Tweaking - is it a male thing?

[stwschool]

Just having a debate with my girlfriend about tweaking. Now I've been using Ubuntu since about October judging by my sign-up date here, though I recall starting on 8.04 so maybe September. Anyway, even despite being a relative newbie, I've turned into a tweakaholic. My gnome has gone a bit minimal, with gnome-do providing my dock, auto-hiding to get out the way when I don't need it. My top bar has been stripped to the bare essentials and auto-hides (I even tweaked the speed it does so). I've configured keyboard shortcuts to my favourite apps and now just added swiftfox as firefox is too slow. I've set Expo to come up when I mouse to the bottom right corner. My girlfriend on the other hand, she's happy with a stock ubuntu install with a changed wallpaper. This seems a common thing with most women I know, they'll download a pretty wallpaper or a mouse cursor or free smilies (with free virus) for their (usually windows) machines but beyond that they don't tweak. So is it a male thing?

[Mr-Biscuit]

Being a bit foolish to think that optimizing an operating system is based on a pairing of chromosomes, aren't you?

[Sef]

Some people like to tweak and some don't. Gender does not matter.

[monsterstack]

Logic tells me otherwise, but experience tells me as much as what you suggest. That is, till recently. My girlfriend hardly tweaked her settings at all. But then I showed her KDE for the first time a few weeks ago. She was bamboozled with the range of different tweaking options available. She spent literally hours making everything just perfect for her. She decided she didn't much like KDE after a few days, though, and went back to Gnome. Her laptop has been very much more customised since.

[AlesUbu123]

Being a bit foolish to think that optimizing an operating system is based on a pairing of chromosomes, aren't you?
But there is so much affected by those pairing of chromosomes. X chromosome is a significant part of our genome and having an extra one expectedly has major consequences. Sex chromosome can have a effect on how you comprehend, interpret and react to the world around you. In my experience, I have also noticed that (significantly more, but not all) girls generally like to see computers as a working tool, and not somthing you would tinker with.

[Sand & Mercury]

But there is so much affected by those pairing of chromosomes. X chromosome is a significant part of our genome and having an extra one expectedly has major consequences. Sex chromosome can have a effect on how you comprehend, interpret and react to the world around you. In my experience, I have also noticed that (significantly more, but not all) girls generally like to see computers as a working tool, and not somthing you would tinker with.
I think you hit the nail on the head there.

Is playing with engines a male thing? From what I've seen, generally, it is. Extends to computers and whatnot too. Many stereotypes are based to some degree of truth, though you'll always have exceptions.

My gf runs Ubuntu on her netbook and while she said she's not a fan of how it looks, she's never bothered to change it.

[Ms_Angel_D]

I'm a chick and I'm always tweaking my system. So the answer to your questions in a word is NO.

[Stefanie]

I'm a woman and a tweaker. My openbox is fully customized with shortcuts for every possible action, I have my custom vim keybindings and plugins, I tweak the config files for most apps, I have a nice Conky setup and I wrote a couple of scripts to speed a few things up, most of which run automatically through cron. :popcorn:

[stwschool]

I'm a woman and a tweaker. My openbox is fully customized with shortcuts for every possible action, I have my custom vim keybindings and plugins, I tweak the config files for most apps, I have nice Conky setup and I wrote a couple of scripts to speed a few things up, most of which run automatically through cron. :popcorn:
I think I may have just found my perfect woman!

[wirepuller134]

Our 13 year old daughter takes tweaking to a new level. She has been working with me on control systems so fourth since she was about 5. Every time I look at her computer she has it doing something new. I'm not sure if this is a blessing or a curse....she has already been in trouble with the school IT department (a few times) for trying to fix a few of their computers.

[Corelogik]

I tweak as much as necessary to suit my needs. This was true years ago when I used Windows, is true now on my Mac's and will continue to be true when I move to Ubuntu.

Once I have it setup the way I like it, I don't change it much,..

[Sand & Mercury]

Our 13 year old daughter takes tweaking to a new level. She has been working with me on control systems so fourth since she was about 5. Every time I look at her computer she has it doing something new. I'm not sure if this is a blessing or a curse....she has already been in trouble with the school IT department (a few times) for trying to fix a few of their computers.

Sounds like you did a good job raising that one. :D

[chucky chuckaluck]

it's a reasonable question to ask. even though there's nothing to prevent a woman from tweaking (except having more sense, according to mrs. chuckaluck), gender modeling still exists and it still has an effect on behavior, for both genders. were gender not a factor, activities would reflect a ratio similar to the general populace.

