Talk:Main Page

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Errors in the summary of the featured article

Please do not remove this invisible timestamp. See WT:ERRORS and WP:SUBSCRIBE. - Dank (push to talk) 01:24, 29 September 2022 (UTC)

Errors in the summary of the featured list

Friday's FL

(September 20)

Monday's FL

(September 16)

Errors in the summary of the featured picture

Notice to administrators: When fixing POTD errors, please update the corresponding regular version (i.e. without "protected" in the page title) in addition to the Main Page version linked below.

Today's POTD

• The last sentence says what the image, from Il trovatore, shpws, but I doubt that, and wonder where it comes from: the image caption just says "poster". I'd say just that: that it shows a poster. The poster seems to picture the last line, Azucena telling the count that Manrico, the man he got executed was his brother. The people pictured would be from left Azucena, the count and Manrico (who in stage productions is no longer in the prison but on his way to execution, but this is a poster). No Leonora (who is dead at the time). If the questionable description is kept, it should at least say act 4, not scene 4. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 05:01, 14 September 2024 (UTC)

  Pinging @Ravenpuff, who added this line to the blurb. :Jay8g [V•T•E] 05:36, 14 September 2024 (UTC)

  I hazarded a guess based on my knowledge of the opera and reading of the plot summary. I'm happy for it to be amended to reflect the actual context of the scene depicted. While we could just state that the featured image is a poster, it would be of benefit to readers if we can describe the content of the poster as well. — RAVENPVFF · talk · 12:03, 14 September 2024 (UTC)

General discussion

Michael Phelps?

Why is a news headline stating Michael Phelps has won and olympic gold medal? This is unfair as coverage was not given to Nicole Cooke winner of the ladies cycling. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.108.184.1 (talk) 18:03, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

Because Phelps has now won more medals than anyone else. J Milburn (talk) 18:23, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

He has won more Gold Medals than any Olympian before him, although a track athlete pointed out this was because of the amount of races that swimmers compete in- if track athletes had the same opportunity they would have won just as many more often...Gavin Scott (talk) 01:38, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

It's not for us to judge IOC rules. We just count medals, and Phelps broke a record. --74.14.20.198 (talk) 02:37, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

I was just passing comment. Gavin Scott (talk) 03:20, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Ditto. --74.14.20.198 (talk) 03:21, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Has anyone noticed that his article has been hacked or something? 200.168.138.59 (talk) 04:08, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

It hasn't been hacked, people edit it. --—Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.28.91.104 (talk)

Typical American Bias. If Phelps wasn't American he wouldn't be on the front page at all.(Butters x (talk) 12:59, 18 August 2008 (UTC))

Wikipedia is also Jamaican bias if you're using that logic, too. --216.110.89.18 (talk) 13:43, 18 August 2008 (UTC)

This is not an example of American bias. Phelps has made history- he has won more golds than anyone else. Surprisingly, the new ITN rules have not led to a lot of useless American news, which I thought it may, but ITN is actually rather well-balanced at present. A lot of sport (which is to be expected during the Olympics) but it isn't favouring America. J Milburn (talk) 13:49, 18 August 2008 (UTC)

I think that the only bias I can find is that Bolt's nationality is mentioned and Phelps' (and Spitz's) not. --212.110.6.186 (talk) 23:37, 20 August 2008 (UTC)

Fixed. Next time, pls make use of WP:ERRORS for omissions like that. Thanks. --PFHLai (talk) 12:42, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

This has to be one of the stupidest "American bias" statements to date. –Howard the Duck 00:57, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

Well, maybe it's not bias, but if the news should represent a worldwide view, why specifying one athlete's nation and not the other? --Walkabout86 (talk) 08:53, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

When it was on the Main Page, it wasn't biased at all. Acalamari 23:50, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Talking of bias, are there statistics about the nationality associated to "On This Day..." entries ? I perceive a very strong bias toward American History. Is this just because this is the english version of WP ? Wentu (talk) 14:47, 20 August 2008 (UTC)

