This is an extended version of the joke posted by BugFace above:

A student asked, "What gender is a computer?"

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups - male and female - and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for their recommendation.


The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for possible later review; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your salary on accessories for it.


The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2.They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have got a better model.