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~> From: M Giffin [mailto:mgiffin -at- earthlink -dot- net]
~> I have a suggestion. Do it this way:
~>
~> "If the user is ... then customize his session."
~>
~> I do this occasionally, judiciously, in the documentation I
~> write. I have
~> never seen a good reason for a monolithic rule against it.
A good reason is that it's sexist.
I work in manufacturing, and before that construction. These fields are
dominated by men, and that's fine. But that doesn't mean I can do the job. I
can't tell you how many times I was told a _girl_ like me shouldn't do this
work or to be careful not to break a nail. (Often as they sat on their asses
while I lugged construction material around.)
Now add to that all documentation was written that way, using he, or Joe, or
such and I was often the only woman in a class, and man oh man, this tees me
off! I realize that I might be more sensitive than most, but I think it
allows a certain mindset. Even the guys in my classes noticed and made jokes
about it, pretty harmless stuff, but still they noticed. We talk and talk
about knowing our users, but this is a prime example on how we fail them.
All nurses are not woman and all construction folk are not men.
Willow Foster (excessively opinionated for a Thursday)
wfoster -at- friedmancorp -dot- com
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