I was pleasantly surprised by the articles this week. They were studies that supported what we largely knew (well, those of us who participate in online spaces) — that they seem to be fair(er) spaces than f2f ones. Thinking specifically about the Wolfe piece, I thought the results (approximately a 50/50 split in online discussion participation) (161) to reflect what I have seen on the dramaful WPA Listserve.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the WPA-L, there is a gross lack of relevant topics and a obscene amount of tangential conversations. Most recently, a conversation about Native American topics in FYC became a discussion about trigger warnings and teacher rights. Interestingly, the discussion only included women. So they  were the ones responsible for taking the list off topic and for responding in somewhat aggressive responses.

This is not to say that the studies are wrong (they are very much so right) but analyzing their results in a discussion of f2f and online interactions amongst women could make them more interesting and relevant as more women enter (and take over?) online and f2f techy spaces.