Gender Identification Requirement! Why?

[sesame]

We like to hide our faces and crotches!
... from the judging eyes of society (which is so full of shit)

[sesame]

In this world, especially over the fictitious Internet, everyone is for themselves and everything is so very temporary! Love, friendship, enmity, fame, notoriety... everything is false and worth two days. So revealing everything about yourself for one glimpse of a mask (not the real thing even) is infinitely foolish.

What do you say?

[ila]

Originally Posted by sesame

In this world, especially over the fictitious Internet, everyone is for themselves and everything is so very temporary! Love, friendship, enmity, fame, notoriety... everything is false and worth two days. So revealing everything about yourself for one glimpse of a mask (not the real thing even) is infinitely foolish.

What do you say?

I'm not averse to showing myself, but after my current avatar the real me would be a big letdown.

Not everything is false. People do reveal themselves on the internet and especially in fora. Of course not everyone reveals their true selves and not everyone that reveals himself/herself will necessarily reveal everything. There are the two ends of the spectrum where on one end a person will reveal nothing and on the other end is the person who will reveal everything. I believe that most people fall into the middle and reveal part of themselves. The question then, dear reader, is where do you fall into? As for me I am in the middle. I have revealed some of who and what I really am, but I have not revealed everything.

[sesame]

I have revealed my opinion, my personality, thats the real me, not my face or the name. And I think thats enough revelation.

As far as our identities go, the webmaster knows all our ip addresses.
That should reveal our locations, computer names and all.
Oh, people, dont freak out so much. He is supposed to keep that secret.
Aint it, Mr. Webmaster?

[SHEMALE_SEEKER]

Originally Posted by ila

I'm not averse to showing myself, but after my current avatar the real me would be a big letdown.

Not sure about that, from what I've seen so far, you sound like a very nice person, so please don't say that about yourself.

[TheSkronkDonkey]

I did, and still do, regard the mandatory requirement of specifying gender as an infringement on privacy / liberty. For a while, I decided not to specify my gender, especially after I'd already been a member, and suddenly had this requirement thrust upon me, which meant I couldn't view the board and was clearly barred from any way of contributing. This seemed outrageous to me. In the end, I relented and put my gender up, as it's no big personal deal to me, but on principle, I almost never relented and came back. I do think this policy should be rescinded -- or at least revised. The idea of having an "undisclosed" option is an excellent idea.

[GRH]

Originally Posted by sesame

In this world, especially over the fictitious Internet, everyone is for themselves and everything is so very temporary! Love, friendship, enmity, fame, notoriety... everything is false and worth two days. So revealing everything about yourself for one glimpse of a mask (not the real thing even) is infinitely foolish.

What do you say?

Alas Sesame, you speak truth...For all I know, YOU could be a woman, and for that matter, I could be a perverted old man. This medium of exchange is very temporal and fleeting. That said, it IS a viable means of communicating and exchanging ideas. In my own estimation, I'd rather be as up front as possible, because by being honest up front, we can better understand one another's perspective. This is one reason I don't post pictures of myself or use an avatar...I'd rather be judged by my interactions than by pictures...But for whatever lack that creates, I am pretty honest about where I live and other mundry details of my life.

As you have proven, pictures are largely irrelevant to who we actually are. In the case of ila, I must admit, your own avatar has thrown me on more than one occasion. That said, I've never bothered to look at your "Gender Tag" but it just goes to show how a picture, or ANY preconception of a person, can go to affect how we interact with them. Ila, I LOVE your avatar, whether you are male or female, but surely you can see where it throws some people. And that you're ok with that makes you that much better in my book. As you suggest, I fear that my own intellect and posting might far surpass my looks in the minds of the fantastical, horny poster. The reality seldom lives up to the fantasy...In ANY pursuit...