TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Gender-biased language From:Andrew Shires <andrews -at- HARLEQUIN -dot- CO -dot- UK> Date:Wed, 17 Nov 1993 17:31:54 GMT
Vicki Rosenzweig writes:
> Have things changed in England? I've had some complaints
> (including from an expatriate American) that nobody over
> there gets it when people complain about things like
> referring to all programmers as "he"? I meant less
> aware than many people in the US, and apologize for my
> Americocentrism.
There are certainly plenty of people who do get it in the UK -- after
all, Pankhurst was British. To make another generalisation, though,
perhaps there are more people over here who want to set the English
language in stone, and who will insist that the use of "he" has a fine
and honourable tradition. I'm not one of them, incidentally.
Thanks for clarifying your original message.
Andrew Shires andrews -at- harlequin -dot- co -dot- uk
Technical Author andrews -at- harlequin -dot- com
