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    December 18

    Who's Dated Who

    Is Who's Dated Who considered a reliable source for a WP article? I've poked about but can't find anything that discusses it. (please don't usher me off to some talk page of some WP guideline, I've done that before for copyrights and images questions, only to have my question sit for months before it gets a response.) Thanks, Dismas|(talk) 00:18, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Looks to me more like a blog or gossip site, both of which fail RS.  fetchcomms☛ 00:30, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    I agree with Fetchcomms, this is a gossip site (with blog-style comments from users). There is also the fact that they also say Whilst every care has been taken in its preparation, WhosDatedWho.com does not make any warranties nor representations as to its accuracy or reliability.. This is partly a legal thing ("Hey, we *did* say that it may not be accurate or reliable, don't sue us!"), but in any case, the site does not seem to be anything more than a source of gossip. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 01:04, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Thank you! Dismas|(talk) 01:16, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    I used to know how to do this simple thing, but have forgotten how. I want to link directly to an article in another Wikipedia, withouth having to go through the http:// stuff. The article in question is here. Who can help? Lou Sander (talk) 00:46, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Like this: Wikipedia. Dismas|(talk) 00:54, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    (edit conflict)[[:ru:Метод Анализа Иерархий]] gives ru:Метод Анализа Иерархий. See more at Help:Interlanguage links. PrimeHunter (talk) 00:55, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Santa Ana River 1938 flood image

    This image is a very famous image taken of the Santa Ana River in flood in 1938. I'm not sure where it came from but it appears on multiple websites and publications. I think it would really be of value for users of Wikipedia to be able to see the image and understand the magnitude of the floods. Would it be OK for fair use on Wikipedia? Shannontalk contribs 01:40, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    If it doesn't have a source, then probably not. However, if the copyright has expired (I'm not very familiar with copyright laws, unfortunately, so I don't know if the time is 75 years or something different), it would most likely be suitable for use here.  fetchcomms☛ 02:38, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    75 years after the artist's death in the U.S., if the photo is a U.S. source then also in all countries with the rule of the shorter term, can be up to 99 or 100 in countries without the rule of the shorter term (or a non-U.S. source). However, if it is a government work then it is almost always public domain. You say "it appears on multiple websites and publications", which may mean it is under a fairly liberal licence. That may be something worth investigating, if you have the time. Intelligentsium 02:58, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    I think it was taken by a Los Angeles Times reporter sometime in March 1938. Shannontalk contribs 03:57, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    If that is the case, it is probably still under copyright. There is a small chance that a valid fair use claim could be made if the photo was used to illustrate an article or section which directly discussed, in some detail, the 1938 flood directly; since no one can go back in time and make a copyright-free photo from said flood, only a non-free picture could be used. However, WP:IUP and WP:NFC and WP:NFCC policies and guidelines probably would not allow its use unless the actual historical event were being discussed alongside its use. --Jayron32 04:14, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes, I'm intending to use it on the Santa Ana River page, where the actual flood is being described. Shannontalk contribs 05:28, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Complete copy-paste in Agriculture in Syria

    Hi, The article Agriculture in Syria is almost entirely if not completely copy-pasted (I checked 5-6 paragraphs) from [1]. The article does mention at the end that it incorporates public domain material, but I can't imagine that this is allowed. Is this a speedy deletion, or should it be discussed somewhere? I've not seen this kind of copying before, so I don't know for sure what to do. Zoeperkoe (talk) 03:10, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    While paraphrasing is always preferable, copying public domain material for an article about an appropriate subject is permitted. However, this depends on whether or not the source is actually public domain. If you have doubts as to the validity of the PD-claim, see WP:COPYVIO. Intelligentsium 03:16, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    The original text seems indeed to be in the public domain, so it should be ok, then. Nevertheless, it's not good practice, I would say. Thanks, anyway. Zoeperkoe (talk) 03:33, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    donating problem urgent

    While I was trying to donate to wikimedia, after filling in my credit card information, I got a message saying that said information wasn't processing correctly. I tried two more times and got the same message before giving up. The next day (that is today) I checked my bank statement and found that the charge had actually gone through three times. I stopped payment on two of the transactions, and am continuing to donate the original amount, but I thought I should drop a line to let you know this was happening. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.27.242.7 (talk) 03:35, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Trying to stop a payment on a credit card is usually impossible, Good luck! South Bay (talk) 04:37, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    If neede, you can contact the Foundation and I'm sure they will be willing to help solve the problem. —TheDJ (talk • contribs) 13:17, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Name & Info Change

    Hello, You have me listed as Fred McQueen and I'd like to change that to my legal name, which I use now, and also make changes to other personel info on that page, some of which I want deleted, how can I do that without cluebot(?) changing it back again ? Thanks, Fred Spiker <contact info redacted>—Preceding unsigned comment added by Elwood41 (talk • contribs) 03:46, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    If you have a link to a reliable source which can be used to verify your request, we can make that change. We need to confirm the claims your making, and we would need that confirmation to be availible in a published, reliable source. If you can provide us with a link or direct us to that information in a publicly availible source, we would gladly make the change for you. --Jayron32 04:10, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Also, be aware that our articles are always under the name by which the subject is most commonly known; so if you are best known as Fred McQueen and have changed to Fred Spiker, but most people still know you as McQueen, that's where the article is going to stay (though we could create a redirect from the Spiker name as well). --Orange Mike | Talk 13:34, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Present/Past Tense

