I don't see how this is relevant in any way. I dislike these messenger ups too and finding them utterly annoying, but it's not an article about usability, UX or

I don't see how this is relevant in any way. I dislike these messenger ups too and finding them utterly annoying, but it's not an article about usability, UX or user engagement. It's about how men see and treat women online when using this specific tool, and I think it presents a huge educational problem of this (my) gender. As a man, I wouldn't never even think I have to hide my photo online. I've been using the internet for more than 20 years and was never harassed based on my sex (or anything else, really). I find it crucial that we understand these different experiences we're all facing when we go online, if we ever want it to be different. As far as I see it, this is about educating our boys much more than it is about educating our web designers.