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January 23

New look - random articles

What happened to the random article button that was on the Main Page. While I generally turn to Wikipedia for answers to questions or to learn about a specific topic, sometimes I just clicked on the random article button to see what I might stumble upon. I don't see it on the new main page. I hope I am just overlooking it. 2601:18C:C901:8090:BDEA:3C3A:836D:735C (talk) 00:37, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Hi there! See the #Random article section above. To provide feedback on the new look, you may do so at Wikipedia talk:Vector 2022 GoingBatty (talk) 01:11, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

May I add a page for my self or someone else?

Hello

May I add a page for my self or someone else?

Name, Career, etc?

Thank you

Dora Dtarver13 (talk) 01:52, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

@Dtarver13: Only if the person is notable by our definition: see WP:N. Notability is a high bar and most people are not notable. Do not proceed until you are sure your subject is notable. This is the only absolute requirement. After that we get into details: see WP:COI, WP:PAID, and WP:AUTOBIOGRAPHY. IF you are still with us after all that, proceed to WP:YFA. -Arch dude (talk) 02:14, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Regarding editing of pages

I have seen that you guys have blocked editing of pages of mohammad and his wife aisha ,so no one can edit it But when I visited page of lord ganesha it is open for everyone so, like everyone who might even not know him can edit page and add nonsense about him I request you to lock the page of all the gods of all religion — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2405:204:A020:65B1:0:0:1010:80A4 (talk) 04:51, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Mohammad can be edited by registered users with at least 30 days tenure and at least 500 edits. This locking generally reflects the level of vandalism of the page. Lord Ganesha (I presume) has had less vandalism. (And please don't try to vandalize just to get it locked).Naraht (talk) 06:39, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

...and due to that, the protection settings are not consistent (nor do they need to be). For instance Vishnu is semi-protected (can be edited by users with at least 4 days and 10 edits), but the articles about most other Hindu deities are not.

It would be hard to achieve consistency across religions anyway. Do we protect Apollo, a major god from a (mostly) extinct religion? If yes, do we protect all of the (numerous) minor river deities from the same religion? Are we going to protect pasta, held sacred by pastafarism; or are we going to try and decide which religions are serious and which are not? Tigraan^{Click here for my talk page ("private" contact)} 10:42, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

We apply protection of various levels to Wikipedia articles about religious figures based entirely on the frequency and severity of the disruption of those articles. For reasons mostly related to off-Wikipedia complaining, disruption often happens. Good faith concerns will usually be responded to in good faith. Whitewashing and axe grinding may receive a less friendly response. Cullen328 (talk) 07:49, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

We protect articles that are being frequently disrupted, regardless of the subject. Some such articles are about religious figures. Articles that are not being disrupted a lot do not need protection. Protection is to assure efficient use of editors' time and effort and has nothing to do with the content of the article. We make no distinction based on article subject. Protection is article-by-article, not by class of article, so treatment of one religious figure as no bearing on treatment of a different religious figure. -Arch dude (talk) 14:04, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Saving after sorting table.

Let's say that an article has a sorttable table. I want to edit the article so that the table is default sorted by a specific field. If it were a table without refs or links, I could copy the table into excel, sort it, use one of the tools that generates the wikitable from excel and paste into the article. But there *has* to be a better way. Naraht (talk) 06:43, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

I once used regex to add <nowiki>...</nowiki> around the wikitext of each cell, copied the table to Excel in the source order, did an operation in Excel (it was transposing but some forms of sorting should work), and copied the table back. It was a hassle to get the details right but I don't know a better solution. PrimeHunter (talk) 07:32, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

@Naraht Presumably the table already has a default sort column. Do you want to change that? Would this change be controversial, meaning, do you think you should discuss the change on the Talk page first? Just checking. David10244 (talk) 11:50, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

David10244 this would be part of redoing a table to match column and row order to match other entries in the Wikiproject. Changing Column order is pretty easy with the Visual editor, rearranging all of the entries to match a different sort criteria is more difficult. If that can be handled by simplying adding an entry to the top of a sortable table, that would be great.Naraht (talk) 14:26, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@Naraht OK, that makes sense. David10244 (talk) 05:13, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Promotional article

Hi, I have been working on a terribly promotional article on the German WP, and I found that it was an direct translation from the corresponding article on the English WP. There is a cautious hint on a possible conflict of interest on the talk page of the article, but there is no tag or anything in the article itself to mark it as lacking in neutrality. None of the single purpose users who wrote this article have disclosed paid contribution.

