Gender Identification Requirement! Why?

[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...