Seizing Flitting Thoughts

Amazing campaign! latentpower: awkwardsituationist: cambridge...

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:35:19 +0300

Amazing campaign!

latentpower:

awkwardsituationist:

cambridge university students were asked on campus why they needed feminism. here are 60 answers. click the link for over about 600 more.

This is amazing

Twitter vs Female Protagonists in Video Games

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:49:26 +0300

Twitter vs Female Protagonists in Video Games:

There is a huge discussion on Twitter and Tumblr about the lack of female protagonists in video games. Most of the comments are very negative, often offensive and almost in all its entirety mysoginistic.

The most awesome quote in defence of the original message (that gaming industry does often lack female characters) is this one:

The patriarchy is not a bunch of men sitting around a table cackling about all the ways they can torment women. It’s a system of power designed to keep men in power and benefit us (men) while disenfranchising and marginalising women. And BECAUSE it benefits us we’re trained from birth, consciously and unconsciously, to perpetuate it and defend it whenever it’s under attack. Like thinking the terrible representation of women in all media isn’t “an issue” and thinking that anyone who points it out is looking for problems that don’t exist. (by extranintrovert)

extraintrovert:

feeshgroper:

gxesio:

feeshgroper:

femfreq:

Thanks #XboxOne #E3 press conference for revealing to us exactly zero games featuring a female protagonist for the next generation.

— Feminist Frequency (@femfreq)

June 10, 2013

Above is a tweet I made this afternoon in reaction to the fact that none of the games…

“Having a female protagonist just for the sake of having one is just as bad as not having one at all.”
Responses 32, 34, 39, 40, and 41 are all very valid and nonsexist points to make. Most of these points were nonsexist actually, and really only prove that the people who know of Feminist Frequency are getting tired of hearing her trivial complaints.
11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24,and 50 are also nonsexist, ~~and valid in my book.~~

She tweeted this. They had to be following her on twitter in order to see it, or someone who was following her retweeted her or otherwise shared this with them. She isn’t going up to them and bugging them, she’s just saying it in her own corner where people who want to hear what she has to say can go look at it.

These people are attacking her for pointing out a pattern. She isn’t saying any of the new games announced are bad for not having playable women, she’s just saying that the pattern of none of them having playable women when 48% of gamers are women is existent, and letting you fill in the blank that she also thinks it a problem.
She’s not being attacked in response to her attacking them, she’s being attacked because she’s a women expressing herself in the realm of video games, a realm commonly seen as a “boy’s club” where many people like the responders try to violently uphold a “no girls allowed” rule.
It’s not even so much what each individual reply has to say, it’s that within an hour she got 50 negative responses.

The reason she got so many negative responses in an hour is not because of any misogynistic “boys club” attitude, but rather because most people realize that This is not an issue. the gender imbalance in video games is and always has been prevalent, but it is not due to some patriarchal scheme. It’s just a matter of story. When a game designer wants to make a game, they decide the gender of the character based on what fits in their story.

Most likely, the reason so many people got upset about this and attacked her is that they feel she is attacking them by indirectly making accusations of sexism.

She was not “pointing out a pattern”. That implies that she was not expressing an opinion on the statistic. she was outright claiming that this was a sexist issue that needed to be addressed.

Feminists think that they are verbally attacked by men
“because of their gender”, but often they are actually being attacked because they threw the first blow. Looking for, and finding, sexism where there is none is a serious issue in the feminist community. Feminist attacks on the video game industry for this “gender imbalance” WILL cause retaliatory attacks from people who believe that there is no sexism in the choosing of protagonists.

“The reason she got so many negative responses in an hour is not because of any misogynistic “boys club” attitude, but rather because most people realize that This is not an issue.”

1. Any women who dares to point out lack of representation and sexist tropes in media unfailingly becomes the victim of a wave of insults and personal attacks just like this. Of course misogyny is at work.

2. Representation is important. Regardless of the particular marginalised group, lack of representation is one of the many methods used to exclude them from the social narrative and pretend that they aren’t important. It’s why video games (and all media) have such a stunning lack of POC characters, queer characters, disabled characters, trans* characters etc.

