Faking It

I hate to bag on other blogs, but I’m going to publicly say that it really bugs me when men pose as women blogging about the “sexual adventures.”  You’re right; it has absolutely no effect on me, so why should it bother me? 

First, the idea of attempted deception bothers me.  Most of the blogs I read are nonfiction.  Some blogs I occasionally read are fiction/fantasy, but it’s pretty clear soon on that they are fiction.  The blogs I’ve seen with men posing as women appear to me to be trying very hard to appear nonfiction.

Second, it bugs me to see men promote an unrealistic version of women’s sexuality.  It’s like those scenes in movies where women in their locker rooms cavort around either naked or in skimpy towels.  I can honestly tell you that in 20 years of going to gyms, I’ve never seen one tickle or towel fight break out among half-clad women.  It’s much more likely to see an attractive, fit woman go fully clothed into a shower where she closes the curtain (Yes!!  Women have private showers at many gyms!), and carefully undresses, showers and redresses so that absolutely no one sees more than a bare ankle.  It’s not typical, but it’s more likely than a tickle fight. 

Finally, men and women write differently.  No.  Seriously, they do.  And I don’t think it’s that hard to figure out if some one is trying to scam the reader.  Check out the Gender Genie to test a blog author's gender.  I think most of us in the Salon blogging community check out the new blogs.  I’ve only very rarely been bugged by what I’ve read. 

So there.  I will resume my regularly scheduled topics tomorrow.  It’s just been bugging me these last few weeks, and well, one can only talk so much about how cute one’s son is as he snuggles up under my arm in the middle of the night, a hand dramatically thrown across his face. 

[Addendum:  the Gender Genie link is not the link to the "real" alogithm which is 80% correct in identifying author gender.  It's a knockoff, and is only 60% correct.  What does that mean statistically?  50-50 would be if I tossed a coin every time I answered the question.  60 is an improvement, but I wouldn't go to Vegas on that.  80% is something I'd be willing to bet money on. 

BTW, when I taught about critical thinking, I taught about statistics.  Please realize that when someone says that you have a 50-50 chance of knowing something, that actually means you have the least amount of knowledge about it.  49% means "it" is less likely to happen and 51% means that it is more likely to happen.  Something that has a 97% of happening is most likely going to happen.  But there's that 3% chance that it won't. For example, birth control pills are 97% effective.  You should count on them being effective.  But 3% of the time they fail.  That means that out of 1,000,000 women who use birth control pills, 30,000 will get pregnant.  Thirty Thousand.  30K.  A Lot.  Since being a professor, I have met 5 women who fall into that exact HOLY C*KING SH)T situation.  And that's with a 97% effectiveness!

All this to say that the 60% gender genie is going to get it wrong quite a bit.  40% of the time.  Would you leave your umbrella home with a 40% chance of rain?]

9:05:04 AM