> all they did was trade an inconsistency in number for one in gender. That's certainly not a win and arguably a loss for accuracy
It's not progress to revert to a previously-fixed inaccuracy solely because of changing tastes. We wouldn't admire it in programming unless it were clearly necessary, or at least a useful kluge on balance. Here, it's neither.
The better approach would be to coin another word, along the lines of Ms. vice Miss and Mrs., as I suggested above. Quoting Wikipedia: "For example, abbreviated pronouns have been proposed: 'e (for he or she) or 's (for his/hers); h' (for him/her in object case); "zhe" (also "ze"), "zher(s)" (also "zer" or "zir"), "shi"/"hir", and "zhim" (also "mer") for "he or she", "his or her(s)", and "him or her", respectively; 'self (for himself/herself); and hu, hus, hum, humself (for s/he, his/hers, him/her, himself/herself). [1]
It's not progress to revert to a previously-fixed inaccuracy solely because of changing tastes. We wouldn't admire it in programming unless it were clearly necessary, or at least a useful kluge on balance. Here, it's neither.
The better approach would be to coin another word, along the lines of Ms. vice Miss and Mrs., as I suggested above. Quoting Wikipedia: "For example, abbreviated pronouns have been proposed: 'e (for he or she) or 's (for his/hers); h' (for him/her in object case); "zhe" (also "ze"), "zher(s)" (also "zer" or "zir"), "shi"/"hir", and "zhim" (also "mer") for "he or she", "his or her(s)", and "him or her", respectively; 'self (for himself/herself); and hu, hus, hum, humself (for s/he, his/hers, him/her, himself/herself). [1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender-specific_and_gender-neut...