Right. Here is a video on merriam-webster.com explaining why "their" is becoming acceptable as a singular pronoun.
But I agree that it may not be Canonical's desire to become an early adopter.
Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. - Dr. Seuss
Don't think its early adoption. In fairly common usage and I fully support it. Used it for years myself. It would help represent the forums as a unisex community where all users are welcome and treated equally, regardless of their gender, sexuality, religion, politics or anything else one would hope. Considering this is a support forum shouldn't these things be, in a sense and in most cases, irrelevant anyway?
Getting marginally OT there, but my two cents and +++1 for 'their'. Bit confused as why the lengthening debate. Let's just position the forums grammatically in the 21st century and be done with it. Language is inevitably and has always been dynamic, fluid and ever-changing so what's the issue?
I was posting on a thread where a woman was called 'Sir' by the OP. Sir and madam confuse things (even though a cultural thing, it assumes that all Ubuntu Forum users must be male nerds?). He and she/his and her confuse things also in a situation like the forums where you often don't know which is appropriate. In this day and age, why simply opt for the masculine? I'd say it's almost inappropriate, despite what linguists may have to say about it.
Finally, you don't know if a woman is reading the Code, or a transvestite who was a he but is now considered a she, so why the heck address either her as he? 'Their' is best and sign of the times. Their is only fair and right. Rant over.
Last edited by Bucky Ball; October 2nd, 2012 at 05:30 PM.
I have, too. I just always thought I was being improper until recently.
Good point. It's an Ubuntu support forum, not a grammar support forum.
As far as I can tell, only one person is really debating against it. Maybe someone should put a link in the Cafe to make the debate a little bigger and less lopsided. (Just joking)
They're not?
Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. - Dr. Seuss
I have a hunch that whatever we come up with to use in gender-neutral discussions, there will nearly always be someone who is unhappy.
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Ah a new Code of Conduct....
I don't find the draft really with big problems, just that the grammar needs some change which is mentioned in other people's post...
I am willing to sign the Code of Conduct the moment it got onto the Launchpad signing page
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