Digg

Digg is a website where people can submit links to interesting things elsewhere on the web, and community members can vote them up or down. It is also claimed to be one of the most sexist websites on the Internet. There are endless discussions over the subject of "Is Digg Sexist?"

Arguments for

(i.e. Digg is sexist)

• Sexist, Sexist and More Sexist: Digg Responds to Fast Company's Women in Web 2.0 (FastCompany.com)

"Do her... Wouldn't do her... Wouldn't do her... Do her... Do her... Wouldn't do her... Wouldn't do her... Ugh, who hasn't done her? Wouldn't do her... Do her... Argghh!"

• Is Digg Sexist? (womensrights.change.org)

"This week my piece, "Top Ten Moments of Feminism in 2008" accrued a mere 180 Diggs in a two-day period. As I watched the story climb, I also watched the commentators that Digg is notorious for come out and speak their minds.

• Digg community responds to the above linked post
• Digg marred by racism, sexism (

You would expect that the Digg community would immediately bury this (that's what I would have thought), but no, the submission got almost 6,000 Diggs and over 600 comments! Let's say you aren't completely appalled by the story that the submission links to, just have a look at the commentary that ensues from the wise masses of Digg: "That's why chicks have faces. For you to blow your load on. Can't get pregnant if it's all over her forehead and chin."

Arguments against

(i.e. Digg is not sexist)

• Is Digg Sexist (pointlessbanter.net)

"She was whining about how her article about the top moments in feminism of 2008 only received 180 diggs in two days, and this must have been due to the male dominated area that is digg. She doesn’t mention how her list sucked or anything. No, her list should have made front page because she made a list."

Incidents

• Women in Web 2.0 comments
• Sexist joke in Diggnation Podcast‎‎

Issues

Digg is a great place to see many of the issues faced by women in geek communities, live and in real time. Links below are to the comments pages for each article.

• Invisibility: articles on women in technology are treated with amazement
  • LinuxChix.org: A linux community of WOMEN!?
• Sexualized environment: a large proportion of highly rated articles on Digg are sexual in nature. Examples include:
  • Women's breasts getting bigger

"Im thinking there is probably just alot more overweight obese girls asking for giant bras. Sorry to ruin the fantasy."

• • Wealthy men give women more orgasms

"Further proof that women are programmed to love money."

• • Awesome trend: girls showing their boobs on Disneyland rides

"An awesome trend would be girls showing me their boobs... everywhere."

• Essentialism: many articles support the idea of gender essentialism
  • Do men and women have different brains?
  • Men's and women's brains are different
  • Why men and women argue differently
  • Genes could explain memory differences between men and women
• Sexist advertising
  • Dell launches Della a 50's version of Dell for the Ladies
• Uncategorized
  • 25 hottest women of business (with pics)
  • If browsers were women