Since I don't fit into the two "default" genders I try not to assume other people anymore. I've been calling everyone they for a long time now, lol

I'm female. I don't default. Sometimes people make it obvious with their attitude/writing style, but unless they do, I don't generally think about what gender they are.

While I chose "I'm male and I don't default to any gender", I do have a natural inclination to default male.
Though I sometimes get an inclination that the person is female, despite no evidence, I am generally inclined towards a male default
...but I try my best, not to assume a gender, and I do think that I have begun to weaken my inclinations to default male, because of it.

BTW...
I see some mentioning getting clues from a person's avatar.
Your avatar is, as the word indicates, a representation of yourself ...as is your handle/nick.

Some people use avatars that depict a character of the opposite gender, and sometimes even a handle/nick, that is the name of a character that is of the opposite gender (or that is in the style of a opposite gender character, like a man having "Sailor X", for example) or simply a gender specific name, of the opposite gender.
In those cases, I have decided that I will, in future, refer to them with the gender of their avatar and/or handle/nick, despite clear evidence that they are the other gender.
Why?
Because they made the stupid choice to represent themselves that way.

(the only exception being game avatars, where your character is good at different things, depending on their gender. Then the choice is, at least in part, due to what type of stats and gaming style you prefer. The fact that they are the gender that they are, is then often secondary ...and in those cases, I often end up choosing a female character myself, because they tend to have the stats that I prefer)

...oh and also: I second the requests for including options for those who don't fall into the categories of male or female.

Last edited by zarlan at 10:08 am, Aug 2 2014

I tend to judge based on how they word their comment(s). Sometimes just by the words or phrasing someone uses you can get a good guess at their gender. I know I personally try to use gender neutral avatars and names, even though I am definitely female and don't try very hard to hide that fact when seriously active in a forum or community. It's just that I have found when only casually involved in a forum, especially concerning more "male" oriented topics, your opinions and thoughts are taken more seriously if people don't know you're female.

I try to refer to people with gender neutral pronouns, unless they've openly defined their gender.

If there isn’t any kind of information available I involuntarily presume female.

But if someone doesn’t have their gender visible and I’m curious, there generally other aspects I'd use to refine the guess - writing style, avatar/username, the website, their profile, the subject they’re talking about, the people they know/are 'friends’ with, etc

Having said all of that, I think the process is predominantly unconscious since I never actually find myself crossing a 'step 3: look at _____’ off of some mental ‘how-to verify gender' list o.O

Yeah, that person doesn't have to reply, but in a way that's like saying I made a poll you can vote in, but if you want to reply you can't. (Although I guess you don't have to tell others what you voted, and just explain you're reasoning of what default you pick...)
But what about those who consider themselves both gender or neither genders? The poll is pretty much excluding them.
I mean (I think that would extent to contents too ... like poll options)
I find the no genders or both genders thing to be kind of like being asexual. You may think there's just straight, gay or both, but there's also the option of none. You may think it's just male, or female but there are some that consider themselves both, or none.
(Sorry I should have made that a little more clear in my first edit, but it was 3am ... I was tired >.< )

I also don't mean to derail this topic, but the others option is a valid option to add. (To not exclude anyone.)


Edit
.... on second thought quoting the forum rules to an admin .... I know you know the rules, of course you do, you reinforce them. I don't mean that to come off as an insult lambchopsil. (If taken that way)

Last edited by kitty1826x at 3:34 pm, Aug 2 2014

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Look, it's just a goofy little poll on the internet. I don't think it's looking to satify every single stipulation to how one defines their own gender. If it was, how many options would it need?

I can see it now...




When you see or talk to someone on the internet, which gender do you assume him/her/it/himher to be until you get further clues or confirmations?


I'm male and I default to male
I'm male and I default to female
I'm male and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I'm male and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I'm male and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I'm male and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I'm male and I default to genderqueer
I'm male and I default to hermaphrodite
I'm male and I default to genderless
I'm male and I don't default to any gender

I'm female and I default to male
I'm female and I default to female
I'm female and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I'm female and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I'm female and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I'm female and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I'm female and I default to genderqueer
I'm female and I default to hermaphrodite
I'm female and I default to genderless
I'm female and I don't default to any gender

I'm genderless and I default to male
I'm genderless and I default to female
I'm genderless and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I'm genderless and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I'm genderless and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I'm genderless and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I'm genderless and I default to genderqueer
I'm genderless and I default to hermaphrodite
I'm genderless and I default to genderless
I'm genderless and I don't default to any gender

I'm both and I default to male
I'm both and I default to female
I'm both and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I'm both and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I'm both and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I'm both and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I'm both and I default to genderqueer
I'm both and I default to hermaphrodite
I'm both and I default to genderless
I'm both and I don't default to any gender

I'm a hermaphrodite and I default to male
I'm a hermaphrodite and I default to female
I'm a hermaphrodite and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I'm a hermaphrodite and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I'm a hermaphrodite and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I'm a hermaphrodite and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I'm a hermaphrodite and I default to genderqueer
I'm a hermaphrodite and I default to hermaphrodite
I'm a hermaphrodite and I default to genderless
I'm a hermaphrodite and I don't default to any gender

Oooooh... it's been brought to my attention that I forgot one! So...

