Comments on: Hi. My name is Mel, and I’m female… and feminist. http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/ Braindumps on things Mel Chua has found shiny lately. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:28:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The heroine with… what are her thousand faces? | Geek Feminism Blog http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/comment-page-1/#comment-3998 The heroine with… what are her thousand faces? | Geek Feminism Blog Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:26:24 +0000 http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/#comment-3998 [...] is my first post on GF. I’m new to the idea of feminism and still have a hard time identifying with – even thinking about! – the subject, and [...] [...] is my first post on GF. I’m new to the idea of feminism and still have a hard time identifying with – even thinking about! – the subject, and [...]

]]> By: [M]etabrain [E]ntry [L]og » Blog Archive » suspend/resume http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/comment-page-1/#comment-3908 [M]etabrain [E]ntry [L]og » Blog Archive » suspend/resume Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:51:15 +0000 http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/#comment-3908 [...] of terror – and I still can’t believe I hit the “Publish” button) the “Hi, I’m female and feminist” post. I didn’t expect writing that to magically solve everything, and I said I’d [...] [...] of terror – and I still can’t believe I hit the “Publish” button) the “Hi, I’m female and feminist” post. I didn’t expect writing that to magically solve everything, and I said I’d [...]

]]> By: monique http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/comment-page-1/#comment-2993 monique Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:24:22 +0000 http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/#comment-2993 Oddly enough, even when contributing on a technical newsgroup using my own name very prominently, I've had men assume I was male. Because, you know, "Monique" has such a masculine ring to it ... (To be fair, they may have come from a completely non-Western background.) Most people online do get that I'm female. Most commonly, I end up getting the "OMG you're so hot and awesome for being FEMALE and KNOWING TECHNICAL STUFF" treatment ... even if they do manage to tone it down. And I don't know. On one hand, it can be a little much, but on the other hand, I much prefer it to being excluded, and who doesn't like being liked? It's just ... isn't it also a little condescending, like I'm a trained monkey or something? Hrm. Maybe I need to develop these thoughts a little further and write my own blog post. Oddly enough, even when contributing on a technical newsgroup using my own name very prominently, I’ve had men assume I was male. Because, you know, “Monique” has such a masculine ring to it …

(To be fair, they may have come from a completely non-Western background.)

Most people online do get that I’m female. Most commonly, I end up getting the “OMG you’re so hot and awesome for being FEMALE and KNOWING TECHNICAL STUFF” treatment … even if they do manage to tone it down. And I don’t know. On one hand, it can be a little much, but on the other hand, I much prefer it to being excluded, and who doesn’t like being liked? It’s just … isn’t it also a little condescending, like I’m a trained monkey or something?

Hrm. Maybe I need to develop these thoughts a little further and write my own blog post.

]]> By: Mackenzie http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/comment-page-1/#comment-2861 Mackenzie Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:47:35 +0000 http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/#comment-2861 Brenda: Were you using British/AU/NZ sign? If so, that may be why. Mel didn't have trouble with the sign I used with her in DC. Though she's a lip-reader more than a signer. Brenda:
Were you using British/AU/NZ sign? If so, that may be why. Mel didn’t have trouble with the sign I used with her in DC. Though she’s a lip-reader more than a signer.

]]> By: Cyberspice http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/comment-page-1/#comment-2853 Cyberspice Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:38:04 +0000 http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/#comment-2853 Hi from another Mel. This is a great post. On the whole I've been androgenous on the net too until recently. My nick has hints of female though but it mainly came as a surpise to people when they found out I was female. Then about a year ago I 'came out' as female, started adding my real name to my blog, LiveJournal and so on. Most people still call me Mel though. Its great to see the rise in geek feminism. Hi from another Mel.

This is a great post.

On the whole I’ve been androgenous on the net too until recently. My nick has hints of female though but it mainly came as a surpise to people when they found out I was female. Then about a year ago I ‘came out’ as female, started adding my real name to my blog, LiveJournal and so on. Most people still call me Mel though.

