Elitism in WoW

I was recently playing World of Warcraft as my little level 5 banker-character in the Orc city (which has extremely heavy traffic), and a glorious vision passed my eyes; A “champion” was standing right by me with the nicest looking gear that I had seen in a while. Whilst I was inspecting the champion’s gear, I must have clicked on invite (my laptop just doesn’t like those big cities and lags). What happened quickly, and before I had even registered what I had done, was that this so called champion had reported me, and proceeded to whisper it too me in a very blunt fashion.

Is this the attitude that “elite” players have these days? I too have been harrassed at a measly level 15 to group with a lowbie, but this was a one time invite – and an accident at that.

What do elite players contibute to the “world” of warcraft? I will continue to watch out for cases of elitism in MMOG’s – but do tell of your own incidents, or even reasons for acting in such manners as the profiled “champion”.

Woman at the Wheel **

Status symbols vary from country to country, but cars have always been a cornerstone. According to BBC news, post-communist Russia is one place that takes their cars very seriously, and more-so, cars have long been considered *cough *cough “a man’s business”.

Women driver’s and car owners are still seen somewhat as a novelty in Russia, but this is all about to take an abrupt change. The post-communist generations of female Russians have access to good quality jobs, which brings about purchasing power. These young professional women are in control of their finances and they are ready to use it … on motor vehicles.

However, it is not a walk in the park. Chauvinism seems to be unchecked in terms of women drivers. This excerpt from a BBC interview tells how one Russian driving instructor thinks women taking to the road:

“Women are by nature more shy. They might get scared,”

“They might close their eyes, like this.” Driving instructor covers his eyes with his hands.

Think of how it might be getting instructed by this person as a woman new to the world of motoring … spine-chilling!

A few things have happened to combat such narrow-mindedness. BMW has a female driving instructor who only teaches women, and a new magazine called “Woman at the Wheel” – a lifestyle magazine that focuses on cars and fashion – has hit the streets in Moscow. Whilst the magazine reportedly contains useful tips such as how to complete a perfect parallel park, it also contains tips on how to complete a perfect exit from your vehicle.

In any case, the magazine is an attempt to bridge the gap between women and driving, and I for one wish it the best of success. I am convinced that such efforts will help to empower women in Russia to “take control of the wheel” in the years to come.

PS. Another prominent motor vehicle magazine targeted to women has existed since the mid-90’s called Woman Motorist (USA publication)

**Completely off topic

Women on Board

A response has come!  ”Women on Board” is a new database created by Danish Industry and KVINFO (the Danish Centre for Information on Women and Gender) in response to the absence of women on IT-related boards & committees in Denmark.

The database is aimed as a recruitment list for those businesses that want more women represenatatives on their board, but often do not know where to find the candidates.

 http://womenonboard.dk