they won't become too geekish/blokeish.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-31934171104832125552012-12-17T10:24:55.470+00:002012-12-17T10:24:55.470+00:00Interesting. I think this just reflects my experi...Interesting. I think this just reflects my experience both within a work and an academic context. Men (and I'm not having a go here. I like men. Heck, I even married one) - very generally speaking - are more inclined to want to inform/educate people around them in a way which will display the extent of their own knowledge. Women - very generally speaking - are happy just to apply their knowledge to the situation in hand, and are not that bothered about ensuring that everyone can see how knowledgeable they are. I have seen this in tutorials, seminars and business meetings time and time again. It's not a criticism - just an observation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-33239199818175628762012-12-17T07:33:25.374+00:002012-12-17T07:33:25.374+00:00Dear anonymous 19:39, it'd probably help if yo...Dear anonymous 19:39, it'd probably help if you bothered to read the whole article before commenting. (Or read it more carefully, the word geek isn't there - and isn't geekchic cool these days anyway?).<br /><br />Nobody is asking *you* to do anything. <br /><br />But it's clearly in Wikipedia's interest to improve the spread of info they collate, for fear of missing out on a large chunk of the population (and readership).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-35903573887363179882012-12-16T19:39:27.019+00:002012-12-16T19:39:27.019+00:00Couldn't get much past the first couple of par...Couldn't get much past the first couple of paragraphs of this article. If women choose not to contribute them I have no interest in starting/encouraging/paying for an organisation that will push for the 'bridging of the gender gap'. Why try to to categorise those that contribute as 'geeks' and the like?<br /><br />Move along everybody. There is nothing to see here. If you have gaps in your own life that you can fill by worrying about such nonsense then go find a hole to dig and work on the problem of where to bury the soil.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-77326266879117991492012-12-16T09:53:36.880+00:002012-12-16T09:53:36.880+00:00As ever Neil, thank you for a really thought-provo...As ever Neil, thank you for a really thought-provoking piece for a Sunday morning.<br />I suspect (without a shread of empirical evidence) that it may have something to do with the 'geeky' nature of the Wikipedia project, which the Cohen NYT article referred to as the "hard-driving hacker crowd".<br />It would be interesting to compare the Wikipedia stats with the number of female contributors to the millions of 'how-to' videos to be found on YouTube. In my limited experience, very many of the videos on craft-based subjects do seem to be fronted by women. Maybe this is a reflection of the greater proportion of women who are employed (in the West at least) in sectors such as nursing, hair and beauty, shop work (store clerking) and some other service industries. <br />Extrapolating this a little, maybe women generally prefer to show how to do practical things rather than write about things. <br />But ultimately, women are a mystery to me, so how should I know? <br />Andy Jnoreply@blogger.com