Its great to see the rise in geek feminism.

]]> By: Rikki http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/comment-page-1/#comment-2848 Rikki Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:58:56 +0000 http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/#comment-2848 Wow. Great blog post, thanks for sharing! I knew you were a woman long before we met in person -- the first time I heard about you was when someone in the community was speaking very highly of you and your contributions to OLPC. Of course, with a name like "Rikki", I've never been one to make a lot of assumptions about someone based on their online name. ;-) Wow. Great blog post, thanks for sharing!

I knew you were a woman long before we met in person — the first time I heard about you was when someone in the community was speaking very highly of you and your contributions to OLPC. Of course, with a name like “Rikki”, I’ve never been one to make a lot of assumptions about someone based on their online name. ;-)

]]> By: A link roundup without a bicycle (2nd October, 2009) | Geek Feminism Blog http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/comment-page-1/#comment-2846 A link roundup without a bicycle (2nd October, 2009) | Geek Feminism Blog Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:08:07 +0000 http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/#comment-2846 [...] Chua talks about androgyny and womanhood online in Hi. My name is Mel, and I’m female… and feminist. She’s also taking Emma-Jane Hogbin’s suggestion to create an award for girls in [...] [...] Chua talks about androgyny and womanhood online in Hi. My name is Mel, and I’m female… and feminist. She’s also taking Emma-Jane Hogbin’s suggestion to create an award for girls in [...]

]]> By: Bonnie http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/comment-page-1/#comment-2830 Bonnie Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:26:01 +0000 http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/#comment-2830 It's interesting to read this, because my experience in being gendered has been markedly different than yours. I've never had the benefit of "androgyny" in my backpack of privilege. I'm not just Bonnie-shaped but distinctly female-shaped, and the physical parts of my identity have always been based on that. Particularly through my church, I've grown up in a society that has distinct gender roles and expectations. On the other hand, I was never given "femininity" in a backpack of limitations. It doesn't make me better or worse in general, but it does make me and my perspective different from nerd-culture's standard. It’s interesting to read this, because my experience in being gendered has been markedly different than yours. I’ve never had the benefit of “androgyny” in my backpack of privilege. I’m not just Bonnie-shaped but distinctly female-shaped, and the physical parts of my identity have always been based on that. Particularly through my church, I’ve grown up in a society that has distinct gender roles and expectations.

On the other hand, I was never given “femininity” in a backpack of limitations. It doesn’t make me better or worse in general, but it does make me and my perspective different from nerd-culture’s standard.

]]> By: erin http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/comment-page-1/#comment-2817 erin Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:59:06 +0000 http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/#comment-2817 oh my goodness, it's like there's a convergence of the force... now that you've posted this, I have to make a blog post that has stayed in draft form for about 4 days now... the whole thing is a big thought, isn't it? oh my goodness, it’s like there’s a convergence of the force… now that you’ve posted this, I have to make a blog post that has stayed in draft form for about 4 days now…

the whole thing is a big thought, isn’t it?

]]> By: Brenda http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/comment-page-1/#comment-2815 Brenda Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:13:02 +0000 http://blog.melchua.com/2009/09/29/hi-my-name-is-mel-and-im-female-and-feminist/#comment-2815 and also -- you're deaf? (or Deaf?).. i was trying to guess, and used a few bits of common signlanguage when we met in Wellington, but didn't get recognition from you -- so stuck to voice. My hearing's pretty crap, and most of my immediate family use signlanguage -- but generally i don't think my colleagues even notice. and also — you’re deaf? (or Deaf?).. i was trying to guess, and used a few bits of common signlanguage when we met in Wellington, but didn’t get recognition from you — so stuck to voice.

My hearing’s pretty crap, and most of my immediate family use signlanguage — but generally i don’t think my colleagues even notice.

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