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May 29

Company Wiki

Hello how do you go about setting up a Wiki that is accessible only by internal employees? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.185.71.162 (talk) 00:50, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm afraid we only answer questions about using Wikipedia, not wikis in general. If you want to set up a wiki with the MediaWiki software or need help with it, you must read the guides and manuals at the MediaWiki wiki. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 00:56, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

And see WP:BFAQ#CORPWIKI. --Teratornis (talk) 03:38, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Page # in citations

Working my way through the links about citations in the May 26 answers, but can't find how to add page numbers to turn up in {{reflist}} -- what I mean is, the citation method I'm using is the ref name= of the main reference or link giving the a,b,c,d effect in the template under "references" section; but does this mean work only if you're referencing the same page in the document? How do I include page numbers for different locations in the same text? Thanks, Julia Rossi (talk) 01:05, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

• Hi! Yes, the <ref name="" /> only works for the same page. You either need to generate the reference tag each time you need a different page number, or look at one of the other formats. For example, you could use inline citations (Johnson, 2008, p 42) and not use the <ref> tag at all, or alternatively use the ref tags as footnotes, and then add the Harvard inline style references to the footnotes (as per Turing Test). That second option is possibly closer to what the ref tags actually are: I tend to think of them as footnote tags, that just happen to be misnamed. :) - Bilby (talk) 02:09, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

{{Rp}} can be handy in some cases like this but should only be used for pages with a very large number of citations to a single work. It allows you to specify the page number next to the footnote in the text. For a working example of its use, see Glossary of cue sports terms. Cheers.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 02:26, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks so much Bilby and Fuhgettaboutit -- the problem arising from Harvard style intext citations is that the article tends to get those and no refs at the end except the bibliography, which is okay except when it cops a "no citations" tag, and there have been a few examples of this, so I worked my way through (eg Representation (arts) to wikify it at cost of big headache. Does that mean that the non-reftag example isn't widely recognised as wiki? Julia Rossi (talk) 04:15, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

If you're using Harvard intext you still need to manually add references in a reference section. Which works well enough, but while it is accepted here and there you're right in that it doesn't seem to be that common on the wiki. Or at least that's my experience - I might just hang out in the wrong parts. :) - Bilby (talk) 06:49, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Maybe it asks more work from the reader too, so I'll go on changing articles to the automatic style (when I'm feeling patient enough) because I guess Harvard tends to appear in essay-like articles, is sometimes not complete (eg, the name and page, no date, or the name, date, page and no footer), and it's nice to have the auto list plus the easy click to down and click to text ref amenity. :) Julia Rossi (talk) 00:00, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

66.244.103.145

Resolved

This user made an unnecessary edit to Rose Falcon, so someone SERIOUSLY should've warned that user! I mean, those vandals are actually getting away with their vandalism, nowadays, and this has to stop!Kitty53 (talk) 02:04, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I wouldn't really consider this vandalism. I will ASG and think the IP misunderstood the article. Comments? --RyRy5 (talk) 02:07, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Definitely looks like a mistake or maybe a test to me. Don't see anything malicious here. Pretty photo. -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 02:15, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

(E/C) Agree with RyRy5. While it may have been vandalism, it certainly isn't clearly so, so I would err on the side of giving the benefit of the doubt. Note also that this may have been intended as a small rose, but many users do not know our image markup, so not being placed as a thumb and thus overwhelming the page with a giant image could very easily have been unintended. However, I would warn for this, but not with a vandalism template. A tailored warning would work; something like "Hello. I reverted you recent edit to Rose Falcon as the image was not specific to the article just because "Rose" appears in the article name. By the way, images should typically be placed as thumbs..." You say that "someone ... should've warned that user". Well you reverted the edit; go ahead! Typically the person who reverts is the person who warns as they are the one who knows about the edit.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 02:20, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I agree, the rose photo is gigormous, but it might not look that way if you look at the auto-shrunken version on the image page. A novice user might not know how big the photo really is and/or how to size it to something reasonable. In either case, the IP has only made the one edit, so this is really not a big deal. -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 02:26, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

About Automatic payment program in fi/co

Resolved

Hi,

In Automatic Payment Program, i received ten invoices. In these ten invoices, i want to make payment for only five invoices. In APP how and where i can make payment for these five invoices. Please can anybody respond answer for this query as soon as possible. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.167.198.110 (talk) 04:23, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

We can only answer questions relating to how to use Wikipedia. You may want to contact a financial advisor or lawyer. You could try the reference desk, but I'm not sure they would answer your question. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 04:27, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Italic gobblygook

Hello;

Recently, italic type on most, not all, Wikipedia pages display as gobblygook. I'm using MacOS 10.4.11 and Safari 3.1.1.

Any help is much appreciated.

TIA ChrisHAu (talk) 04:56, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

The only way I can think of to fix it is to switch to Firefox... all the other browsers have known formatting and CSS issues, especially Safari, because Safari messes with the fonts. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 05:45, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

nazi wikipedia

why does a photograph of some nazi maniac appear when my child looks up the phrase "quizzing glass?"

is it just jewish people you hate or is it all minority groups?

i am not jewish but i'll make dam sure nobody in my family (or circle of friends) uses "wikipedia" again. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.177.125.232 (talk) 05:48, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

A "quizzing glass" is another term for a monocle. When your child went to Quizzing glass, he was redirected to Monocle. Most articles have an image of their subject, and this one happened to have a "Nazi". Keep in mind that Wikipedia isn't censored... However, I will drop a line at the monocle talk page to see if the image can be replaced. But it most likely won't be, as seen below... Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 05:53, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I certainly understand your concern (given that you are from Israel -- Jewish or not). However, the article actually mentions why there is a picture of a German officer in the article:

Monocles were also stereotypical accessories of German military officers from this period, especially from the First World War, where the stereotypical German Oberst would plot the demise of enemy forces with monocle in place to examine attack charts. German officers who actually wore a monocle include Erich Ludendorff, Walter von Reichenau, Hans von Seeckt and Hugo Sperrle.

Given that monocles were often worn by German military officers during the World Wars, is it really all that outlandish that when looking for a photo of a person wearing a monocle, one was found amongst the group of people who actually wore them (i.e. Nazis)? -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 08:03, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

If we don't learn about the Nazis, how will we insure they do not come back? Nazis caused so much trouble the first time around because most people in the Western democracies preferred to ignore them, until the Nazis made themselves impossible to ignore. The Jewish people will certainly not forget. --Teratornis (talk) 18:35, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Why Solaris 10 is preffered over Windows and Linux

1. Please provide Server OS comparision Chart?
2. Pleas give the reason that why Solaris OS is preffered over Linux and Winows?
3. Give Some speciality of Solaris.which is not in other OSs.