Sentences like "Petric’s prolific contributions include decades of influential recordings", "Petric’s staunchly individualistic interpretations are remarkable for their haunting quality" or "Petric’s approach creates a unique sound that has subtle colouristic and expressive devices..." are, IMO, intolerable in an encyclopedia. In addition, major parts of the article are based only on the claims of his own website or his own publications.

Now I don't want to go about making major changes in a Wikipedia I am not at home in, so I thought I'd rather point this article out to you to handle it as you deem appropriate. Thanks, --87.150.10.172 (talk) 11:57, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Without commenting on any promotional content, I noticed that the most recent batch of edits included quite a number of misplaced external links, so I have reverted those edits and warned the editor. - David Biddulph (talk) 12:26, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

From a quick look, the article certainly looks problematic, for multiple reasons: not just in the unencyclopedic language used (some of which has been reverted, thought not all), but in the sourcing. And much of it seems to be the work of single-purpose accounts, making a CoI seem likely. I'll place templates noting this in the article, and look into it further. AndyTheGrump (talk) 12:34, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Thanks! --87.150.10.172 (talk) 16:02, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

How to report a school IP with recent uptick in vandalism?

I've ID'd a school IP with a long-term history of vandalism - it's about 99% vandalism edits over many years. I'm not asking for it to be blocked for a long time, but with an uptick in vandalism today, I thought a 24-hour or 36-hour block might dissuade vandals. Where would I report/ask for this? Wes sideman (talk) 17:19, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

@Wes sideman Hi there! See Wikipedia:Administrator intervention against vandalism. Happy editing! GoingBatty (talk) 17:38, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

thanks @GoingBatty: that's a useful link. Do you know if there's a way to do that report through Twinkle? Wes sideman (talk) 17:49, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

@Wes sideman Yes - from User talk:98.164.58.252, choose "ARV" from the Twinkle menu. See Wikipedia:Twinkle/doc#ARV for more info. GoingBatty (talk) 18:01, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Inserting note reference mark-up

Hi. I have a block of 22 images, each requiring a lot of text. I would like to put a -Note- reference beneath each image. So that a viewer can mouse-over the -Note- which will reveal the hidden text. It is not necessary that the -Note- information (22 x texts) is repeated elsewhere in the article. Can you tell me the Mark-up code, &/or direct me to the edit help section, for the best method of achieving my objective. Thanks for your help. Steve. Stephen2nd (talk) 18:01, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

@Stephen2nd Hi there! Are you referring to the Third Reich NSDAP cabinet 1925 article? If so, it appears that the deletion discussion would be a higher priority. GoingBatty (talk) 18:05, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

According to the 2nd template; "Feel free to improve the article". This is the higher priority to me. In the past 5 days I have made 10 such improvement edits of apx 5000 bytes. My intention is to clarify the article in reference to the deletion discussion. When I have completed my final draft, I will deal with (delete-keep) references to the final draft, (not in reference to the original draft), in the deletion discussion, and "This article is within the scope of WikiProject Germany", discussion, "This article is within the scope of WikiProject Politics", discussion, in the articles Talk page, and my User Talk Page.

With one exception in the 1 editing of my catagories list, I have received no constructive help or suggestions from anyone on Wikipedia. Now including its "Help Desk". Stephen2nd (talk) 18:40, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

@Stephen2nd Don't assume everyone can "mouse-over". Hiding content is not recommended. See MOS:DONTHIDE. Bazza (talk) 18:34, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

There are 4 sections of this article. 1. Opening text describing the theme of the article in direct reference to 22 numbers. 2. A block of the 22 numbers, containing the published references by 22 authors who published the 22 numbers, with names allotted to each number. 3. A block of the 22 names (linked to their individual articles), with images. / 4. The 22 section headings containing, my clip notes from the 22 articles of these names.

Of these 4 sections, section 4 is already accessible in section 3, and therefore redundant. If I leave section 4 in the article, the clip notes may be expanded to the length of 22 articles!

It is my intention to put these clip notes into section 2, for quick, basic references on 22 known individuals, using section 2 for access to fuller details.

