Hiding Behind A Computer

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observation is the amount of men that will log on as women. Jodi Obrien put it best when she states, “Many men say that a common motivation for logging on as a female is because they are fascinated by the unusual amount of attention they receive from other men when they are perceived as women” (http://www.echonyc.com/~women/Issue17/art-obrien.html).
The one major concern that comes to mind is “cyber-rape.” It is apparent what kind of effect this has on people when Amy Bruckman, a doctoral student in the MIT Media Laboratory, states, “Unwanted attention and sexual advances create an uncomfortable atmosphere for women in MUDs, just as they do in real life” (Bruckman, 101). A MUD is defined as a multi-user dungeon or a multi-user Domain. It is a text-based multi-user virtual-reality environment. This is one of many virtual communities which users can enter. “When a person first logs onto a MUD, he or she creates a character’s name and gender, and writes a description of what the ...

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interact without differentiating characteristics to provide a guide for whom to be and how to act? What is reality where ones emotions, future plans, and recipes for interaction are concerned? Much of the current hype about cyberspace implies that the body is a barrier to experiencing a wider range of interactions.
Gender is one of the first means by which persons introduce and represent themselves to others in electronic communications. For instance, one of the most frequently asked questions on bulletin board systems is “are you male or female?” Individuals who evade this question are not considered to be creative mavericks; they are assumed to be hiding something. If someone persists ...

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