Team Etiquette: My Misconception?

That's too bad. Clearly she has a passion for this and I think it's wasted arguing over pronouns with people on an internet forum.

English's lack of a true gender neutral pronoun is a deficiency in the language. Unfortunately it's unlikely to be rectified in any authoritative way since there is no authoritative body that is universally recognized. So if you folks (on both sides of the argument) want to set up a standards committee for the English language and try and get it accepted by the majority of the world's English speaking populace, more power to you.

The common usage (although one disliked by certain posters) is to use the masculine pronoun in cases of non specific singular when non specific plural pronouns would scan improperly. This is objected to by those who subscribe to linguistic determinism amongst other theoretical takes on the subject.

A couple of commonly suggested alternatives is the inclusion of a gender non-specific pronoun or the removal of gender specific pronouns altogether (not as terrible an idea as it initially sounds to some, although the phrase "neutering our language" springs rather humorously to mind).

That's pretty much the end of constructive discussion on this subject. Because no one has the power to actually make these changes people just have viewpoints and throw them at each other, much like monkeys and certain other substances. So any further discussion along this topic is pretty much non constructive, and would be a violation of Rule #5 of the Message Forum Rules and Guidelines.

If you want to talk to someone about it, PM me directly. It's about the only way not to violate the rules on the subject and I can reply as I get time, not as it occurs.

Now if we want to start in on real deficiencies in the English Language, lets start talking about our numerical vocabulary and how it impedes the learning of math in young children. That drives me nuts (I'm trying to teach a 1st grader the concept of a 1's value and a 10's value at the present).

GAH! I haven't done an actual post-by-post count, but I believe the derail posts now outnumber the posts addressing the thread topic. Does anyone else find this a bit ironic considering that the original topic revolved around etiquette?

I don't dismiss or magnify the importance of the language issue addressed. For those who posted again and again and again on the derail side of things, my opinion is that, whatever your stance, you make it and yourself look foolish by insisting on arguing your point in this particular arena instead of starting your own particular thread on the subject.

Thanks to all those who replied to the original issue queried. You've helped me clarify the issue to my satisfaction.

Sheesh, you win, internet authorities! Unsubscribing from my own thread, a first for me. Have fun!

I'm going to make an effort to merge the OP's topic with the other topic that mysteriously popped up in this thread.

On teams, I usually have no problem with being referred to according to the gender of my character, since they're all female and so am I (this was a decision I made on purpose to avoid the kind of confusion that could result from me playing a male character). However, since this is a computer game, and since computer games have a higher percentage of male players than female players, I occasionally run into someone insisting that I'm a guy, even after I tell them I'm not.

Why do they do this? They don't know me in RL, so how would they know? I'm around my dad and my brother more than my mom (even though we all live in the same house), so sometimes I "sound" like a guy. I'm also fairly into sci-fi movies and books (although not the military sci-fi books), which leads some to dispute my proclaimed gender (there are several other facts that would "rule against" my femininity, but I don't want this post to be my usual wall of text). I've had several people conclude that I'm a gay guy, and even one who was sure that I "used to be a guy". This gives me endless headaches when it happens, and usually leads to me leaving the team.

So please, if someone corrects your use of their gender-specific pronoun when you're on a team with them, use what they want you to. Don't insist that they're not what they say they are. You just end up looking like a jerk.

Don't those temp powers only last, like, one mission? Unless they changed it, you lose them at the end of the arc, which is one mission after you get them.

I know I made a long list and all, but there's no reason to be overly anal retentive. Have fun, don't obsess over missing minor rewards.

__________________
Currently listening to R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People