Section 4, will be used for two (relevant to section 1) section headings. Reichskanzler' and Bundesrat. Stephen2nd (talk) 19:14, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

@Stephen2nd Bazza is right. My 10" tablet doesn't have a mouse. David10244 (talk) 11:53, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@Stephen2nd: Per accessibility reasons given by Bazza 7, it's best to not rely on hidden text to convey information. If it's a major grouping like that I think an argument could be made to put a notes list at the end of the section containing the (gallery?) of images, but you're going to want to throw that idea out on the article's talk page first. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 19:01, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

updated a page, but unable to provide footnote

solar power in Michigan - distributed generation - footnote #59:

https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2023/01/consumers-energy-okd-to-raise-electric-rates-must-double-rooftop-solar.html 2806:10AE:7:C8E2:7504:B5BD:A184:CE9F (talk) 18:35, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Hi there! The reference you added to Solar power in Michigan was very close. In the {{cite web}} template, the URL should be put in the |url= parameter, which I have fixed for you. For more information, see the instructions at Template:Cite web. Thanks, and happy editing! GoingBatty (talk) 03:56, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Notable

Hello, this is article not notable: Draft:Arsen Sukhovsky, isn't good sources. I want to delete it, I hope you help me, thank you. СтасС (talk) 20:15, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

@СтасС: As it seems like you're the primary editor, you could request a G7 deletion by putting {{db-g7}} at the top of the page. Otherwise you can leave it alone and it will be deleted after six months of inactivity. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 20:19, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Thank you, English Wikipedia administrator.--СтасС (talk) 20:17, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

You're welcome, but I'm not an administrator. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 20:33, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Saving draft paper

Is "publish page" the only way to save a page in draft form? DodgeCityStephens (talk) 20:30, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

@DodgeCityStephens: Yes. It's worded that way to reinforce the notion that almost all of Wikipedia (which includes draftspace) is visible to the public. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 20:37, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Though Drafts are not indexed by web crawlers, and the only way to find one would be to search Wikipedia for "Draft:X" or through the drafter's various pages, so others will likely only find and look at them if the drafter invites them to. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.199.212.198 (talk) 08:27, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

No, there is an easy way to find drafts. Put the possible title/phrase in the search box and make sure that "search in" includes drafts. The easy way is to set "search in" to "all", which will find every mention across Wikipedia, including sandboxes, user pages, user sub-pages and other places that some people start articles. - Arjayay (talk) 10:39, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Help with my account

Sorry, I do not know if this is the right place, but perhaps it is a start. I cannot log into my account. I know I have one. I cannot recall the password, unfortunately. I am (Redacted) Thank you. 50.68.169.210 (talk) 22:23, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

If you remember the email address that your account is linked to, you can click on this link to receive an email with a temporary password. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 22:32, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

January 24

Uh not entirely fond of the new format

I've noticed a change on certain pages... and I'll be blunt kinda not fond of it. I guess its happening to fit mobile phones? But I'll be blunt the old style was never a problem when I was on a phone or iphone. But thats just my opinion thats all. 2601:5CD:17F:F0E0:0:0:0:416C (talk) 00:04, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

: Are you asking about a sudden change to Wikipedia's appearance? It is because the default skin has changed from the Vector legacy (2010) skin to the new Vector (2022) skin. If you would like to change back to the old one, you can, as a registered user, click on the in the top-right corner and choose Preferences. Once there, go to Preferences → Appearance → Skins → Vector legacy (2010).
If you would like to leave feedback, you can do so at Wikipedia talk:Vector 2022. RudolfRed (talk) 00:06, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Monobook Dark Mode

Hey, I was wondering if it was possible to use CSS to add dark mode to the Monobook skin? I like Astatine (Talk to me) 01:22, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@AstatineEnjoyer: Preferences -> Gadgets -> Appearance - Use a black background with green text. DuncanHill (talk) 01:50, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Thanks a bunch, from both me and my retinas. I like Astatine (Talk to me) 16:10, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Cfd

A discussion here was closed more than two days ago, but the category is yet to be deleted by any admin. What has to be done next? Thanks! zoglophie 05:47, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Pinging the closer, Qwerfjkl. Q, are NAC 'delete' closes common at CfD, and if so, what is the usual process for effecting the deletion? Firefangledfeathers (talk / contribs) 05:53, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@Firefangledfeathers, NAC closes are common at CfD (including delete). It seems I forgot to list that closure at Wikipedia talk:Categories for discussion/Working#NAC requests January 2022; I've done so now. — Qwerfjkltalk 07:06, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Thanks and thanks! Firefangledfeathers (talk / contribs) 07:17, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Table of contents

How do i get a table of contents for articles now? 204.237.48.40 (talk) 05:57, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Are you asking about a sudden change to Wikipedia's appearance? It is because the default skin has changed from the Vector legacy (2010) skin to the new Vector (2022) skin. If you would like to change back to the old one, you can, as a registered user, click on the in the top-right corner and choose Preferences. Once there, go to Preferences → Appearance → Skins → Vector legacy (2010).
If you would like to leave feedback, you can do so at Wikipedia talk:Vector 2022. Cullen328 (talk) 07:27, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

The table of contents are on the left sidebar of any article you read. If for some reason it's not there, you may need to click on the to the left of the article title to see it. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 08:19, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

How do I italicize a book title for a new article?

