Unfortunately, this is way in most internet forums, and especially in BCT. 9 out of 10 (being generous here) posters that have female monikers usually are out to scam other posters, by preying on the weak and impulsive.
Nothing sexist at all in being safe and smart.
I don't know the stats -- I don't frequent the boards where most of these types of scammers hang out (only where the Trojan-peddling scammers hang out), so I'll take your word for it.
I am equally cautious, but there are certain criteria that immediately sets alarm bells off because they're commonly used by scammers. It's not about judging someone because they are female; it's about the same old tired tactics males use to try scam. Is it unfair that we scoff at Nigerian Princess & Nigerian lottery winners? Is it unfair and racist to state that they're likely not a Nigerian and are likely trying to pull a scam? No. Neither is it unfair to state my suspicions are aroused on this case because everything that is happening here is exactly what men who are pretending to be females say and state to make their point. I actually have more respect for women to think that they would behave this way, and it's the pathetic male scammers I am shaming here, not women.
That's a straw man. I'm arguing that calling a woman a scammer because she mentions she is one is not
sufficient cause. You're arguing that individuals who obviously have no legitimate purposes on this forum (Nigerian princes) should be called out as scammers (about which we all agree).
The analogy is inaccurate. Exactly 0% of the world's population today qualify as Nigerian princes. Just under 50% of the world's population are female, and so such a claim (of "I'm a girl") made on the Internet should not be met with such exceptional scrutiny.
In my mind, it comes down to three things.
1. How sure should you be that someone is a scammer before accusing them (or loudly warning others)?
In other words, is it OK to accuse people if you're 90% sure (ChuckBuck's stats) if that also means you end up falsely accusing the other 10%? Should it make a difference if the accusation also has the potential to alienate a lot of others?
2. What kind of evidence is acceptable to use? Simply being a female is clearly not acceptable evidence. Claiming to be a Nigerian prince clearly is acceptable. What about claiming
openly to be a female (different from simply being one)? Is this acceptable to use that as evidence?
3. What are the wider implications?
I don't know or care if fabiola! is a scammer or not, but:
Regardless of the scam%, what does it say about our community if we state that it's not acceptable to claim
openly you are a female here on these forums? (of course, nobody cares if you claim openly you are a male)
Is it important that we, as a community, attempt to be welcoming to the "other 50%", especially given the current imbalance?
What if, in our attempt to be welcoming, we ignore potential scams? What if people lose real funds because they fall for scams about which some of us could have warned them?
There are two sides to this. I don't think hilariousandco (or most of the other individuals in this thread, obvious trolls excluded) are sexist. But I do think the line is often drawn in the wrong place, in a place that makes Bitcoin seem like a nerdy-guys-only club, and that will benefit nobody in the end.
