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Re:The Power of a Pronoun by InclinedPlane on Saturday November 30, 2013 @06:16PM (#6825119)
> #2 really has no other explanation than sexism

It's so easy to condemn others, isn't it? There are many possible motives for Ben's actions, sexism being only one of them. Moreover, convicting someone and giving them the "committer's death sentence" on such flimsy evidence ought to give anyone pause.

Demands for strict orthodoxy aren't the way to navigate the path of righteous inclusion. When a minor situation blows out of proportion you make sure to clearly state policy, set the people who did something wrong straight and make sure that everybody is on the same page. You use heavy handed tools like bans, firing, or removal of contributor privileges when it becomes clear that someone is set on wrong doing despite warnings and clarifications. Punishment at the hint of political incorrectness just leads to an environment of fear.

Re:The Power of a Pronoun by na85 on Saturday November 30, 2013 @06:39PM (#6825208)
>There are many possible motives for Ben's actions, sexism being only one of them.

Rejects a pull request, project lead overrides his rejection, Ben goes out of his way to attempt to revert it.

Please list some reasons other than sexism why he would go to such trouble.

Re:The Power of a Pronoun by wyrmlet on Saturday November 30, 2013 @08:57PM (#6825680)
Grammar purity is a reasonable alternate explanation. My past English teachers and some of my current friends would be appalled at the use of "they/them" as a singular pronoun. I have utmost confidence my friends are not covert sexists; rather they appreciate the power of clarity in writing.
Re:The Power of a Pronoun by na85 on Sunday December 01, 2013 @12:22AM (#6826245)
Your english teachers are pretentious and ignorant, then.

The singular "they" dates back to at least the twelfth century.