[LightB]

So you're all tweakers here? Get some help! Meth isn't good for you! :lol:

[stwschool]

Our 13 year old daughter takes tweaking to a new level. She has been working with me on control systems so fourth since she was about 5. Every time I look at her computer she has it doing something new. I'm not sure if this is a blessing or a curse....she has already been in trouble with the school IT department (a few times) for trying to fix a few of their computers.
That's a good sign :) I was always in trouble for messing with the computers at school. Also I had a naughty habit of hacking into their frankly ridiculously insecure network and stealing the admin passwords. Memories...

[Skripka]

I think you hit the nail on the head there.

Is playing with engines a male thing? From what I've seen, generally, it is. Extends to computers and whatnot too. Many stereotypes are based to some degree of truth, though you'll always have exceptions.

My gf runs Ubuntu on her netbook and while she said she's not a fan of how it looks, she's never bothered to change it.

Also, people who run linux tend to be a niche population segment, people who tweak their linux tend to be hobbyists who get enjoyment from finding more elegant ways of doing things.

Lay computer users view computers as appliances, and so long as they do what they want when they need them to-they don't care.

[Glucklich]

Tweaking, just like stupidity, knows no gender.

[richg]

That is what I use to think. After having hung out with some female friends when I was divorced, I saw their chemical laboratories, hair dryers, curling irons, lighted mirrors and we males cannot even compare concerning tweaks. They tweak considerable more than males do and they play with some potentially dangerous and sometimes useless chemicals. Many companies know they can sell the female species almost anything.

Rich

[SunnyRabbiera]

I'm a chick and I'm always tweaking my system. So the answer to your questions in a word is NO.

Same here

[geekygirl]

Same here - then again it would also be a safe bet to consider that most of the chicks using this forum in general will all be competent computer users (hey we are using *nix after all!) and don't mind a bit of CLI action and tweaking :P

lol

I get in trouble with our company IT department for doing things to my laptop within their SOE..hehe besides I think they love being able to talk to a chick that actually understands what they mean by 'press any key'....lol

:P

[aysiu]

I'm a male and am not into tweaking for tweaking's sake.

I customize the GUI to be exactly the way I want it... then I just use it that way.

[ibuclaw]

I don't tweak... I've just been work-in-progress ever since I installed Feisty (and have been using update-manager ever since, no CD/reinstallation).

My desktop tends to get monotonous very quickly, so it evolves as I grow (old)...

[Irihapeti]

I'm a female - old enough to be a grandmother (though I'm not one). Sometimes I tweak the *** out of things, and sometimes I don't. So what category does that put me in?

[LightB]

I'm a female - old enough to be a grandmother (though I'm not one). Sometimes I tweak the *** out of things, and sometimes I don't. So what category does that put me in?

Scifi.

[baseface]

someone pass the pookie

[handy]

Most females will out tweak males by far in the domains of cooking, sewing, raising children, housekeeping, gardening, setting up book keeping systems, entering data, verbal communication skills, diplomacy...

Just a few areas I have taken notice of that come to mind at the moment.

[toupeiro]

Most females will out tweak males by far in the domains of cooking, sewing, raising children, housekeeping, gardening, setting up book keeping systems, entering data, verbal communication skills, diplomacy...

Just a few areas I have taken notice of that come to mind at the moment.

o.O

.. thats really all I can think to say without sounding absolutely chauvinistic which is not my intent...

[emeraldgirl08]

I'm a woman and I love to tweak stuff to my satisfaction :)

Usually if a program is defaulted for me then I just have to make a minor adjustment for my personal tastes. I also feel that if you explore a little then whatever monkey wrench happens to pop up- you may be better prepared to fix it!

[amitabhishek]

Nice topic and I almost thought this was a male bastion... :)

Coming back to OP...long back I read in newspaper that men -due to evolutionary compulsions - were more likely to use tools for survival. Women on the other hand would fall for such men who used tools more successfully than the others (pls don't get ideas here) ...because in a way it guaranteed them a better life...Obviously this was true in pre historical times...but those traits seem to be passed on.

I know my geek friends who love show off their desktops to their female colleague hoping to get that attention...that glance.Is there a correlation?...I am not too sure!!!!

[handy]

o.O

.. thats really all I can think to say without sounding absolutely chauvinistic which is not my intent...

Chauvinism involves the concept of belonging to a superior (for whatever reason) group.

The reality that the different sexes, belonging to whatever species, generally have a variety strengths & weaknesses that compliment each other has nothing at all to do with chauvinism of any kind.