I'm creating a new article for a book that was released this month. I've already written the text for what will be a book stub, searched to make sure an article on the book does not exist, and will be providing sufficient citations. However, while I was able to start new articles for music albums in the past by simply including double apostrophes to italicize the titles, this approach is now being blocked because of the apostrophes. The block message indicates I should be using a "parser", I'm not sure how to do this with the template that's suggested. Instructions would be appreciated. Allreet (talk) 06:14, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

This will be done automatically if you use {{infobox book}}; there’s also {{italic title}}. Umimmak (talk) 06:16, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Thanks much. I'll give the second a shot and consider a infobox later when I develop the article further. Allreet (talk) 06:43, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Another change to Vector skin

In case other folk are as confused as I was, after the deployment of the Vector 2022 skin last week I see another change this morning in that part of the left-hand toolbar has moved to the right-hand side. After a bit of chasing, I see that this is described at mw:Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Features/Page tools#Our long-term solution. The whole thing is thoroughly confusing and I fail to see any improvement in any of these changes, but I'll give it a few more days before I go back to the legacy skin. David Biddulph (talk) 07:55, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Hello @David Biddulph! I respect making the effort and deciding to dig for information by yourself. Also thanks for your decision to give the skin a try. I do appreciate that!

If you (David or any other person reading this) have any questions whatsoever about this change, we or the technically-skilled Wikipedians present at the technical Village Pump will help you. On WP:VPT, you'll also find our announcements and many questions and answers from and by other Wikipedians. Thank you! SGrabarczuk (WMF) (talk) 00:59, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

how do I cause the Table of Contents to be collapsed by default?

how do I cause the Table of Contents to be collapsed by default?

I feel like this information should be easy to find, but for some reason I haven't been able to find it. thanks! Sm8900 (talk) 15:25, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@Sm8900 Details at H:TOC. With the latest Vector 2022 skin, the TOC goes in a column separate from the article itself, so the need to collapse it is much less likely to occur. Mike Turnbull (talk) 15:40, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

If you're using the new Vector 2022 skin, this is a feature request that's being tracked at T316060. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 16:48, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

My own draft got unexpectedly submitted by someone else

Hello!

I've just noticed that a user submitted one of my previous drafts for a review, even though it's likely not ready to get approved, since the player I wrote about is still very young and with limited (albeit significant) coverage.

Considering that the aforementioned user did so without asking me anything, and that they've already built quite a long pattern of "stolen" drafts - judging from their previous submissions - , what should I do about it?

By the way, this is actually not a big deal for me: I just wanted to report what I've suspected.

Thanks to everyone who will take time to help me.

Oltrepier (talk) 15:48, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

That User seems to have a history of submitting drafts that have been worked on by others. It's been suggested on his/her Talk page the s/he is trying to build some sort of editing history. S/he actually names on his/her page to several old User accounts that have been blocked. Uporządnicki (talk) 16:10, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@AzseicsoK So, should I send them a message, at least? Oltrepier (talk) 19:27, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Report them at Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations. The previous accounts they name are among those used by long-term sockpuppeteer User:Isuzu.tf. AndyTheGrump (talk) 19:35, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@Oltrepier Glad AndyTheGrump said that, because I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough to answer you. If this person seems to be a serial trouble-maker, my own suggestion would be not to message. But that's my guess. I just looked at the User's history and saw a pattern of submitting drafts that other people were working on, and accumulating congratulations when the drafts were accepted. Uporządnicki (talk) 19:40, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@AzseicsoK @AndyTheGrump Right, thank you very much for your help. Oltrepier (talk) 19:54, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

I've gone ahead and reported them to SPI since Isuzu.tf is an LTA and is globally blocked. ― Blaze Wolf^Talk_{Blaze Wolf#6545} 19:55, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@Blaze Wolf I saw this exchange on their Talk page:

(Liz asked):

Hello, Derwydd74,

What previous accounts have you edited Wikipedia with? Were any of them blocked? Liz Read! Talk! 05:47, 3 January 2023 (UTC)

Reply):

The previous accounts were Biocci Toeplitz, GroppeBoucher, and Bachelor 200. They were blocked. Derwydd74 (talk) 06:31, 3 January 2023 (UTC)

My question: Was that answer enough to block again, right away (in early January)? Maybe someone looked into the history and decided against blocking. Or maybe no one looked... David10244 (talk) 05:28, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

David10244, the user could have been blocked right away under WP:BADSOCK, you could ask Liz why she didn't but it doesn't really matter now that the user has been blocked. TSventon (talk) 06:43, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Dang, I didn't expect such a bad situation...