No, I do not believe that anyone has made some sort of statistics on the yet. But there seems to be a Systemic bias of Wikipedia, so the best way is to help out and create more good articles on non-American topics that qualify for the main page. Cheers. Zzyzx11 (Talk) 15:10, 20 August 2008 (UTC)

Expect an uprising when Olympic men's basketball is over (women's hoops is too close to call)... –Howard the Duck 18:41, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

Pic from Flea article

Can this pic be used? It states it is from a music video, but it is not. The copyrights seem all wrong. --Endless Dan 17:28, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Looks like a promoshot, perhaps from a promo video. Whatever the case, it's non-free, so no. J Milburn (talk) 17:39, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

What would be the appropriate tag for the pic? --Endless Dan 17:42, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

As the header says, this page is for issues relating to the main page, not general help. You should check out Wikipedia:Media copyright questions instead Nil Einne (talk) 18:01, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Well, this pic is from the featured article. My bad. --Endless Dan 18:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

It doesn't however appear on the main page so it doesn't concern the main page. Comment on featured articles belong in their respective talk pages since amongst other reasons, editors of the article are unlikely to read the messages here. Nil Einne (talk) 18:11, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Alright. My bad. --Endless Dan 18:11, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

This is not the page to post "My bad" on. Instead you should go to Wikipedia:Incredibly obscure pages/Mea culpa. --81.157.142.190 (talk) 00:43, 20 August 2008 (UTC)

Hahaha --AW (talk) 19:05, 20 August 2008 (UTC)

Besides, "Alright" should properly be "all right", if you're talking technicalities. 70.187.155.89 (talk) 04:31, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

You're well right, this isn't 'informal English Wikipedia' or nout... It's proper English Wikipedia is what it is. J Milburn (talk) 11:22, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

what this site needs is open editing of the front page, at least in parts of it

{{editprotected}} stop your fascism in the name of 'anti-vandalism' and get off your soapbox. you've all sat comfortably into fascistically locking the front page while you know very well deep inside that's against the spirit of wikipedia. that's right, you know very well I'm right and you can do a lot to change the status quo. Start making parts of the front page editable to common human being. e.g. the description of the main article. get off your soapbox give the common human wikipedia back your highness. --131.227.208.101 (talk) 23:22, 20 August 2008 (UTC)

Hmm, should I post a recording of my laughter or just block you as a troll? J.delanoy^gabs_adds 23:23, 20 August 2008 (UTC)

i concur with 131.227.208.101..--24.109.218.172 (talk) 02:18, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

Anybody can edit the Main Page. You simply have to earn the trust of your wikicolleagues first. --74.13.129.119 (talk) 02:56, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

The spirit of Wikipedia is to have a 2000 pixel picture of a diseased penis on the main page, viewed by about 175 people per second? Yeah... Only the most fanatical open editing advocates would think the benefit would be worth the problems it would cause. Mr.Z-man 03:08, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

Judging from the main IP's talk page, I've a feeling he's trolling. He added some nonsense to the Phelps talk page and yet wants to be able to edit the main page? I don't think so. :P Look at the early history of the Main Page—open to edit, it never was a great idea.... Latics (talk) 09:48, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

When it has been unprotected, we have seen many vandalistic edits per minute, and this is when the average vandal believes the main page is out of reach. If they knew that they were able to edit it, we would be seeing far, far more. Note that the while the technical ability to edit the main page may only lie with a few, others are welcome to indirectly edit it by posting here, at WP:ERRORS or working on/suggesting/commenting on possible articles or pictures to be featured on the main page. J Milburn (talk) 19:43, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

Where do we lodge complaints about Wikipedia's clear-cut bias against cats? It's been months since one appeared on the main page.Ceiling Cat (talk) 19:46, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