I'm genderqueer and I default to male
I'm genderqueer and I default to female
I'm genderqueer and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I'm genderqueer and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I'm genderqueer and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I'm genderqueer and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I'm genderqueer and I default to genderqueer
I'm genderqueer and I default to hermaphrodite
I'm genderqueer and I default to genderless
I'm genderqueer and I don't default to any gender



I'm a male on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear highheels and go by 'Sally', and I default to male
I'm a male on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear highheels and go by 'Sally', and I default to female
I'm a male on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear highheels and go by 'Sally', and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I'm a male on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear highheels and go by 'Sally', and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I'm a male on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear highheels and go by 'Sally', and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I'm a male on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear highheels and go by 'Sally', and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I'm a male on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear highheels and go by 'Sally', and I default to genderqueer
I'm a male on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear highheels and go by 'Sally', and I default to hermaphrodite
I'm a male on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear highheels and go by 'Sally', and I default to genderless
I'm a male on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear highheels and go by 'Sally', and I don't default to any gender

I'm a female on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear combat boots and go by 'Fred', and I default to male
I'm a female on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear combat boots and go by 'Fred', and I default to female
I'm a female on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear combat boots and go by 'Fred', and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I'm a female on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear combat boots and go by 'Fred', and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I'm a female on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear combat boots and go by 'Fred', and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I'm a female on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear combat boots and go by 'Fred', and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I'm a female on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear combat boots and go by 'Fred', and I default to genderqueer
I'm a female on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear combat boots and go by 'Fred', and I default to hermaphrodite
I'm a female on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear combat boots and go by 'Fred', and I default to genderless
I'm a female on the weekdays, but on the weekend, I wear combat boots and go by 'Fred', and I don't default to any gender

I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Ken doll down there, and I default to male
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Ken doll down there, and I default to female
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Ken doll down there, and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Ken doll down there, and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Ken doll down there, and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Ken doll down there, and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Ken doll down there, and I default to genderqueer
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Ken doll down there, and I default to hermaphrodite
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Ken doll down there, and I default to genderless
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Ken doll down there, and I don't default to any gender

I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Barbie doll down there, and I default to male
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Barbie doll down there, and I default to female
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Barbie doll down there, and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Barbie doll down there, and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Barbie doll down there, and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Barbie doll down there, and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Barbie doll down there, and I default to genderqueer
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Barbie doll down there, and I default to hermaphrodite
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Barbie doll down there, and I default to genderless
I've had my genitalia surgically removed and am as smooth as a Barbie doll down there, and I don't default to any gender

I am, in fact, a robot, and I can switch between every gender that ever existed though software and hardware adjustments, and I default to male
I am, in fact, a robot, and I can switch between every gender that ever existed though software and hardware adjustments, and I default to female
I am, in fact, a robot, and I can switch between every gender that ever existed though software and hardware adjustments, and I default to spiritual female in a male body
I am, in fact, a robot, and I can switch between every gender that ever existed though software and hardware adjustments, and I default to spiritual male in a female body
I am, in fact, a robot, and I can switch between every gender that ever existed though software and hardware adjustments, and I default to spiritually both in a male body
I am, in fact, a robot, and I can switch between every gender that ever existed though software and hardware adjustments, and I default to spiritually both in a female body
I am, in fact, a robot, and I can switch between every gender that ever existed though software and hardware adjustments, and I default to genderqueer
I am, in fact, a robot, and I can switch between every gender that ever existed though software and hardware adjustments, and I default to hermaphrodite
I am, in fact, a robot, and I can switch between every gender that ever existed though software and hardware adjustments, and I default to genderless
I am, in fact, a robot, and I can switch between every gender that ever existed though software and hardware adjustments, and I default don't default to any gender






That's a busy poll.

And so, the only thing we can hope for is an Other (please specify) option. Or, you know, just not vote if you feel the poll doesn't apply to you.

-edit-

lambchopsil , please don't half assedly edit my posts. I don't care if you had to edit it for the sake of the children or because there were way too many bbcodes (did it break the threaded view?), but the way you edited it changed the whole tone, at least in my eyes. And since I'm the one who wrote it in the first place, my eyes are the truest judge.

Last edited by regularsharp at 8:58 pm, Aug 22 2014

depends on where I am on the internet.. while gaming, I mostly assume the other person's a male, by habit and experience. on an internet forum such as this, I don't assume, since I know for certain there are plenty of gals who frequents the forums, just as much as guys. again, depends on where i happen to be chatting with the other person on the net.

EDIT: oh and I agree with above post, add an "Other (please specify)" option

You forgot genderqueer and so many others :v

How so?

I'm male and I default to male
I'm male and I default to female
I'm male and I don't default to any gender
I'm female and I default to male
I'm female and I default to female
I'm female and I don't default to any gender
I'm other and I default to male
I'm other and I default to female
I'm other and I don't default to any gender

Doesn't seem too unwieldy to me.

Fantastic.

Yeah, I actually assume most people on MU to be female. =D
(Unless they're asking for ecchi harem recs or something.)

A lot of the time, the username or avatar gives it away before I talk to them. Usernames are usually representative of the person in some way and the most basic of it is representing their gender. If it is a unisex kind of name, I'll ask for their preferred gender pronoun. But usually one or the other gives it away (username/avatar)

As for other people's posts, the sensitivity towards the binary of gender is certainly spiked. That or people are making a joke of it.

Male here, and I just assume its a guy until I'm told otherwise. The way I see it, most of the places I visit tend to have a higher percentage of male, so the odds are in my favor. Worst case scenario, I got a 50% chance its male .

Personally, I don't think its a big deal. I don't treat anyone online differently because of gender or their gender identity, and I don't have a taste for crude women jokes, so it has never been a problem when I get corrected.