from here:
http://www.rabble.ca/comment/1162983/writer-Yup-I-think
How men tend to dominate discussion here, and what to do about it. There is a bit of talk in this previous thread, and there has been some discussion elsewhere as well.
Of course men do it, and the best course of action is to be quiet and let others speak, and to remind others to do so as well.
The other side of course is to listen to what others (women in particular) are saying.
Personally I think think the problem comes down to ego, and the tendency in a space like this to be adversarial. Very often discussions turn into pointing out others' faults and making my points to make myself seem smarter, rather than paying attention to what is really important - the issue at hand, and how to shed light on it for all our benefit.
Not that I have anything against a pointed discussion, but I think it is important to remember to keep in our minds who we are talking to, who might not be speaking or feel intimidated, and that any such discussion should never be mean-spirited.
I think both men and women can fall into arguing from ego, but men definitely excel at it, and are the worst offenders.
As I said in the last thread, I find men discussing men's domination of discussion to be a bit paradoxical, and think the most important thing to do is be silent, but there has been a suggestion that it might be good. At the risk of seeming silly by rambling on this much about it, I am inclined to agree and give it a try.
Writing this quickly, as I am heading up north later today for the next five days, so I'll have plenty of time to practice the silent part.