In reply to Frank the Husky:
> I guess what irks ... a nagging feeling that if it was a bloke producing this poetry the criticism would be rather different, if there was any at all.
This needs testing Frank!!
Might be a helpful experiment. If, as you suggest, it gets "no response at all", then you would presumably be right - UKC forums are inherently hostile towards female posters. Alternatively if it is in fact the content rather than the gender of the author that is generating the responses then we would expect to see a similar levels of down voting on a poetry article from a male.
(Before anyone starts - we all know this isn't a "scientific" study. We know there will be no double-blind or control group or degendering etc ...)
For transparency purposes ... my hunch is that it it is probably the content. But I do agree with you Frank .. the attacking style with which the criticism comes in the forums makes it very easy to draw a line towards sexism.
@Nat ... Could we have a similar style poetry piece from a male please?