Pinterest: A “Shocking” Example of Women Using the Internet [View all]

[justiceischeap]

http://bit.ly/zumAGX

Founder Ben Silbermann told HGTV that he created the site because, “As a kid, I loved collecting. I collected everything from insects to stamps to books. I’ve always thought that the things you collect — whether it’s the furniture in your home or the music on your iPod — says a lot about who you are. I thought it would be great to bring that entire experience online and help connect people who have common interests.”

His description is decidedly gender-neutral and easy to understand: a site to collect your interests. And yet, when tech blog Gizmodo put together its write-up on the site, the lead read, “Quick! Name the most perplexing social site you can think of. If you are a dude, it is probably Pinterest.”

Even MSN Money framed the conversation in terms of male v. female users: “Even though the site may be dominated by women’s interests, think of it this way: It’s essentially a guide telling men everywhere exactly what women want.”

I work in the tech industry (we have one man on our immediate team, the rest of us are women), so when I see this perpetuation that women don't "do" tech or are somehow less capable of being technologically savvy, it chaps my hide.