Re: Re voting

On 17 April 2012 11:42, <slevy1@pipeline.com> wrote: > Just b/c there are rarely any women at all that participate on this list, could we at list > maintain a facade of gender neutrality?  I seriously can't believe that you used the word > "him".  What about "her"?  Yeah, "her" as in myself and every other > woman who codes with PHP whether to earn her living or to have a pleasant past-time?  I am sure > that there are plenty of PHP women just like me who  might really appreciate having the opportunity > to vote on changes that might effect the way we work. While I am fully in support of PHP being inclusive towards men, women, the transgendered community, and anyone else who is not covered by the aforementioned categories, with respect, I don't believe Stas merited the sarcastic flame he has received from you. Singular "he" as a gender-neutral pronoun was taught as standard English for a long time, and whilst it may not be the most politically correct phrasing in the modern era, I doubt any offence or non-inclusion was intended. Furthermore, many of the participants on this list are not native English speakers, and the nuances and politics of gender representation in a largely non-gendered language like English are likely to be lost on them. Hanlon's Razor would seem to apply. > Currently, it's as clear as mud to me as to what I need to do to be able to have some kind > of voting impact.  The protocol or process needs to be clearly articulated in very clear language > so that all concerned PHP men and women can be informed. On that point, I doubt anyone disagrees. Thanks, Adam