Why can 'practical feminism' not be a sub-board? Or thread?

[ArsenicSoup]

I've been doing some marathon catch-up reading and I know there is a line of argument that theory and practice are indivisible etc but it seems to me that such a section would answer a different demand.

I'm sure there is loads of stuff that has been said that I haven't read though.

Can some of you just answer that point for me? Thanks

Yes Helga that would also be a good idea.

And FFS don't call it something patronising - just call it introduce yourself or something.

But what it did mean was that if there was someone new who had posted in there, that mods, like me, or other regulars knew to be a bit more understanding and a bit more patient if they asked what seems like a basic question. And it also meant we could watch out for the heavy handed who liked to come along and slap down anyone who used slightly incorrect terminology or didn't quite toe the "party line"

Exactly Lemon. (When threads get moved to Classics are they also still on the original board?)

sorry the friendship bench thing wasn't a serious suggestion - there used to be a longrunning thread running in _chat for people who wanted a chat called the friendship bench

Well people do keep asking for reading lists, links Helga so maybe 'Introduce yourself' doesnt cover it but yes it needs to be non-patronising but also convey 'not intimidating'. Tricky....

no they don't arsenic, they effectively move boards

I mean it does need content.

Aha

And actually there are people like Lemon and myself who would post there who are not new to feminism, so 'learner pool' 'nursery slopes' type metaphors or names wouldn't be entirely accurate. I don't mind 'The Shallow End' myself.

do you think it might sound a bit like it only covers "shallow" topics though? or am i overthinking this?

Maybe overthinking just a touch Petula

To be serious, I think the most important thing is that it doesn't sound intimidating.

It could maybe be like some of the other long running threads, such as the Stately Homes one, where there's a long opening post, with links back to previous ones, some links to appropriate resources and then the thread continues?

We already do similar with the pub, a thread along those lines, but with more actual info rather than goats and cannons?

Arsenic I'm coming clean, I'm very new to feminism on here. I've never really looked at political feminism until recently, I've just always wanted equality for people, and think that gender should have a large amount of fuck all to do with the opportunities / treatment you are given in life. However, some of the FWR stuff on here scares me a bit, and as I'm not well read on the topic, I often lurk peeking out from under my blanket

The shallow end is a nice idea I think the bottom line is that in order to promote a little more engagement, some of the better-read (more established) posters could be a little less pointy...!

I would be happy with it, but I would want a big disclaimer at the top saying "if someone is unwelcoming on this thread, please at least advance search them before concluding FWR is full of horrible posters" - and MNHQ, reasonably, have been reluctant to have special rules for given topics/threads in the past.

Good point Yonic, in hindsight I think I would have been a lot less scared if I'd known I could search posters.

If we're going with 'the shallow end' how do you think MNHQ would feel about giving us an armbands emoticon so we could own up to being new?

Incidentally, why the ?

I like your shallow-end metaphor, it sounds lighthearted without being condescending. But… I am confused. Weren't you one of the people being quite critical of the FWR dynamic?

No. I seem to have been mistaken for one. I didn't post on the recent debate until last night.

Celebrating last year's 50th - they let us keep it!

Arsenic I'm coming clean, I'm very new to feminism on here. I've never really looked at political feminism until recently, I've just always wanted equality for people, and think that gender should have a large amount of fuck all to do with the opportunities / treatment you are given in life.

I think that's where a lot of people are starting from Lemon. If they can get together and chat it would be great. And like you say, reading lists etc. I was blearily staggering round the net trying to find stuff for someone at midnight a week ago. It's not easy to know where to start. A lot of stuff is either very theoretical or very specific...

And in a similar way Lemon I read a lot of theoretical feminism and gender theory 20 years ago and don't remember three quarters of it, the other quarter is a bit hazy even. There are lots of us in much the same boat.

That's really nice to hear. I think those who know a little are very aware of how little they know, and how big a topic it is. That can be daunting. That said, FWR is all about having opportunities, freedoms and control of your own choices, so let's damn well have a thread that provides an alternative to the current offering! (Equality for the well-read, and for those yet to read)

The thing is it will only attract posters on to FWR. I'm guessing some will move on to the rest of the board and some won't, but there's no down side for FWR that I can see.

The problem historically is that it all ends up in chat anyway. What was done previously was simply a thread called the paddling pool but with time, it's drifted waaaaay down the boards.

And the problem is - who answers the questions ? You run the risk of the regulars being worried about being too heavy or theory based in their answers and it could end up with tumbleweed blowing through.

I'd quite like to see posters who are a bit worried or whatever having someway of identifying it in their thread title - not in a patronising way but just to alert regulars that perhaps they need to go a little lighter on terminology. I'm more than happy to respond in that spirit but I don't know that I would consistently venture onto another section just to do so.