Anyway, thank you all for helping. Oltrepier (talk) 12:53, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

@TSventon OK, I don't need to follow up; I was just wondering. Thanks. David10244 (talk) 06:29, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Social Science

CALCULATING DISTANCES ON THE MAP

DIRECT DISTANCE-Use a ruler to measure it

Indirect Distance

Use a string to measure it

22cm 22×50 000

                               100 000
                               11km

22×50 000 100 000 11km — Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.116.155.84 (talk) 16:15, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Did you have a question about using or editing Wikipedia? —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 16:48, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Please do your own homework.
Welcome to the Wikipedia Help desk. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misevaluation, but it is our policy here not to do others' homework, but merely to aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn how to solve such problems.
Please attempt to solve the problem yourself first. You can search Wikipedia or search the Web.
If you need help with a specific part of your homework, the Reference desk can help you grasp the concept. Do not ask knowledge questions here, just those about using Wikipedia. ― Blaze Wolf^Talk_{Blaze Wolf#6545} 19:57, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Where is the place to report users?

I'm making a script for reporting users (which originated from en.wikibooks being targeted by an old friend LTA of ours,and decided to expand it, as it seems quite useful. Where would I direct the script to on wikipedia? Thanks. The script is currently at https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/User:L10nM4st3r/ReportUser.js. ^{— L10nM4st3r} / _{ROAR at me!} 16:31, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@L10nM4st3r There are a number of places. For ongoing vandalism, WP:AIV is the place to go, but it uses a different format than your script. I note that Twinkle already does this and more, so just using that here may be easier. — Mdaniels5757 (talk • contribs) 16:42, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

old style

is there any way to go back to the old style of Wikipedia this new style is bad 2603:8081:1605:600:EAEE:C210:6FEF:1F5A (talk) 17:24, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Are you asking about a sudden change to Wikipedia's appearance? It is because the default skin has changed from the Vector legacy (2010) skin to the new Vector (2022) skin. If you would like to change back to the old one, you can, as a registered user, click on the in the top-right corner and choose Preferences. Once there, go to Preferences → Appearance → Skins → Vector legacy (2010).
If you would like to leave feedback, you can do so at Wikipedia talk:Vector 2022. 199.208.172.35 (talk) 17:26, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Some workarounds for IP editors are discussed here. 199.208.172.35 (talk) 17:27, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Saline Valley Farm

I submitted a Wikipedia entry last July (July 7, 22) about Saline Valley Farm. It was declined and I had hoped to revise it and resubmit it...but life got in the way and I see that it is now deleted. Is there a way to retrieve it or do I need to start over. Also, is there any way to review the reasons that it was declined? Thank you. Sincerely, Leslie Saari LRule (talk) 17:24, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@LRule, the messages on your talk page include instructions on how to request undeletion. Start here. 199.208.172.35 (talk) 17:30, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

An article may need some update, but no one responds at the talk page

The article is Essex lorry deaths. It has not been updated since the end of July 2022, just some minor fixes were made.
In October I aksed the question: Talk:Essex lorry deaths#Is the case still being investigated?, but nobody replied.

Is there any better place to ask my question than the article's talk page? --CiaPan (talk) 20:50, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@CiaPan: Our editors are self-directed volunteers with effectively no oversight, direction, or organization: total chaos, which works remarkably well. So no, no better place to ask. I suggest you put your request on the talk page and then ping several of the most prolific of the original editors of the article. -Arch dude (talk) 20:57, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

THX, Arch dude. As you can see from what I wrote above, I actually did write my request in the article's talk. --CiaPan (talk) 21:38, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

@CiaPan You could also try posting on the associated WikiProject talk pages, and ask interested editors to reply at the article's talk page. Happy editing! GoingBatty (talk) 21:03, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

You're probably not going to like this answer, but you can put Template:Update on it, and then it will wait in line with nearly 35,000 other articles that needs updating. Thebiguglyalien (talk) 22:57, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

It ok because I know you 141.126.254.235 (talk) 23:10, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Search for online news sources and, if you find anything, update the article. If you don't, give it a while, then look again. I'm sorry, but it comes down to this: we have lots of articles. Almost all of them would benefit from attention from an interested non-expert. If nobody is looking at the talk page, that probably means your the most interested editor, so... Girth Summit _(blether) 23:17, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

January 25

Can Administrator ban Eliminator ?