”[…]the gender imbalance in video games is and always has been prevalent, but it is not due to some patriarchal scheme.”

The patriarchy is not a bunch of men sitting around a table cackling about all the ways they can torment women. It’s a system of power designed to keep men in power and benefit us while disenfranchising and marginalising women. And BECAUSE it benefits us we’re trained from birth, consciously and unconsciously, to perpetuate it and defend it whenever it’s under attack. Like thinking the terrible representation of women in all media isn’t “an issue” and thinking that anyone who points it out is looking for problems that don’t exist.

“It’s just a matter of story. When a game designer wants to make a game, they decide the gender of the character based on what fits in their story.”

This is the most laughably stupid thing I’ve read all day, including the above tweets. There is almost no game that would be fundamentally altered by changing the gender of the main character/s, and when the overwhelming majority of main characters just happen to be male - and white cis straight males in particular - it isn’t “a matter of story”, it’s oppression in action. A particular game designer might not be sexist for not making any female characters, but when the exact same trend is repeated all across the industry it’s oppression in action.

“Feminist attacks on the video game industry[…]”

How the absolute fuck you equate criticism=attack is exactly why toxic shit like those tweets is so common. Video games are not some flawless divine gift that can never be improved, especially when it comes to representation.

”[…]for this “gender imbalance” WILL cause retaliatory attacks from people who believe that there is no sexism in the choosing of protagonists.”

You mean that people who refuse to acknowledge sexism will insult and demean anyone who points it out? WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?

“Marketing to Millennials” - this video summarizes...

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:58:53 +0300

“Marketing to Millennials” - this video summarizes in 2 min what we basically know or suspect about the 17-35 year-olds as a demographic, particularly in US. My favorite quotes are:

“You might try reaching me out through your own channels, but I am my own channel”

“I’m willing to pay a bit extra for a good cause but I’ll sacrifice my principles for a good deal”

“You can’t rely on my loyalty but if you reward me, I’ll seek you out”

“I’m a Millennial and I’m an enigma. I’m a moving target”

hellogiggles: WOMEN AND HYPER-SEXISM IN HIP HOP by From Our...

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:10:16 +0300

hellogiggles:

WOMEN AND HYPER-SEXISM IN HIP HOP

by From Our Readers

http://bit.ly/18LAHYg

I’ve been troubled by sexist lyrics in hip hop and r’n’b music for a while.

While the article linked above is not very comprehensive it does make a point I agree with: these types of songs promote sexism and misogyny but they’ve become such a big part of popular culture that most don’t mind or don’t even bother to care.

I believe in freedom of artistic expression but songs about “bitches and hoes” that sexualize women do bother me. Just like the article behind the link above says: these songs promote the image of women as exclusively sexual objects and encourage women to want to act in a sexual way because being desirable is the only way to be noticed and liked by the opposite gender.

I understand that this type of narrative is bread and butter of these music genres but I do think we should be more critical of their songs’ content. An isolated instance here and there wouldn’t bother me as much as a whole music genre dedicated to promoting an image of men as dominating pimps and women as submissive “hoes” with “big booties”.

“Ain’t got no/I got life” by Nina Simone is my...

Thu, 30 May 2013 15:02:12 +0300

“Ain’t got no/I got life” by Nina Simone is my go-to mood-lifting soundtrack at the moment.

In Defence of the Dove Campaign

Wed, 29 May 2013 16:16:26 +0300

I recently bumped into an article in Business Insider (originally published in Scientific American) with a provocative title “You Are Less Beautiful Than You Think” .

The article relates to Dove’s recent viral campaign, whose message was: “You are more beautiful than you think you are”. The article in question seeks to counter that point by writing a detailed account of studies that prove the opposite - that human beings in fact tend to overestimate everything from their appearances to their generosity or their likelihood of voting in the next elections.

While that point might be true in general, the article completely misses the point of Dove’s campaign in a pretty appalling way. Dove was not trying to scientifically prove beyond a shadow of doubt that all women think they are less attractive than they really are. Their message was about confidence and empowerment. They were trying to counter all of the media messages women are bombarded with about how we are imperfect and, handily to advertisers, how that can be improved with make-up, diets, clothes etc.