AFAIK, the talk page of the dude in charge of scheduling the featured articles on the main page :-) Cheers. Zzyzx11 (Talk) 02:27, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

And good luck with that. He absolutely hates cats. KnightLago (talk) 03:16, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

On the contrary, I love cats - they're delicious :p Raul654 (talk) 01:46, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Please create articles about Felis margarita airensis, Felis margarita margarita, Felis margarita harrisoni, Felis margarita meinertzhageni, Felis margarita thinobia, Felis margarita schef, Felis chaus chaus, Felis chaus affinis, Felis chaus fulvidina, Felis chaus furax, Felis silvestris cafra, Felis silvestris foxi, Felis silvestris caudata, Felis silvestris iraki, Felis silvestris rubida, Felis silvestris vellerosa, ... and nominate them for DYK. You can counter the anti-cat bias by getting these missing cats onto the Main Page. --199.71.174.100 (talk) 14:22, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Added appropriate template. ~user:orngjce223 how am I typing? 04:36, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

N {{editprotected}} request declined. It is unclear what edit is requested. Please don't waste our time with frivolous requests.  Sandstein  07:11, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

If you want to request unprotection, go to WP:RFPP. The editprotected template is to request an uncontroversial edit to a protected page, not to request unprotection. I don't recommend you actually post this to RFPP thought, you're liable to be laughed off the stage and may even be warned for wasting peoples time Nil Einne (talk) 10:09, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Featured Sounds

The Featured Sound project is beginning to take off, and I think it's time to discuss an occasional appearance of sounds on the main page. I have talked with User:Howcheng off-wiki, and he agreed that integrating sounds into Picture of the Day (renaming it to "Media of the Day" in the process) - presuming there's consensus - would be fine.

This rename to "Media of the Day" would also make the occasional videos somewhat more appropriately titled.

There are several good reasons for this proposal: There is an awful lot of good, public domain music, speeches, and similar sound files out there, and sound is one of the things Wikipedia can do that traditional, print encyclopedias cannot. Also, sound can be very important for understanding: hearing samples of Beethoven's music will always be more informative than simply reading an article about his music, and hearing an identified recording of bird song helps people identify the birds around them.

As well, including them on the mainpage has benefits unique to itself: Many articles that, as a basic requirement for understanding, need sounds do not yet have any. (For instance, Music of India talks at length about the various styles of Indian music, many of which have their own sub-articles, but none have any samples of the styles discussed). By making it clear we think sounds are important, we encourage Wikipedians with talent for an instrument or for voice to record public-domain works for Wikipedia, thus improving our coverage.

Likewise, the exposure would make it far easier to get more high-quality material - going to a university symphony, for instance, with the promise of wide exposure on the main page of one of the top-rated websites for any of the recordings we feature would be a strong encouragement for them to assist us. With just a few university symponies, a few amateur opera companies, or any groups in that line providing us with free-licenced recordings, we could easily become the best online resource for free music.

As well, the exposure would increase traffic to the featured sound project, thus increasing the number of featured sounds that are available for the main page, hastening the time when Featured Sounds can stand on its own.

Thank you,

Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 16:47, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

• This sounds excellent. I think integrating featured sounds with pictures for 'today's featured media' (or perhaps today's featured medium'?) is a fantastic idea that is long overdue. Will consensus here be enough, or is the main discussion going elsewhere? J Milburn (talk) 17:03, 22 August 2008 (UTC)
  • The only drawback I see is that WP:MOTD is already taken (grr). howcheng {chat} 18:12, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

En has already had a video on the main page has it not? I can't see sounds being a problem.Geni 18:50, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Good idea. To answer Geni, video is classified differently here v. Commons. They don't consider video eligible for featured pictures and don't have any featured sound program. So sometimes video runs on this site under the featured picture category. Durova^Charge! 19:49, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Just hijack WP:MOTD, this is a more worthy target. J Milburn (talk) 20:21, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

What's wrong with WP:TFM (Today's featured media)? Teemu08 (talk) 20:42, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Some possible problems: Media is too ambiguous. If I loosely define the word, it would swallow up all featured content except (possibly) topics. The queue for POTD is just over 200. Also, it adds mystery buttons to the main page. The main page redesign survey disagrees with the inclusion of today's featured sound.

