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I find it hard to believe that it's really such a problem to suggest that gender-neutral language is a pretty reasonable goal. It's hardly the biggest barrier t

I find it hard to believe that it's really such a problem to suggest that gender-neutral language is a pretty reasonable goal. It's hardly the biggest barrier to diversity in software development, but it's a small bias that seems very minimal in cost to fix over time – and every little push in that direction helps. More than anything I struggle to understand what actual objection to 'try to use gender-neutral language' one could possibly have.

holydude 10y ago
Why would that be a problem in the first place ?
dkn 10y ago
Yeah I envision this being something that is just fixed over time as people are exposed to new and different ideas. Yet, it seems to me that a lot of these documents are written and intended to enforce overnight changes in people's unconscious biases. From the document: > Each of us has the right to enjoy our experience and participate without fear of harassment, discrimination, or condescension, whether blatant or subtle. I don't know about you guys but I hardly enjoy reading technical documentation. It's not meant to be an enjoyable experience. It's meant to convey complex meaning in a (hopefully) short amount of time. I don't think gendered pronouns add to the effectiveness of this communication method, but I also don't think we need to formalize their usage (or non-usage). I guess I'm asking why this can't be a natural progression that we all wish to undertake as cooperating organisms rather than enforced with competition and penalties? It seems like a wasted opportunity and unnecessarily polarizing.