From: Emily Shaffer <emilyshaffer@google.com>
To: Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
Cc: git@vger.kernel.org, gitster@pobox.com,
sandals@crustytoothpaste.net, stolee@gmail.com,
jrnieder@gmail.com, Derrick Stolee <derrickstolee@github.com>,
Derrick Stolee <dstolee@microsoft.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 4/4] CodingGuidelines: recommend singular they
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2021 10:39:42 -0700 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <YL+rXqDMIPvA2a3+@google.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <d2c079264955b3bd6c3a5ef77a9c3684206f8475.1623085069.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
On Mon, Jun 07, 2021 at 04:57:48PM +0000, Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget wrote:
>
>
> Technical writing seeks to convey information with minimal friction. One
> way that a reader can experience friction is if they encounter a
> description of "a user" that is later simplified using a gendered
> pronoun. If the reader does not consider that pronoun to apply to them,
> then they can experience cognitive dissonance that removes focus from
> the information.
>
> If we use singular "they/them" pronouns instead of "he/him" or "she/her"
> pronouns, then we can avoid this congitive load on the reader.
>
> Using singular "they" is also incredibly efficient. Choosing a gendered
> pronoun is usually arbitrary between "he" or "she". Using constructs
> such as "he or she", "s/he", or "(s)he" are more complicated than
> singular "they".
>
> When choosing a gendered pronoun, that pronoun no longer applies to
> nearly half of possible readers. Even if we alternated between "he/him"
> and "she/her" perfectly evenly, we would still expect male and female
> readers to experience an incorrect pronoun half the time. However, some
> readers will not prescribe to either of these binary genders. Those
> readers hence suffer an incorrect pronoun the entire time. Singular
> "they" applies to every reader.
>
> Perhaps due to similar reasons, official style guides have changed their
> stance on singuler "they" in recent years. For example, the APA style
> guide changed their official recommendation in 2019 [1]. The MLA
> handbook also references helpful ways to use singular "they" [2]. While
> not fully endorsing it, the Chicago Manual of Style has removed its
> blanket ban on singular "they" [3] (the previous recommendation was to
> only use "it" as a singular non-gendered pronoun).
>
> [1] https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/singular-they
> [2] https://style.mla.org/using-singular-they/
> [3] https://libraries.indiana.edu/chicago-manual-style-singular-pronoun-they
>
> While not all styleguides are updating their recommendations, we can
> make a choice as a project to adopt the concept because of the
> efficiencies above, as well as the benefits of increased inclusion.
>
> To futher justify singular "they" as an acceptable grammatical concept,
> I include the careful research of brian m. carlson who collected their
> thoughts on this matter [2] (lightly edited):
>
> Singular "they" has been used by native English speakers as part of
> the language for over half a millennium and is widely used and
> understood. This usage is specified in Merriam Webster[3]:
>
> The use of they, their, them, and themselves as pronouns of
> indefinite gender and indefinite number is well established in
> speech and writing, even in literary and formal contexts.
>
> Wiktionary notes[4] (references omitted):
>
> Usage of they as a singular pronoun began in the 1300s and has been
> common ever since, despite attempts by some grammarians, beginning
> in 1795, to condemn it as a violation of traditional (Latinate)
> agreement rules. Some other grammarians have countered that criticism
> since at least 1896. Fowler's Modern English Usage (third edition)
> notes that it "is being left unaltered by copy editors" and is "not
> widely felt to lie in a prohibited zone." Some authors compare use of
> singular they to widespread use of singular you instead of thou.
>
> Linguists fit roughly into two camps: prescriptive and descriptive.
> The former specify rules for people to use, and the latter document
> language as it is actually used without forming a judgment.
>
> Some prescriptivists think it is acceptable, and some do not. But
> descriptivists will rightly note that it is and has been commonly
> used in English across countries, cultures, and contexts for an
> extended period of time and is therefore generally accepted by most
> English speakers as a normal part of the language. Since we are
> writing text for an English language audience who are mostly not
> linguists, we should probably consider using the language that most
> people will use in this context.
>
> [2] https://lore.kernel.org/git/YKrk4dEjEm6+48ji@camp.crustytoothpaste.net/
> [3] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/they
> [4] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/they
>
> If we refer to a specific person, then using a gendered pronoun is
> appropriate. Examples within the Git codebase include:
>
> * References to real people (e.g. Linus Torvalds, "the Git maintainer").
> Do not misgender real people. If there is any doubt to the gender of a
> person, then use singular "they".
>
> * References to fictional people with clear genders (e.g. Alice and
> Bob).
>
> * Sample text used in test cases (e.g t3702, t6432).
>
> * The official text of the GPL license contains uses of "he or she", but
> modifying the license this way is not within the scope of the Git
> project.
>
> Other cases within the Git project were cleaned up by the previous
> changes.
>
> Signed-off-by: Derrick Stolee <dstolee@microsoft.com>
Well said.
Acked-by: Emily Shaffer <emilyshaffer@google.com>
> ---
> Documentation/CodingGuidelines | 5 +++++
> 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/CodingGuidelines b/Documentation/CodingGuidelines
> index e3af089ecf26..78cd399f7cf5 100644
> --- a/Documentation/CodingGuidelines
> +++ b/Documentation/CodingGuidelines
> @@ -648,3 +648,8 @@ Writing Documentation:
> inline substituted text+ instead of `monospaced literal text`, and with
> the former, the part that should not get substituted must be
> quoted/escaped.