Can Administrator ban Eliminator ? Because they are also maintenance members. 27.3.1.196 (talk) 01:47, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

(i) I don't know what you mean by "eliminator". (ii) Administrators block; they (working individually) don't ban. -- Hoary (talk) 02:30, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

"eliminator" is a user group that exists on some wikis but not the English Wikipedia. So this is in the wrong place in addition to being barely intelligible. I'll try to answer anyway: nothing (technically) stops admins from blocking eliminators (on wikis where that group exists) or even other admins. * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 02:44, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

This page is for general help with Wikipedia, for bans/blocks WP:ANI is appropriate, however 'eliminators' are not here on the English Wikipedia so unfortunately we cannot help. Thanks for your query, if you need any other help with anything relating to using Wikipedia feel free to ask. -- StarryNightSky11 ☎ 03:23, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

sluggishness

a few minutes ago i just sent a request from my email address and now i'd like to know why you're refusing to allow me to change my password? 68.185.16.109 (talk) 05:01, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Not quite sure what this means but you may get better help on this at WP:VPT. What exactly are you trying to do?--♦IanMacM♦ ^{(talk to me)} 07:51, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

how can i change my username

how can i change my username Brian (talk) 12:38, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Brian.dawe, see WP:Rename. Sungodtemple (talk • contribs) 12:43, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

@Brian.dawe: First use WP:RENAME, afterwards you may request a new username via this link, check that the requested username you wish to use, isn't promotional, offensive, disruptive or any other violation of Wikipedia's Username Policy. -- StarryNightSky11 ☎ 02:13, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

How to restore Wikipedia's old design

For the interested, it says you can do it without registering. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 13:05, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

What have you done to Wiki!!! The main page is a smaller size than before and cannot be made full size as before?

What have you done to Wiki!!! The main page is a smaller size than before and cannot be made full size as before? Mogouk (talk) 17:48, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Mogouk There should be a toggle in the extreme lower right corner that you can use to increase the page with. The default skin has changed, see WP:VECTOR2022 for more information. You may switch back to the old skin in your account preferences. 331dot (talk) 17:50, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

331dot I don't see this toggle. Uporządnicki (talk) 02:09, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Quite a number of us don't see the toggle. It was raised here some days ago, but it is still unresolved. There was a suggestion that it was connected with zoom level, but (for me at least) that doesn't seem to be the answer. I'll see whether we can get any more sense at WP:VPT. - David Biddulph (talk) 08:42, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

@Mogouk: If for some reason you don't see the in the lower-right corner of the window even after zooming out, you can uncheck Preferences → Appearance → Skin preferences → Enable limited width mode. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 09:07, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

how do i get the website back to normal?

FYI

 – Refactored heading due to length. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 18:39, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

@Theredesignisterrible: Are you asking about a sudden change to Wikipedia's appearance? It is because the default skin has changed from the Vector legacy (2010) skin to the new Vector (2022) skin. If you would like to change back to the old one, you can, as a registered user, click on the in the top-right corner and choose Preferences. Once there, go to Preferences → Appearance → Skins → Vector legacy (2010).
If you would like to leave feedback, you can do so at Wikipedia talk:Vector 2022. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 18:39, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

editing wikipedia page

I have been trying to edit my Wikipedia page for about a week now and every time I change something it never stays and it reverts back to its original page. We keep getting messages from Wikipedia “authors” saying you did not explain what you changed when I went into great detail of what I changed every single time. I am not understanding exactly what needs to be done and no one has explained to me what I need to do. Please inform me of the EXACT STEPS that need to be done in order to make the changes I must make on a Wikipedia page for them to stay. Joeltenthplanet (talk) 18:43, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

@Joeltenthplanet: If you really are Joel Gallen, you are strongly discouraged from editing about yourself, even more so if you're pulling from unverifiable knowledge and not from reliable sources. I would suggest that you confine your edits to edit requests on the article's talk page. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 18:46, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Joeltenthplanet: you removed referenced (and therefore already public) information about yourself, and added unreferenced information about things that anyway haven't happened yet. Both are against Wikipedia's policies. And, as Tenryuu has said, you shouldn't be editing an article about yourself; instead you can make suggestions for edits on the article's talk page, preferably mentioning sources that confirm anything you want to add. Maproom (talk) 19:00, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Tenryuu 🐲 Maproom Actually, the alleged reference about where he lives and his son links to a 404. Uporządnicki (talk) 19:15, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

I now understand I must cite the new information I insert. I did not know that before.  I apologize.  Do I do that by clicking cite and adding the URL that proves that information correct?

