I think it might be difference in approach... generally, women benefit more from encouragement than men, so a women's forum that was judgemental would soon be empty. It does mean that a forum where, at least initially, 'all opinions are equally valid' can appear daft to people who consider themselves objective and problem-solving, but it does encourage more people to participate. It does mean that more views are heard, and really you can't judge the merits or otherwise of an idea until you have heard it. This mottos is required, because it very common for people with good ideas to doubt themselves. As Bertrand Russell said: "Morons are cocksure, the intelligent are full of doubt".
Yes, men can benefit from encouragement too, but in so much of our society (I don't care whether 'tis nature or nurture here) men compete with each other, or value the sentiment "I'm shown myself this can work, so bugger the lot the of 'em I'm gonna do it anyway!". Sometimes this attitude is seen in successful women, too. Sometimes when a woman has experienced sexism early in her career it shows them that some people are just idiots and not to take any notice of them, and to instead to trust their own judgement. It is this trusting of one's own judgement that is often necessary to trail blaze. A lot of scientific advance has been made by rejecting - or at least questioning - the orthodoxy.
This competitive streak can also produce good results.
Okay, I'm massively over-generalising here, but that is inevitable. As a male on the edge of the Aspy spectrum, I value objectivity. And the lumping of individual females together as women (either by men, or indeed by women) has always seemed an odd approach, when its easier to know individual people.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
