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  3. User - She ?

User - She ?

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  • A AntonGogolev

    Hello! Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason why a "user" is referred to as "she" in technical documentation? Political correctness or something else?

    realJSOPR Offline
    realJSOPR Offline
    realJSOP
    wrote on last edited by
    #9

    It used to be "he". I still do "he" because that's what it was when I went through school. ------- sig starts "I've heard some drivers saying, 'We're going too fast here...'. If you're not here to race, go the hell home - don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Why don't you tie a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

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    • P Paul Watson

      Present company excluded, of course :) regards, Paul Watson Ireland Colib and ilikecameras. K(arl) wrote: oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!

      A Offline
      A Offline
      Anna Jayne Metcalfe
      wrote on last edited by
      #10

      LOL! Thanks :rose: Anna :rose: Riverblade Ltd - Software Consultancy Services Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.

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      • A AntonGogolev

        Hello! Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason why a "user" is referred to as "she" in technical documentation? Political correctness or something else?

        A Offline
        A Offline
        Anna Jayne Metcalfe
        wrote on last edited by
        #11

        I've no idea. I've always tended to write "he or she" in user documentation rather than choose one pronoun over the other anyway...:rolleyes: Anna :rose: Riverblade Ltd - Software Consultancy Services Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.

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        • A AntonGogolev

          Hello! Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason why a "user" is referred to as "she" in technical documentation? Political correctness or something else?

          N Offline
          N Offline
          Nemanja Trifunovic
          wrote on last edited by
          #12

          PC. Sometimes I see even "they" for a single user.


          My programming blahblahblah blog. If you ever find anything useful here, please let me know to remove it.

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          • A AntonGogolev

            Hello! Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason why a "user" is referred to as "she" in technical documentation? Political correctness or something else?

            N Offline
            N Offline
            Nish Nishant
            wrote on last edited by
            #13

            Sl0n wrote:

            Hello! Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason why a "user" is referred to as "she" in technical documentation? Political correctness or something else?

            Maybe, the technical writers like to imagine that their readers are women - it makes them feel all warm and cuddly :-D

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            • A Anna Jayne Metcalfe

              I've no idea. I've always tended to write "he or she" in user documentation rather than choose one pronoun over the other anyway...:rolleyes: Anna :rose: Riverblade Ltd - Software Consultancy Services Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.

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              Roger Wright
              wrote on last edited by
              #14

              I tend to use "it" because, like most coders, I hate users.;) "...a photo album is like Life, but flat and stuck to pages." - Shog9

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              • A AntonGogolev

                Hello! Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason why a "user" is referred to as "she" in technical documentation? Political correctness or something else?

                N Offline
                N Offline
                Nitron
                wrote on last edited by
                #15

                I tend to maintain a 50/50 split of he/she with repetition of terms as an alternating fibonacci (sp?) sequence. i.e. he, she she, he he he, she she she she she, he he he he he he he he, then repeat with the roles switched. ;P ~Nitron.


                ññòòïðïðB A
                start

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                • A Anna Jayne Metcalfe

                  I've no idea. I've always tended to write "he or she" in user documentation rather than choose one pronoun over the other anyway...:rolleyes: Anna :rose: Riverblade Ltd - Software Consultancy Services Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.

                  M Offline
                  M Offline
                  Member 96
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #16

                  Pronoun dysphoria! ;)


                  "Hello, hello, what's all this shouting, we'll have no trouble here! This is a Local Shop for Local People, there's nothing for you here!" -Edward Tattsyrup

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                  • P Paul Watson

                    Present company excluded, of course :) regards, Paul Watson Ireland Colib and ilikecameras. K(arl) wrote: oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!

                    P Offline
                    P Offline
                    peterchen
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #17

                    I see it this way: Andy proved that you can get closer for "a few" extra miles.


                    We say "get a life" to each other, disappointed or jokingly. What we forget, though, is that this is possibly the most destructive advice you can give to a geek.
                    boost your code || Fold With Us! || sighist

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                    • V Vikram A Punathambekar

                      Sl0n wrote: Political correctness or something else? The former, generally. Cheers, Vikram.


                      http://www.geocities.com/vpunathambekar

                      Google talk: binarybandit

                      After all is said and done, much is said and little is done.

