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Comment by wizzwizz4 | Hacker News Reader

> They? This is my project, it is just me.

"They" has been an acceptable default third-person singular pronoun since at least the 1400s. If there's something you'd prefer, it might be wise to list it on one of your user profile pages.

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I don't think the maintainer has a problem with pronoun choice in the sense you're implying - rather it seems that they are trying to emphasize that they are just one person and have limited time/resources

Yeah, that's clear given the context of who replied to whom. I somehow missed that summm was replying to SubzeroCarnage; in light of the context, what was meant to be me being lightheartedly pedantic comes across as a weird and preachy derail. (Shame Hacker News doesn't let one delete things.)

The comment was in direct response to me, but not addressed to me, so it was they as in "project members" (which there are none).

Right but you didn't say you were the project author anywhere so how would they have known that?

Isn't that implied? This is a "Show HN" post.

There are dozens of people commenting here and HN doesn't highlight the author of the post like Reddit does (it would be nice if it did).

Since the 1400s my arse. It's just an annoying trend among woke evangelists, and makes the english language uglier while conveying less information about the subject in question.

There is quite literally nothing "woke" about using "they" to refer to someone in a gender neutral way. That term is really overused nowadays.

Either way, I suppose "he/she" could be used instead if that really is an issue?

It would at least specify that you are talking about one single person, and not more than one, so it is ALWAYS better to use he/she.

Not if you're talking about a nonbinary person :(

They is more inclusive! ^^

No, this is a matter of historical fact. If you disagree, bring it up with the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary.[0] Or, if you prefer, the editors of the First Folio, a 1623 compilation of Shakespeare's works;[1] not quite as early, but easier for us mere mortals to verify.

> For your sake (Iewell) // I am glad at soule, I haue no other Child; // For thy escape would teach me Tirranie // To hang clogges on them.

[0]: https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/200700#eid1288185420

[1]: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Shakespeare_-_First_Folio_fac...

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