Women and Technology course to ‘Storm Wikipedia’ this fall

The Ontario College of Art and Design “is introducing a new course this fall that aims to bring a better gender balance to Wikipedia — not only in its editors but also its content.According to statistics gathered by Wikimedia, the foundation that runs the free online encylopedia, almost 90 per cent of its editors are men.The new university course is Dialogues on Feminism and Technology, a first-of-its-kind collaborative digital course for credit in 16 universities all over the world.The first assignment is called “Storming Wikipedia.” Students in the feminist course will have to write or edit a Wikipedia entry of a prominent woman in science or technology. The idea is to “collaboratively write feminist thinking” into Wikipedia, according to organizers.”

Read more here on the CBC website:http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2013/08/27/toronto-university-course-feminist-wikipedia.html

Blurred Lines and Double Standards

This seems apt to me:

Dear Society,

If you think a woman in a tan vinyl bra and underwear, grabbing her crotch and grinding up on a dance partner is raunchy, trashy, and offensive but you don’t think her dance partner is raunchy, trashy, or offensive as he sings a song about “blurred” lines of consent and propagating rape culture, then you may want to reevaluate your acceptance of double standards and your belief in stereotypes about how men vs. women “should” and are “allowed” to behave.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jill

For those of you who missed it, Dr. Jill is referring to the reactions to Miley Cyrus’s performance with Robin Thicke at the VMAs.