Where are the women RVers?

[WandaLust2]

I've been on this Forum site for several years and have noticed there are few women posters. It seems their numbers are dropping. Most of the Forums seem to be mostly men posters, yet I see as many women in the CGs and Resorts as men. Have the women lost interest in these Forums or are they inclined to not post - just read?

I'm curious if others have noticed this also.

[4X4Dodger]

4X4Dodger wrote:

Moderator wrote:
As far as posters go, there are fewer women; always have been. That doesn't necessarily mean fewer female readers. And the 'snarkiness' is neither welcome or appropriate in the forums.

I am not trying to be confrontational but please define "Snarky" for me.

And I dont see anything in the rules that prohibit Snarky.

To me Snarky is just a new word for ironic or Satire. Both of which have long and esteemed histories in our culture. And are surely appropriate for this forum. I would be much more concerned about those that get personal, call names, etc.

Those that get upset about a snarky comment here or there are sensitive to a degree that means it is they that should probably not be on the site.


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I am afraid you have it backwards: those the feel it necessary to make 'snarky' comments to members, or about members posts, need to take them elsewhere; they have no place on this site. Following are synonyms for the term 'snarky'. (Mod)

Synonyms
choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, crotchety, fiery, grouchy, grumpy, irascible, peevish, perverse, pettish, petulant, prickly, quick-tempered, raspy, ratty, short-tempered, snappish, snappy, irritable, snippety, snippy, stuffy, testy, waspish
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I responded once to your answer and you deleted my post. Perhaps you will re think that approach this time and hear me out and let my comments be read by others.

The Oxford American Dictionary (2001) Page 1614 defines Snarky thus:

Snarky; informal (of a person words or a mood) sharply critical, cutting.

That is the total definition. Words that describe moods or comments like, grumpy, grouchy,irascible, peevish, perverse, petulant or prickly are by definition NOT snarky.

Your attempt to link these kinds of words and definitions with the term snarky is not accurate and leads down a path that will ultimately lead to a forum that is completely uninteresting to read and of little use.

I ask that you re-think your list of the types of comments you think are Snarky and concentrate on those posters who are truly nasty and personal. It is after all when posts get personal that they cross the line. A mere grumpy or peevish post does not cross any line under either the definition of snarky or the rules of this forum.

No one believes more than me in the need for civil and respectful discussion. But disagreement is vital to a lively and informed discussion and can be done civilly and respectfully.

And regardless of one's own opinions of what a word might mean or imply (including my own) we should stand by the true definitions.

I tried in my post show that what you defined as snarky was ironic or satiric humor. "Tone" is not always easy to discern in electronic communications. And a few readings using a different "tone" in ones head is often a good idea before springing to the conclusion that a post is necessarily inappropriate.

I am sure I can say that most of us appreciate the work of the moderators to delete spam and keep things, even disagreements, civil.

[Reader1]

I never pay much attention to Poster's gender. When I post a technical question my husband is dictating it to me.

[Naio]

@toedtoes:

I think solo women's safety concerns are mainly about camping outside of campgrounds, or at campgrounds where there is only one other camper, a solo man, and no camp host.

[2oldman]

Women have different interests from men.

I have a rather large truck, one which men will stop dead in their tracks and stare at. I think maybe 2 women have ever looked at it, or asked a question about it. Technical or mechanical things, like solar and batteries and generators, are just not in a woman's interest. They like the fact that things work, just not how.

In another forum, where most of the members are women, I've found that a good way to clear the chat room is to start talking tech about anything.

[lots2seeinmyrv]

campn4walleye wrote:
Woman here too. I do all the posting and learning and passing on the info I learn to DH. He always says "ask your forum buddies...".

I asked the millions of questions when researching TCs and trucks and a plethora of other topics pertinent to truck camping.

Same here, I do the posting and learn everything I can and he always says "ask your forum buddies"!! He works a lot of hours so it is up to me to get the info and do the maintenance so he can camp and enjoy his time off.

Thanks for all the valuable input from the forum members. 10 years RV'ing and I have learned a lot on how to fix things, trouble shoot the best I can...or get pointed in the right direction for help.

[Opie431]

I am female also. When I had children at home I would have been too busy to be here.
Opie originaly was the cat we took camping with us.

[Janss]

I think I'm the one who originally used that word on this thread, then the moderator commented on it. Okay, maybe I used the wrong word. Research on the internet indicates many different meanings. I just meant that some responses are more entertaining than educational, just because they are kind of ridiculous, funny, sarcastic, egotistical, or whatever. I can't even explain it.

But back to the topic here. I think we've made it clear to the OP that there are plenty of women who read and post on this forum.

[Crowe]

To me Snarky is just a new word for ironic or Satire. Both of which have long and esteemed histories in our culture. And are surely appropriate for this forum. I would be much more concerned about those that get personal, call names, etc.