Regds, Yogesh Aggarwal —Preceding unsigned comment added by Yogeshaggarwal (talk • contribs) 05:59, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I would say the Solaris being the "preferred" os would be a matter of opinion but if your looking for a comparison of different operating systems, have a look at Operating system comparison for a basic chart (could not find anything better), Solaris (operating system) for information about the OS itself and this forum post reasons why it is preferred. What I have found is that Solaris is a UNIX derived OS (much like Linux) and is supposed to be very reliable for Mission-critical servers and its specialties include "DTrace, Solaris Containers, ZFS filesystem, and a few other abilities." (from forum link).  Atyndall93 | talk  06:51, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

You might want to ask this question over at the computing reference desk. Franamax (talk) 06:58, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

This question sounds like homework. Depending on how bold you are, you might tell the instructor to stop using the passive voice with missing actor - it's ambiguous. Who prefers Solaris 10 over Microsoft Windows and Linux? The second question seems especially odd, as "the reason" suggests there is only one. It seems unlikely that anything as complex as an operating system would only give rise to one reason why various people might prefer it. And by the way, as a general rule, computer users prefer software they know over any other software, even if other software is technically superior. The most expensive and difficult part of any software is learning it. --Teratornis (talk) 18:42, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Solaris 10 is supported by Sun Computer Corporation, thus tech support is available. Some versions of Linux are not supported by a vendor. Also, Solaris offers more file space then windows and Linux. (Jk123 2099 (talk) 12:18, 1 June 2008 (UTC))

Using Files To Learn Pronunciation

Hello! I have noticed that some articles in english and other languages have audio files attached. I even have found files which where the complete article read. What I would like to know is, say I'm learning a language, for example Dutch. Is there a way for me to browse articles only containing such files with which I can improve my pronunciation in Dutch, or any other language for that matter? I see a great potential there, but still can't figure out how to only search these articles. I don't think that the Commons project is the answer, since that's only the files without article.. Thanks a lot! (And by the way, is there somewhere I can give suggestions? Thnx) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.85.194.100 (talk) 07:06, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

On the English Wikipedia, check Category:Spoken articles. There is a list of other languages on the lower left pane. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 07:41, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

And since you are interested in Dutch, you might be more interested in the Netherlands version of the same category -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 08:11, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

what pages use a particular template

Resolved

--IngerAlHaosului (talk) 08:39, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I want to know if there is any way to find out what pages use a particular template.Images have a what link to this image thing that allows you to see what articles use a particular image.Is there any thing that allows me to the same thing for templates.--IngerAlHaosului (talk) 07:50, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

To see where a template is used, browse to the template page and click on "What links here" in the toolbox on the left pane. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 08:12, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

(ec) If you go o the page you want to see where it links, look to your left under the search bar. You should see "toolbox". Under "toolbox', you should see "what links here". Click on that and you can see where the page you clicked on is linked.--RyRy5 (talk) 08:14, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

However, if the template was substituted rather than transcluded, it will not show in the 'what links here' list. -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 08:18, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Hello.

Resolved

Can you tell me how to make a page on wikipedia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Playinpoker4alivin (talk • contribs) 10:31, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Please see Your first article.

1. Ensure that you have an account and you are logged in. If you don't have an account, create one
2. Make sure the subject is notable enough to have their own article.
3. Find references
4. Make sure no article on the subject exists under a different title by typing the subject into the search box to the left (←) and clicking 'Search'
5. Type the page name in the search box to the left (←) and click 'Go'
6. Click 'Create this page'
7. Create the article, including all your references, making sure you adhere to the Manual of Style and our article layout guidelines
8. Be aware that Wikipedia deletes thousands of new articles for failing to adhere to our policies and guidelines. New articles by new users are at extra risk of deletion, due to new users' unfamiliarity with our rules. Consider gaining experience by editing existing articles before attempting to create new ones. Xenon54 10:38, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Image Distortion

Resolved

I recently uploaded the image Image:NotAstrology.svg. For some reason the image on the summary page is really distorted, yet the full size image is fine. Does anyone know why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by AstroMark (talk • contribs) 10:48, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

There are various issues with the Mediawiki (thats the software that powered Wikipedia) displaying .svg files. If you made the file in Inkscape, try saving it as a "plain svg" file and then reuploading.  Atyndall93 | talk  11:10, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

It did the same to me. I noticed that the dimensions changed radically from the first version to the second. I tried WP:BYPASS and it cleared it up. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 11:14, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! AstroMark (talk) 11:29, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Talk page category sorting

Resolved

At Category:FA-Class biography (sports and games) articles, I noticed that Tyrone Wheatley's talk page does not sort on his last name. How can one make a talk page sort on last name? I tried looking for something at Talk:Michael Jordan and could not find indication of how.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 13:29, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

It seems to be working now. ?. Gtstricky^{Talk or C} 13:50, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I see the fix. I missed the technique on MJ's page because I was looking at the bottom of the page.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 14:06, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Hmm. I placed |listas=Wheatley, Tyrone to the end of the talk page templates, so it's fixed some of them. However some of the templates don't have this feature, so some of them don't work. I don't know how to fix this, but I'm sure someone else will come along and explain. PeterSymonds (talk) 14:25, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

You can also use {{DEFAULTSORT}} on the talk page. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 15:04, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Coaches

please give me phone no. or mobile no. of some good coaches —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.20.65.114 (talk) 13:48, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

This area is for asking for help using Wikipedia. You might want to ask your question at the reference desk. Gtstricky^{Talk or C} 13:50, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Page about myself

Tell me, does the WP:COI rule mean that I cannot edit a page about myself. It states "Do not edit Wikipedia to promote your own interests, or those of other individuals, companies, or groups, unless you are certain that the interests of Wikipedia remain paramount." By this, does it mean that I could edit an article about myself, to correct tour dates or album info that is wrong, so long as I do not attempt to promote myself or my band? Or am I forbidden from editing pages relating to me, no matter even if I was unbiased, provided a reputable third part citation and wrote it from a NPOV? Answer please. Plasticbounceman (talk) 15:10, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

The answer's right there in the link you provided. Read specifically Wikipedia:COI#Editors who may have a conflict of interest, and the closely-related WP:AUTO (especially Wikipedia:AUTO#If Wikipedia already has an article about you). --Orange Mike | Talk 15:18, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I had that link and still asked the question - that might suggest to you that I need this point clarified. Mind actually helping? Plasticbounceman (talk) 16:17, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Plasticbounceman, this is the second time you have been uncivil on this page; please read this page thoroughly. And in answer, there are those that openly declare that they edit their pages (Talk:Jimmy Wales) but you shouldn't write pages about yourself, as it's very difficult to remain neutral. But you can edit and declare it on the talk page using {{wikipedian-bio}}. PeterSymonds (talk) 16:23, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

First of all, let's calm down a bit. We're definitely here to help, but please remember to be civil. Secondly, reading OrangeMike's second link, I would think that you can only edit pages about yourself if there is clearly vandalism. Otherwise, suggest it on the talk page and let another editor make the edit. TN‑X-Man 16:24, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

