You're using the wrong definition for man to qualify your visual irritant. Man in this case means "human, person". If I say this will help all mankind, I'm not excluding a gender. You simply misunderstood.
I'm more than upset that we can't treat a topic seriously without someone sidetracking on an personal offense for "mandays". The OP didn't even suggest another word, nor does the industry have another established gender-neutral word.
Besides, women programmers are often quickly promoted, so yes there's only men left at the bottom level.
However, it's true that criticizing man hours is not understanding language or etymology.
We could go on with things like cowboy and cowgirl. Why do we call adults boys and girls? On the other hand, they are just terms. Just like husband really isn't interpreted as "house bound". Bound, tied to a house, i.e. not free.
But... people being people we see others getting in trouble when son misunderstand etymology and meaning like when people use synonyms for frugality and people find offense. There will doubtlessly be other words which fall into disfavor for looking or sounding too much like a scoundrel word.
I agree completely. Language is, although defined, still up for interpretation and can be very vague. That's why we have to communicate more when there is some misunderstanding. And also why some of us spend an inordinate amount of time pruning our writing and speech. I hate to lose people just due to miscommunication. I don't want to offend anyone, because then my message is never sent. I get - Protocol error, do not resend!
Yes, "man" in this context is unequivocally gender-neutral. Hence my point that it's a visual irritant due to a very specific situation rather than saying it was an incorrect usage or a discriminatory term.
Sorry I wasn't trying to be flippant or dismissive. I really am trying to point out a simple miscommunication. If the word truly offended someone I worked with I would substitute it for something else. I don't even like the term to be honest. Never have.
Oh, I wasn't really objecting to the content of what you said there... It's open for debate whether or not there's a better expression than "man hours".
I just wanted to point out that said debate would hinge on more than a narrowly semantic question about the meaning of "man".
Besides, women programmers are often quickly promoted, so yes there's only men left at the bottom level.