new thread
I use Skype to communicate, keep in touch with friends and personal contacts. The default Skype gives people who specify their sex but choose not to upload any picture happens to be a grey and white sketch with a ponytail as being female and a grey and white sketch with short hair as being male. Would you assume Skype is trying to make a statement, are they just unaware of how many men have long hair nowadays or did they not give much thought to this matter thinking it would never become an issue? For the record, I changed my sex to female since this photo looked more like me (despite being biologically male). Do you think we ought to contact Skype and ask them to consider a different system regarding sex identification? Subliminal things like this can make an impact on people and society in how a group of people are viewed (not that I care too much what people think of me). I guess if nothing changes then the fact I wear a ponytail makes me female. This will make the matchmaking business more difficult! Haha!
Skype's approach is sensible. The point is to offer a recognisable view across the world. Men with Pony tails are unknown in certain areas and confusion might result - especially if names were in a different language. This is an area when some stereotyping is needed to facilitate communication.
^^ That was my first thought also. When you are dealing with something that is multi-national, you need consistency to keep things as clear as possible. Another example that comes to mind is the standard male and female symbols outside public bathrooms: the male wears pants, the female a skirt. I have been to countries where the men routinely wear ankle-length tunic-like garmets, but the bathroom symbol is still a man wearing pants. Some things are necessary for clarity, and standard (if also stereotypical) symbols/pictures are usually much easier to understand than written language or pictures that are specific to only certain groups of people.
It's unfortunate, but I think UK is right. It's just the way it is and unless it becomes standard for men to have long hair from a young age I don't think it'll ever change.
Neil.
I would lump this in with how bathroom signs for men and women have only a dress as the distinguishing factor, although many women will never wear a dress. I'd guess they're just trying to reinvent the bathroom stall sign because who wants their brain to go to the thoughts of public restrooms when they are about to video chat with someone.