pix plz

Error in judgement on these boards dude.

Show your teets!

Spellcheck please. I think you wanted "rubric" and "embarassed", though I did learn that "floatation" is an acceptable alternate spelling for "flotation".

Yeah, it's been a slow day at work.

I hate you. Lemme edit.

My general rule of thumb is that if you have to point out your virtual vagina you are male.
Now this doesn't bother me. I couldn't care less what sex my fellow players are because, in all probability, I am most likely ignorning them anyhow.

More camwhores please.

Since 20% of UO players are female, that gives you a four in five shot of cybering a man.

Just some food for thought.

Indeed. Hard to go wrong with camwhores. Make mine with an extra side of patronizing, neo-feminist, patriarchial-smashing exhibitionism please.
But seriously, I'm going to start my own group. We're fat white guys who smoke cigarettes, drink beer, and jerk-off to 'edgy' girls on web cams. Because thats, you know, destroying the stereotype I have been unfairly oppressed with.

It takes a man to please a man. And afterwards theres none of that awkward 'cuddle time'.

What was that sound? Oh. Just Betty Friedan rolling over in her grave.

Honestly, do these people even know what that word means.

"We are out to empower female gamers by eliminating the negative online stereotypes towards them."

Gosh, where have I seen that line of bullshit before? Oh wait, you linked the Fragdolls article already.

I think be "empower female gamers" they really mean "emower us, who are female, to buy shit with your money". Gaming just happens to be the beard they've chosen to wear whilst shaking their money-makers for...well money.

This makes me kind of think of some things I read about the Legend of Earthsea miniseries. In an article on Slate Ursula K. LeGuin mentions that "Whites of course have the privilege of not caring, of being "colorblind." Nobody else does." I think this is a similar sort of thing. If, as a man, everyone you encountered online assumed you were a woman - the opposite of the default "sexless" attitude, which may be accompanied by an admirable "I don't care what gender you are" attitude - would it bother you? I don't know if it really bothers me or not but I'm kind of apathetic on the whole thing, so I am kind of withholding judgement on the feelings of other girl gamers in what is still a male-dominated hobby.

Although frankly I don't like letting people know in game I am a woman and have kids - I think it brings out a certain stereotype and certain associations that I don't like. It's like the discussion about homosexual-friendly guilds. One's sexual orientation, gender, race, etc should not be a factor in gaming, it shouldn't be an issue - BUT you shouldn't have to censor your own speech or in any way have to speak abonormally to hide who you are. You know? If you have to go, you should be able to comfortably say "afk, the baby's crying" or (as a man) say "I'm going out with the boyfriend tonight so I can't be in the raid." You may say "well why can't they omit those things and say 'I gotta go?'" Why should they have to deny themselves even a modicum of familiarity just because they are not of the majority persuasion? Why should they feel forced to censor themselves when others do not have to/need to?

Also, I too hate the idea that girls in games get free stuff. But you know what the solution to that is? For guys to stop giving girl characters free stuff!! You sick of naked gamers and cam whores? Stop paying them money. Men say they are sick of it but they also perpetuate it. It would die down if there wasn't money to be made, and I don't see how it is wrong for women to make money in this way - marketing to men as it were - when there are so many industries that make money specifically marketing to women. I realize that not all guys have the opinion Pop does though, and I'd hope that Pop, having this opinion, doesn't pay for cam whore sites or other such things, and so I sympathize with him and others like him. But your fellow guildies or group members who make it a point to say "look, I'm a homosexual" or "I'm a girl" are probably saying it straight off not to get special treatment, or free stuff, but to make sure that if they "slip up" (i.e. converse like normal people do) later and other people realize they are what they are they are not kicked or harrassed, etc.

The point is more than fair, Mare. Exact quote of mine from earlier today, to a female friend who plays games:

"I realize men are more than half of the problem- nobody sells things than nobody wants to buy".

That doesn't mean the bullshit figleaf of "making people see that there really ARE girl gamers!" needs to be ridiculed any less, though.

Yes, it is ridiculous and tired. But then I wonder if maybe, odd as it may sound, our wider community is just an enlightened corner of the gaming world who don't care about one's race, creed, sex, etc, and so to us it IS tired. But there are probably still tons of idiots out there who say "omg ur a grl? noway show me ur tits/u must be ugly and fat/wanna cyber" whatever. And no, the correct response to that, counterstrike girls, is not to actually SHOW them your tits.

But really, there are six million people playing WoW alone. (that's international numbers right? I wonder what just N. America's numbers are). I seriously doubt that the sexist/racist/homophobic asshole is in the minority. Just read their community forums. :D

Quite. We have the advantage of knowing from the start we hate each other.

People in general? It can be touch and go.

You say that almost as if it were feasible. Unfortunately, the people who give a damn aren't the ones doing it, and they have to deal with the consequences regardless. In the meantime, we'll just keep making fun of people who insist on spotlighting in stupid, juvenile ways the fact that women also have brains and can also enjoy a game. 'Cause if you can't change it, you may as well mock it.

Well see, that's why I said I had sympathy for Pop's position, because the people who think it is stupid are not buying in. But I still don't think it's right to blame the women - well, to place the blame solely on women - when they wouldn't be doing it if there weren't men out there buying into it.

I had that happen, 50th level pre-kunark charecter, me and a friend decide to make alt female gnomes, in 10 minutes we each had a 100 plat.