Reputation System Discontinued for now - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

the phantom · 08-16-2007, 10:54 AM

1.019692716

I was pretty even. Go me.

So, why the difference between males and females?

Maybe we have, by pure chance, a handful of rep-hoarders who just happen to be primarily male and a handful of rep-gushers who just happen to be primarily female.

But no one likes to hear that kind of explanation for data. It takes the fun out of it.

Okay, so a different explanation... Maybe the women just click on more threads than we guys do, and read more of the posts than us. I don't know about the rest of you gentlemen, but I generally skim new thread titles, and only click it if it grabs my attention. Then I read the first post, and I continue reading the thread only if the first post gets me interested. If the discussion stops entertaining me, then I'll stop reading right there.

If I make it to the end of the thread, then chances are I'm interested enough in the topic to have an opinion of my own, and so I post. (this isn't always the case, but generally)

And once you post in a thread, you keep up with it. Every time you hop onto the Downs, you make a point of checking the threads you're actively posting on. So, that essentially means that the only threads that exist are the ones you post on. And if that is the case, you will only give rep to people posting on those few threads. But they will be repping you as well, so the rep balances. But a rep surplus can be achieved by receiving rep from outsiders- members who aren't really involved in the back-and-forth on the thread, but who read it just the same.

Now, I have no scientific evidence for this, but it seems to me that a lady is more likely than a gentleman to read through every thread at least once. It's sort of like my group of friends and our relationship with restaurants. The girls are always suggesting places we haven't been before, or places that have recently opened. The guys, on the other hand, are more than happy to go the same familiar and comfortable place every week.

I've said all that to say this....

The male-female difference might just be a coincidence.

08-16-2007, 10:54 AM	#13
the phantom Beloved Shadow Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: The Stadium Posts: 5,971	1.019692716 I was pretty even. Go me. So, why the difference between males and females? Maybe we have, by pure chance, a handful of rep-hoarders who just happen to be primarily male and a handful of rep-gushers who just happen to be primarily female. But no one likes to hear that kind of explanation for data. It takes the fun out of it. Okay, so a different explanation... Maybe the women just click on more threads than we guys do, and read more of the posts than us. I don't know about the rest of you gentlemen, but I generally skim new thread titles, and only click it if it grabs my attention. Then I read the first post, and I continue reading the thread only if the first post gets me interested. If the discussion stops entertaining me, then I'll stop reading right there. If I make it to the end of the thread, then chances are I'm interested enough in the topic to have an opinion of my own, and so I post. (this isn't always the case, but generally) And once you post in a thread, you keep up with it. Every time you hop onto the Downs, you make a point of checking the threads you're actively posting on. So, that essentially means that the only threads that exist are the ones you post on. And if that is the case, you will only give rep to people posting on those few threads. But they will be repping you as well, so the rep balances. But a rep surplus can be achieved by receiving rep from outsiders- members who aren't really involved in the back-and-forth on the thread, but who read it just the same. Now, I have no scientific evidence for this, but it seems to me that a lady is more likely than a gentleman to read through every thread at least once. It's sort of like my group of friends and our relationship with restaurants. The girls are always suggesting places we haven't been before, or places that have recently opened. The guys, on the other hand, are more than happy to go the same familiar and comfortable place every week. I've said all that to say this.... The male-female difference might just be a coincidence. __________________ the phantom has posted. This thread is now important. Last edited by the phantom; 08-16-2007 at 10:37 PM.