MetaFilter

What's the deal with your nickname? How did you get it? If your nickname is self-explanatory, then tell everyone when you first started using the internet, and what was the first thing that made you say "wow, this isn't just a place for freaks after all?" Was it a website? Was it an email from a long-lost friend? Go on, spill it.

Science/Skepticism

I often mention in comments that I used to be a scientist. I was raised in a sciencey family - my Dad's a retired Associate Professor in Biochemistry who taught at UC Riverside and later worked (in his retirement) as a lab tech with specialist knowledge in using the Ultracentrifuge, NMR, and a scientific instrument called the French Press that was designed to use pressure differentials to crack open biological cells in solution. He used other interesting instruments, but these were among the most interesting.

His research included photosynthesis, protein synthesis and later, after retirement, contributing to the Human Genome Project. He often complained, when teaching, that "these medical students/biology students don't know how to be respectful to the instruments!"

For myself, I started my young adulthood as a student with a B.S. in Chemistry (and a humanities minor). After I graduated, I was awarded a 3 year Ph.D. track research fellowship at George Washington University in Physical Chemistry. While in grad school I helped prototype two new spectroscopy instruments. One using Raman Spectroscopy, which uses a tricky thing called "virtual quantum states" to get extra information over traditional laser-stimulated emission spectroscopies, and one called Plasmon Spectroscopy, which uses a peculiar characteristic of the reflected intensities of polarized laser light at different angles to determine the thicknesses of different layers of a reflective system (i.e. glass slide-gold monolayer-lipid layer-water). The theoretical behavior of the reflected light is very well characterized by optical physicists. Collecting experimental data allows us to fit to the theory and derive unknown constants, for example, the thickness of the lipid layer, from the data and the behavioral equation. I didn't stay to complete the Ph.D. (I worked on it for and took post-grad coursework for two years) but had I done so, I would ultimately probably have become a PostDoc working in biological sensors and characterizing nanosystems for production and tuning of same.

While I've remained a lay-researcher/scientific scholar (to support, for example, Wikipedia Editing in scientific topics) and a reviewer of medical literature for my own purposes (to learn more and keep tabs on diagnostic and treatment protocols related to my personal medical issues), I joined IT firms for a long career in IT instead of returning to the scientific field. I do keep a hand in research design and research philosophy as well as related academic and scientific community work because it's a hobby for me, and I'm interested in how current thought is proceeding.

Certainly there are others in the world more expert than I at research design, scientific philosophy, and scientific statistics, but I hold my own. I check in, and stay fresh and informed.

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A different way to participate on MetaFilter?

I've had a lot of struggles with how I can successfully participate in commenting on MetaFilter while still feeling like I'm getting enough out of the site and the community to make the microaggressions over my marginalized communities (of which I am a member) worth it.

Since I am deeply invested in most of my communities and it's important to me that I'm understood, I find the sort of entanglement one can get from checking one's favorites (by others) and Recent Activity just too overly fascinating, I'm experimenting with making comments and not following them up and not following Recent Activity for my account. So if you respond to something I've said and you want to make sure I see it, please drop me a note in MeMail or at my Gmail address.

If you don't drop me a note, I hope you aren't surprised that I don't respond.

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Q: What do #IAmTrans and other identity/sexuality/gender/genetics tags on my posts have to do with my posts' topics?
A: It's mostly to do with ideas and proofs of concept around the trans and queer visibility discussions had in May 2015:

• #JuneByLGBTQ? (May 5, 2015)
• #JunebyQueers (May 12, 2015)

I am queer, trans, intersex, bisexual and a member of other often marginalized groups as well. I'm happy to be identified as such publicly and outside of the context of my profile if it's relevant to a discussion in comments on any Metafilter site.
But there are other MetaFilter members who are not as quick as I (and I think they're right to be this way - I'm just wired to be more optimistic that if there is trouble I should be able to defy it or get out of its way) to trust that what happens when I, or any of us, identify as these things will be good or even okay, or, for some, tolerable. So if I post a front page post (FPP) on MetaFilter, I've pledged to tag with these identifications as test cases to see what the reception and reaction, if any, is like, and what its nature may be.

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If you need to reach me, I'm very contactable. My blog is listed up near the top of this profile as my website. You can see my e-mail address here if you're a member and you can also track me down via my Google Profile.

You are welcome to drop me a note if you like, but it's no big deal either way.

I hope you enjoy your stay on MetaFilter.

Also, on the topic of sexual harassment, about which I think MetaFilter has been uncommonly good (in that we have made progress beyond the sexism 101 flamewars that happen a lot of other places), I thought I should provide a list here of resources of folks talking candidly about daily trivial routine sexual harassment:

• Xeni Jardin of Boing Boing talking about it on Google+ - Gina Trapani also chimes in briefly


• Shauna James Ahern talks about everyday verbal abuse on her blog


• University of Maryland School of Engineering study establishes that [feminine] named chat users get 25 times more malicious messages than users with [masculine] or ambiguous names (note original study uses "female" and "male" but feminine/masculine is more accurate usage in social sciences)


• Showcases some absolutely classic Mansplaining by some MeFi users
  


• Jason Alexander offers an actual, effective, he-gets-it apology for making light of gay folk by making a joke that links effeminate behavior with gayness in a way he finds, after thinking about it, quite harmful.


