Comments on Guardian/Observer Letters: Guardian, Wednesday 7th May 2008

Tim: It srikes me that if it is the case that 95% ...

2008-05-08T10:43:00.000+01:00

Tim: It srikes me that if it is the case that 95% of letters are from men, then the letters editor is doing a fine job of over-representing female correspondents, to the possible detriment of their male counterparts...

James: I was thinking I might let it run for a month and then write to the letters eds to find out what the actual situation is - but in the meantime I'm really enjoying all of the comments and suggestions and extra info that people are coming up with.

Do you have a rough idea in your head when you mig...

2008-05-08T10:32:00.000+01:00

Do you have a rough idea in your head when you might draw the data collection to an end and summarise your findings?

If, as may be the case, fewer women write to the e...

2008-05-08T10:20:00.000+01:00

If, as may be the case, fewer women write to the editor, the usual explanation is that they are conditioned not to express their opinions. Which may be the case, but it's not as straightforward as that:

• They may be wary of opposition (people writing in to disagree);

• They may be scared of 'failure' (the letter not being selected for publication);

• They may think the whole practice is rather silly;

• They may be utterly Stepforded and not have any opinions;

I'm not saying that any of these are the case - but they could be seen as reasonable inferences. And they lead to a new question... what about affirmative action on the part of letters editors?