(undent) WP:COI is a policy, not a guideline oops - I meant: guideline, not a policy. We also have WP:BOLD and WP:IAR. It's hard for us to issue a clear fatwa on a question such as this, because Wikipedia is too complex to reduce to a few compact rules. The practical test of what is allowable on Wikipedia is "whatever other editors do not change." Since there are so many editors (48,204,661 registered users, and a similar number of unregistereds), each with their own interests and opinions, it's very hard to give foolproof guidance on how a person can edit and avoid all conflicts with other editors. Here's how I prefer to think about conflict of interest: if you have one, it doesn't prevent you from editing, but you are taking a risk. If you rile up the other editors for some reason (for example, by persisting in your early habit of making snippy remarks toward experienced users who are sharing their expertise with you for free), then by editing an article in whose subject you have a personal association, you have given others a pretext for giving your work extra scrutiny. In other words, if you make a habit of rubbing people the wrong way, and handing them ammunition, it's not hard to predict where that habit is likely to lead. In general, the best approach is to read all the policies and guidelines, and try to follow them. Individual policies and guidelines do not exist in isolation. For example, if you feel you read and understood WP:NPOV, but you haven't yet understood WP:CIVIL, then I would argue that you haven't really understood WP:NPOV yet - and thus you may not be ready to edit an article where you might be prone to a conflict of interest. Wikipedia is very complex, and very different than anything most people have experienced before, so it takes a long time for things to make sense here. The best way to gain experience is to edit articles which are least likely to be controversial. E.g., don't start out editing highly controversial articles like Abortion, don't start out editing where you might have a conflict of interest, don't edit anything you get emotional about, and so on. Wait until you have more experience with comparatively safe edits before attempting edits you need to ask questions about. That's my advice, anyway. Every user selects his or her own approach, and deals with the consequences. Be as bold as you like, but bear in mind the Asian proverb: the nail which sticks up gets hammered down. --Teratornis (talk) 17:57, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

access a page

yes id like to access the dallas official site can you help me please —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.77.22.137 (talk) 15:25, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, I don't know about the Dallas official site, but you may want to try Dallas, Texas, the Dallas Cowboys, or possibly the Dallas Mavericks. Let me know if that helps! TN‑X-Man 15:34, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Making categories understant listas parameter

Based on an issue with Category:FA-Class biography (sports and games) articles above I am adding listas= parameters to a lot of my articles. Most categories are not receptive to the listas parameter. Can someone help make subcategories of Category:WikiProject Chicago accept the parameter or fix {{ChicagoWikiProject}} to do so.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 16:47, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wistert, Al}} does not seem to be working either.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 16:50, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Several of these templates, including the metatemplate {{WPBannerMeta}} lack listas parameters and are configured to override DEFAULTSORT. I assume this is deliberate, though I don't know why. Algebraist 21:55, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Private communication with administrators?

Resolved

 – Use Special:EmailUser

I wish to discuss a sensitive matter with Wikipedia's administration and I'm wondering if there is a non-public way to do this?Factchecker atyourservice (talk) 16:43, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, there's email. If you wish to discuss this with me (as just one admin) then here's the link: Special:EmailUser/PeterSymonds. Best, PeterSymonds (talk) 17:02, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

TY sir, I will take you up on that offer in the next couple of days. Factchecker atyourservice (talk) 17:09, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

No probs, that's fine. Best, PeterSymonds (talk) 17:19, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

How do I do a major editing overhaul of an article?

Hi,

This is my first time as a wikipedia editor, and I'd like to know if one can perform a major edit like a total overhaul of an article by simply doing it through the 'edit this page' page, or if something more complicated is necessary. The article in question is Brecht's poetry, and I've posted some of the problems with it on the discussion page. Can I simply rewrite the article? Sindinero (talk) 19:08, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

By all means, be bold and edit the article! It is important, however, to build consensus. It sounds like you've already discussed it on the article's talk page, which is a good first step. If there are no objections on the talk page, go for it. Good luck! TN‑X-Man 19:12, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Be bold, but realize that everything you see on Wikipedia came from people who were bold before you. If you are bold enough to overhaul their work, someone else could be bold enough to overhaul yours. As you edit on Wikipedia, be as receptive to correction as you expect other users to be. If it would bother you to write an article and have someone else completely rewrite it later, then it is reasonable to suppose that when you rewrite someone else's work, they might feel the same way. On Wikipedia, nobody owns their work, so everything we write is subject to editing, but still it helps to hear from the person whose work you want to change before you change it. Some observations:

• You posted your suggestions on Talk:Brecht's poetry, but nobody replied yet. Sometimes the people who might have an interest in an article are not actively monitoring its talk page. I suggest looking at the article history and leaving comments on the talk pages of other contributors, asking them to see your comments in Talk:Brecht's poetry#Editing suggestions.
• When you leave a new comment on a talk page, not in reply to an existing comment, make a new section heading for it. (I added one for you at Talk:Brecht's poetry#Editing suggestions.) This keeps a talk page organized. See: Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines.
• If this is your first time as a Wikipedia editor, I strongly advise you not to start right out with "a major edit." That rarely goes smoothly, unless a new user has a remarkable ability to grasp Wikipedia's policies and guidelines - something we don't see often, given how different Wikipedia is than anything most people have experienced before. A more prudent approach is to gain experience by making smaller edits to existing articles, in cooperation with more-experienced editors who have identified articles that need specific work. On Wikipedia, there is no deadline, so you can afford to ease into the major editing.
• The article title: Brecht's poetry seems a bit odd. I'd like it better with a full name: Bertolt Brecht's poetry, since "Brecht" might not exactly be a household word for all Wikipedia readers.

--Teratornis (talk) 19:48, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I might add that a usually less-officious way to edit someone else's contributions is to add to them, or rearrange them, rather than delete them. People tend to get more upset at seeing their contributions vanishing completely than to see them moving around a bit. Of course on Wikipedia, nobody has a right to get upset when their contributions vanish, but the reality of human nature is that sometimes people do get upset, and in the long run, upsetting people on Wikipedia tends to be less productive than finding ways to avoid upsetting them. That's why you should make sure everybody who might get upset understands and agrees with what you want to do, before you do it. Your comments in Talk:Brecht's poetry#Editing suggestions sound reasonable (although I have no knowledge of the subject so I cannot comment on their factual merits), but you'd really like to hear from the other users who may have an interest in the article before you implement the destructive changes. Your suggestions to add new content sound uncontroversial to me; so I suggest you start with the additions before the removals. See WP:V, WP:RS, WP:FOOT, WP:CITE, WP:CITET, and WP:LAYOUT for instructions on how we handle references. --Teratornis (talk) 20:03, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

One good way to get consensus on a rewrite is to build the new version of the page in a sandbox - generally a subpage of your userpage (e.g. User:Sindinero/Brecht article rewrite). Then, if you get it to a stage where people agree it's better than the existing version, pop over to Wikipedia:Requested moves and get an admin to merge the histories together. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 23:56, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Whistling Woods International

Resolved

Please correct the following:

The full name is Whistling Woods International Institute for Films, Media, Animationa and Media Arts. CEO- Ravi gupta Executive Director- Rahul Puri —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.224.100.186 (talk) 19:12, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Moved page to new name. Redirect created. Gtstricky^{Talk or C} 19:50, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Whistling Woods International

Resolved

Name Whistling Woods International Institute for Films, Media, Animationa and Media Arts. CEO- Ravi gupta Executive Director- Rahul Puri —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.224.100.186 (talk) 19:13, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Dup request. Gtstricky^{Talk or C} 19:52, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

New Header

Resolved

 – Reverted

Do you like the new help desk header I designed. StewieGriffin! • Talk 19:34, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I think this should have been discussed first. I'm not sure about it, and the original was fully-protected. Please discuss major changes before implementing them; WP:BOLD is great but this is a very highly visible page. PeterSymonds (talk) 19:37, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

