Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Do you find yourself searching for a pronoun? Or trying to contort your thoughts to avoid one?
This is a large problem on some boards, where people use real or “real” names. Everyone named Pat has to deal with jokes about the dumb Saturday Night Live character that was hard to figure out.
(N.b. I am male, but if you use “her” or “she” the first time we meet I won’t give it a lot of thought.)
ALL posters are male/female 
Simple way to figure it out:
There’s a simple formula, actually:
Convert all the letters in the username to numbers (a=1, b=2, all the rest equal 3)
Add all those numbers up. This will give you a larger number than any of the individual numbers you added. (If it doesn’t repeat, step 1.) Call this the user’s “SuperNumber”.
If a user has an odd SuperNumber, then they are male. If they have an even SuperNumber, they are female. If their SuperNumber equals 26, then they are a male to female transexual with bisexual tendencies.
It’s just that simple!
Good Grief, Giraffe!! I’ve given birth to two sons, the oldest now twenty, and I find out using your technique, I’m a MAN!! But, hey! I’m in a miserable marriage, and NOW I know the reason why! The things you learn around here! 
You could always just grab them by the groin (and leave me out. I’m a big girl).
I flip a coin.
Heads – they’re male.
Tails – they’re female.
Just pick a pronoun and use it.
If you make the mistake–the poster will usually tell you so. 
What’s more annoying is when I get mistaken for a lady iRL!
And not by the name, either, since ‘Ashley’ is just an alias. Some people have actually seen me and called me ‘Miss’.
Anyone else ever have that happen to them?
-Ashley
(And I’m all man, I’ll have you know!)
I personally look for obvious clues in a username.
<d&r>
Check to see if they’re mentioned in DRY’s sig line.
Most of the time it doesn’t matter (GQer here - OK, I do some MPSIMS and, yeah, I do flit about all of the board), and I’m sure you’ve noticed that it is not a question as regards many on the board. But, several have left me wondering.
Usually it doesn’t matter - unless you’re just here to flirt. Sometimes it can become relevant to a point in discussion. In those cases - ask.
Andrea
It doesn’t matter if they are male or female IRL, or physically versus mentally male or female, or whatever. There are also a few transgendered persons on this board as well, BTW.
Unless other Dopers have met the person IRL, most people have no idea what someone really is - I could be a 13-year old boy in Scranton (“Just a second Mom! Save dinner for me!”), or a 78-year old Etruscan woman, or the best AI ever created. You have to either ask, or read and experience and learn what they are.
Or go to the SD People Pages - if you can believe those in all cases.
Una,
You’d be a 13 yr old with a hell of a lot of knowledge about coal.
I’m impressed- hope you enjoy imminent puberty.
<d&r yet again>
About that super number business, what if the user’s name contains a numeral? Not that I’m thinking of anything specefic.
And BTW, it’s pronounced Bird-min. Oh alright, no it isn’t.
Why not check the posters profile?
Let’s look at some profiles to see if this would work.
JBirdman12 - No gender given but a manly profile. ( screenname suggests manhood )
Anthracite - No gender given but notes interest in “lesbian issues” rather than “lesbians” indicating womanhood.
beatle - No gender given or implied.
Little Nemo - Biography empty.
andygirl - No gender given or implied. ( screenname suggests womanhood )
Ashtar - No gender given. Manhood ( boyhood? ) perhaps hinted by interest in video games.
Skribbler - No gender given or implied.
Biggirl - No gender given or implied. ( screen name suggests womanhood )
Anti Pro - Gender given. Well written profile with information and humor.
Giraffe - No gender given or implied.
Bottle of Smoke - No gender given or implied. ( In Wisconsin a love of beer and the Packers is shared by both genders. )
glee - No gender given. Interests hint at manhood ( listing Dungeons & Dragons in particular )
Ah, now I understand why the confusion.
Ask?
Or is that too easy?
I’ve often thought it would be a good optional field to have in the profile. That way, people can declare their gender if they wish, and people can check if they’re curious. Sometimes I’ll find myself wondering about a poster if I can’t find enough clues, but it isn’t important enough to ask them outright. Being able to check the profile would be a nice compromise.
Ahem…and your point is?
This from the man who paid for one of “my sig ladies” expenses to the Rochester doperfest.
Which makes you…well…a generous person, I suppose.
My sincerest thanks to the kind and compassionate “SDMB Beauty” voters: Grace, Nika, Scotticher, Tatertot and TroubleAgain!
Also a shout of appreciation to Golf Widow, Michi and Medea’s Child. I enjoy your correspondence! Keep those letters coming.
Can’t forget Diane, who had an erotic dream about me in this thread:
(I guess there’s no accounting for taste.)
I’m not sure about Little Nemo…femme, or not?
[sub]This was not a real sig. If it had been a real sig, I certainly wouldn’t have wasted my time on a goddamn male (or even someone remotely androgynous). No gay fantasies (not that there would be anything wrong with that) took place during the making of this sig.[/sub]
2sense,
politely done. Actually my interests of chess, computer games and roleplaying are all male-dominated. I wish more women would join in.
(Oh, I’m male)
I usually just flip them over and look. Like with kittens.