Understanding and Reading a Blog (for Newcomers)

First of all there are two categories of blogs. One is the traditional web-log where a web surfer shares his online discoveries. And the second is the web diary where person shares his or her thoughts of the day. —John C. DvorakUnderstanding and Reading a Blog (for Newcomers) (Dvorak.org)

Interesting… Dvorak uses the masculine pronoun to describe “the traditional web-log,” but uses both masculine and feminine pronouns to describe “the web diary.” (See my handout on gender-neutral language.)

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  • I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt and take it as unintentional, but he could have said, "where web surfers share their online discoveries," or "where I might share my online discoveries".

  • Stuff like that doesn't normally bother me. I usually can't be bothered with that whole "he or she" stuff. (Guess at 55 I am too old or something!) But I find it offensive that, by making the distinction, he seems to say that no women do serious blogging. Maybe that says more about me than it does about him!

    I wonder if this was a slip of the finger or if it was intentional.

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Dennis G. Jerz