However, this is the format for the archives. Why not the main help desk? StewieGriffin! • Talk 19:38, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't know much about the Help Desk heading, because I visited it yesterday only to post a note about the resolved template. However from the little I do remember, there were several templates transcluded into several other templates, and the way it was done looked quite complex. I've fully protected the current heading, but I presume the other one was agreed on by consensus. PeterSymonds (talk) 19:40, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

We could certainly take some of the better parts and incorporate them into the old one, but I'm not a big fan of this in its entirety, sorry. I'm putting the old one back for now...... Dendodge .. Talk^Help 19:41, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I think the huge THIS IS ABOUT WIKIPEDIA ONLY was totally unnecessary. People still asked normal questions. StewieGriffin! • Talk 19:44, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Please take this discussion to the talk page (I copied the discussion there). Thank you. Gtstricky^{Talk or C} 19:45, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

(ec x2)No I'm not, it's been fully protected. Could we get this changed back and only redone with consensus please?...... Dendodge .. Talk^Help 19:46, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I think this is better. The old one was very large. I know this one still is, but a huge WIKIPEDIA ONLY message wasn't needed. Maybe this should be made smaller. StewieGriffin! • Talk 19:50, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I've reverted back and restored the full protection per WP:Bold, revert, discuss. PeterSymonds (talk) 20:01, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

OK. I think the current is way to big!!! StewieGriffin! • Talk 21:11, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Question about copyvios in articles

Otto Lummer was created originally as a copyvio of http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Lummer,+Otto+Richard (© Research Machines plc 2004. All rights reserved) I then attemplate to rewrite it (diff). I would like to know if the is rewrite enough to avoid copyright infringement? Also, should the copyvio revesions be deleted by an admin. Thanks, Anonymous101 (talk) 20:04, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

It depends. Usually a rewrite is enough, but if the page history is all copyright, then it might be deleted from the history. An admin has the tool to delete the page and its history, but any editor can remove copyright violations, either by rewrite or backspace removal. I'll take a look. PeterSymonds (talk) 20:07, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I've done a bit of tweaking. Unfortunately I can't see the original article because it's for subscribers, but take a look and let me know what you think. Thanks, PeterSymonds (talk) 20:13, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Hi. Well, this leads me to ask: when a revision or a set of revesions is removed from Wikipedia, how would we prevent them from showing up in Wikipedia mirrors or in the Internet Web Archive Wayback machine? Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 22:33, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Um... that's a good question - I suppose most Wikipedia mirrors update regularly to the most recent revision, but for the ones that don't... I suppose it's just too bad for them then... Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 23:22, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Question about making a disambiguation page

I don't know how to create a disambiguation page or change a redirect so I'm looking for some help.

CISAC needs a disambiguation page or, preferably, should redirect to the Stanford University Center for International Security article as the Confédération Internationale des Sociétés d´Auteurs et Compositeurs is not a US-EN organization. CISAC should still be the redirect for Confédération Internationale des Sociétés d´Auteurs et Compositeurs on fr.wikipedia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 171.64.242.6 (talk) 22:27, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

To create a page you have to have an account. The standard format is to have the title with no qualifier (CISAC) or the title CISAC (disambiguation). The header begins "CISAC could refer to..." and then the articles are bulleted. The page is then marked with the {{disambiguation}} template and Category:Disambiguation. See Queen Anne for one of many, many examples. Best, PeterSymonds (talk) 23:30, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Just because this is the English Wikipedia does not mean that it only focuses on articles from the US - in fact, this is one of the biases that we have to work on countering. However, if both organizations are referred to as "CISAC", and one of them is not a primary topic, which seems to be true in this case, we can make CISAC a disambiguation page a link to both articles, which I'll go ahead and do. -- Natalya 23:36, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

May 30

Organisations editing their own entries

Hi, I am looking for clarification on Wikipedia's policies on individuals or organisations editing articles on themselves.

Can you please confirm (or point me in the direction) of the rule that says you may edit articles on yourself. If the answer is "yes you may" obviously this does not give one the right to delete correct information simply because it is deemed undesirable. I would like confirmation that you can correct incorrect information about oneself or one's organisation.

Cheers Matt (talk) 00:45, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Hello. It may depend if the article passes WP:BIO. In most cases that usually happen, articles about yourself is speedy deleted because of it's notability. May I have a link to the article you found this situation in?--RyRy5 (talk) 00:49, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

As an example, if I were the Communications Manager of a Government department, and there was incorrect information included in the article on my organisation, is there any rule against me correcting it or indeed adding to it? Matt (talk) 00:52, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

No. You are free to edit the article no matter if you are part of it. But if it is about a real person, it's different depending on WP:BIO.--RyRy5 (talk) 00:55, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

There could be conflict of interest concerns.. have a look at Wikipedia:Conflict of interest for general advice. The best way to avoid trouble is to source anything you add to it. Friday (talk) 00:56, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Another good idea is to instead discuss your concerns on the Talk page of the article. In many cases, other editors are watching and will respond to your valid concerns. That way, you have less to worry about in the conflict of interest arena. The specific guideline is within the article Friday has pointed you to, here. Franamax (talk) 02:31, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Non free use image in template problem.

The non free use image NSWPF logosmall.jpg is in the template {{New South Wales Police Force}} and was botted as per User:SoxBot VIII/logfile#470000.

This template DOES use the image in ACCORDANCE with the rules relating to the fair use of images relating to an organisation, in this case solely to represent the organisation holding the rights to the image.

How do I stop this image being botted again ?

Peet Ern (talk) 00:54, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

It needs a Fair Use Rational (FUR). A good one for this is {{Logo fur}}. The bot will keep botting it until one is placed, as it is required by law. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 01:12, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Calvin is partially right. It does need a fair use rationale. However, it is unevitable to stop the bot, because it is enforcing one of the NFCC criteria, that states "fair use only in mainspace". I have removed the image once more, because it is violating the NFCC policy in the template namespace. WP:FUE states, "They should never be used on templates (including stub templates and navigation boxes), portals, user pages, categories, Help, MediaWiki, or the Project namespace." Only under extreme circumstances does the bot skip it, and it needs to be taken up with me so I can program it in. Soxred 93 02:04, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

*bonks self on head* - must remember that rule... Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 04:43, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I've found being corrected by others on the Help desk to be a marvelous aid to memory. The more glaring my gaffe, the more clearly I recall it. This is actually related to how the brain forms long-term memories. If being corrected feels too traumatic, one possibility might be propranolol. --Teratornis (talk) 07:59, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

marriage

IF YOU MARRY ONCE MORE,YOU TO THE MARRIGE ARE? HOW DO YOU MANIFEST YOUR LOVE? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.109.203.32 (talk) 02:14, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Hello. The help desk is used for questions related to USING wikipedia. Your question is not related to wikipedia. Please consider asking at the Wikipedia:Reference desk. Thank you. --RyRy5 (talk) 02:16, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

