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Re:How does gdb work? by ruraljuror on Wednesday August 10, 2016 @01:30PM (#12263425)
I assumed I was being downvoted for being off-topic, but perhaps it was because my comment is construed as gender-normative. I was speaking about the misuse of the singular they as separate from gender identification--i.e. presuming you know the gender someone prefers--and I think that point is valid.

I haven't considered the situation you bring up. I am for the singular they when it is being used to describe and indeterminate person. Are you suggesting we use singular they for a particular person until we get explicit confirmation about their pronoun preference?

Re:How does gdb work? by bostonpete on Wednesday August 10, 2016 @01:44PM (#12263524)
I can't imagine that making a good faith guess at an appropriate gender pronoun would ever draw criticism.

I wonder if you weren't downvoted for using the subjunctive mood in your comment ("if that were the intention here") which seems to imply that you believe it was not the intention and was instead a "mistake".