# The Ubuntu Forum Community > Other Discussion and Support > Ubuntu Women >  Sexism in the ubuntu forum

## cokhavim

hey everyone, 

i'd really like to report something that i find very sexist in the ubuntu forum, but i can't find where to report it.  can anyone help me with this?  

jo

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## DoeRayMe

Sexist, Where?

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## cokhavim

well, to be more specific, there's a user in the forum whose signature i find sexist and offensive, completely in violation of the ubuntu forum guidelines, and definitely not welcoming to women.  at least, that's my opinion.  and i've sent a pm to this user regarding the offense, and this user has refused to do anything about it.  so i'd like to report it.  even if nothing comes of it, i'll feel like i've done my part.

jo

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## aysiu

See the red tv screen? That's how you report posts.

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## linbetwin

What is his/her( :Very Happy: ) signature?

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## Kyral

PM a mod too

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## poptones

You can set your preferences to prevent any (non admin) user's posts from even appearing in threads you view. 

You can also set your preferences to not show ANY sigs, images, or avatars.

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## bored2k

> You can set your preferences to prevent any (non admin) user's posts from even appearing in threads you view. 
> 
> You can also set your preferences to not show ANY sigs, images, or avatars.


Censuring ourselves is not what we're striving for. If the user finds an offensive post/thread/signature, he/she is encouraged to report it privately to  a member of the staff.

As for those asking cokhavim what's the actual offense, let us handle it privately. No need for public gossip.

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## cokhavim

since the "report post" button has a note that says "This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising messages, and problematic (harassment, fighting, or rude) posts" i wasn't sure that that was the appropriate place to report someone's _signature_.  

could i pm one of you staff about it? (ie aysiu, bored2k, etc?).  i fully agree with bored2k about handling things privately.

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## LinuxSwede

> since the "report post" button has a note that says "This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising messages, and problematic (harassment, fighting, or rude) posts" i wasn't sure that that was the appropriate place to report someone's _signature_.  
> 
> could i pm one of you staff about it? (ie aysiu, bored2k, etc?).  i fully agree with bored2k about handling things privately.


Have you mentioned it to the guy who has the offensive comment?

If not, that's probably the first thing you should do.

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## Leif

> Have you mentioned it to the guy who has the offensive comment?
> 
> If not, that's probably the first thing you should do.


read the third post

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## LinuxSwede

> read the third post


Oh, sorry, i missed that completely.

I'd still like to know what the comment was/is though.

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## oxalá

for real. _now_ i'm curious.

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## cokhavim

hey, sorry i haven't updated you all in a while.  the situation was dealt with and the user has changed his/her signature.  thanks for all your moral support!

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## greenway

> could i pm one of you staff about it? (ie aysiu, bored2k, etc?).  i fully agree with bored2k about handling things privately.


Then why starting a thread about it and not just sending a PM to one of the moderators??

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## cokhavim

i didn't know about moderators until someone on this thread suggested i PM them.

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## Ubluntu

I find your name: cokhavim offensive.. Seriously. Who cares what his signature is?

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## blackbeastofaarrgh

Come on... tell us what the signature was. He already changed it... so... (I'm just so curious)

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## nocturn

> I find your name: cokhavim offensive.. Seriously. Who cares what his signature is?


A lot of people do.  The forums are open to everyone and signatures excluding a group based on gender, religion or race are against the guidelines and the spirit of Ubuntu.

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## bored2k

> Come on... tell us what the signature was. He already changed it... so... (I'm just so curious)





> I find your name: cokhavim offensive.. Seriously. Who cares what his signature is?


No one needs to report to you or anyone (expect admins & staff) anything. It's also not a problem if Ubluntu cares of not, as he is not the one responsible for running a clean forum.

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## Double A Ron

> I find your name: cokhavim offensive.. Seriously. Who cares what his signature is?


I don't think that that is a very constuctive comment at all.  Though I'm not sure what the signature said it was obviously enough for a mod to ask them to change it.  If you don't have something constructive to add to a post you shouldn't add anything.

But hey, I'm not a Mod or Admin.

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## linuxden

edit:just realise this thread was 2weeks old...

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## RoninGurl

I have not seen evidence of sexism. On the whole people have treated me with respect and have not given a flying crap what gender I am. They are just people who enjoy technology and are spending their spare time helping others, regardless of whether or not they have ***** and a vagina.