What you are concerned about is exactly what being snarky is. Irony and satire are completely different.

[toedtoes]

4X4Dodger wrote:

Moderator wrote:
As far as posters go, there are fewer women; always have been. That doesn't necessarily mean fewer female readers. And the 'snarkiness' is neither welcome or appropriate in the forums.

I am not trying to be confrontational but please define "Snarky" for me.

And I dont see anything in the rules that prohibit Snarky.

To me Snarky is just a new word for ironic or Satire. Both of which have long and esteemed histories in our culture. And are surely appropriate for this forum. I would be much more concerned about those that get personal, call names, etc.

Those that get upset about a snarky comment here or there are sensitive to a degree that means it is they that should probably not be on the site.

Per Merriam-Webster:

Definition of SNARKY

1: crotchety, snappish
2: sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner

[toedtoes]

Honestly, I've never had a safety issue that was dependent upon my gender. I find camping to be much safer than my regular life.

If you're looking to rob, rape, murder, etc., you're probably not looking at campgrounds - in the summer, they're pretty well filled and folks are outside and within shouting distance; in the winter, the campers are far and few between (enough that you could be hiding behind the tree with your ax for quite a few days before a victim shows up). Not really a prolific hunting ground for the bad guys.

During a camping trip not too long ago, in the winter, I stayed at a campground where there was one other camper (a solo male). The first 1-1/2 days, it was just the two of us in the campground. He came by my site whenever he left the campground to ask me to "watch his stuff"... The 2nd day, a group of two couples set up camp in the site next to his. Around dinner-time, they lit their campfire and sat around it listening to music, talking, eating, etc. A friend had come up to visit with me and we took a walk around the campground. As we passed the group, they said hello (we returned the greeting) and went about their business.

As we passed the solo male's site, he rushed over to us and said he was packing up to leave because he was sure those people were going to cause trouble. He was sure they were a bunch of wild young men who came out to get drunk for the evening and who were looking to pick a fight with him. I explained that they were two couples, had a full camp set up, had their fishing boat, and did not appear to be town kids looking for a party/trouble. He decided to stay the night, but chose to take down his tent, get everything ready to run, and sleep in his truck.

As we walked away, I asked my friend "as a solo female camper, should I be worried about my safety considering this man was obviously very worried about his safety?" Needless to say, the man left the next morning out of fear - I stayed for the rest of my planned stay and never had a problem.

[4X4Dodger]

Moderator wrote:
As far as posters go, there are fewer women; always have been. That doesn't necessarily mean fewer female readers. And the 'snarkiness' is neither welcome or appropriate in the forums.

I am not trying to be confrontational but please define "Snarky" for me.

And I dont see anything in the rules that prohibit Snarky.

To me Snarky is just a new word for ironic or Satire. Both of which have long and esteemed histories in our culture. And are surely appropriate for this forum. I would be much more concerned about those that get personal, call names, etc.

Those that get upset about a snarky comment here or there are sensitive to a degree that means it is they that should probably not be on the site.


-------------------
I am afraid you have it backwards: those the feel it necessary to make 'snarky' comments to members, or about members posts, need to take them elsewhere; they have no place on this site. Following are synonyms for the term 'snarky'. (Mod)

Synonyms
choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, crotchety, fiery, grouchy, grumpy, irascible, peevish, perverse, pettish, petulant, prickly, quick-tempered, raspy, ratty, short-tempered, snappish, snappy, irritable, snippety, snippy, stuffy, testy, waspish
--------------------

[Naio]

Deb and Ed M wrote:

Naio wrote:

2lazy4U wrote:
Solo RVer, woman, never saw the need to mention my gender much. Why does it matter?

It matters to me. For one thing, it doesn't seem like most solo men have the safety concerns that I do. Some of them do, but many do not.

I agree that there's a few issues that are more gender-specific (and yeah, safety is a biggie); but often these are addressed as "A question for the ladies" in a specific forum area? Of course, the guys will chime in, but generally they're offering what their wives do, in a particular situation. And that's helpful, too.

I've had it come up in other rv.net forums, for example when guys get upset at me not wanting to reveal where and when I will be camping alone. There's a lack of awareness that I don't run into on forums where the demographic is younger.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

And look at how many are Senior members!

[ncrowley]

I do not pay attention to the gender of the poster and it is hard to tell from the name anyway. I am a gal and I post when I feel I can contribute something to the conversation.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Naio wrote:

2lazy4U wrote:
Solo RVer, woman, never saw the need to mention my gender much. Why does it matter?

It matters to me. For one thing, it doesn't seem like most solo men have the safety concerns that I do. Some of them do, but many do not.

I agree that there's a few issues that are more gender-specific (and yeah, safety is a biggie); but often these are addressed as "A question for the ladies" in a specific forum area? Of course, the guys will chime in, but generally they're offering what their wives do, in a particular situation. And that's helpful, too.