online gender form options

Goodshape

I'm building a web form for a user profile at the moment and being interested in gender and sexual identities and all that, I'd quite like to include a third gender option.

First of all, curious if anyone here would use a third option if it were available.. or do you even think anyone would? Maybe its just silly liberal nonsense no one actually needs?

Secondly, what is the other option? Is it just "other"? Do people mind being called "other"? It's a little... cold or something. But can't think of anything better without adding MANY options, which I don't really want to do.


Thanks :-)

L.Jenkins

How about a drop down menu with Male, Female, Other. Included could be a text box to allow users to describe how their gender.

Goodshape

That's how the drop down is at the moment but without the text box. A free text box is best avoided from a database, search, filtering, reporting point of view :-\

wonderfulname

It would make me more comfortable, it's not liberal nonsense it's just not something that's relevant to very many people.

If a text box is not an option I'd be inclined to stick with male, female, and other. There is no universally agreed upon word for all the "others" and listing them isn't viable. I don't find it cold, I find it an absolute relief to see.

Is this a standalone option or will it be referenced for pronoun usage anywhere?

Goodshape

Thanks for the input, wonderfulname. We don't have need for pronoun usage at the moment, and I think it will probably stay that way. Not sure what I'd do about that otherwise?

We may though, at some point, offer gender specific advice (along with, majority, gender neutral advice) on things like diet and exercise. But there's plenty of other factors used to determine the nature of that advice. For the most part, the gender selection is just for statistical data on our side.

KDII

I don't identify as anything other than female but I still appreciate the 'other' option when I see it.

wonderfulname

Goodshape wrote: »

Thanks for the input, wonderfulname. We don't have need for pronoun usage at the moment, and I think it will probably stay that way. Not sure what I'd do about that otherwise?

We may though, at some point, offer gender specific advice (along with, majority, gender neutral advice) on things like diet and exercise. But there's plenty of other factors used to determine the nature of that advice. For the most part, the gender selection is just for statistical data on our side.

Looks like you're set so, if you do need to do anything with pronouns in future just set a neutral default and assign it to the "other" option, there are more wonderfully everyone friendly options but they're neither user nor site friendly imo, at least not ones I've seen (how would you feel about four text boxes and a grammar test under "gender"?).

Is the user profile visible to others? If so you might consider the option of hiding gender from general view as part of the usual privacy settings, if not, ignore my latest musing.

How would you manage gender specific advice? Give those who chose "other" both sets and let them decide what's relevant?

Fair dues for being inclusive and such, if doing so turns up problems in future don't be afraid to come back and ask questions.

Goodshape

wonderfulname wrote: »

Looks like you're set so, if you do need to do anything with pronouns in future just set a neutral default and assign it to the "other" option

To be honest.. I usually try and stick to gender neutral when I can anyway. Not for any 'all inclusive' reason... it's just easier to code ;-)

Is the user profile visible to others? If so you might consider the option of hiding gender from general view as part of the usual privacy settings, if not, ignore my latest musing.

No, it won't be. But they are allowed to leave it blank if they wish.

How would you manage gender specific advice? Give those who chose "other" both sets and let them decide what's relevant?

I was actually thinking of just showing them the gender neutral advice, which will be the majority of it. But... maybe it would be possible and better to show both. Prefix with a "For males...", "For females...", and allow the user the benefit of choice.

Fair dues for being inclusive and such, if doing so turns up problems in future don't be afraid to come back and ask questions.

Cool. Thanks again!