Episode Eighty-Eight – On Codes Of Conduct Part II – Sexism, Skepticism And Civility Online

Transcript Now Out – CSICOP Website at ‘On Codes Of Conduct II’.

But even women who don’t put their pictures or real names online are subject to virtual harassment. A recent study showed that when the gender of an online username appears female, they are 25 times more likely to experience harassment. The study, conducted by the University of Maryland, found that female user-names averaged 163 threatening and/or sexually explicit messages a day. The Guardian, 2007.

In recent weeks, this conversation has burst into the mainstream. UK papers have been reporting on threats; in the United States, Alyssa Rosenberg created the Twitter hashtag #ThreatoftheDay, to re-publish them. Later, after being irritated by a particularly sexist column, I created the hashtag #mencallmethings to cover everything outside the threats — the slurs, the rape fantasies, the hate mail — and saw it trending within the day. The Girl’s Guide To Staying Safe Online – Sady Doyle.

This is a follow-up to the earlier podcast episode (which featured on the CSICOP website), called ‘Codes of Conduct’. Features interviews with:

Jennifer Ouellette – Jennifer is the author of three popular science books, specialises in physics and many related topics, with particular emphasis on how science intersects with popular culture, as well as science communication and outreach. She is also a prolific blogger, writing regularly for Discovery News and maintaining a blog at Scientific American called Cocktail Party Physics. We discuss her article ‘Is It Cold In Here‘.

Karen Miller of the More Women In Skepticism Blog (www.morewomeninskepticism.wordpress.com/)

Viv Smythe – Australian writer, webwrangler, blogger – creator of Hoyden About Town and the Finally A Feminism 101 Blog (www.finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com)

Since writing Civility, Inclusivity, Sexism and Skepticism, I’ve received a number of emails about the issues raised and I was even approached several times in person at the SkepTrackDragon*Con about it. The James Randi Educational Foundation’s ‘Code Of Conduct’ at the Amazing Meeting 9, and the history (or ‘herstory’?) of women within the skeptical movement were of particular interest to many, and I’m glad to say that I’ve been encouraged to continue writing and podcasting on this and related topics.

Many, many thanks to the people who provided additional voices at the start: Michael Marshall and Hayley Stevens of the Righteous Indignation Podcast.
KO Myers of the Skeptically Speaking Podcast.
Milton Mermikides, whose work you can buy yourself from The Theme Attic: ‘Spyder (The Lady Geek Spy Theme)’ and ‘Skeleton Key (Theme from TAMLondon)’.

The Token Skeptic Blog – now on FreeThought Blogs, one of the most popular online Atheist blogging networks. http://freethoughtblogs.com/tokenskeptic.