Is it possible to get on the phone with someone so we can better understand each other and I can confirm I am who I say I am?

May I ask who is editing my page if I am encouraged not to? There are major shows missing that I would like to update. Is there someone I can talk to in order to inform them of what needs to be updated/removed?  Do I need to send someone a draft of what I want to be changed and wait for approval? If so, where/how do I do that? Joeltenthplanet (talk) 20:07, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

I don't think anyone here on enWiki is going to communicate via a phone call. ― Blaze Wolf^Talk_{Blaze Wolf#6545} 20:10, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Can I email someone?

I just received a message that I have been partially blocked but haven't published any changes today. I just want to better understand how I can make my changes stay. Who do I need to talk to about making changes to my page? Joeltenthplanet (talk) 20:21, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Your best bet is to get the attention of uninvolved editors through an edit request at Talk:Joel Gallen as mentioned earlier. It is also in your best interest to read Wikipedia:Ownership of content (i.e., you are the subject of the article, and you do not have any rights to ownership over it) and Wikipedia:An article about yourself isn't necessarily a good thing. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 20:28, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

@Joeltenthplanet: you will find some advice at WP:AUTOPROB, and you may also be interested in the plain and simple guide to conflict of interest. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 20:31, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

@Joeltenthplanet: there is nobody to call or e-mail, because that is not how Wikipedia works. We have more than 6 million articles, and in any given 30-day period we have more than 100,000 editors, all volunteers. Each editor does whatever tasks they choose to do, with almost no formal co-ordination. The editors that are interested in a particular article work collaboratively and openly to reach a consensus by communicating on that article's talk page. Please open a conversation there. If nobody replies, then add the syntax {{edit request}} to the material you added on the talk page. -Arch dude (talk) 22:14, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

How do I make my edits, "Constructive"

A good fellow by the username of @materialscience, sent me a message saying he/she undid my edits to the Winfield, WV page. He/She told me my work did not appear as constructive. TurkeyVultureHistory (talk) 22:41, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Sorry, I meant @Materialscientist. TurkeyVultureHistory (talk) 22:43, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

@TurkeyVultureHistory your two edits added information but did not provide a reliable source that readers could use to verify that what you wrote is factually correct. Wikipedia article cannot be based on what editors know, or think they know, but only on what is already published and can be cited. Anything else we call original research and is hence "unconstructive". Mike Turnbull (talk) 22:55, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Thank you. Next time I'll be sure to add my citations.

Thank you a ton, Mike. TurkeyVultureHistory (talk) 22:59, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

@TurkeyVultureHistory: Unless an edit is fixing typos, grammar or spelling errors, any added information must contain at least one Reliable source otherwise it can be considered 'unconstructive' as unsourced information isn't allowed here. StarryNightSky11 ☎ 02:09, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

I have never warmed to the term "unconstructive" as it pertains to "disruptive editing" at WP as the terms have a connotation of intent. It is important to reiterate that the term "unconstructive" can refer to accidental edits made by uninformed editors. The fact that by definition WP policy relates "good faith" with "harmful" is discouraging. The redirect for "unconstructive" to "disruptive" teeters back and forth between "intentional" and "unintentional". Considering unsourced content makes up a considerable part of WP but is not considered "unconstructive", it might be beneficial to welcome new editors with something other than a term such as "unconstructive". Maineartists (talk) 02:46, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

RedWarn has "quick rollback no reliable source" as a default option. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 03:03, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

About Nazran uprising and Gligvi

Hello, could you please connect Nazran uprising to already existing Russian page Назрановское Восстание and Gligvi to already existing Russian page Глигвы? Thank you.WikiEditor1234567123 (talk) 22:50, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

As has been mentioned before, such links need to be made in Wikidata. I've done it for the second pair, but ru:Назрановское Восстание doesn't exist so you'll need to sort that out for yourself. David Biddulph (talk) 23:05, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

January 26

Popups

hi, was not sure who to contact with this. But recently each time I am reading a Wiki page I get a popup that diverts me to another website which tells me I have won an Optus phone, and other stuff. Can you please make it stop?

