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Subject:Re: gender bias in language From:Win Day <winday -at- IDIRECT -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 4 Aug 1995 10:37:18 -0400
Gene Ledbetter wrote:
<snip>
>James Perkins mentioned the idiosyncratic convention of
>using the pronoun "she," rather than the traditional "he,"
>when referring to an anonymous individual. I once owned an
>entire book that followed this unconvention. The practice
>was distracting and irritating, and it detracted from an
>otherwise interesting book on how to get published. I have
>also read material in which the author alternated between
>"he" and "she." This practice was extremely irritating, and
>I tossed the fool thing aside unread.
<snip>
So you found the practice of using "she" to refer to an anonymous individual
"distracting and irritating"? How do you think I feel when I see "he" used
indiscriminately? I find it distracting and irritating that the author
couldn't be bothered to even imagine that a woman would read the material.
Grow up.
Win
-----------------
Win Day
Technical Writer/Editor
Email: winday -at- idirect -dot- com
