A message from Gearslutz.com Founder Jules Standen

Regarding the petition on change.org

As the founder of Gearslutz, I chose the name as an ironic way of describing those who, like me, had no control over their desires for acquiring recording equipment. The name was, and still is, not intended to send a derogatory message to women or to discourage them from participating in the forum. It was simply meant to poke fun at some people’s pro audio shopping habits.

I suppose it’s a question of not judging a book by its cover. If women who are put off by the name were to look at the forum itself, they would find it a very welcoming place. In fact, from the very outset, because male participants were in the majority, we have done our very best to make the forum a safe place for women in terms of site content and visitor behaviour.

Regarding the name, I appreciate it’s not for everyone, but that is how we are known to our 1.6 million monthly visitors from 218 countries. For those uncomfortable with our logo, we have always offered an alternative option. This is available in a drop-down menu on the bottom left - it will display the alternate “Gearsz” logo.

We appreciate feedback about the forums and I reiterate that everyone is welcome to join in the discussions any time.

Dear members and visitors,

A recent petition for a forum name change has generated impassioned debate.

We recognise and agree that the word-play pun in the name has gotten old and it is now time to move forwards.

Gearslutz will be changing its name. 

We have not yet decided what it will be but we can assure you that the new name will be more inclusive, and will stand the test of time. The site will operate as usual, only the domain name and logo will change.

This process is going to take a while as it is a significant technical task. Thus, we are asking you to bear with us as we embark on it.

Thanks and here’s to the future!

Jules Standen