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semiel12y ago· 2 in thread

How about adopting "she" as the generic pronoun, then? No chance of confusing it with a plural pronoun, and it's not subject to the gender-based critiques that "he" would be.

ams611012y ago

I think that's fine. There is nothing gender-specific in the antecedent "the user" so either "he" or "she" can be used in reference (though don't switch back and forth, I've actually seen writers try this and it gets really confusing).

tptacek12y ago

The fact that it's confusing should clue you in to the fact that needlessly gender-specific pronouns are treacherous: you're not even actively aware of the gender assignment you make at the first pronoun, but are instantly aware when the assignment is violated.

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tptacek12y ago

In neither commit was the grammar remotely ambiguous; in both cases, the antecedent was clearly singular; "the user... they".

"They" is correct here, and always has been. "He" is arguably less correct, since the antecedent wasn't gendered.

gruseom12y ago

it's needlessly ambiguous in an environment where it can easily be construed to mean what it commonly and currently not in Shakespeare's time means

It's not ambiguous. When used with a plural it means a plural ("the users, they did this"); when used with a singular it means a singular ("the user, they did that").

Nor has it changed since Shakespeare's time. It had exactly the same dual use back then.

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