I have taken a gyazo screen shot of it below: https://gyazo.com/1480d6dbd7b2f709dbd19e8c92d9d513 110.174.174.122 (talk) 02:31, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

That's not from Wikipedia. Your computer has probably been infected with a virus or malware. RudolfRed (talk) 02:35, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

(edit conflict) Your computer might have malware. Try performing a factory reset, etc etc. Sungodtemple (talk • contribs) 02:38, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Wikipedia never runs ads, let alone popup ads, so what you are experiencing is definitely adware. I'd suggest doing as Sungodtemple suggested, but also installing an antivirus software that can detect and neutralize such PUPs in the future (as well as remove the adware you currently have). Kirbanzo ^{(talk - contribs)} 02:47, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Please link an example wiki page. wikipedia.org does not have ads but there are thousands of unaffiliated wikis, and many sites copy Wikipedia articles. PrimeHunter (talk) 06:39, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

A different way of asking PrimeHunter's question: What's the URL of the/an offending wiki page? Or anyway, what's the domain name (the address as far as the first slash, so for this page it is (or anyway it should be) either "https://en.wikipedia.org" or "https://en.m.wikipedia.org")? -- Hoary (talk) 08:51, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Hidden sidebar

In the new interface, I saw the right-hand sidebar only once. Then I made the mistake of clicking "hide". How can I see it again? Thank you for your help. Vzeebjtf (talk) 06:52, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

@Vzeebjtf: You'll find that the Tools will have migrated to the top of the page alongside other features like Edit source or History. Click on it then click "Move to sidebar" to return it to the right. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 07:06, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Thank you for your help. Vzeebjtf (talk) 08:24, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Images

Hello, I need assistance regarding uploading non free images, for Smooth Radio (2014) and Smooth Chill (UK radio station). Basically, they recently had new logos launched and I want to update them in the article. I have saved two images of the logos on Google but I need to know if there is anything I need to do before I upload not to violate any copyright rules. Thanks, Blanchey (talk) 09:22, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

@Blanchey Have you read the guidance at WP:LOGO? That has the general process. Then I suggest you click through to the file page for one of the existing logos and you'll see how the justification for using these WP:NONFREE images is written up. You don't need to worry about the resolution of your new upload: there's a bot that will automatically lower the resolution of the upload to acceptable values and delete your original. Mike Turnbull (talk) 09:47, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Michael D. Turnball Thank you for your quick response, I have done it for the first article I linked. Someone might want to check I have done it all ok. I don’t want to violate any copyright rules. Thanks, Blanchey (talk) 09:57, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

@Blanchey I'm not sure that you should have uploaded your new image by replacing the old one, rather than at a completely new file page (title). The issue is that the old logo seems to have been used on several articles including Smooth Scotland, which is odd: nonfree images are usually one-per-article. Incidentally, when pinging someone using the reply tool, the safest way to do so is to use the icon that looks like a head-and-shoulders with a plus sign. That offers the editor names that are already in the thread and avoids mis-spelling, as you did with me: note the red-link in your reply. Mike Turnbull (talk) 10:14, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

@Michael D. Turnbull yes you’re right, sorry I didn’t think of that. I tried to revert myself but it won’t let me. What do you think I should do now? I don’t want to cause any more harm. Blanchey (talk) 10:41, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

How to query a decision on a draft page

Hi,

I'm struggling to get an answer to my query about a draft page I submitted. I posted this twice on the Wikipedia:WikiProject Articles for creation/Help desk but haven't had any responses. In summary:

I have edited a page: Draft:AliceVision and I believe it now meets the criteria to be accepted onto wikipedia and the recent review lacks rationale.

The latest review of this page led to a claim that "This topic is not sufficiently notable for inclusion in Wikipedia", with no reasoning for this conclusion given. This contrasts with months of editing and review that gave constructive feedback, with previous reviewers being positive about the page, i.e. here

> That is looking good. I will be leaving it to someone else to approve it as I have been involved in editing it but it should be looked at shortly. Gusfriend

Feedback has been acted upon and the reasoning behind choices of literature to support the page made clear.

I have been trying to communicate with @Tagishsimon, who came to rejection decision, for two weeks now, but have had no response to my posts on their talk page, or my direct email, even though they appear to be actively editing wikipedia they haven't gotten back to me. Could you please advise how I should proceed? Pluke (talk) 10:46, 26 January 2023 (UTC)