Evidently, Edgar is getting through to me, and his influence is showing up in my Writing Voice (back in October I was really looking all over for my Voice and couldn’t find it). I’d seen references in other blogs and sites before about a place where text could be entered and using an algorithm based on common word usage a determination could be made of whether the author was male or female. But the majority of the postings were really of the gender bias nature, so I wasn’t real interested in pursuing it. This morning I found the Gender Genie on Bookblog mentioned, and decided to have a go at it. It’s rather interesting, and I’d like to pursue the concept further to understand both human nature and my own.
As a “female, the researchers imply, I’d be more likely to write sentences like this, which assume that you and I share common knowledge or engage us in a direct relationship. These differing styles have previously been called ‘informational’ and ‘involved’, respectively.” A clearer understanding of the process of word selection is available on Nature.com
Based on several weblog entries and a sampling of both fiction and poetry, when I’m being me, I write like a boy. Here are some of the results:
WEBLOG ENTRIES:
On my post: WRITING: Creativity and Technicality 1/13/04: Female Score: 137 – Male Score: 559 The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: male!
On my post: REALITY?: Best of Intentions 1/17/04: Female Score: 208 – Male Score: 664 The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: male!
On my post, REALITY?: Routine Matters 1/06/04: Female Score: 720 – Male Score: 684 The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: female!
On my post, WRITING: Language Art 1/10/04: Female Score: 491 – Male Score: 1929 The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: male! (Get a load of the overwhelming male tendencies when I’m preaching!)
FICTION:
In this area, I evidently use more of the female trait of involvement rather than informational manner of thinking and writing, although it’s closer in numbers, and subject matter was chosen as one of each, geared towards what I considered as male or female interests.
On the first two pages (700 words) of The Decline of Aunt Cara: Female Score: 816 – Male Score: 568 The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: female!
On the first 1400 words of Profile: Female Score: 1698 – Male Score: 1646 The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: female! (Thought this one would be overwhelmingly guessed as male, both because of the style and content, but as you can see, it’s a close call.)
On the poem, The Cowboy: Female Score: 116 – Male Score: 352 The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: male!
On the poem, Recycling: Female Score: 199 – Male Score: 86 The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: female
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology