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Subject:Re: Males and Females From:Karla McMaster <mcmaster%pcmail -dot- cti-pet -dot- com -at- CTI-PET -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 18 Jul 1994 16:06:24 EST
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From: MAILER-DAEMON -at- cti-pet -dot- com at _SMTP
Date: 7/18/94 8:29AM
To: Karla McMaster at CTI-Knoxville
Subject: Returned mail: Remote protocol error
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From: Empressgjb%aol -dot- com -at- cti-pet -dot- com at _SMTP
Date: 7/16/94 3:20PM
To: Karla McMaster at CTI-Knoxville
Subject: Re: Males & Females
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I'm forwarding this to the list because I think Joely meant it to go there,
rather than just to me, as it did...Karla
***************
Karla asked about the Tannen article:
The Tannen article was part of a larger piece in the Society section of the
May 16 Newsweek. Barbara Kantrowitz wrote an article entitled "Men, women,
computers." Deborah Tannen wrote an article entitled, "Gender."
I have another hypothesis:
There is a gender difference in the frequency of use of smileys, emoticons,
etc. with men using them more frequently than women.
Supporting theories (and broad generalizations)
Men tend to be exclusionary; they like clubs, titles, etc. that establish
rank. Women tend to be inclusionary (if there is such a word); they tend to
operate more "democratically," giving all team members equal voice.
My hypothesis is that smileys are exclusionary because you have to -be in the
club- to know them. Not knowing them marks a person as an inferior outsider.
I understand that Internet prose is not meant to be a novel, where the author
can spend pages (and hours) setting the mood and tone. We all have limited
time. However, I personally prefer to use words (e.g. big smile) to indicate
tone and body language that cannot be seen in brief messages.
What say ye all? Do you think there are gender differences in this area? How
do you FEEL about using smileys?
Just to muddy the water...
A study not too long ago found that women managers scored like men managers
on psychological tests. They did not score like other women who were not
managers.
These are fun, thought-provoking topics...hyacinths for the soul as it were.
Joely Beatty
AOL = Empressgjb
Internet = Empressgjb -at- aol -dot- com