It was a beautiful campaign with a strong message that women around the world could identify with: stop concentrating on all your flaws, don’t listen to magazines saying your chin is too square or your cheekbones too wide. You are beautiful and others around you see that while you often don’t!

Scientific American’s criticism here is completely misplaced. Perhaps the content itself has some point - it’s good to know that we generally tend to think of ourselves as “above average”. But that message does not belong in the context of the Dove campaign because most women *are* insecure about their body image.

The fact that people prefer to identify themselves with more attractive images, as the article suggests, does not mean that we think of ourselves as more beautiful than we are. It’s most often the opposite and that’s what Dove’s campaign reveals. Criticizing that with a headline that implies “stop fooling yourself: you’re ugly” is misguided.

"Value is a perception, not a calculation."

Mon, 27 May 2013 14:35:04 +0300

“Value is a perception, not a calculation.”

- Simon Sinek, “Start With Why”

Oh my, has it been already more than a decade?!...

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:32:26 +0300

Oh my, has it been already more than a decade?! O.o

laughingsquid:

Remember 2002, A Compilation of Popular Songs, Movies, Shows, and More From the Year 2002

“Debating can change your life” - an eloquent and...

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:01:24 +0300

“Debating can change your life” - an eloquent and deeply touching presentation by one of the most passionate advocates of debating I know - Lucinda David.

Debating has definitely changed my life for the better. It has given me voice, confidence, ability to construct logical arguments to defend my views and challenge opposing viewpoints with constructive criticism. It’s a skills I can always fall back on, be it informal discussions with friends, formal presentations, negotiations or online interaction with friends and complete strangers.

Helsinki has two active debating societies: Helsinki Debating Society and Aalto Debating Society that have weekly meetings and bi-weekly workshops held during the term-time. Come join one of their events and see what’s it like for yourself (no one forces anyone to debate, don’t worry ;)

There are some awesome resources online too, like International Debate Education Association (IDEA) or debate videos by Intelligence Squared.

A spot-on TED Talk explaining why men should care about gender...

Wed, 08 May 2013 19:02:50 +0300

A spot-on TED Talk explaining why men should care about gender issues and what can we do in our daily lives to make a difference.

“Caring deeply is not enough to break the implicit silence on abusive behavior”.

Belieb It, Or Not: Excellent Advice on How to Own Your Publicity Mishaps

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:20:35 +0300

While I am not a belieber, I am a big fan of communications and public relations. That’s why I found this blogpost reviewing Justin Bieber’s mishap at Anne Frank House so spot-on excellent.

The author advises how Bieber could actually turn around the negative publicity into something positive and use his fame to eventually become a spokesperson for tolerance and against bullying among today’s youth.

How?

Well, he could start with an op-ed in the kinds of magazines his fans read or on the websites they frequent. I won’t write the whole thing for him, but something like this:

Words fail after coming out of the Anne Frank House and learning about her story. They certainly failed me. But thinking about it more, here’s what the visit meant to me, and some lessons we can all learn…

…On Anne’s bedroom wall she had pictures torn from entertainment magazines of her day. They featured Greta Garbo, Ginger Rogers and others. Her room, hidden behind a secret door, so the Nazis wouldn’t find her and kill her, was a room that looked like that of any other girl her age. Anne wasn’t all that different from you, or from me…

…Would Anne have been a Belieber? Who knows. I know this though. I am now, and always will be, a fan of hers. And in her memory, we must all do more to stop senseless hate. That is the final lesson of Anne Frank. The way Miep Gies and others helped them hide and kept them alive. The stories of Danish Jewry being smuggled to safety under cover of night is another. Good people can fight evil; they can, and they did. They are an inspiration, and a challenge for us going forward.

Because there is still hate in the world. What are we doing about it?

Later, Bieber could talk about this, in interviews, or when he meets with young fans. He cold even take to Capitol Hill, or state legislatures, to testify about hate or bullying.

