From: A LeDonne <aledonne.listmail@...>
Date: 2006-03-07T05:21:07+09:00
Subject: Re: Symbols

On 3/4/06, William James <w_a_x_man@yahoo.com> wrote:
> gwtmp01@mac.com wrote:
>
> > For example, if you want to record 'gender' you could model that in lots
> > of different ways:
> >
> >       male    female
> >       ----    ------
> >       0       1
> >       1       0
> >       'm'     'f'
> >       'male'  'female'
> >       'mars'  'venus'
> >       -1      1
> >       1       -1
> >       true    false
> >       false   true
> >       :male   :female
>
> Nobody who has any sense wants to record the "gender" of
> a human being.  A person is a member of a certain sex, not
> of a "gender".  Hence, "the weaker sex".  Only words have
> gender.  That is elementary.  Unfortunately, ignorant witlings
> have decided that it is trendy and politically correct to
> substitute 'gender' for 'sex'.
>

One important plus to using symbols... it's obvious how to then extend
the system when you realize you need to add :intersex, as biological
sex is not always an either/or proposition.