Female Bibliobloggers: Yet Another Opinion

I might as well toss my hat into the ring. There’s been quite a bit of invective and some constructive points from both sides. I’ve only been blogging for a short time, but I really do appreciate the few female bloggers of whom I’m aware, and I’d love to see a blogroll dedicated exclusively to female bloggers.

I do think the proximate cause for the paucity of female bibliobloggers is the overwhelming ratio of men to women actively participating in the field. Having said that, that ratio can also play a suppressive role in more active participation from that minority. Being outnumbered like that isn’t the most inviting environment for starting up a blog. I don’t think there’s any kind of conspiracy or conscious attempt to dominate the blogosphere on the part of male bloggers, but I also think male responses to this question could greatly influence the decisions of women thinking about starting a blog. Many are going to be chased away if they see their presence as participation in some kind of battle and if they see overly negative reactions to this question. They may also wonder if they’re going to get any traffic or if their opinions are going to be discounted. While everyone’s responsible for their own feelings and decisions, ultimately, I personally would like to act as a positive force in promoting more “bibliobloggerins.” The field could only be enriched. That’s how I feel.