• Elyse's at Skepchick response to some guy at Psychology Today's editorial saying that she wasn't sexually harassed at a conference. MetaFilter thread with many gory details: http://www.metafilter.com/117072/Skepchick-vs-Psychology-Today


• UnWinona talks about routine sexual harassment and threats on routine commuter trips while just trying to read her book.


• Rebecca Watson writes about speaking about sexual harassment in the Skeptic community and then receiving rape threats.


• From this post about a Mom's letter to a programming teacher, a list of common objections to feminist topics and discussions by users on and off metafilter:
  (started here - numbering them in case I need to refer to them again):
  
  "It appears that you are trying to make a complaint about sexual discrimination and/or harassment in the workplace/classroom.
  
  I'm sorry, but your complaint isn't valid and/or will be ignored because":
  
  
  1. (x) Boys will be boys, AMIRITE?
  
  
  2. (x) You did not phrase your complaint politely enough.
  
  
  3. (x) It will only get worse in the "Real World", so you better get used to it.
  
  
  4. (x) It's just as bad for boys.
  
  
  5. (x) You didn't speak up soon enough.
  
  
  6. (x) I wasn't personally there to witness it, so I don't even know if you're making it all up and/or exaggerating.
  
  
  7. (x) Go fix me a sandwich
  
  
  8. (x) You spoke up too soon
  
  
  9. (x) Its not like its really a problem right? Men do just fine without the women they scare away
  
  
  10. (x) The woman in question is insufficiently inhumanly thick skinned and has failed to out-Spock her weak emotions and therefore her complaints are invalid, unlike the men who are harassing her who are immutable forces of nature and also delicate snowflakes that must be protected from any possible insult as well as themselves
  
  
  11. (x) FREE SPEECH MEANS YOUR YOUR SPEECH IS CENSORSHIP BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE IT, THEREFORE WE MUST STAMP IT OUT
  
  
  12. (x) The complainant is not morally pure enough.
  
  
  13. (x) You really should have instead handled this quietly, and by quietly I mean not all all so that I would never have to be confronted with my own fuckwadery
  
  
  14. (x) Why didn't you handle this as loudly and absurdly as possible right from the beginning, because people don't generally do this I've never heard about it so I doubt this is a thing
  
  
  15. (x) Has a male voice chimed in to validate you yet? If not this must just be a mysterious lady thing I don't need to think about, I'll just listen to 4chan style comments instead, they understand me.
  
  
  16. (x) I cannot possibly hear you without a sandwich in my hands
  
  
  17. (x) Oh this tiny stylistic detail is something I'm going to decide was a mistake, therefore everything is.
  
  
  18. (x) YOU RAISED YOUR VOICE??? AND YOU'RE A WOMAN??? INCONCEIVABLE
  
  
  19. (x) I have never faced this issue before, and really only heard about it two minutes ago, but here let me explain all about it to you.
  
  
  20. (x) Can't we all just get along? You pointing out true things about how shitty people are to you is really shitty to them, their precious shittiness must be protected.
  
  
  21. (x) Obviously the complainant is only doing it for attention - complaints can only have worth if all possible applicable rules are complied with in attempting to address the event and the complainant is meekly silent in all other communications about the grievance.
  
  
  22. (x) Well, if following the rules didn't solve the problem the complainant should publicize the issue in an as-yet-undiscovered tone that is firm and assertive but also properly submissive. Unless of course a real person (i.e. a man) is impacted in any way by the publication of the account in which case the complainant should suffer in silence.
  
  
  23. (X) Pointing out my silencing tactic is censorship and a silencing tactic and negates your credibility.
  
  
  24. (x) The complaint is too long.
  
  
  25. (  ) You didn't mention any qualifications, so obviously you have no direct experience in the matter and this was all done for the sake of attention.
  
  
  26. (x) You did mention qualifications, so this is all just a transparent attempt at self-promotion. Nice try, attention thief!
  
  
  27. from this comment: (x) You have failed to remind us of the proper terminology.
  
  
  28. ( ) You have reminded us of the proper terminology, you drama llama.
  
  
  29. (x) In using specialized terminology, you reek of academic elitism and policing.
  
  
  30. ( ) Using simplified terminology is too patronizing.
  
  
  31. (x) Your minority has had too much airtime in this community.
  
  
  32. (x) You have ignored intersectionality.
  
  
  33. ( ) You have applied intersectionality too much to your cause and too little to others'.
  
