If you can't tell does it matter?

I read a book once and one of the characters was a tomboyish girl (although we weren't sure of that until quite near the end) and one line from that stuck with me:
"If you can't tell does it matter?" I wasn't intending this thread to be about sex or gender - start a new thread for that perhaps if it interests you - but more to celebrate the anonymity of the internet and the power it gives us to be someone else. Or not even that - to be not judged on our appearance. Unless you choose to reveal it, noone can tell your race, gender, age, appearance, or health, and judge you before you start. All that matters is the quality of your contributions. I think it's great to have that freedom, what do you all think?


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Years ago,I taught online with an accredited university. One of the more exciting parts of the experience was I did not know the race of the student, and, often, I did not know the sex. From a male perspective, I had no concerns if I was favoring the prettiest female in the class, for example.   I became disenchanted with online teaching as instructors and students were eventually encouraged to post pictures of themselves. For me, it took away a strong point of online education.

If you can't tell does it matter?

The first thing that occurs to me is the wolf in sheep's clothing?

I guess I like being able to tell. And I also consider the anonymity of the internet to be a liability rather than an asset. I sort of wish every threat made could be tracked to a real sack of meat.

Christopher Weeks wrote:If you can't tell does it matter?

The first thing that occurs to me is the wolf in sheep's clothing?

I guess I like being able to tell. And I also consider the anonymity of the internet to be a liability rather than an asset. I sort of wish every threat made could be tracked to a real sack of meat.

This. People tend to push boundaries - often over a cliff - because they feel too safe in their anonymity.

I'm openly female, have been that way since I first got on the net, I have odd ideas and strange opinions. I have been told on Permies something wouldn't work because I am missing some information I need to know, but I have not ever been told my ideas are wrong just because I'm female. That to me is more important than "If you can't tell, does it matter?" Here people CAN tell, and it doesn't matter. THAT to me is awesome.

John F Dean wrote:Years ago,I taught online with an accredited university. One of the more exciting parts of the experience was I did not know the race of the student, and, often, I did not know the sex.

At my first university we didn't put our names on our examination papers, just our student number. I suppose the examiners could look up the information, but it certainly would have eliminated any unconcious bias. I was a bit surprised when I found out that it wasn't common practice elsewhere.

Christopher Weeks wrote:The first thing that occurs to me is the wolf in sheep's clothing?

I understand your point and feel sad that this is a thing. This happens in 'real life' too - an innocent appearance is not necessarily to be trusted. Conmen are good at their job, however the lack of visual clues does make it easier online for them to pretend to be something they aren't.

Pearl Sutton wrote:I'm openly female, have been that way since I first got on the net, I have odd ideas and strange opinions. I have been told on Permies something wouldn't work because I am missing some information I need to know, but I have not ever been told my ideas are wrong just because I'm female. That to me is more important than "If you can't tell, does it matter?" Here people CAN tell, and it doesn't matter. THAT to me is awesome.

It is awesome and permies also sort of fixes the problems of wolves in sheeps clothing too with earned reputation on permies - from apple count, number of posts, earned titles etc. we can have an idea of how useful a person has shown themselves to be at least in this environment!