My account seemed to be hacked

My account User:NordicFire will not let me log in with the password I set. I made sure I got the random verification code correct. This is the second time my account password has seemed to be changed and now it says I do not have a e-mail address listed so I can recover the password. I did, thats how I got a temp. password to chage it the first time, but now it says I do not. What is going on? Can I get an admin to reset it for me? How can I verify that the account is mine so this can happen? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.197.94.171 (talk) 04:34, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Um.. the email and password only the account controller can see and change. And administrator can permanently block the hacked account, if you can prove it really has been taken over. Then you will have to make a new account. On this new one, you may want to secure it by placing a {{Committed identity}} on the userpage. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 04:41, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

It's made no contributions since January so I don't think it's been taken over. If you've lost your password and have no email addres then I'm afraid you won't be able to access your account. Only the account holder has the power to change their details using Special:Preferences. Best, PeterSymonds (talk) 07:29, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

DAB John Billingsley

Resolved

There is already an article for John Billingsley an american actor but I've recently been reading about John Billingsley (1747-1811) of Ashwick where he is buried.[1] He was the writer of the 1794 Survey of Somerset, and a leading agriculturalist who was one of the founders of the Bath and West Society, known today as the Royal Bath and West of England Society. There is a whole chapter on him in Atthill, Robin (1971). Old Mendip (2nd ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0715351710.. I realise a disambiguation page would be needed but which should be the "primary" article & how should the Somerset John Billingsley article be named.— Rod ^talk 08:57, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Probably unnecessary as there are only two. I suggest putting a dablink at the top of the actor's page (when the article exists). Best, PeterSymonds (talk) 09:01, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

OK Thanks I can do that (when I've written the article), but do you think "John Billingsley (Somerset)" is a suitable title as it looks a bit like a place name - would "John Billingsley, agriculturalist" be better?— Rod ^talk 09:31, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Have a read of WP:NCP - that should help. Has John Billingsley got a middle name? In which case John Xavier Billingsley might be a possibility. However, given the choice of agriculturalist or Somerset, I would go with agriculturalist (with it written in parenthesis, not after a comma), as it is a description of what he was, not where he came from - much more informative from an encyclopedic point of view. StephenBuxton (talk) 14:24, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks John Billingsley (agriculturist) now created (will do further work) - dablink added to both articles.— Rod ^talk 15:00, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Text overlaps infobox

Resolved

 – Purging fixed it...... Dendodge .. Talk^Help 10:24, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

on Skype. I never know how to fix these, could someone else take a look? Thanks...... Dendodge .. Talk^Help 10:12, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

What exactly is the problem. I've had a look and nothing looks wrong, however it may be my browser. StewieGriffin! • Talk 10:15, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Ah, purging fixed it...... Dendodge .. Talk^Help 10:24, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

How do i get collapsible tables on my wiki?

My wiki doesn't support them yet. How do i update it? Any help much appreciated. Not sure if this is precisely right place to ask this, if not, where should i go? Thanks 92.21.165.55 (talk) 12:26, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "my wiki", but here's how you do it here on Wikipedia:

This is a collapsible table!
Here's some stuff inside that table that you want to collapse!

The trick is the class="collapsible" part at the top of the table. You might also be interested in the class keyword "collapsed", which defaults the table to its closed state. Also, if you want the table to span across, you might want to also use the "navbox" class too. More information can be found at Help:Tables and Wikipedia:Collapsible tables. -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 12:43, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

If you are interested in how to do this on MediaWiki software outside of Wikipedia (which is technically outside the scope of this page), you might be interested in m:Help:Collapsing, which indicates that it was accomplished through JavaScript additions to MediaWiki:Common.js -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 12:55, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Aha, thanks! So I should able to just copy and paste MediaWiki:Common.js to replace my wiki's Common.js? And that'll give collapsible tables? That's what i did but i think i buggered it up. It's not actually 'my' wiki but here it is: [2] (and yeah, apologies for putting this question in the wrong place - feel free to move it if it's more appropriate) 92.21.165.55 (talk) 13:51, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I would stick to copying only the collapsible table part, which is about 30% down in the script. YMMV. -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 16:47, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

mw:Project:Support desk is the appropriate place to ask questions about MediaWiki administration for wikis other than Wikipedia. However, the Wikipedia Help desk gives faster response, even to inappropriate questions. Of course, the less appropriate a question is for the Help desk, the less likely that the answers will help. You can find a lot of how-to information for MediaWiki by using the various {{Help desk searches}}, especially the searches on Meta-Wiki and MediaWiki.org. --Teratornis (talk) 17:52, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Moved articles

When an article is moved by the "move" tab, are all previous edits kept intact and moved to the new article name? Isn't this confusing for someone who never edited say article X, which was moved from article Y, but who's contributions show that they have? Is this in compliance with the GFDL? Plasticbounceman (talk) 14:29, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

When the page is moved, a redirect is formed, so the pages are still linked. Yes, all the history is preserved, and the new name will show up in every page history, including watchlists, contributions and so on. Best, PeterSymonds (talk) 14:33, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

See WP:MOVE#Page histories. And speaking of confusing, it can be annoying when two similar but nonidentical articles exist, and some particular word or phrase logically links to one and not the other, people make many such links, and then later a deletionist decides to delete the content from one of the articles and make it a redirect to the other. The result can be that some links to the redirect page no longer make as sense as they did originally. An example was the peaknik article, which coherently described the types of people who promote peak oil theory. We had a bunch of links from articles about people who promote peak oil theory to the peaknik article. After the deletionists gutted the peaknik article, without bothering to fix all the links they rendered less coherent, now all those links go to the peak oil article, and from the context that often makes little sense. When someone clicks on a jargon term, they expect to see a concise definition of the jargon term, not some complex discussion about a related topic from which they would have to laboriously infer the definition of the jargon term they saw initially. (If you ever click a link in Wikipedia and find yourself asking "Huh?" because the resulting page is not what you expected, chances are your link made more sense once upon a time, before someone degraded Wikipedia by moving or merging pages without bothering to check the backlinks.) So, basically, when someone moves an article, or guts an article and turns it into a redirect, they should examine all the backlinks and fix all the links that made more sense in light of the previous article content or title. That in turn requires understanding what the original contributors were thinking when they added the links which the later move or deletion degraded. --Teratornis (talk) 17:39, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Thank you. I found your answers helpful and informative. However, my second question was not addressed. Is altering the location and title of an article a user contributed to in compliance with the GFDL? Plasticbounceman (talk) 14:49, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

conversion from weight of sample taken to ppm

how to convert weight of sample taken to ppm.

for example: 0.1598g of lead nitrate for preparation of 100ppm solution —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jagan bandi (talk • contribs) 15:45, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Have you tried Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in knowledge questions and will try to answer any question in the universe (except how to use Wikipedia, since that is what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps. Algebraist 15:47, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

You may find some helpful information in Conversion of units, Stoichiometry, Analytical chemistry, and/or Lead nitrate. --Teratornis (talk) 17:05, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

references

If I wrote a page and used websites to back up the facts, what is the proper way to show them? I wrote a page called "Charlie Williamson" and inserted references, but I'm not sure I did it right.

