Hacker News Reader

Comment by blkhp19 | Hacker News Reader

I definitely don’t think it was your intention to send a “this is a male’s job” message, but some readers might interpret it that way (even subconsciously) if we use language like “software guys” instead of software developers. There are definitely women working in all of these areas, and hopefully many more in the future!

View on HN

According to Oxford Dictionary:

"guys [plural] (informal) a group of people of either sex e.g 'Come on, you guys, let's get going!'"

-- https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/americ...

This is also my (local) experience of the word usage: that it's used for groups of any sex.

It’s funny how dropping “guys” is such low hanging D&I fruit but also so hard to do. I try to use “folks” and honestly have started saying y’all a lot.

As someone raised in the north US, living the last ~8 years between Florida and Texas has helped break the “you guys” habit. However, I admit that I still feel like an imposter whenever I use “y’all”.

Y’all is a single syllable, rolls off the tongue and is gender neutral. By the power vested in me by the State of Texas, I hereby grant the reader (herein referred to as “all y’all”) permission to use “y’all” in perpetuity.

Thanks, much appreciated.

I grew up near Chicago, currently live in Canada, and I say "y'all" all the time. I feel kind of self-conscious about it too but I asked a friend here if it was weird for me to say and she says she also says it all the time, so.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com