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Thanks
for your note to FEMINIST.COM--and
for thinking of us for your
project. I have answered your
questions below. I hope this
help.
1.
What degree of your involvement
do you have on the Internet,
and what non-net activities
do you run? How are your non-net
activities related to Feminist.com,
and vice versa?
I USE THE INTERNET MOSTLY FOR
ANSWERING EMAILS MOSTLY VIA
"ASK AMY". I RARELY USE IT FOR
SEARCHES AND WHEN I DO THEY
ARE VERY SPECIFIC--FOR INSTANCE
I GO DIRECTLY TO THE NATIONAL
ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS SITE
BECAUSE I WANT TO GET SOME STATISTICS
FOR THEM. I PREFER TO SPEND
MY LIFE OFF LINE AND INTERACTING
WITH PEOPLE VIA FAXES, MEETINGS,
ETC....
MY
ENTIRE LIFE IS FEMINIST AND
MY ENTIRE LIFE IS ABOUT BEING
A NETWORKER--PUTTING PEOPLE
IN TOUCH WITH PLACES, AND VICE
VERSA. SO FEMINIST.COM IS JUST
AN EXTENSION OF THAT.
2. What limitations do you
see in using the Internet as
a medium of communication?
THE BIGGEST LIMITATION--AND
THIS IS BIG--IS THAT THERE IS
NO SENSE OF INTEGRITY OF WHOSE
INFORMATION IS VALID, ETC..
ON THE INTERNET. THEREFORE,
THERE IS ALOT OF FALSE INFORMATION
FLOATING AROUND OUT THERE.
3.
What advantages does the Internet
hold for Feminist.com?
THE ABILITY TO CONNECT WOMEN
IN SMALL TOWNS WITH A NATIONAL
NETWORK AND VICE VERSA. THE
ABILITY TO BE ANONYMOUS FOR
WOMEN WHEN THEY ARE SEARCHING
FOR INFORMATION THAT IS OFTEN
PAINFUL TO TALK ABOUT. AND FEMINIST.COM
INTEGRITY--SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY
TO PUT OUT GOOD RESEARCH FOR
WOMEN WHO NEED IT. AND TO SERVE
AS AN UMBRELLA. MANY WOMEN'S
GROUPS ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO
SMALL FACTIONS. FEMINIST.COM
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THAT
UMBRELLA--TO FUNNEL PEOPLE TO
SPECIFIC ISSUES. TO BE A HUB.
4. There has been a lot of
criticism of the Internet as
a sexist place, due to the proliferation
of pornography and other sites
hostile to women. Do you find
that this is necessarily so?
If yes, Why? If not, why not?
I THINK THAT THE INTERNET IS
SEXIST, MOSTLY BECAUSE IT IS
ANONYMOUS - PEOPLE CAN WRITE
AND SEND THINGS THAT THEY FEEL,
BUT CAN'T SAY. FOR INSTANCE,
IT'S EASIER FOR A PERSON TO
WRITE "I HOPE ALL FEMINISTS
DIE" THAN IT IS TO SAY IT. IT'S
LIKE PEOPLE'S REAL FEELINGS
COME OUT ON THE INTERNET.
AND THERE IS LESS ROOM TO BE
INFLUENCED BY OTHER PEOPLE ON
THE INTERNET. FOR INSTANCE IF
SOMEONE SAYS THAT COMMENT, IT'S
LIKELY THAT SOMEONE STANDING
NEXT TO THEM MIGHT SAY--WHY
DO SAY THAT? WHY DO YOU FEEL
THAT WAY?. ON THE INTERNET YOU
CAN SAY IT AND THEN SIGN-OFF.
AND YOU CAN CHOOSE TO IGNORE
ANY RESPONSE A LOT EASIER. ALSO,
IT'S EASIER TO MAKE THESE COMMENTS
ON THE INTERNET BECAUSE IT'S
DIRECTED AT AN ANONYMOUS PERSON.
FOR INSTANCE, IT'S MUCH HARDER
TO DIRECT AT AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON.
HUMAN CONTACT MAKES IT MORE
PERSONAL. SO YES, I THINK IT'S
MORE SEXIST.
5. What changes would you
recommend, if any, to enable
more feminist activist groups
to use the Internet to communicate?
LESS WASTEFUL THINGS ON THE
INTERNET AND FIND A SPECIFIC
PURPOSE THAT IT CAN SERVE.
Thanks and good luck with your
project.
—Amy
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