Re: [HACKERS] pgsql: Use gender-neutral language in documentation

From: Andrew Dunstan <andrew(at)dunslane(dot)net>
To: Geoff Winkless <pgsqladmin(at)geoff(dot)dj>
Cc: pgsql-committers <pgsql-committers(at)postgresql(dot)org>, Pg Hackers <pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: Re: [HACKERS] pgsql: Use gender-neutral language in documentation
Date: 2015-09-22 15:00:29
Message-ID: 56016D0D.1060201@dunslane.net
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On 09/22/2015 10:29 AM, Geoff Winkless wrote:
> Oh, good! We're actually going to have this argument? Even though I
> said I don't care what you do?
>
> On 22 September 2015 at 15:11, Andrew Dunstan <andrew(at)dunslane(dot)net
> <mailto:andrew(at)dunslane(dot)net>> wrote:
>
> On 09/22/2015 09:25 AM, Geoff Winkless wrote:
>
> If someone sends me a document that uses "their" in a
> singular usage, I will think that person is lazy. That will
> continue to be the case, whether people tell me that it's
> accepted usage or not.
>
>
> You can think that if you like,
>
>
> ​Thanks!​ That's a great relief to me, as I'm sure you can imagine.
>
> but it's not even remotely true.
>
>
> ​ You just stated that the reason you don't want to use the plural
> form I suggested is because it's too hard/time-consuming. That does
> suggest you accept that it's a valid solution but you're too lazy to
> use it.​
>
> It's a deliberate choice to use a new, perfectly reasonable and
> now widely accepted style of which you disapprove, but it's not lazy.
>
>
> ​ That's your opinion; my opinion remains otherwise. It's not
> "perfectly reasonable" to abuse the plural because some 1960s
> feminazis either misunderstood or didn't like the fact that (because
> of history) in English the gender-neutral singular happens to also be
> the male singular.
>
> Happily for me, I can continue to write documents in a grammatically
> correct way, and no-one will read them and think I'm a grammar-nazi
> (or obstinate, or old-fashioned or whatever) because unless they're
> specifically looking for it no-one will notice that I'm avoiding the
> contentious usage altogether. On the other hand, there _will_ be a
> (perhaps significant) proportion of people who read your documents and
> think that you're incapable of writing a grammatically correct sentence.
>
>

Wow, 1960s feminazis, eh? I originally thought you were just a narrow
minded, pedantic and antiquated grammarian. Now I realize that's the
least of your troubles. Please take your misogyny elsewhere. I hear the
Rabid Puppies have openings.

cheers

andrew

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