Thanks, Ospreyfan (talk) 16:49, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

You added some reference footnotes, but did not create a reference list, so they weren't displayed. I have done so. Algebraist 16:52, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

See WP:FOOT for the instructions you needed. Also see the related WP:V, WP:RS, WP:CITE, WP:CITET, and WP:LAYOUT. For more, see WP:EIW#Cite. --Teratornis (talk) 17:00, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Found Vandalism

I don't edit Wikipedia. I found vandalism, but do not want to make changes through my work computer. Listed under the article for Chappaquiddick incident, in the section Inquest, third paragraph the word "boobs" is used. It does not belong there, but I do not have any knowledge to fix it. The sentence in question is:

"Under Massachusetts law boobs could have ordered Kennedy's arrest, but he chose not to do so.[8] District Attorney Dinis chose not to pursue Kennedy for manslaughter, despite Judge Boyle's conclusions."

If this could be fixed.

Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 162.114.40.31 (talk) 17:03, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Fixed. Dismas|^(talk) 17:13, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

(e/c} Looks like Dismas beat me to it. Thank you very much for reporting this! -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 17:15, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I need to change the article on Kazakhstan

Greetings,

I have been a registered user for a long time and I need to edit the Kazakhstan article. Please kindly tell me how I do this? Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Michaelryanmccoy (talk • contribs) 18:35, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Please see Help:Editing, which will tell how to edit pages. Please also take note of our policies WP:Verifiability and WP:Reliable sources, as well as WP:Neutral point of view. Thanks, PeterSymonds (talk) 18:38, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

User:Paul Vogel

I saw that User:Paul Vogel, who was banned originally on May 4, 2004, was to be banned until May 3rd, 2008, for almost 4 years, becuase of repeated ban condition violations. I think the ban is expired, but no one has removed his name from the list. Obviously, the ban has, and should've had expired 27 days ago, yet, no one has removed his name from the list! Can someone check it out? Thank you.Kitty53 (talk) 18:39, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

From a technical standpoint, I think you're correct since the user was banned by Arbcom, rather than consensus. However, I'm not aware of any consensus to unblock (or any reason to do so, given the history of disruption), so I'm not sure what the point of removing his name would be. (Since if no one's willing to unblock, then he's still banned via consensus, if not via arbcom). Just my $0.02, --Bfigura ^(talk) 18:44, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

WP:ANI may a better place to take this. —BradV 18:45, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't know about that. Isn't that where you report incidents? I don't think this is an incident.Kitty53 (talk) 19:06, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Infobox question

Resolved

I saw the map on Dadra and Nagar Haveli and there seems to be some sort of problem on the graphic, at least on my browser, and I couldn't figure out what the issue was. Can someone fix this? Thanks, Spencer^T♦C 19:40, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I just looked at the page and it came up OK. What are you seeing on your screen? Cheers. TN‑X-Man 19:49, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Ah ha! I think I saw the problem with the link on the city name. It should be fixed now, but take a look and let me know. TN‑X-Man 19:51, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Looks good now. Thanks, Spencer^T♦C 00:08, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Wiki mini atlas

AMybody have an idea what's happened to the globe? ♦Blofeld of SPECTRE♦ ^$1,000,000? 20:31, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

You're the guy trying to take over the world— you tell us. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 20:40, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

But to be a bit more serious— what globe? --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 21:42, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Coordinate links used to have a icon on them which, when clicked on, would pop open a mini map. This is no longer on by default -- and I don't know why. -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 22:07, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I really don't know what's going on with the m:WikiMiniAtlas. There's no discussion of removing it on Meta or the {{coord}} page or the WikiProject. I'll take it over to WP:VPT. -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 22:15, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Looks like a recent change to MediaWiki:Common.js may have broken this. Continue this discussion at WP:VPT. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 22:35, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

According to User:brion, its fixed. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. You may need to purge the page to see the fix take effect. -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 02:16, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Deleting a Page from My Own Userspace

I created a page in my userspace to rewrite part of an article. It's rewritten now, and the page serves no purpose. I would like to nominate it for speedy deletion; is there a template that covers this situation or should I take some other action? Alinnisawest (talk) 21:29, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

{{db-user}} --Onorem♠Dil 21:30, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

If you note which page it is on my talk I'll delete it for you. See WP:CSD#U1 for further info as well. Pedro :  Chat  21:34, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

User:Alinnisawest/Critical Feedback Alinnisawest (talk) 21:37, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Done (hope nobody minds me stepping in, but as I saw the page...) PeterSymonds (talk) 21:39, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! Alinnisawest (talk) 21:40, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

(outdent) Most welcome. :) PeterSymonds (talk) 21:41, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Another approach is to move the page to <User>/workspace1 and then blank it. The next time you need a workspace, use the page again. This way, you do not need to ask an admin for help. You can work on a few pages at the same time using this technique. -Arch dude (talk) 05:41, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Terrible Article

New Cumnock. This article is terrible is more ways than one, which I think is obvious. What is the best way to alert others that this page needs to be changed. I know I could but know nothing about the place or how it should be done to make it better, I only know it needs improving. :) 81.157.153.221 (talk) 22:26, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Yeah that is bad. You could be bold and work on it yourself. If you need help with it, try WP:WikiProject Scotland or WP:WikiProject UK geography, as it falls under both of those. —BradV 22:30, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I have tidied the images into a gallery, and provided the two (very inexperienced) editors who provided most of the recent content with welcome boxes, which I hope will help them better understand how to contribute more productively. DuncanHill (talk) 22:33, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I've cut it back down to a stub. The rest was bordering on "come and support our town". PeterSymonds (talk) 22:35, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Thank you, the only reason it's like that is because it was on 'The Toughest Villages in Britain' and the locals must be supporting it or something. :P 81.157.153.221 (talk) 22:39, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I continued the cleanup and added coordinates. Spencer^T♦C 00:03, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Do non-account edits count?

I was wondering if anybody could help me. I have only recently created an account, but prior to this, I have edited many grammar and spelling problems, and only about 3 with my account. Are the previous edits linked to my IP address? Or is it just the account? I am thinking of creating a new page, and I realise that I require 10 edits - I don't know whether previous edits count towards these 10, or not. Please help me, if possible!

Thanks

Itsalive4 (talk) 22:47, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, they don't. Connecting your IP address and account doesn't allow for dynamic IP-addresses, and would pose privacy concerns. You must make 10 edits on your account. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 22:50, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Fortunately, you don't need 10 edits to create a new page. Any signed-in user can do that. Algebraist 22:59, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, you only need 10 edits and 4 days for things like editing semi-protected articles and image uploads. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 23:12, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:AUTOCONFIRM. Spencer^T♦C 23:47, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

You can just edit your own user page 10 times if your desperate to edit. i hope the vandals dont read this:) Roadrunnerz45 ^{(talk 2 me)} 04:40, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, that helped! I'll just see what I can keep editing to reach 10 edits!

