Re. X pronouns

Subject: Re. X pronouns
From: Geoff Hart <geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 13:15:41 LCL

Marta Cepek suggested "X" as a generic pronoun to
replace the dreaded "s/he", to which Kris Olberg
noted the xe (!) would never refer to someone in
this manner. But Kris, don't you know that within
a very few years, most of our audience will be
generation X'ers? <grin> In the interest of
neutrality, I'd second the motion that we refer to
all faceless masses as X. <grin again>

Seriously? I'd have to say that this "generic
pronoun" stuff will never catch on until it
becomes official government edict. Mind you, in
Quebec, we _do_ have English language police,
although their goal is to expunge English from
public display rather than to enforce correct
usage. No, I'm not kidding. <frown> (Not a trained
writers/editor in the bunch to my knowledge, nor
any demonstrable souls either... you can't see
them sneaking up behind you using a mirror.)
Perhaps they could help? <grin>

BTW, is it my imagination that we've been getting
almost as much spam as content these days? I've
tried ignoring it, but that doesn't seem to make
it go away. Maybe we just need to hire a good hit
man ('scuse... a hit person?) or two, and hang a
few corpses along the infobahn as a reminder? This
approach seems to work well in protecting bird
feeders from squirrels and other lower forms of
life.

--Geoff Hart @8^{)}
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca

Disclaimer: If I didn't commit it in print in one
of our reports, it don't represent FERIC's
opinion.


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