If your website’s message boards read like a men’s locker room, that’s a
clue that you may be out of sync with society. A new
report from the Pew Internet and American Life project points out
that women now outnumber men online in the United States, and that’s
especially true in the troublesome (for newspapers) 18-29 age bracket.
Are they showing up on your site? Women tend to use the Internet
somewhat differently than men. While there’s not a lot of difference in
many utility applications, women seem more focused on using the Internet to
connect with other people, the report says.
But women are highly sensitive to “worrisome behavior in chat rooms,”
the report points out. This should highlight the importance of strong
leadership and controls on message boards. Bad behavior will drive away
good people if you let it happen.
