Comments on: Invisible Women

By: Jane Hamsher

Jane Hamsher — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 12:04:18 +0000

I spend most of my on-line time at DU — it was the first place I found and where I still consider “home” to be. It’s hard to pin down the gender make-up because so many people are only known by their screen names and gender isn’t always obvious. I’ve frequently thought someone was male and they turn out to be female and vice versa. My guess, however, is that it’s fairly evenly split between male and female.

DU is a wonderful, caring community, despite the many flame wars that erupt in the “General Discussion” forum. There are a number of excellent writers there whose posts really could be considered blogs. It’s a different environment than here or at DK, with a more varied population, I think, but I don’t know what I would have done without it after the 2004 election when I first found it. I’ve made many friends there, both online and in person.

DU rocks, absolutely. But it is, as you note, harder to pin down in terms of gender.

By: SharonRB

SharonRB — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 02:50:37 +0000

I spend most of my on-line time at DU — it was the first place I found and where I still consider “home” to be. It’s hard to pin down the gender make-up because so many people are only known by their screen names and gender isn’t always obvious. I’ve frequently thought someone was male and they turn out to be female and vice versa. My guess, however, is that it’s fairly evenly split between male and female.

DU is a wonderful, caring community, despite the many flame wars that erupt in the “General Discussion” forum. There are a number of excellent writers there whose posts really could be considered blogs. It’s a different environment than here or at DK, with a more varied population, I think, but I don’t know what I would have done without it after the 2004 election when I first found it. I’ve made many friends there, both online and in person.

By: barrelhse

barrelhse — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 01:46:33 +0000

I’m surprised you don’t get even more; this is a quality site (and thank you for that).

By: cargocult

cargocult — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 01:19:11 +0000

Really? and to think I’ve only been coming to the liberal blogosphere because I lurves the ladies.

By: cynic

cynic — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 00:36:17 +0000

I wrote a long response to this, Jane. I blew it away ’cause i’m so tired that I pusshed the wrong button. Never mind all the scholoraly stuff I tried to put in there. The upshot is that you and the rest of the women on this bog are much feared by the other side. This is not because you are women. This is because you are educated, articulate, and you have an audience. They’re afraid of you. Take it as a compliment. All of you, including the guys, are more educated than some of the MSM (leaving out Froomkin, Thomas, and a few others) know your subject and are perfectly capable of explaining it, and you should be highly flattered, not discouraged. That you’re being attacked by people who don’t want the truth out. Who do the field? Malkin the idiot, or Ann Coulter whose dress is always cut just a little too low. Who do we feield. Certainly not ugly women, or dorky looking guys, but by in large, we don’t publish pictures, and our commentators are EDUCATED! I don’t like Hillary. I would vote for her under protest. Having never met Christy, she and I have some deep differences of opinion, but I would vote for her in a New York minute Because of some of the stands she takes. The rest of your “women” are also highly educated. If we are going to come out of this period in history at all, we are going to come out of it largely because of the FDL Crew…among other bloggers. The MSM know how badly they’ve blown it. And they’re grabbing at straws. BTW the men who write here are no slouches either. I’d say more, but I’m sure your capable of defending yourself. The same goes for the other women who write blogs. And the same goes (and I hate to keep singleing her out, but I do read her) for Snarkcassandra. She is the next generation, and that is important, because she’s 15 now, but she’ll be 25 before you know it….her friend too, and they publish a pretty savy blog.
I have reduced myself to lurker, but that doesn’t mean I’m not out here. And you do a damned fine job. Better then the NYT and the WaPo.

By: HumboldtBlue

HumboldtBlue — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 00:20:06 +0000

Bob Scherer @ 160

they are so full of shit. my 3 favorite blogs are firedoglake, atrios, & digby. 2 out of 3 are women.

white male from maine

I’m with you Bob, I also love NewsHounds. I tend to find that folks read what they find interesting, informative or skews to agreement with their views (I’m guilty of all three), and that gender, at least in my case, rarely plays a role.

By: Bob Scherer

Bob Scherer — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:51:06 +0000

they are so full of shit. my 3 favorite blogs are firedoglake, atrios, & digby. 2 out of 3 are women.

white male from maine

By: PhysioProf

PhysioProf — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:45:11 +0000

“this media”

Aiiieieieieieeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: SanderO

SanderO — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:09:18 +0000

And there’s Lindsey Beyerstein too.

By: fdl reader

fdl reader — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 22:57:10 +0000

This refusal to ’see’ women and their contribution is so 1st Century, donchaknow.

Thanks to Jane and the ladies of the lake for keepin’ on keepin’ on. It really matters. It may save our country. And soon I will probably give up reading anything else.

And I really really like the men here who like smart women. So here’s a shout out to the fellas at the lake. You guys are the best!