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Grammar nazi time
I wasn't sure if this would be considered a bug or feedback.
"This author has not updated their profile."
"Author" is singular, "their" is plural. It should be something like "This author has not updated his/her profile." The devs could probably make that match the account's gender.
Discussions
7 years ago
Pwned. Anyone who wants to be an Engligh grammar nazi ought to be intimately familiar with both common misconceptions and so-called "disputed usage" involving the English language.
Oh, and just to be clear -- computer accounts don't have gender. Human beings who create computer accounts do have gender.
Reply 7 years ago
No, human beings have "sox", gender is a term from formal grammar.
Reply 7 years ago
Sorry, Steve, both usages are correct.
(from Wikipedia, "Gender")(from Wikipedia, "Grammatical gender")
Reply 7 years ago
Wikipedia wouldn't be my primary source, neither, for English English, Merriams, the English English reference is the Oxford English Dictionary and possibly Sir Ernest Gower's "Plain Words".
Reply 7 years ago
Reply 7 years ago
Sorry, old chap, citing Wikipedia as your sources is bad form and never acceptable for such an internet forum topic debate like this.
Reply 7 years ago
Wikipedia is a secondary source and quite acceptable, in the spirit of a review article. The interested reader can follow the link and check the primary sources cited there, or can go directly to the dictionary if desired.
Reply 7 years ago
Irregardless, classifying gender based on this or that? And I believe the great NachoMahma likes to think, when you set up your user account, where the box says "sex", just write in "yes".
Reply 7 years ago
Asexuality (indeed, any sexual behavior) is irrelevant to determining sex/gender.
Reply 7 years ago
but may be relevant in identifying with sex/gender.
Reply 7 years ago
Shhhh, don't tell them about the existence of ze/hir, it might upset them...
7 years ago
As caitlinsdad points out, "their" is a perfectly acceptable and grammatical gender-neutral pronoun.
Reply 7 years ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they
Just so I have another excuse to argue with Lira, Imma say that I think the singular they is completely unnacceptable if you want to be taken seriously about anything, and that the Chicago manual of style has no idea what they're talking about. Oh and Spongebob sux.
Hee hee hee troll troll troll
7 years ago
When the gender is not ascertained beyond a reasonable doubt (Dude, Dudette, Dude looks like a lady, Lady is a dude, Robot, bloke or blank) then "their" is used in place as adjective and is perfectly acceptable.