Memory Alpha and other ST pages in past tense

[JesterFace]

Have you ever thought that while reading something from Memory Alpha for example, it always describes things in past tense, ”Enterprise was” or ”Data entered the code”.

Shouldn't those sentences be in future tense, the ”Enterprise will” (do something) or ”Data will” (do something)

Just a thought, those things have happened on a TV screen, even if they're things to come.

 

[Push The Button]

Memory Alpha exists in-universe, so all events in Trek have already taken place from MA's point of view.

Or not, this is just my theory.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Have you ever thought that while reading something from Memory Alpha for example, it always describes things in past tense, ”Enterprise was” or ”Data entered the code”.

Shouldn't those sentences be in future tense, the ”Enterprise will” (do something) or ”Data will” (do something)

Just a thought, those things have happened on a TV screen, even if they're things to come.

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Memory_Alpha:Point_of_view

In-universe

Memory Alpha's primary point of view is that of a character inside the fictional Star Trek universe – an archivist at Memory Alpha, the Federation library planet.

Star Trek universe articles should be written as if the described person, object, or event actually existed or occurred, exactly like in a normal encyclopedia, but with an omniscient writer. Think of Memory Alpha as an encyclopedia that exists in the Star Trek universe.

Use:

"... Spock was a half-Human, half-Vulcan, who served as science officer – and later first officer – aboard the USS Enterprise..."

Instead of:

"... Spock is the famous half-Human, half-Vulcan of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS)..."


Tense

Because Star Trek stories take place in many different eras, from the beginnings of life on Earth to the 31st century and beyond, and because forthcoming stories may even expand beyond that, it is important to write all articles from a single perspective: i.e. that of someone looking back at the past. This helps to keep Memory Alpha consistent and understandable. A specific point in time has not been defined, but if it helps, pretend that we're writing and viewing this data archive at the end of time, long after the Star Trek universe as we know it has ceased to exist.

This means using the past tense in almost all instances. An exception to this are purely definitional statements on articles about a concept (which can be considered "eternal") - these may be written in present tense. For example, an article about any specific planet should be written in past tense from beginning to end. An article about the concept planet, however, could start with a definition that is written in present tense ("A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star"), before changing to past tense for the remainder of the article.

If it helps with the prose, further statements can be qualified with a time setting to place them into context and to allow putting them into past tense (example: "In the 23rd century, Federation scientists were able to create planets using the Genesis device.").

Some examples of how tense should be used for in-universe articles:

"The Enterprise was a starship in the 24th century."
"Penguins were waterfowl indigenous to Earth until at least the 21st century."
"The Constitution-class was a class of starship used by Starfleet in the 23rd century."
"The Andorians were one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets."
"Pluto was a major planetary body in the Sol system."

The tense that should be used is simple past tense. Usage of the conditional is incorrect, such as:

"Later, Voyager would encounter an automated missile that Torres had reprogrammed while she was still in the Maquis."

This sentence should be structured as:

"Later, Voyager encountered an automated missile that Torres had reprogrammed while she was still in the Maquis."

The proper, and indeed only, use of the conditional is with an if-then type syntax, such as:

"The new prototype that Torres created would have allowed the Pralor robots to win their war against the Cravic robots."

In that example, the robots "would" have been able to do something, if something else had happened – in this case, if Torres had allowed them to.

 

[Kor]

If we reason that future tense should be used for things that take place chronologically later than the present day, then the vast majority of Trek novels should also be written in future tense. Realistically, that makes for some awkward and clunky reading.

Kor

 

[-Brett-]

Shouldn't those sentences be in future tense, the ”Enterprise will” (do something) or ”Data will” (do something)

No because Star Trek is fiction. The Enterprise won't do jack shit and neither will Data.

 

[The Wormhole]

If we reason that future tense should be used for things that take place chronologically later than the present day, then the vast majority of Trek novels should also be written in future tense. Realistically, that makes for some awkward and clunky reading.

Kor

Totally. It was one of the more difficult things to get used to last year while reading the Star Wars novel Aftermath. Although that was actually written in present tense, still very difficult to get used to.

 

[JesterFace]

No because Star Trek is fiction. The Enterprise won't do jack shit and neither will Data.

Well, maybe it thought of it in a timeline perspective... in a fictional future... maybe...