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                      peterchen
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #18

                      Which sucks, IMO, if you know that 99% of your users are "he".


                      We say "get a life" to each other, disappointed or jokingly. What we forget, though, is that this is possibly the most destructive advice you can give to a geek.
                      boost your code || Fold With Us! || sighist

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                      • R Roger Wright

                        I tend to use "it" because, like most coders, I hate users.;) "...a photo album is like Life, but flat and stuck to pages." - Shog9

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                        Jorgen Sigvardsson
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #19

                        :laugh: I think I will use neutral pronouns when it's time to update manuals. :-D -- Pictures[^] from my Japan trip.

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                        • P peterchen

                          I see it this way: Andy proved that you can get closer for "a few" extra miles.


                          We say "get a life" to each other, disappointed or jokingly. What we forget, though, is that this is possibly the most destructive advice you can give to a geek.
                          boost your code || Fold With Us! || sighist

                          P Offline
                          P Offline
                          Paul Watson
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #20

                          Err. You lost me there. :) regards, Paul Watson Ireland Colib and ilikecameras. K(arl) wrote: oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!

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                          • A AntonGogolev

                            Hello! Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason why a "user" is referred to as "she" in technical documentation? Political correctness or something else?

                            T Offline
                            T Offline
                            Tom Archer
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #21

                            With regards to technical book publishing in the states, it's a case of political correctness. Tom Archer (blog) Program Manager MSDN Online (Windows Vista and Visual C++) MICROSOFT

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                            • P peterchen

                              Which sucks, IMO, if you know that 99% of your users are "he".


                              We say "get a life" to each other, disappointed or jokingly. What we forget, though, is that this is possibly the most destructive advice you can give to a geek.
                              boost your code || Fold With Us! || sighist

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                              R Offline
                              Raj Lal
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #22

                              User - She ? because it is targeted to those who actually read the technical document :laugh: "Not everything that counts can be counted..." -Albert Einstein

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                              • M Member 96

                                Pronoun dysphoria! ;)


                                "Hello, hello, what's all this shouting, we'll have no trouble here! This is a Local Shop for Local People, there's nothing for you here!" -Edward Tattsyrup

                                A Offline
                                A Offline
                                Anna Jayne Metcalfe
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #23

                                LMAO! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Anna :rose: Riverblade Ltd - Software Consultancy Services Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.

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                                • R Roger Wright

                                  I tend to use "it" because, like most coders, I hate users.;) "...a photo album is like Life, but flat and stuck to pages." - Shog9

                                  A Offline
                                  A Offline
                                  Anna Jayne Metcalfe
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #24

                                  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I thought 'it' was reserved for Marketing? ;) Anna :rose: Riverblade Ltd - Software Consultancy Services Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.

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                                  • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

                                    :laugh: I think I will use neutral pronouns when it's time to update manuals. :-D -- Pictures[^] from my Japan trip.

                                    A Offline
                                    A Offline
                                    Anna Jayne Metcalfe
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #25

                                    'Ze'? :rolleyes: Anna :rose: Riverblade Ltd - Software Consultancy Services Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.

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                                    • N Nitron

                                      I tend to maintain a 50/50 split of he/she with repetition of terms as an alternating fibonacci (sp?) sequence. i.e. he, she she, he he he, she she she she she, he he he he he he he he, then repeat with the roles switched. ;P ~Nitron.


                                      ññòòïðïðB A
                                      start

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                                      J Offline
                                      Jorgen Sigvardsson
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #26

                                      I hope you mention Mrs Fibonacci once in a while. :rolleyes: -- Pictures[^] from my Japan trip.

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                                      • A AntonGogolev

                                        Hello! Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason why a "user" is referred to as "she" in technical documentation? Political correctness or something else?

                                        G Offline
                                        G Offline
                                        Gary Kirkham
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #27

                                        Probably because women are the ones most likely to read it. Men generally only read documentation or product manuals as a last resort. Gary Kirkham Forever Forgiven and Alive in the Spirit He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. - Jim Elliot Me blog, You read

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                                        • R Raj Lal

                                          User - She ? because it is targeted to those who actually read the technical document :laugh: "Not everything that counts can be counted..." -Albert Einstein

                                          L Offline
                                          L Offline
                                          Lost User
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #28

                                          So right :laugh: The tigress is here :-D

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