I read just the headline and just thought "because you're a woman?".
Clicked through. Yes, this was a woman.
Sad, but predictable.
Why I don't use my real photo when messaging with customers on my website
181–190 of 666 posts
Re: Why I don't use my real photo when messaging with customers on my website
#182Earlier quoted context omitted.
As another surprised guy I'm aware people post bad things on the internet but I wasn't aware of the degree of difference between having a male and female picture as I haven't tried that.
Surprised here also (I'm a guy in my 40s; 25 years online) - I know there are people online with no manners, and I go out of my way not to interact with them, but the sheer level of abuse shown here (and sadly elsewhere too) constantly amazes and upsets me. The obvious thing to do is to remove anonymity from the Internet. However then what do we do about peoples rights[1] to free speech? --- [1] Not every country giv…
> The obvious thing to do is to remove anonymity from the Internet.
That would force this woman to put her real name and photo up there. I could imagine she might not be comfortable with that.
Re: Why I don't use my real photo when messaging with customers on my website
#183Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sexism might be everywhere (going both ways), but this particular case likely isn't sexism. Even if it is, it's not clear whether this is sexism against women or against men (programmers in particular) assumed to be hiding behind pretty woman's photo.
Since the female photos get a significantly higher level of harrassed, how does this not indicate sexism?
They also get a higher level of normal responses. That's also sexism, but "positive" for them. Why don't we talk about this, as well?
Re: Why I don't use my real photo when messaging with customers on my website
#184I don't think you can generalize the results at all, when the product was a "meme generator" for which the target group is reddit, 4chan, etc.
Because inside those groups are some really depressed, miserable and angry lonley single male (teens) who are horny, but got mostly rejection (or beeing ignored) from women in real life ... where they would not even dare to talk to them. But so they built up great anger because of their frustration. So quite some of them go for fantasys of the old ways, where women had no rights, could be used and they would therefore finally get real sex. (rape videos are really liked in some forums)
So actually it surprised me, that there was only so little hateful trolling. But I would have suspected more racism, though.
Re: Why I don't use my real photo when messaging with customers on my website
#185Earlier quoted context omitted.
They are absolutely inexcusable. Website developers should make simpler design rather than make everyone search for close button and consider every user an idiot. Also it can make user feel uncomfortable, as if there is someone behind their back standing and looking what they are doing with the site. This popup is also deceiving users. For example on the screenshot [1] we can see a human user thinking that a real per…
Also it can make user feel uncomfortable, as if there is someone behind their back standing and looking what they are doing with the site. You should check out Inspectlet.
Or hotjar.
Re: Why I don't use my real photo when messaging with customers on my website
#186I can't relate to her post. We use on purpose attractive female profiles for our support chat avatars (our product is a SaaS) and the cases where a user behaves like this are 0.5% and for us not a problem at all, we just ignore them. FYI, we tested a while different pics, female, male, average looking, good looking and we just got the best conversion rates with the above mentioned.
Just wondering, how do the support people feel about being represented by better looking avatars? "Your real face is too ugly, sorry."
It's easy. Don't tell them "Your real face is too ugly, sorry."
If that's what they interpret, sucks for them.
Re: Why I don't use my real photo when messaging with customers on my website
#187Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If you feel that women just are an outlet for your bad feelings, and you somehow can't keep a lid on that - you're a misogynist Do bullies mistreat other kids because they hate children?
Wait, are bullies then mistreating others because they really like them and are just trolling?
The point is that if there is some reason bullies mistreat other children other than hatred of children, maybe there is some reason people mistreat women other than hatred of women.
Re: Why I don't use my real photo when messaging with customers on my website
#188Why would you want to be someone for customer support anyways
Re: Why I don't use my real photo when messaging with customers on my website
#189I always assumed these messages were automated helper bots, I didn't realize they are people on the other end. Now I feel a little bad about being so curt when I use them like I'm searching an FAQ.
Yes, I noticed that people hated when they thought they were talking to a bot. [This is Julia, the OC.] Sometimes I would respond to a sequence of four or five messages from a user, and they would immediately stop messaging, as if they didn’t realize a human was there. I tried that tactic for a while - a user would message me or Rachel some inappropriate demand and I would respond with “Absolutley not.” Many users wo…
Thanks for the article, really good to see, and reaffirm what most of us guessed already.
Might I suggest another round of trials but changing up the message when someone joins? It reads quite like a bot/automated system/interactive FAQ, as others point out.
I know that personally if I join one of those with a bot you can usually get a real human on the other end if you curtly answer questions and voice dissatisfaction with the bot answers (e.g. "this doesn't help") at which point it offers to give a human.
What I'm saying is I wonder how this gender effect would interact with a 'bot-like' variable—if people would react this way if the message was more along the lines of "hi, I'm Rachel and I'm a real human working for…'
Re: Why I don't use my real photo when messaging with customers on my website
#190I don't understand. Why would you ask a random website chat on a date? The chances that you're anywhere near her are nil. Do you intend to fly out to meet her? What is happening in your head, random visitor?
I am male and used to work in a call centre. I apparently have a good voice, and I was repeatedly asked out by random women calling the service desk. I even got a virtual stalker who kept inventing issues and calling daily just to speak with me. Since I am male, I was not threatened but amused, but I can see how a woman would feel vulnerable in the same situation.
>Since I am male, I was not threatened but amused, but I can see how a woman would feel vulnerable in the same situation.
Why ?