  
  34. ( ) You have applied intersectionality too lightly to your cause and too much to others'.
  
  
  35. (x) Your viewpoint suffers from too much tunnel vision.
  
  
  36. ( ) Your viewpoint is not focused enough.
  
  
  37. (x) You have only volunteered your own label and have not forcibly identified others.
  
  
  38. (x) Discussing any group is [group]-ist!
  
  
  39. From offsite: (x) Your trauma/issue does not qualify as a real concern.
  
  
  40. (x) You have failed to account for the evolutionary psychology of why men are different from women.
  
  
  41. (x) You have mentioned "rape culture" so clearly your opinion cannot be trusted.
  
  
  42. (x) It's clear that Helen Lewis' Law doesn't exist. Your argument is invalid.
  
  
  43. (x) Your "trigger" does not qualify as anything other than offense outside of your imagination.
  
  
  44. (x) No one really believes in "patriarchy" or "kyriarchy".
  
  
  45. (x) You don't have a real mental illness; you just need to toughen up.
  
  
  46. (x) The real world doesn't have safe spaces so they are of no use to this conversation.
  
  
  47. (x) Tumblr is not a real blog platform. No real journalism or discussion of note happens there.
  
  
  48. (x) Your feminism is really just "new age".
  
  
  49. (x) If you cannot be available 24/7 to participate in this discussion then your opinions are not valid.
  
  
  50. ( ) Your constant attention to this discussion shows that you really just have an axe to grind.
  
  
  51. (x) Your identity politics show that you really just have an axe to grind and are not interested in a real discussion.
  
  
  52. (x) Your failure to map your genitals to your sex and your sex to your gender means that you do not qualify to participate in this conversation.
  
  
  53. (x) Your discussion of your politics or opinions amounts to stifling debate and you will not be respected.
  
  
  54. (x) You have disrespected a man by asking him to step back from this discussion and therefore your perspective is not valid.
  
  
  55. (x) Your concern with "linguistic relativity" paints you as a radical feminist. Because you are axe-grindy, you do not deserve respect.
  
  
  56. (x) Is a trigger warning really necessary here?
  
  
  57. (x) You're just being oversensitive.
  
  
  58. (x) If you are incapable of being rational, your opinion deserves no respect.
  
  
  59. (x) Trigger Warning: Chocolate Malteds discussed in this post!
  
  


• http://www.upworthy.com/some-creepy-dudes-wrote-some-creepy-things-to-this-scientist-so-she-is-calling-them-out-in-public


• A post about the Guardian's item about the @everydaysexism Twitter account.


• Julie Ann Horvath describes the sexism and intimidation behind her GitHub exit


• https://medium.com/p/7ab3e544ae4a


• http://www.xojane.com/issues/walking-while-fat-and-female-or-why-i-dont-care-not-all-men-are-like-that?utm_medium=facebook


• http://gawker.com/asshole-reviewer-convinces-restaurant-to-show-customers-1579492850?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow


• http://whenwomenrefuse.tumblr.com/


• On the invisibility of sexual harassment to most men.


• Nicki Minaj addresses bossy versus bitch.


• 100 incidents in 10 hours of walking in NYC.Comments by Suzanne C.: "A NYC-to-NOLA transplant posted this, and an interesting discussion unfolded. As a New Orleanian, that kind of commentary is both normal and mutual down here. I need to acknowledge people as I walk by them or the house with a simple "How you doin'?" That's our social currency.
  
  But I've lived on the East Coast (and I was a lot skinnier so more conventionally attractive back then) so I know that the comments are not mutual, and I know that thread of fear that comes with such comments. It's a certain chill that weaves into your every movement. I've never felt the same threat down here"


• http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/545/if-you-dont-have-anything-nice-to-say-say-it-in-all-caps


• http://femfreq.tumblr.com/post/109319269825/one-week-of-harassment-on-twitter


• https://www.metafilter.com/151373/Mom-I-asked-did-the-SWAT-team-come-to-your-house


• https://www.metafilter.com/151367/Why-Are-You-So-Angry


• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOFjPET1PEU


• http://girlplague.tumblr.com/post/126794784657/this-is-a-visual-response-to-the-misogynist#notes


• http://www.sbs.com.au/comedy/article/2015/09/25/trouble-stating-your-opinion-internet-while-being-woman


• http://www.upworthy.com/google-tweeted-about-ending-online-harassment-but-it-was-the-next-tweet-that-shut-the-haters-down?c=ufb2


• Emma Watson on sexism in Hollywood


• An ad for an Indian (subcontinental) dating site with verified users, has two Qawwali parties apparently competing/comparing their creeps in a singing/competitive style. I feel like with this, this list may have jumped the shark. What's it going to take to convince you that sexism happens every day to almost every woman on the planet as a matter of course? (Note: I am not a native speaker, nor native to the country involved here and I apologize in advance if I got anything wrong about this particular piece especially.)