Dell Looking to Pick Up Women With New Website

JMcEntegart · May 12, 2009

Dell has launched a new website targeted specifically at women trying to find their way around technology and, while the site itself is a pretty decent concept, some of the stuff is slightly off the mark.

Dell Looking to Pick Up Women With New Website : Read more

bill gates is your daddy · May 12, 2009

Is it going to help them to remember to get in the kitchen and make my dinner?

doomtomb · May 12, 2009

Why does the news here have to contain the opinion of the writer?

Does Dell think we women are immediately pacified by any brand of rose-colored or fuscia hue? Were there any women on the team who designed this thing?

Sounds pretty feminist to me, so much so, that you are afraid of Dell trying to characterize your sex by making a website with generally feminine colors. That seems to infuriate you that Dell would dare to associate colors with women or make a website targeted at women. Big deal, get over it. Must be another slow news day.

JMcEntegart · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]doomtomb[/nom]Why does the news here have to contain the opinion of the writer?Sounds pretty feminist to me, so much so, that you are afraid of Dell trying to characterize your sex by making a website with generally feminine colors. That seems to infuriate you that Dell would dare to associate colors with women or make a website targeted at women. Big deal, get over it. Must be another slow news day.[/citation]

"Afraid" of Dell trying to characterize my sex? My problem is that I don't think it's right to charactarize either sex. If this were targeted toward only men, I would have had the same problem and asked "what about the women who don't know about tech?" I am not a feminist but I think it's wrong to suggest that women are the only ones with problems understanding tech.

doomtomb · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]JMcEntegart[/nom]"Afraid" of Dell trying to characterize my sex? My problem is that I don't think it's right to charactarize either sex. If this were targeted toward only men, I would have had the same problem and asked "what about the women who don't know about tech?" I am not a feminist but I think it's wrong to suggest that women are the only ones with problems understanding tech.[/citation]
They are trying to market the Dell brand to women, I don't understand what all the fuss is about.

JMcEntegart · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]doomtomb[/nom]They are trying to market the Dell brand to women, I don't understand what all the fuss is about.[/citation]

The fuss is that there isn't a similar site for men. Not to mention that they think any woman who is on the site must be into meditating, counting calories and "blissing out." I know plenty of women who don't know anything about computers and would be all for a site that would break things down into layman's terms but would find the implication that women who don't know about computers must be housewives a little insulting.

stlunatic · May 12, 2009

lol... nice title!

Guest · May 12, 2009

Lol, Jane sounds feisty in this article, and I understand why that could be

stlunatic · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]JMcEntegart[/nom]Because I have a vagina? Yeah, probably.[/citation]

May I use it please?

JMcEntegart · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]stlunatic[/nom]May I use it please?[/citation]

I guess I walked into that one, but no. It's reserved for people with some sense of decorum. Sorry.

joebob2000 · May 12, 2009

Am I the only one who sees "An error has occured. please try again." whenever the quote button in a post header is used?

Anyhow, Jane, I think Dell is directing this specifically towards women because they feel they already have a Male-directed site, namely the *whole rest of dell.com*. If they felt that women were comfortable with the site they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of making one directly addressing women.

Oh, and after seeing that last post, good luck with the troll fest!

eqdarkleaf · May 12, 2009

I agree with the article. Being in IT in a support role, I find there are numerous guys that have no clue about technology. It seems odd that they would launch a site just for women when trying to capture a market of the uneducated.

But as far as the pink goes, it works for some women. Case in point, if its pink, my girlfriend will buy.

Pyroflea · May 12, 2009

I can see this both ways. First, I think it's a legitimate marketing strategy targeting women with their new website. In broad, generalized terms, women have a tendency of not be quite as computer-savvy as men (Not all, but some [and because they have better things to do]), so therefore Dell has just kind of thought this would help them along.