I think the way to go about this is to get a featured content process started on Commons feeding into Media of the Day. MER-C 09:08, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

I disagree with the main page redesign survey's existence, you don't hear me crying... There is not (yet) any need to disagree with a 'today's featured sound'- all that is to happen is to have a featured sound instead of a featured picture once in a while, which makes a lot of sense as videos have been featured there for a while, and sounds are more like videos than pictures. J Milburn (talk) 11:01, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

Featured sounds is on en-wiki, there is nothing comparable on Commons as of yet, except the completely dead Media of the Day project (it's on a one-year endless loop, and has been since shortly after its creation, near as I can tell). Commons would quite rightfully object to having the output of an en-wiki project on their front page.

It took months of work to build up Featured sounds here. I for one object to being told the reward for hard work on en-wiki is to be told to go away and do the work somewhere else instead. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 21:49, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

And are you seriously telling me that a survey with 8 responses, without a single one of the people at featured sound even being notified that a discussion of putting featured sounds on the mainpage was ongoing, should be considered to settle the issue for all time, in perpetuity? Noone involved with Featured sounds was there to present any of the arguments in its favour. I'll go further: most of the comments show extreme ignorance of what is available in sounds. Thiirdly, if yopu're going to claim, based on a single comment, that featured soounds should be on commons, then I claim the single comment asking for them to be mixed in with featured pictures. Well, anyway, I've said my piece. Up tto others to decide on it now =) Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 21:49, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

Most of the survey participations seem to be concerned we don't have enough sounds, at least those who have bothered to explain why they opposed. From what I can tell, no one is disputing we don't have enough featured sounds at the current time, nor is anyone suggesting we make a today's featured sound at the current time. What people are suggesting here is that sounds be added to TFP perhaps with a rename. So the survey frankly speaking is completely irrelevant to what we are discussing here. Nil Einne (talk) 10:14, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

(OP) Sounds good. If video has successfully been incorporated into TFP in the past, then I'd support including sounds. Rename it TFM or MOTD or whatever. (motto-oftheday is daft, and deserves to be hijacked or hidden-away like the insane squirrel that it is)

As for the survey, the entire thing is basically irrelevant. Even the 60+ redesign-draft submitters hadn't bothered to participate. The whole redesign is a fiasco (as prophesied earlier). And yes, it was the randomized standalone featured-sounds-box, as found at Portal:Featured content/current, that the survey was legitimately objecting to adding to the Main page (because there are only 18 entries to randomize between). -- Quiddity 00:36, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

Pedant alert Featured media does not mean one day you have a picture and another day you have a sound. Sound, video, images, text and what-have-you are the media. Sam Korn ^(smoddy) 21:52, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

What links here

I know it's a template issue and not a Main Page issue, but I couldn't find where to say this:

The name of the tool "What links here" is unclear and even its tool-tip is ambiguous. Maybe something along the lines of "Referring pages"? 89.138.221.2 (talk) 17:08, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

I think this conversation may fit somewhere in Wikipedia:Village pump. That being said, I think "What links here" is pretty clear but I see your point. Maybe something like "Pages linking here"?-Wafulz (talk) 17:52, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Alternatively, MediaWiki talk:Sidebar may be an appropriate place for the discussion. If there's no response, try publicising it at the village pump. J Milburn (talk) 20:20, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. I added this issue in the MediaWiki talk:Sidebar. 217.132.92.40 (talk) 23:15, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

