User talk:Guy Harris/Archives/2024/11


Macintosh startup corrections - please be nice

Thank you for correcting my mistakes on my most recent edit of this article, but I ask that you please, please, please do not be so critical. Just tell me the actual facts about the topic and be kind when correcting mistakes. After all, I have been editing for just a month almost, so I am still learning. Some criticism like what you stated could deter my strength to keep editing so please be careful next time. But once again, thank you anyway.

Be kind,

Jibblesnark86 (talk) 21:42, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

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Burroughs B5000 should be referred to in past tense

Dear Guy, Why have you again undone my changes to past tense in the article on descriptors. Past tense is correctly used in the rest of the article, so the section was out of character. Ian.joyner (talk) 03:58, 30 November 2024 (UTC)

@Ian.joyner: Because the Wikipedia Manual of Style says, in MOS:TENSE:

By default, write articles in the present tense, including those covering works of fiction (see Wikipedia:Writing better articles § Tense in fiction) and products or works that have been discontinued. Generally, use past tense only for past events, and for subjects that are dead or no longer meaningfully exist. Use past tense for articles about periodicals no longer produced, with common-sense exceptions.

and gives, as its first example, a statement about a line of computers that's no longer being manufactured or supported:
The PDP-10 is a mainframe computer family manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation from 1966 into the 1980s.
If you don't like that policty, feel free to discuss it on Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style. Guy Harris (talk) 06:44, 30 November 2024 (UTC)
That is still clear that it is talking about the PDP-10 in the past — "manufactured". However the preceding verb should be was to match the tense. I'll let those involved with PDP-10 fix that.
Meanwhile I have improved this article by making it clear that we are not talking about systems that exist anymore and have not done for 50 years.
Please move your childish activities elsewhere. This is not what Wikipedia is for. Ian.joyner (talk) 06:59, 30 November 2024 (UTC)
"Use past tense for articles about periodicals no longer produced, with common-sense exceptions."
What don't you understand there? Things "no longer produced".
We cannot talk about B5700 as an existing system. That is confusing to readers. Wikipedia should uphold accuracy and clarity. Ian.joyner (talk) 07:02, 30 November 2024 (UTC)
Stop being petty and bringing your grudges to WP. Yes you are being petty. Why did you not change all the other references to present tense? Ian.joyner (talk) 11:40, 30 November 2024 (UTC)
If you think everything should be present tense, write in Mandarin or Cantonese. English has past tense for good reasons. Ian.joyner (talk) 11:43, 30 November 2024 (UTC)