User talk:Dwhitney

Grammar
Regarding your edits, while some things need grammar to be fixed, please do not change "can only" to "only can," as well as certain similar occurrences, as in varying situations these can have completely different meanings. Also, you should not remove the Oxford Comma (ie, the comma before an and or an or on lists of more than two items), as its presence is grammatically correct by American English standards, which is what this site has used for a number of years now. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 16:45, 6 November 2018 (EST)

Changing the use of the word "only" is completely unnecessary. "he can only punch and destroy bricks if he eats a Super Mushroom" means the same thing as "he can punch and destroy bricks only if he eats a Super Mushroom", for example. As for the example you posted on Doc's page, the sentences mean the same thing. Also, "they" or "the player" should be used instead of "he or she" usages. 12:46, 7 November 2018 (EST)
 * For instance, here you changed a sentence that said one thing into saying a completely different thing that it wasn't intended to say, and is in fact wrong. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 19:26, 7 November 2018 (EST)

Again, "they/their" should be used instead of "he or she", as per Manual_of_Style. It does say the latter can be used occasionally, but if it's already as "they/their", don't change it. 18:15, 9 November 2018 (EST)
 * Additionally, regarding "they" as singular, there was a proposal to make it be "he or she," but it was shut down after I showed that the Webster company says "they" is perfectly fine as singular on their website. So use "they," please, in accordance with our rules. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 18:17, 9 November 2018 (EST)

You still seem to not be getting it. Changing the usage of "only" doesn't matter and if "they" is already used, there is no need to change it. In fact, "they" is encouraged through the Manual of Style I linked to above. These changes are unnecessary and don't do anything for the page, so after that's been said, why continue? 23:48, 12 November 2018 (EST)

Continue to ignore talk page messages and you will be banned from editing. 00:49, 13 November 2018 (EST)

Names of Things
Does anyone know what the name of a platform with a countdown timer is? And is there a name for a "bottomless" pit, which causes a character to lose a life when fallen into? Dwhitney (talk) 14:27, 7 December 2018 (EST)
 * I don't know about that first one, but the latter does have a page: pit. Scrooge200 (talk) 14:30, 7 December 2018 (EST)

"He/She" vs "They"
The rules of this wiki say that "he or she" can be used occasionally instead of "they." Is it okay to use the former if there is a risk of confusing readers when a phrase in a sentence has a plural term of objects, such as in " ...if they [the player] touch [the Octopus's] tentacles, they lose a life"? Dwhitney (talk) 14:55, 7 December 2018 (EST)
 * "They" works fine in that instance, and can be used in both singular and plural terms. 15:01, 7 December 2018 (EST)
 * The word "tentacles" does not work, however, as those are arms. Octopuses don't have tentacles. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 15:23, 7 December 2018 (EST)

Okay, so when do you accept the use of "he or she"? Dwhitney (talk) 15:15, 7 December 2018 (EST)
 * Only times I can think of where that is preferred over "they" are in in-game quotes. 15:32, 7 December 2018 (EST)