Itsalive4 (talk) 09:36, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

If you want to reduce your odds of coming back to ask Why was my article deleted?, you could tell us about the article you want to create, and we could comment on its potential notability and other possible grounds for deletion. Wikipedia deletes thousands of articles by new users for failing to comply with our complex and unobvious policies and guidelines, so a little discussion here before you plunge ahead could save you some grief. Some types of articles are deletion magnets (such as: articles about someone's garage band), while other articles are more likely to "stick" (such as an article about a major public work in your area, such as a large dam or bridge). We can at least tell you if your topic starts out with a bullseye on its back. --Teratornis (talk) 18:20, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

May 31

found a strange editor - vandalism ?

check out Jhovstkepp

Machete97 (talk) 02:12, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm not seeing any vandalism here. Looks like he accidentally (or maybe intentionally) created an article page on his user page the moved it into article space when he felt it was ready to "go live". Usually when people do that, they do it with a subpage rather than their main user page, but there's nothing wrong with doing it that way... who am I to judge? -- ShinmaWa^(talk) 02:21, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't know what "wrong" means either, but I do know "inexpedient." Creating articles directly on one's User page may confuse other editors, as it did in this case, because the user page does not label itself clearly as being a sandbox or scratch page. User subpages are much better for this, because: (a) more users would recognize them as sandbox pages, and (b) an informative user will label his or her subpage collection and explain what they are (for example, I label mine here: User:Teratornis#User sub-pages - hmmm, and come to think of it, maybe I don't want that hyphen). On Wikipedia it is customary for every user to explain his or her actions to other users, for example by leaving informative edit summaries, and by explaining complex actions on talk pages. I think labeling one's user subpages clearly enough to be understandable is in keeping with that spirit. After all, Wikipedia cannot hold together unless users can easily figure out what other users are doing. --Teratornis (talk) 18:13, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Camp Rock (soundtrack)'s text

Resolved

I'm currently cleaning up the above article. If you look at the article, you should notice that it doesn't have external links and it's references. If you edit the article, the external links and refs are there. I can't seem to find out why the refs and external links don't show without being edited. Is it a wikimarkup problem or is it just my PC? Much help would be appreciated. Thanks. -- RyRy5 (talk) 06:19, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Hi RyRy5. In my experience the most common reason for this sort of error is a badly-formatted reference, so the first thing I checked was whether the end of the displayed text was a reference. Sure enough it was, and that ref was missing its </ref> tag. So the entire rest of the article was being interpreted as part of the reference, and not as text to display. I've fixed it now.

In this case the ref was the last in the article, but sometimes it can happen earlier on:

<ref>My friend told me it was true

Here is some lovely prose for my article

<ref>How could you even doubt this fact?</ref>

And some more prose

Causing the "Here is some..." paragraph to disappear mysteriously because the software is waiting to find a </ref> tag.

Best, Olaf Davis | Talk 08:10, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I've noticed that before. Thanks, Olaf Davis. Regards, RyRy5 (talk) 08:18, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

It is a shame that MediaWiki cannot automatically detect an unclosed <ref> tag. That's such an easy error to make, and the result is baffling to a user who hasn't learned about it yet. The Help desk gets this question fairly often. I can't imagine the error would be all that hard to detect in the software. But maybe it is hard to detect, since we have had this problem for a long time. --Teratornis (talk) 18:29, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Calumny of spam to giacomo.lorenzoni.name.

RESPONSE TO http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_talk:Spam-blacklist#giacomo.lorenzoni.name

79.25.115.224 (talk) 07:16, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps giacomo.lorenzoni.name it is “Spam” also in

http://www.cfd-online.com/Wiki/Codes (http://www.cfd-online.com/Wiki/Codes#Solvers "PEEI: a computer program for the numerical solution of differential analytical models (i.e. systems of partial differential equations)."

http://www.mathcs.carleton.edu/probweb/probweb.html (Teaching Resources) "Analytical Argumentations of Probability and Statistics by Giacomo Lorenzoni."

http://www.matematicamente.it/siti_di_matematica/siti_di_matematica/probabilita_e_statistica_20070626179/ "Argomentazioni analitiche di probabilità e statistica (Giacomo Lorenzoni)"

http://www.dmoz.org/World/Italiano/Scienza/Matematica/ "Argomentazioni analitiche di probabilità e statistica"

?

79.25.115.224 (talk) 07:16, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm sorry, I don't understand what question you're trying to ask about using Wikipedia. Do you have one? Olaf Davis | Talk 12:41, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

A quick question...

Can recently deleted images be possibly undeleted? That's all thanks. --.:Alex:. 09:12, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Depends. Yes, if they're not copyvios. What image did you have in mind? PeterSymonds (talk) 09:41, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

One that was deleted because it was unused. An IP vandal removed it for no apparent reason and consequently it was deleted because no one noticed it had been removed. I'll have to check the name of it though. --.:Alex:. 16:57, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Deleting desktop icon?

Resolved

 – Use Ref Desk

I went to copy this picture;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Anarchy-symbol.svg

and put it on my friends desktop as a joke and it came out a little square that we now cannot get rid of.

Right ckicking on it doesn't provide a delete link like any other icon does.

How can we get this outta this computer?

Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.7.59.204 (talk) 11:49, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Just change the background to something else? It's not an icon. -mattbuck (Talk) 12:09, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Also this page is for asking questions about using Wikipedia - the computing section of the reference desk is a better place if you have similar questions in future. Olaf Davis | Talk 12:40, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia Font

Resolved

 – Font discovered by user.

What font is the Wikipedia logo? Like where it says WikipediA, The Free Encyclopedia. I've read it somewhere on the wiki. StewieGriffin! • Talk 14:36, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

The closest I can find is Times New Roman. It's the same as the font, but the W doesn't cross over, I think that was drawn manually...... Dendodge .. Talk^Help 14:41, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

That would make WIKIPEDIA...... Dendodge .. Talk^Help 14:45, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

It's Hoefler Text.StewieGriffin! • Talk 14:54, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I thought this question came up before, so I searched the Help desk archive for: Search Help desk for: wikipedia logo font. That finds this previous question:

• Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2007 May 21#Wikipedia logo font

in which a user claimed it's a Bodoni font. However, Wikipedia:Wikipedia logos#The current logo says the logo caption is in Hoefler Text Small caps. --Teratornis (talk) 17:56, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

For the record, we also have an FAQ entry about the logo: WP:MFAQ#LOGO. --Teratornis (talk) 18:35, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

HELP

Hi,

I was hoping you could help. After some articles online I have found out that Michael Tsarion no longer has a wikipedia site. Why has it been taken down? I find this most upsetting as Michael Tsarion is just about to release a book completely about Astro-Theology, which is a subject that your site has written nothing about <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astro-theology> This subject is one of the hottest topics right now in alternative research and it would be of great help if you could bring this information out. - Thank you —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.236.29.255 (talk) 16:12, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

It turns out I deleted that a while back; the discussion is here. Wikipedia's editors reached a consensus that the article did not meet the inclusion criteria, which are WP:N, WP:V, WP:BIO, WP:RS and WP:NPOV. Hope this helps. Best, PeterSymonds (talk) 16:19, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Also see: Wikipedia:Why was my article deleted? That page has instructions on how to find alternative wikis which accept a wider range of topics about alternative research (and almost everything else) than Wikipedia currently does. --Teratornis (talk) 18:02, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Looking for Astrotheology? --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 18:02, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Image deletion

Resolved

 – Requester figured out his/her own question. -- RyRy5 (talk) 21:34, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

