At least once a day I have to screen-shot "stupidcuntseverywhereruiningthegame!!!!"-type of comments, directed at me, when usually I was answering a simple question of a newbie (I've been playing my mmo since beta). This is so I can decide whether to report them or not (usually not). And I play one of the most egalitarian games of the game, with actual gay plots, and female military leaders and 30% of the players are women, AND you can get banned instantly for shit like that. I just don't understand what the compulsion is to treat other human beings so badly. What do they get out of it?

Oh, awesome article. I had a similar childhood...raised by my dad along with two brothers, being nerdy and adventurous. I wanted to study physics, but was told by actual science teachers that girls didn't do that, and if I absolutely had to study science I should study botany or psychology. I was so weirdly trusting of adults back then (I guess I still am), that I just went, "OK, I'll study biology in college."
Like you said though, things are changing. I would have no problem going into any field I like if I were coming up now. In fact, I've taken a few planetary science courses lately and was thinking about starting a new career. We'll see. The robots are going to take over everything probably within my lifetime, and even fairly bright meat brains like mine will be useless.

@1 "What do they get out of it?"

The easiest way to make yourself feel bigger is to make another seem smaller.

@1: Just out of curiosity, what vidya is this you speak of?

@4, eso.

@5: Been thinking of playing it. Maybe I'll give it a try one of these days...getting a little burnt out on Skyforge and not sure if I want to really return to SWTOR. I hear it's pretty good?

Great food for thought article. I was also an unapologetic tomboy and nerd until high school, when I did finally embrace more femininity, but mostly through Vampire the Gathering. Recently in the storm of resurgent feminism (which I do agree with for the most part) I've come to realize how much my time as "one of the guys" has colored my outlook to what many women experience as harassment (ie, when I'm walking down the street and a guy asks for a smile, I've never experienced that as harassment, I just always flash a grin and a thumbs up and go about my day). It's been a contemplative time recently.

@7, I guess I can't fault you for that approach, since it works for you. I'm usually reading or thinking about a science problem (it relaxes me, lol), so when someone interrupts what I'm doing, purely for their own gratification, it seems rather...rude, no? Why is my time and autonomy not important? Why can't I just sit there in my own little world, and not have to look maximally-pretty and accessible for a stranger? Women never do that to you, do they? Why not? I guess if you really want to understand why some women view that as harassment, you could try ignoring comments like that a few times and see what happens.

@6, I think it's pretty awesome, but at least partly because I do quite a bit of socializing while we're fighting baddies. I got into it with two good friends, after I had to move out of state, so it's partly how we stay in touch. I think reviews have it at 75-80%. The D&D genre is my least favorite type of game, but it's gorgeous and exciting, and seemingly infinitely complex.