Let's not have another semantic argument (hacking vs cracking), the term "girl" (and the term "boy" for that matter) has both the meanings of an child of the given gender but also the informal friendly meaning for an adult of that gender.
For example "lets check with the (boys|girls)" is a pretty common usage casual usage of the term for adults, especially in the 18-35 age bracket. The term boy is actually very common in uniformed occupations (military, police, etc).
Depending on the context using "women" implies a level of formality and abstraction that some could find more offensive. So whatever word gets chosen carries some risk of offence, but it's best not to get hung up on subtitles especially when so many people are non-native english speakers.
Girl has an "immature, not yet an adult" connotation. "Guy" wasn't the only option here. It could easily have read "This woman not only became a competent front end developer..."
Well done on your journey, very impressive! It's an inspiration for many of us.
You replied about the use of "girl" (and I agree, "person" would be best here), but why not reply to petea's original comment where he criticizes you? Every time your blog makes it to front page on HN, I notice you're active in the comment thread but you don't reply to the criticism. Why not? It would quickly put an end to these type of comments. I think ignoring the criticism does more harm than the truth about whether or not you received help from others or you started the challenge with some basic knowledge.
Thanks for the input, but not all online communities are the same. HN doesn't have the greatest community, but it's better than most.
The question keeps appearing every time Jennifer's story makes the front page. If it was answered, the answer can be easily linked to any time the question pops up in the future.
What does she possibly have to gain by responding to such crticism? Regardless of the situation, her best move is to ignore it and move on with her life.
Alternatively, what does she have to lose by responding to the criticism and then moving on with her life?
While her accomplishment is very inspirational, it can also act as a disincentive to many who feel discouraged or stupid after having failed on much simpler beginner tasks. This can change depending on her answer to the criticism.
BTW this project is now a significant part of her life. It got a lot of attention and most people will know her because of the accomplishment. It'll be difficult to quickly move on from it - I'm sure the project will pop up in conversation with her, years from now, along with the same questions.
Whether she responds to the criticism or not, it's been exciting seeing her make progress and complete her goal. I wish her all the best.
What? Calling grown women "girls" is even more anachronistic. Seriously, the one-word pronoun "She" would have worked much better in the original sentence.
That's what I was thinking too, the female equivalent of guy is gal. I've seen other people suggest "person" but that sounds stiff. I say we just use "individual" or "particular individual."
For example "lets check with the (boys|girls)" is a pretty common usage casual usage of the term for adults, especially in the 18-35 age bracket. The term boy is actually very common in uniformed occupations (military, police, etc).
Depending on the context using "women" implies a level of formality and abstraction that some could find more offensive. So whatever word gets chosen carries some risk of offence, but it's best not to get hung up on subtitles especially when so many people are non-native english speakers.