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## opera118

Ok, this topic is old and everything is settled. Good.
Still would I be the only one who don't care what the name of the person was?
I think we should support people who feel insulted or offended somehow by pointing them to moderators and not try to squeeze their concerns out of 'em in public.
I just don't care whatever offended her/him/that, just hope it got solved by itself or through some moderator in private.
Don't quite know how to say this, but this is a wider kind of issue to deal with. If you're offended enough to open a thread about it, and don't write it down black on white in your initial message, maybe you didn't want to say it openly... You gotta respect that, people.

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## earobinson

on the internet no one knows your really a dog

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## elamericano

The mods run a clean forum here. I suspect that the sig wasn't worthy of censorship if it didn't actually contain vulgarity (that would put me in the 'want to know' category.)

Let's face it, the larger the crowd the more tolerance is required for the unintended offence. We're preaching tolerance, right? We've all been on the internet more than 5 minutes, right?

Sorry if it bothered you cokhavim, but if the mods didn't spot it, then you were probably being overly sensitive.

-EA

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## Leif



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## rabidphage

Thread like these will probably never end. I'm curious as to what the signature was..
I guess so is everyone else. I mean we are a linux community we don't keep secrets.
Now tell me what was the offending comment>?? :Wink:

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## tsrjzq

> hey everyone, 
> 
> i'd really like to report something that i find very sexist in the ubuntu forum, but i can't find where to report it.  can anyone help me with this?  
> 
> jo


where is the place to complaint? In these technology forums, I have never see those things, perhaps indeed very few.

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## turdomatic

> hey everyone, 
> 
> i'd really like to report something that i find very sexist in the ubuntu forum, but i can't find where to report it.  can anyone help me with this?  
> 
> jo


Seems to me you're the one being intolerant. Someone who is being sexist is looking for attention. Give it to him and you make it bolder. He's laughing, you're fuming. So who's having a hard time, you, or him? If you let something or someone like this push your buttons, you're letting them control you. Its your choice of course, but if you check out who's hurting, its you - so you're letting him control your life. I say, get over it - stand on your own two feet (if I'm not offending anyone who doesn't have two feet), and don't worry about 'reporting' - isn't that what authoritarians do? (Ohmygosh!!!!! its an anarchist, right here on Ubuntu, whatr're we gonna doooooo????)

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## RavenOfOdin

What the heck is with the "anarchist" remarks?

I really, really, really hate it when Linux gets politicized.

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## towsonu2003

> I really, really, really hate it when Linux gets politicized.


Oh well, everything is political...

Linux is the only socialist OS I've ever known  :Wink:  
Windows -> capitalist+imperialist
BSD -> ? (didnot used it yet)



> I say, get over it - stand on your own two feet (if I'm not offending anyone who doesn't have two feet), and don't worry about 'reporting' - isn't that what authoritarians do? (Ohmygosh!!!!! its an anarchist, right here on Ubuntu, whatr're we gonna doooooo????)


as for turdomatic's flaming of the OP, I think turdomatic is a little confused about anarchism and all that  :Wink:  He seems to have lost the boundary between the standard American individualism and the anarchist stance against hierarchy. 

Recommended reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchi...m_and_feminism (as source for other resources)

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## g2devi

My own thoughts on the sexism/tolerance issue is that the whole "reporting abuses" comes with the attitude, "I'm right. You're wrong. Measure up to my standards or else.".

This might not be the most ideal approach or the approach that is closest to the Ubuntu spirit.

My own thoughts are that the best approach is simply to have a conversation with the person with respect and an open mind (even if the other side does not reciprocate). 

Whenever such "abuses" are encountered, I see the following possibilities and outcomes.

(1) The "abuser" really does have a toxic attitude and the "abuse" really is an abuse. In this case, firm respect and being open might help make this person a little less toxic (Congratulations if this happens!). If nothing else, you'll be able to be confident that you were right and will help build a care against this person and be able to more strongly support others who are affected by the toxicity.

(2) The "abuser" said something that comes across as toxic to most people but wasn't meant to be. In this case, firm respect and being open lowers this person's defenses and makes it easier for the person to apologize (instead of denying and causing a stink). Congratulations you've help clear up the "abuser"'s reputation and made the forums fun again.

