Re[2]: [dq-rules] Hidden Bias (was Gender Neutral Writing)

[Larry <Kurgan@fastmail.fm>]

Hello Jim,


JKH> But, they were *huge* posts!

     Thank you. I work out. :)


JKH> Think of all the rules that could have been written, or revised, instead!

     And who says they weren't? I've written up a companion set of
     die-rolls for grammatical functioning within the game. For
     instance, when employing a neuter pronoun, there is a 36% chance
     on d100 that a civilized NPC will approach and stab you in the
     eye. If the NPC is female, she first gives you a lecture for
     three hours (44% chance that the PC will commit suicide), and THEN
     stabs you in the eye. NPCs of barbarian heritage simply stand
     around looking confused, and have a 72% chance of fleeing to the
     nearest tavern and getting drunk (with a prior 12% probability of
     first bashing you on the head with a club whilst screaming,
     "Please, make it stop!").


JKH> Ah, well, it's not like I was going to try to participate in that.  It's 
JKH> been so long since I've gamed *anything* that there's dust on my dice!!

     I know the feeling, bwana. I live in a small town, and if it
     doesn't involve drinking or getting someone pregnant (typically a
     combination of the two), wrestling, demolition derby, or beating
     the crap out of people for the hell of it, then they just stare
     at you stupidly like you fell out of the sky. Books have to be
     purchased online, and the only place you can find them is by
     peering underneath people's couches to see what's holding them
     up. (Small town. Kansas. You get the idea.)


JKH> And, FWIW, I agree with the standard of male pronouns for gender 
JKH> indeterminate reference.  The last I checked it *is* the standard of the 
JKH> English language.  Also, FWIW, my *wife* agreed with me!  (She's a 
JKH> woman, as in female, as in not male, in case that wasn't clear.)  She 
JKH> has no issue with Standard English.  Of course, she's also married to 
JKH> me, so she may not be entirely sane...

     Ok, seriously, your wife... is it a really strong relationship?
     Have I got a shot?

     <Giggling merrily>

 
Best regards,

   Larry                         mailto:Kurgan@Fastmail.fm