Friday, October 26, 2007

Computer Boys

I am taking a computer course. In the classroom there are rows and rows of computers. We each sit behind a computer and beside us there is someone else sitting behind a computer. We have in-class projects that we have to figure out and there is a certain communal mood to the course. People are always leaning over and asking their neighbor if they got theirs to work correctly. Talking and typing are done with equal bursts of fierceness.

But, I have noticed another trend in this course. I wont drag this out-the conclusion is that most sexism is this large swash of subtle grey oppression and not the overt “you are stupid because you are a girl” that we could all sink our claws into.

I was working on my project and I tried one thing and it did not work. This man next to me leaned over and looked at my screen. I must also say that I dont know this person at all. Next thing I knew he was grabbing my keyboard and typing away and then I was pathetically and meekly leaning back and thanking him for helping me.

BUT I didnt ask for help in the first place and had I had 3 more seconds to focus on what I was doing, I know I would have solved my problem without his intervention. Sadly, I thought about this after class for a few hours and came to the absolute conclusion that this keyboard grabbing and immediate assistance just would not have happened if I were a man and I would never ever do that to someone else.

2 comments:

  1. Oh I hate that! I've had that happen before and at the moment it happened I wasn't sure what to think, but afterwards when I had time to think, it was so maddening. I'm sorry that it happened to you. And I do agree that it wouldn't have happened if you were a man. BOOOOO! ;)

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  2. Next time he does that... say "Did I ask for help? NO! So keep your grubby fingers off my computer." And then glare at him for the rest of the class.

    It bugs me to no end when people do that to me and then I stare at them in the end in such a way that they never come near me again.

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