Again, although not the appropriate place, how about "what links to this page"? Post at the pump. 79.79.65.200 (talk) 21:43, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Or "pages that link to this article" 79.79.65.200 (talk) 21:45, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Update of Usain Bolt's accomplishment

I think Usain Bolt's mention in ITN should be updated to reflect his third gold medal (and world record) in the 4x100m. While not an individual accomplishment (Phelps has some relay golds as well), it's newsworthy that he won gold medals in all three of his events, and set or helped to set world records in all of them. DOSGuy (talk) 01:16, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

Here, here! :) Well done and our utmost congrats to that man! Anyway I'm sure it'll be updated soon. --Candlewicke (Talk) 01:32, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

Try WP:ITN/C#ITN Candidates for August 22. --74.13.124.133 (talk) 02:50, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

featured article

why has never been the PS3 in the main page? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Carryminor afaffa (talk • contribs) 18:24, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

PS3, promoted just a few months ago, needs to wait in line behind older FAs in Wikipedia:Featured articles that haven't been on the Main Page. If you are anxious, try Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests. --74.14.21.228 (talk) 18:52, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

Eggs

how old are hens when they begin laying eggs? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.120.19.182 (talk) 01:57, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

Hen's don't lay eggs until you ask here. This is the wrong place for those questions. --MattWT 02:30, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

What an interesting EGG to lay... ~user:orngjce223 how am I typing? 04:38, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

Ba-dum TISH. I'm not a drummer, feel free to shoot me down. J Milburn (talk) 11:16, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

Focus DYK link on Singapore Olympics?

Re: "... that the silver won at the 2008 Summer Olympics by the Singapore women's table tennis team, comprising Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu, is the second Olympic medal in Singapore's history?" I was expecting one of the links would point to Singapore at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Could the text currently linking to Singapore be changed to point to Singapore at the 2008 Summer Olympics instead? (That link would have an early and easy-to-find link to Singapore, whereas it would be much harder to find a link to Singapore@2008 Olympics in Singapore). -- RealGrouchy (talk) 05:47, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

Please report errors on or suggestions about the current main page sections at the top of this page, which can also be accessed as WP:ERRORS. There is a honking great big box at the top advising you of this fact. —Vanderdecken∴ ∫ξφ 10:44, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

Fixed, though main page errors would have been a more appropriate place for this. No harm done, now you know. J Milburn (talk) 10:57, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

Wasn't sure where to put this but...

Hey, the Hebrew wikipedia is threatening to sue us as seen here

WP:LEGAL —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.79.65.200 (talk) 08:58, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

The Hebrew wikipedia is not a distinct entity anymore then the English wikipedia so it can't threaten anything. One contributor is trying to organise a lawsuit but I doubt it'll go far Nil Einne (talk) 10:36, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

how much

a checkuser account cost? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Aseman 759 (talk • contribs) 23:01, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Is legal to sell it someone else? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Aseman 759 (talk • contribs) 23:02, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

It'll cost you an arm, a leg, your first born, and 5 cats. Raul654 (talk) 23:03, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

That's pricey. I reckon you could manage it for half that price. Sam Korn ^(smoddy) 23:31, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Google runs on pigeons,^[1] but we run on cats? No wonder there is such caterwauling and flying fur... How long do 5 cats last? -- Quiddity 00:42, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

As long as a piece of string. Tourskin (talk) 00:49, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

Well, at the recent Bob Sagat roast, Cloris Leachman observed that "I was classically trained in live theatre. I improvised. No script. No director. Just me and the donkey. Five sold out shows a night for six years till the donkey died of exhaustion." So - what's the conversion rate from cats to donkeys? Raul654 (talk) 05:37, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

For one cat you get one donkey—they have the same number of legs. Waltham, The Duke of 12:10, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

30-Rock

I'm curious as to why so many references to the series 30 Rock keep popping up on the main page of the Wikipedia? the infamous rmx (talk) 17:05, 26 August 2008 (UTC)