> Whatever the perceived tone, what Caroline didn't do was suggest improvements, provide examples. It was a teachable moment.
Seems to me she directly suggested the improvement, after explaining both the reason the existing version was bad and the reason the improvement was better (the two reasons being the same):
Quoting directly from the issue she raised, which was not merely quoted but emphasized as a pull-quote in the article: “‘Transgender’ is not a gender. Transgender people may be male, female, gender queer, non-binary... If you want to know if a survey respondent is transgender, you need to explicitly ask that question.”
She said what was wrong, but did not say what was right. Explicitly. To me, it's an example of "Guess what I'm thinking!" Or more famously, that UI designer who said "Don't make me think!"
Granted, a "data scientist" should already know how to survey, be open to constructive criticism.
I personally would have no idea how to ask the question. Though I'm not a data scientist, I can use google.
> She said what was wrong, but did not say what was right. Explicitly.
She explicitly stated both that including “transgender” as a gender identity option was wrong, and that the right way was to ask about transgender status as a seperate question.
Belated personal story. I know multiple transgendered persons (friends, family, at work). So I'm at least partially familiar with the issues. Many of my friends work on LBGTQ policy issues, to which I've given money. I've even marched in our local Gay Pride parade.
My bestie recently told me she's now dating a transman. I looked askance. I had never heard that term before. I wondered if she meant transvestite, transgender, transexual... She got upset. She thought I was judging.
Nope. I just didn't know what transman meant. Oh. She explained and everything was cool again.
Though this is not my cause, I am here to help. I'm an ally for equal rights, justice, responsibility, and so forth.
She exactly said what was right. She said EXACTLY what to do. There was absolutely no guesswork involved. She said that you should ask if one is transgender as a separate question. How is that not explicit?
The only reason I now have any notion of an appropriate phrasing is because I was curious enough to seek examples. (Unlike the aggrieved data scientist?)
If nothing else, this mini-thread illustrates the challenges with communication, even when all parties have the best of intentions.
She absolutely did. She said specifically that it should be a separate question.
At some point, I have to wonder whether or not the people who are complaining about these easily debunked things are discussing the topic in good faith.
