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Re: [dq-rules] Hidden Bias (was Gender Neutral Writing)



Well...

I think y'all were better off discussing the relative merits of file
formats.  At least there was a basis for the whole discussion.
First, how many non-males are there in this forum?  How many will
participate in the rewriting or expanding of the rules?

I cannot even guess. You did leave out 'How many non-males will read the new rules?'

Second, in gaming in general, have any of you heard any non-male express
an "issue" with the standard generic, male, indefinite pronouns?  In
fact, have any of the non-male gamers ever mentioned anything along
those lines?

Yes. That was probably lost in my post, but I definitely have heard several (many??) women express dissatisfaction with the use of 'he' as the neutral pronoun. Remember, this is a problem of perception - I addressed it more (and hopefully better) in my reply to Larry

Third, if it's such a problem, why not simply have the examples include
specifically named female participants, requiring the female pronoun?

That is only an issue of clarity and flow. If you use 'he' throughout the rules and 'she' in the examples it can get confusing and is a bit awkward to read. Try it, it actually helps show off the bias because it elevates the issue to the reader.

Fourth, how much energy has been spent on this issue instead of rules
expansion or revision?

It is only an issue if you are aware of it and actually care about addressing it. Besides, the amount of actual energy expended here on the forum has been pretty low.
--


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