The Gentlemen’s Club
How often do we query something or other and turn to the internet to find the answer? The other day in the office I actually Googled ‘Can a manatee dive as deep as a seal?’ I kid you not, can’t even remember why now (a seal can dive up to 120 metres and a manatee “doesn’t like” to go more than five metres, just in case you were wondering).
Anyway, this got me thinking about the internet’s ‘fountain of all knowledge,’ Wikipedia. I recently read an article in the Independent about the dominance of men editing the site. According to a study completed by the United Nations University for Wikipedia, 86.73 per cent of contributors are male and only 12.64 per cent are female. Do the maths, 0.63 per cent of folk who edit Wikipedia, are not actually classing themselves as human…
If you dig a little deeper, not only are some of these contributors claiming not to be from our planet but they don’t actually need to be an expert on any subject to edit the pages. Hmmm.
If you’ve ever stumbled into the ‘Discussion’ pages you’ll understand why it’s men who largely edit Wikipedia. It’s a dog eat dog existence to see who comes out as the Alpha male, kingpin, top banana…you get the drift.
An average internet chat might start jovial enough but quickly starts to deteriorate – a typical example might include the following phrases: “I disagree with you”; “You’re wrong there, mate”; “What the h**l do you mean I’m wrong?”; and “Only a complete idiot would think that”. I’m not sure if that’s an arena I – or any other women for that matter – would want to enter if I’m honest.
But should I really let the male dominated world of Wikipedia intimidate me and stop me from entering this site? No way! So, armed to the teeth (notepad, pen and PC at the ready) I’m about to buck the trend and update a friend’s entry on Wikipedia: Niall Iain Macdonald – he’s planning a solo row across the Atlantic in 2012.
The only thing left to do is update my profile and double-check I am listed as female and not add to the 0.63 per cent of non-earthly beings!
Suzanne Kane is Events and Support Manager
Links:
The Independent – WikiPedia is a man’s world
Solo Atlantic Row – www.ny2sy.com
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