If anyone knowledgeable about image policy can help me with this one - fill me on in the applicable policy, point me to the appropriate help desk - I'd really appreciate it. I left the below message on an admin's talk page who deleted an image I recently uploaded:

Sorry to be another one of those folks, but, "you deleted my image" - File:Kips bay.jpg. I was wondering - is there any recourse for me on this? I found the NYPL link on Wikipedia:Public_domain_image_resources, and I did actually call the permissions desk of the library, where I was verbally granted permission to use this image on Wikipedia. Did I tag improperly? Is this not a valid way to "earn" permission to use an image? I'm admittedly a bit naive on this front, but I'd really like to use this image for Landing at Kip's Bay (for obvious reasons). Thanks for any help you can give. Tan | 39 17:01, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Figured it out on my own, resolved. Tan | 39 17:36, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Copyright

I am creating an initial draft for an article. I used a good source [3] here. There is a paragraph where several information comes from the said source. I am a bit confused over copyvio question. Can anyone please tell if this paragraph constitutes coyvio of this reference? I have vastly changed the semantics and there are no other source available for this information. Otolemur crassicaudatus (talk) 18:35, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I personally don't think so, but a good way to avoid copyright infringement/plagiarism that I recently learned in school is to first take notes from the reference (like on note-cards), then re-write it in your own words, therefore eliminating any chance of possible copyright infringement. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 19:17, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Globe logo

I was reading recently that the Wikipedia Globe logo wasn't as clear as one on another language wikipedia. I've searched the village pump but I can't find this discussion. Could anyone help? Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.143.81.140 (talk) 21:17, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

How did you search the Village pump? The {{Google custom}} template has some searches on the Village pump archive pages; did you try those? Wikipedia talk:Wikipedia logos#Smoothing the logo? mentions a difference between the logo appearance on the French and English Wikipedia, and sure enough, I see it. Is that what you mean by "clear"? --Teratornis (talk) 01:13, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

How to relocate picture on Wikipedia article.

When the article Ferrari is viewed using Mozilla Firefox RC2, the image captioned "A Ferrari 312PB during the team's final year in the World Sportscar Championship." appears to be overlapped partially by the line of text above it. I intend to move the image down slightly in order to solve this problem, however I am unable to find any material in the help section instructing me on how to do this. Any replies will be greatly appreciated. Dav115 (talk) 22:14, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

 Doing... I believe placing <br clear="all"/> right after the image should fix it. I'll try. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 23:03, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

 Done - the image might be in the wrong place though... Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 23:05, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

You could try using a gallery tag to organize the images. See Wikipedia:Gallery tag and an example in High-visibility clothing#Gallery for one possibility. --Teratornis (talk) 01:18, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Redirect

Should a redirect ever have categories (e.g. Exocomp)? Clarityfiend (talk) 22:40, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

For my $.02, I don't believe so. The redirect simply points to another page, which has categories of its own. TN‑X-Man 22:42, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

(ec) Yes they have categories depedning on what type of redirect they are, there is an abbreviations redirect category, a misspelling category, an alternative name category and a bunch of other categories I can't remember...--Serviam (talk) 22:50, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:Categorizing redirects. PrimeHunter (talk) 22:48, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

June 1

CSD A7

Resolved

This may not be the right place to ask this, but I seem to be having some trouble understanding CSD A7. Like when an article should be tagged with it or not. I've been around for a while, but I can't seem to get a handle on this criteria. Any help with explaining it would be greatly appreciated. Thingg^⊕⊗ 04:17, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't know whether you have seen the documentation, so my answer must branch:

• If you have not seen the documentation, see: WP:CSD#A7.
• If you have seen the documentation, tell us which part you did not understand, and we will explain further. Sometimes it turns out that a documentation page is unclear, and if we find out exactly which part was confusing, we can improve it for the next reader.

More information about the deletion process is at WP:EIW#Delete. You probably need to read the (many) pages that the section in WP:CSD#A7 links to, so you understand the underlying concepts of notability and so on. See WP:WWMPD for information from the perspective of the "victims" of deletion. If you are the one placing these templates on articles, no matter how much they deserve it, you should still be sensitive to what it feels like on the receiving end. --Teratornis (talk) 04:41, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

This means a subject must be notable with secondary sources etc. If not it will be deleted. I think this is resolved now. StewieGriffin! • Talk 09:47, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Not quite. It's if the subject does not assert notability. If there is an assertion, then it can't be A7'd. Even if it's non-notable with a vague assertion of notability, it should go to AfD. Best, PeterSymonds (talk) 09:49, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Vague external link

Resolved

Is there any template to indicate that an external link (used as a reference[4]) has not been specified precisely enough? --Eleassar ^{my talk} 06:52, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Maybe ({{fact}}), followed by your "not-specified-precisely-enough" ref. StewieGriffin! • Talk 09:46, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Or take it out completely. If it doesn't accurately verify the information, then it shouldn't be there. Best, PeterSymonds (talk) 09:48, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Yeah. I think could be used instead. Check out the policy page. StewieGriffin! • Talk 09:50, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

If I were you I'd take it out and seek out the person who put it there, perhaps via the article's talk page, and invite them to replace it if they can be more specific. Of course, if you can work out how to clarify it yourself that's even better - but leaving it with a {{fact}} template is definitely not ideal. Olaf Davis | Talk 10:25, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

The ideal would be to fix it, but you can tag it with {{dubious}}. A list of related tags are in the See also for {{fact}}. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 16:48, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Images

Someone has just uploaded Image:Potter.JPG It is a copyvio (http://www.theposh.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10427~1157434,00.html). Should it be marked for sd or not? Anonymous101 (talk) 12:50, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

{{db-imgcopyvio}}. x42bn6 Talk Mess 16:32, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

FYI for the Help Desk volunteers

In the event we get the Avril vandal again (those who were here a moment ago, or frequent the Ref Desks, will know who I mean), memorize your Wikipedia:Keyboard shortcuts so that you can search through the various header templates we use to find the one that got vandalized. In this case, it was WP:HDPATROL that got hit, so don't expect it to be something obvious - if it transcludes here, it'll display here. Hersfold non-admin^(t/a/c) 13:25, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Avril Lavigne attack?

Something's up; but it doesn't appear to be vandalism I can point out. I was recently at WP:ANI and had a bunch of text and a picture of Avril Lavigne cover up most of the page. Today it's on my user page and nobody has touched my userpage recently. Does anyone ese see this too? Thanks for your time. §hep • ¡Talk to me! 14:39, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

It was vandalism on the template {{userpageinfo}}. Should be fixed now. Cquan ^{(after the beep...)} 14:40, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Okay. For a minute there I thought I was going to have to go to the Ref desk for help on a Avril virus. :) §hep • ¡Talk to me! 14:43, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

That was pretty obnoxious...it's a bit early in the morning here and I thought I was having a mental breakdown or something. Cquan ^{(after the beep...)} 14:47, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

It's been sent to checkuser, so it should be handled shortly. Hersfold non-admin^(t/a/c) 15:15, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Using the wikipedia articles

Hi,

Can I use the articles on wikipedia on my website? It is for educational purposes only. How should I do so? Is saying it is from wikipedia is enough?

219.93.152.12 (talk) 16:58, 1 June 2008 (UTC)