(3) The "abuse" really wasn't an abuse. You misunderstood the context and were being overly sensitive in a way most people would not be. (It happens to all of us. Our past experiences can cloud our judgement) In this case, talking about it with respect and openmindedness can help change your perspective and help make you more tolerant. Congratulations! You've learnt something!

(4) A little bit of (1), (2), and (3). In this case, the "abuse" likely isn't that big and the "offense" isn't that big either, but talking about it can get both sides to be more sensitive to one another. Congratulations, you've made the world a bit more tolerant and sensitive!

(5) The "abuse" is actually a sign of respect or reverance in some culture, but is offensive in your own. This is the toughest one to deal with because both are right. The simplest example of this is the Spanish word for "you", which can either be written as "tu" (informal) or "usted" (formal). In some (formal) countries, if a man uses "tu" with a female coworker or stranger, it would be presumptuously offensive unless that woman were his girlfriend or close family. In other (close knit) countries, it would be arrogantly offensive unless the woman her his boss or lowly servant. The english equivalent of this cultural divide is the use of first names versus "Ms/Mr Lastname". Anyway, in this case, respect and openmindedness can help both sides realize that there's another way to see the world. Congratulations, you've both just learned something and experienced the cultural spice of life that makes the world an interesting place!

Anyway, I just wanted to share an approach and attitude that has worked well with my own life.

--Robert

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## RavenOfOdin

> Oh well, everything is political...


Actually, no. 
Not unless you spend all your time trolling the Yahoo! boards with some stupid name like "101st_kb_regiment" looking for whatever threads you can vent your stored up anger on.

Personally, I see that line as an excuse and nothing more.




> Linux is the only socialist OS I've ever known  
> Windows -> capitalist+imperialist
> BSD -> ? (didnot used it yet)


You actually categorize operating systems in this manner? You have to be kidding me. Its SOFTWARE, for crying out loud.  I wasn't under the impression that the spirit of Linux was or should EVER have been one of Stalinist Russia.

I think I'll stop posting here. . .this place is just a little too on the hippie side for my taste.

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## The Kwerv

wow...all this mind-dribble over a simple "bad-joke" signature.

im off to hack...

(too many cigs)

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## tsrjzq

oh, this thread is so hot... 
can be a relief from technological things...

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## jdusablon

Long live this thread!

1. Sexism is a strange thing to thwart in a place where women can appear to be men, men can appear to be women, and most have no gender at all, really. It is indeed a crude thing to assume anything about anyone here.

2. I personally find the "Power Puff Girl"-type avatars used so frequently by the admins here to be tasteless and offensive to my taste. Still, I must TOLERATE them, just as I must tolerate bumper stickers with the word s#it in their brilliant statement to the world.

3. The issue of opinion is the only one at stake, since no one is in physical harm here, and the admins take great care to shepard us from flame and flamers. The best policy in these situations is always to ignore the foolish, just as we ignore the spammers and also the know-it-all-but-don't-reallys. There will always be such people and we will always be in their presence.

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## jdusablon

Long live this thread!

1. Sexism is a strange thing to thwart in a place where women can appear to be men, men can appear to be women, and most have no gender at all, really. It is indeed a crude thing to assume anything about anyone here.

2. I personally find the "Power Puff Girl"-type avatars used so frequently by the admins here to be tasteless and offensive to my taste. Still, I must TOLERATE them, just as I must tolerate bumper stickers with the word s#it in their brilliant statement to the world.

3. The issue of opinion is the only one at stake, since no one is in physical harm here, and the admins take great care to shepard us from flame and flamers. The best policy in these situations is always to ignore the foolish, just as we ignore the spammers and also the know-it-all-but-don't-reallys. There will always be such people and we will always be in their presence.

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## seshomaru samma

> Oh well, everything is political...
> 
> Linux is the only socialist OS I've ever known  
> Windows -> capitalist+imperialist
> BSD -> ? (didnot used it yet)


Ubuntu -> Capitalist ( created and supported by a South African Millionaire rather than created by 'the masses')

I'm just following your logic....

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## PingunZ

Seriously, we are arguing about something we don't know.
So plz can someone post the sig  :Wink: 
Btw : Ubuntu is user friendly so its normal that sexism isnt tolerated.
It has nothing to do with ubuntu ...

Grtz PingunZ

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## matthew

I think this thread has outlived its usefulness. I'm closing it since the matter is very old and was dealt with a long time ago.

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