I do see where you're coming from Jane, just voicing my own opinion. =)

Tindytim · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]JMcEntegart[/nom]"Afraid" of Dell trying to characterize my sex? My problem is that I don't think it's right to charactarize either sex. If this were targeted toward only men, I would have had the same problem and asked "what about the women who don't know about tech?" I am not a feminist but I think it's wrong to suggest that women are the only ones with problems understanding tech.[/citation]

I agree. I had the feeling it would be a little offensive when I read the title, but I was blown away when you mentioned yoga, meditation, and various phrases more fitting as candle names. I think it's all fine and good to make jokes about stereotypes, but it seems rather irresponsible of Dell to perpetuate them.

[citation][nom]stlunatic[/nom]May I use it please?[/citation]
I'm not sure if I want to +1 you because I found that hilarious, or -1 you because that was horribly inappropriate. I guess I'll just split the difference.

keither5150 · May 12, 2009

Nice title.

This website will go away faster than a shaking baby app.

Did they really think that this would be well received?

Marketing to the ignorant is not a bad idea. The bad idea was assuming that the majority of ignorant users are women.

I know as many men that can't find the "any key" as women.

Dell should have made the site easy to understand without the pink colors and the bad name.

JMcEntegart · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]joebob2000[/nom]Am I the only one who sees "An error has occured. please try again." whenever the quote button in a post header is used? Anyhow, Jane, I think Dell is directing this specifically towards women because they feel they already have a Male-directed site, namely the *whole rest of dell.com*. If they felt that women were comfortable with the site they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of making one directly addressing women.Oh, and after seeing that last post, good luck with the troll fest![/citation]

My main problem is that a) there's isn't a similar site for men and b) Dell's idea of "targeting women" is to talk about calories and yoga.

[citation][nom]eqdarkleaf[/nom]I agree with the article. Being in IT in a support role, I find there are numerous guys that have no clue about technology. It seems odd that they would launch a site just for women when trying to capture a market of the uneducated.But as far as the pink goes, it works for some women. Case in point, if its pink, my girlfriend will buy.[/citation]

The pink thing depends on the woman, you're right. But I think that just makes it more important to have a neutral site.

Tindytim · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]JMcEntegart[/nom]Because I have a vagina? Yeah, probably.[/citation]
...well, I was with you up until there. I don't have a vagina, but I'd be annoyed by this. I'm sure there would be plenty of people with vaginae (AKA Women or serial killers) that wouldn't be bothered by this.

stlunatic · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]Tindytim[/nom]I'm not sure if I want to +1 you because I found that hilarious, or -1 you because that was horribly inappropriate. I guess I'll just split the difference.[/citation]

I just couldnt resist... so rate +1 Dells sake as they are looking to pick up Women.

stlunatic · May 12, 2009

*for Dells sake

PS. you should really make an edit option in here

goryachev · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]keither5150[/nom]The bad idea was assuming that the majority of ignorant users are women.[/citation]
Why do you think this is not exactly how it is?
I don't think dell went through the trouble without making a proper research.

Did you do the research to claim this on the general level?

stlunatic · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]goryachev[/nom]Why do you think this is not exactly how it is?I don't think dell went through the trouble without making a proper research.Did you do the research to claim this on the general level?[/citation]

Did you do the research to claim that the OP claimed that on the general level?

kezix_69 · May 12, 2009

Articles like this is why I come here everyday. An interesting tid bit of computer news mixed in with a writer with an opinion and some great comments to read at the bottom!

JMcEntegart · May 12, 2009

[citation][nom]goryachev[/nom]Why do you think this is not exactly how it is?I don't think dell went through the trouble without making a proper research.Did you do the research to claim this on the general level?[/citation]

Majorities aside, don't you think that Dell should be catering to everyone?

christop · May 12, 2009

I think it is sad for dell to try and sell pretty colors and such.. Is their a bunch of ladies out there who would be like O my god it's pink or blue I got to have it.... I might be wrong I did see a sorority girl with a pink mac... So who knows..

fuser · May 12, 2009

Wow. I'm a guy and I kinda like the new site.

Dell Looking to Pick Up Women With New Website

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