> +
> + When referring to an anonymous user, use singular "they/them" pronouns
> + as opposed to choosing between "he/him" and "she/her". Do not use more
> + complicated constructs such as "he or she" or "s/he". This recommendation
> + also applies to code comments and commit messages.
> --
> gitgitgadget
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2021-06-08 17:40 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 124+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2021-06-07 16:57 [PATCH 0/4] Use singular "they" when appropriate Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-07 16:57 ` [PATCH 1/4] Documentation: use singular they " Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-07 17:09 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-07 17:32 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-07 17:42 ` Andrei Rybak
2021-06-07 18:21 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-10 7:44 ` Johannes Schindelin
2021-06-10 14:35 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-07 21:36 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-09 18:47 ` Phillip Susi
2021-06-09 20:26 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-11 15:40 ` Phillip Susi
2021-06-11 17:03 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-10 18:30 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-11 0:16 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-11 16:00 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-12 14:02 ` Phillip Susi
2021-06-08 1:18 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-08 8:51 ` Kerry, Richard
2021-06-08 23:21 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-09 13:13 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-10 3:11 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-08 17:33 ` Emily Shaffer
2021-06-08 18:03 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-09 13:44 ` Kerry, Richard
2021-06-09 17:44 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-25 14:30 ` Kerry, Richard
2021-06-09 4:48 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-10 8:18 ` Johannes Schindelin
2021-06-10 14:42 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-14 22:10 ` Robert Karszniewicz
2021-06-07 16:57 ` [PATCH 2/4] *: use singular they in comments Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-07 17:12 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-07 17:20 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-10 8:20 ` Johannes Schindelin
2021-06-07 19:02 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-07 21:44 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-08 17:36 ` Emily Shaffer
2021-06-07 16:57 ` [PATCH 3/4] *: fix typos Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-08 17:37 ` Emily Shaffer
2021-06-10 8:36 ` Johannes Schindelin
2021-06-10 19:53 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-11 9:55 ` Johannes Schindelin
2021-06-07 16:57 ` [PATCH 4/4] CodingGuidelines: recommend singular they Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-07 18:31 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-08 1:47 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-07 18:56 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-07 19:05 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-08 0:05 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-10 21:34 ` brian m. carlson
2021-06-10 8:39 ` Johannes Schindelin
2021-06-07 20:00 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-09 18:29 ` Phillip Susi
2021-06-09 20:18 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-07 20:20 ` Robert Karszniewicz
2021-06-07 22:18 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-08 7:10 ` Jeff King
2021-06-08 8:11 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-09 13:23 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-09 15:20 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-10 22:06 ` brian m. carlson
2021-06-11 16:11 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-08 17:39 ` Emily Shaffer [this message]
2021-06-09 4:44 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-09 13:27 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-07 20:10 ` [PATCH 0/4] Use singular "they" when appropriate Felipe Contreras
2021-06-09 13:54 ` [PATCH v2 " Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-09 13:54 ` [PATCH v2 1/4] Documentation: use singular they " Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-09 15:33 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-09 13:54 ` [PATCH v2 2/4] *: use singular they in comments Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-09 15:41 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-09 13:54 ` [PATCH v2 3/4] *: fix typos Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-09 13:54 ` [PATCH v2 4/4] CodingGuidelines: recommend singular they Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-09 15:50 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-09 15:44 ` [PATCH v2 0/4] Use singular "they" when appropriate Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-09 17:22 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-10 2:03 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-10 2:28 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-10 3:30 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-10 22:32 ` brian m. carlson
2021-06-10 22:58 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-11 16:32 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-11 17:18 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-11 20:38 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-13 7:17 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-15 6:02 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-15 13:36 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-15 17:03 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-14 0:47 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-15 14:11 ` [PATCH v3 0/4] Avoid gendered pronouns Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-15 14:11 ` [PATCH v3 1/4] doc: avoid using the gender of other people Felipe Contreras via GitGitGadget
2021-06-15 14:11 ` [PATCH v3 2/4] comments: avoid using the gender of our users Felipe Contreras via GitGitGadget
2021-06-15 14:11 ` [PATCH v3 3/4] *: fix typos Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-15 14:11 ` [PATCH v3 4/4] CodingGuidelines: recommend singular they Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget
2021-06-15 16:19 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-15 17:26 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-16 2:47 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-16 5:06 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-16 9:26 ` Bagas Sanjaya
2021-06-16 17:44 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-16 19:54 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-16 23:22 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-17 0:09 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-17 13:22 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-17 14:53 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-17 17:06 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-17 15:25 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-18 0:26 ` brian m. carlson
2021-06-18 16:12 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-17 15:23 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-17 15:58 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-18 0:53 ` brian m. carlson
2021-06-18 7:24 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-18 16:40 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-19 7:03 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-28 22:32 ` Junio C Hamano
2021-06-29 1:31 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-29 1:53 ` Derrick Stolee
2021-06-29 12:29 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2021-06-17 15:12 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-17 14:46 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-15 17:08 ` Felipe Contreras
2021-06-12 4:40 ` [PATCH 0/4] Use singular "they" when appropriate Bagas Sanjaya
2021-06-12 14:19 ` Phillip Susi
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