How To Avoid Seeming Creepy Online

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:02:38 +0300

Sometime ago I was approached on LinkedIn by a stranger. We have never met in real life or interacted online - the only connection he had to me was a LinkedIn group we shared together (though I do not recall any conversation we shared in that group). The message I received was brief and odd:

“Curious to know you more…I am new in finland.
nice to make some new contacts :)
cheers”

“Weird”, thought I but decided to look closer. The person’s LinkedIn account claimed he was a manager at a big Finnish company (a position he’s held for the last 10 months, so he was not a complete newbie to Finland). Previous experiences also included prestigious positions in global corporations, he had recommendations - everything looked legitimate.

Though I found his message odd, I decided to give him the benefit of doubt and inquire what information he was looking for - perhaps he was just a bit socially inept but was genuinly looking for some insights. So I responded briefly asking if he could specify what kind of information he was looking for. To which I got:

”Thanks for your message. well anything to everything what you would like to share :)
no worries about inbox! or if you are based in helsinki a coffee as well :) cheers”

Now I was definitely feeling uncomfortable. Messages from an unknown male twice my age with lots of smileys and no specific purpose are creepy and sound like a poor attempt at picking someone up.

While I trust most people to know better, this exchange made me note two things:

1) Know the platform you are communicating on.
LinkedIn is not a place to hit on someone. In fact, most social media aren’t. If you feel an urge to look for a soul-mate or even for a new friend there are dedicated platforms for that.

2) Don’t be creepy.
If you are genuinely looking for information from a person you don’t know, explain to them briefly what it is you’re looking for and why. If the LinkedIn penpal described here was actually not creepy at all and genuinely looking for some info, he did a terrible job communicating that. Even if your inquiry is general, try to describe it as concretely as possible. Unless your inquiry involves asking someone out - in which case, refer to point 1 above.

Bitcoin is increasingly talked about in the media but often not...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:12:41 +0300

Bitcoin is increasingly talked about in the media but often not really explained for an average person. Here’s a quick visual explanation of what it is and how it works.

Here is also a great article by The Economist on Bitcoin’s influence on the financial world.

"My most valuable possession is also my most valued possession. It costs nothing, and everyone has..."

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:02:13 +0300

“My most valuable possession is also my most valued possession. It costs nothing, and everyone has one: my reputation.”

- Richard Branson

Found in an excellent opinion piece by Richard Branson on the importance of building reputation for yourself as well as your company, online and offline.

20 ideas of things to share on social media

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:27:20 +0300

20 ideas of things to share on social media :

If you are active on social media or are handling a social media account for your company or organization, you are probably familiar with the excruciating pain of not knowing what to share. There are many nuances to the social media strategy: what topics are you going to cover, what voice are you going to take, how often to post etc.

But once you have answers to these big questions you might still wonder what type of content to post that your followers would actually care about. The link above gives a good starting point of things you could look into.

Twitter for Business

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:28:27 +0300

This week Twitter launched their business pages: an awesome resource for companies who are just starting out or considering to use Twitter. Turns out, an average user follows around 6 brands and large percentages of users look for specific content from the brands they follow like freebies or exclusives. I wouldn’t recommend using Twitter to continuously sell your stuff but these numbers serve as a good argument in favor of Twitter presence for businesses.

"Stories only happen to people who can tell them."

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:45:28 +0200

“Stories only happen to people who can tell them.”

- Allan Gurganus, Americam novelist, short-story writer and essayist.

Visualization + Recipes = Omnomnom!

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:01:01 +0200

I love visualizations for their ability to easily explain complex data. Applying visualizations to recipes is brilliant: cookbooks with long texts often don’t make sense to me and are totally uninspiring. That’s why I absolutely adore this compilation of 20 recipes by Visually.

Egg-Combination Generator infographic

Do Not Underestimate the Power of PR

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:30:38 +0200

Do Not Underestimate the Power of PR:

Wrote a guest blogpost on ArcticStartup about public relations in the startup context.

oneman: (via “Like Us” cartoon | Tom Fishburne:...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:01:14 +0200

oneman:

(via “Like Us” cartoon | Tom Fishburne: Marketoonist)

How not to do social media outreach.