Oh, in that other post, I forgot to mention multitasking, the female brain has got it all over the male in that area; to the point of in almost all cases having centers relating to specific abilities in BOTH hemispheres of the brain & a measurably larger connection between the hemispheres.

Which goes a long way to explaining certain female capacities that are most difficult for the tunnel visioned single centered approach of the average male brain.

All very interesting stuff, imho. :)

[AlesUbu123]

I forgot to mention multitasking, the female brain has got it all over the male in that area; to the point of in almost all cases having centers relating to specific abilities in BOTH hemispheres of the brain & a measurably larger connection between the hemispheres
I have to ask my self then - do women make greater use of multitasking capabilities in an operating system? This would be a very interesting study!

[Tipped OuT]

When I saw this thread, I thought by the word "Tweaking" you were refering to the drug reference. Yeah...never mind. :-\"

[handy]

I have to ask my self then - do women make greater use of multitasking capabilities in an operating system? This would be a very interesting study!

From my observations of my wife's use of her computer & also, of customers I had in the past, I tend to think that women do generally make a far greater use of the multitasking abilities of the computer.

Though a definition is really in order here.

What I'm talking about, is the use of multiple programs, & or documents in a session: I see, & used to see, so many things being flicked backwards & forwards through, some that were connected, others that were not. To my male brain, it seems like such a difficult way to work. The male brain, in general sets up its workshop for the job at hand, & really doesn't like to be interrupted. Whereas the female, in general can task switch with ease.

Watching a woman, preparing a meal, whilst talking on the phone, organizing a dinner party, planing what needs to be bought for what she thinks she will prepare for the dinner party, being interrupted by children that want to eat, want to go somewhere, want someone to come for tea, need some help with their homework... & the meal comes out great, & is served for all to enjoy.

If I'm cooking, I prefer to be left alone, would rather not talk or be interrupted, as it makes my job harder! Obviously, I'm no expert cook. lol

Even the male's vision is somewhat tunneled compared to the female's.

It really is quite remarkable, how the combination of a male & female compliment each other in so many ways & can make a more whole dyadic being.

[Wiebelhaus]

Some people like to tweak and some don't. Gender does not matter.

I agree with Sef.

[Wiebelhaus]

When I saw this thread, I thought by the word "Tweaking" you were refering to the drug reference. Yeah...never mind. :-\"

Lol , or Nipples?

[lisati]

That's a good sign :) I was always in trouble for messing with the computers at school. Also I had a naughty habit of hacking into their frankly ridiculously insecure network and stealing the admin passwords. Memories...
At work many years ago I landed a reputation for being able to do some things quickly, using tools on a tape (yes, the mainframe had tape drives) that I "shouldn't" have known about as a guide for the "how to". Initial reaction "fantastic", but when they figured out where I'd got the ideas from, "tut tut tut!"


Chauvinism involves the concept of belonging to a superior (for whatever reason) group.

The reality that the different sexes, belonging to whatever species, generally have a variety strengths & weaknesses that compliment each other has nothing at all to do with chauvinism of any kind.

Oh, in that other post, I forgot to mention multitasking, the female brain has got it all over the male in that area; to the point of in almost all cases having centers relating to specific abilities in BOTH hemispheres of the brain & a measurably larger connection between the hemispheres.

Which goes a long way to explaining certain female capacities that are most difficult for the tunnel visioned single centered approach of the average male brain.

All very interesting stuff, imho. :)
I must admit, this makes sense. Mrs Lisati sometimes expects me to multitask, but I don't always do it too wel: I might be here at the forums, trying to come up with a brilliant answer to a question, occasionally glancing up at the TV, and she expects me to engage in conversation. Sadly, all three activities seem to suffer..... <sighs>

[handy]

I must admit, this makes sense. Mrs Lisati sometimes expects me to multitask, but I don't always do it too wel: I might be here at the forums, trying to come up with a brilliant answer to a question, occasionally glancing up at the TV, and she expects me to engage in conversation. Sadly, all three activities seem to suffer..... <sighs>

It is easy for the young guns to call it a load of rubbish, but it was discovered by surgeons in the 1950's, when they were removing the same piece of brain from both male & female patients, suffering from very severe epilepsy, that the males lost abilities & the females were unaffected...

This was the beginning of science finally catching on to the fact that the male & female brains are made in very different ways.

There are now available many books on the topic, & who knows what information may be available on the net, that covers this subject.

It always seems so funny (ha, ha) to me, that people ever thought that the male & female brains were physiologically or psychologically identical.