    An article I edited frequently was for a concert tour. The tour wrapped up and so now it reflects it as past tense. However, can the summary of the actual concert stay in present tense? I see not rule stating it can't. --Shadow (talk) 05:31, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    To add on, I mean that I feel that despite the tour being over, the summary of the actual concert should remain present tense. --Shadow (talk) 05:37, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    I can't find any policy or guideline on this, the closest appears to be WP:TENSE which is about fiction, but says Conversely, discussion of history is usually written in the past tense and thus 'fictional history' may be presented in that way as well.. My opinion is that it should be in the past tense, as the tour is finished. If you are talking about The Circus Starring: Britney Spears, the lead section is in the past tense and makes sense - I'm not sure how putting it in the present tense would make sense? However, the best place to discuss this might be on the article's talk page. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 08:16, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Not the lead section, of course that should remain in the past tense. I mean the synopsis of the actual concert. I think it looks kind of bad with the summary of the actual concert in past tense and believe it should be in present tense. --Shadow (talk) 14:05, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Having read it again, I think it reads ok in the past tense. To be honest, I think if it was written in the present tense it would be confusing - it's something that happened in the past. At the moment, it begins The show was mainly divided into four acts with different themes: The Circus, House of Fun (Anything Goes), Freakshow-Peepshow, Electro Circ and ended with the encore. It began with "Welcome to the Circus", a video introduction featuring Perez Hilton as Queen Elizabeth I, welcoming the audience to the circus...
    I think if it was The show is mainly divided into four acts with different themes: The Circus, House of Fun (Anything Goes), Freakshow-Peepshow, Electro Circ and ends with the encore. It begins with "Welcome to the Circus", a video introduction featuring Perez Hilton as Queen Elizabeth I, welcoming the audience to the circus would make it sound like it is happening now, whereas it is a past event. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 14:14, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Persuasive Essay

    I have written a five-paragraph persuasive essay of why my school system should unblock Wikipedia. If I censor the name of my school system, am I allowed to post it, and if so, where? --LimitOfCalm (talk) 07:41, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    We don't allow essays in the main namespace (that's we all the normal articles go, such as Reed and Laugh), what you could do is post it here: Wikipedia:Why school's shouldn't block wikipedia, where it will be in the project namespace (like Wikipedia:Wikipedia should be fun or Wikipedia:WikiGoon), from there anyone on the project will then be able to edit it, should they so wish. You should make sure that the essay is in reference to school's in general, not to yours specifically. Please ask below if you have further questions.
    Kind regards, SpitfireTally-ho! 07:47, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    I would suggest that you start off with it in your user space (for example, User:LimitOfCalm/Why school's shouldn't block wikipedia) so that you can work on it first - when it is ready, come back here and ask us to have a look at it - we can help get it tidied up, etc, so that it is ready for going onto the project namespace as an essay (as per Spitfire's excellent suggestion). -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 08:20, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Pedant's corner: it should be User:LimitOfCalm/Why schools shouldn't block wikipedia :) Gonzonoir (talk) 10:09, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    {{facepalm}} I wouldn't normally make such a silly mistake - I blame it on both the lack of coffee at the time, and the fact that I copy-pasted from Spitfire's comment! -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 11:38, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    I, uh, did it on purpose to catch you out? SpitfireTally-ho! 12:29, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Oh, Spitfire - didn't see you there! No, I didn't try to cast any blame in your direction, honest, Guv'nor! -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 13:49, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Other pendant's corner: Wikipedia would be capitalized. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) talk 13:30, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Some people use terms like unblock about different things and I'm not sure whether the issue is that your school does not allow reading of Wikipedia, or editing of Wikipedia, or use of Wikipedia as a source, or that Wikipedia does not allow editing by computers (IP addresses) on your school, or something else. This may matter for the most appropriate thing to do with your essay, for example how to name it. In some countries a decision may have been made above the school outside their control. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:25, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Hitler

    Why oh Why does the page on Hitler need protecting. The six million Jews and many others he murdered were not protected. DISCUSTING. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hughey1000 (talk • contribs) 09:31, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    The page needs protecting because of the persistent vandalism that happens to the page. Editors may have opinions on the man, but Wikipedia does not. Any page which has a lot of vandalism will be protected, whether it is about Hitler or about Jesus. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 09:51, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    The word "protect" has several different meanings. Many words in English have multiple unrelated meanings, for example the word "top" may refer to a child's spinning toy, a garment, and other meanings. If you want to understand the meaning of the word "protect" on Wikipedia, read Wikipedia:Protection policy. Also note that while Hitler's victims received no protection from Hitler, millions of Allied servicemen and women gave their lives to stop Hitler, thus protecting many further potential victims had Hitler gone unchecked. --Teratornis (talk) 21:47, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    cryptographic hash

    how do I use my "secret string" to make a hash? Paperfork ♠ 12:12, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    You can use an online service like this one. Regards SoWhy 12:32, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Is my article ready?

    Hallo everybody,

    as suggested I put more references and notes on my article, to make it more "reliable". I also created a sub-page, as suggeted. Could someobne tell me please if now it could be published? Thanks

    Cipresso (talk) 12:39, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    You are referring to User:Cipresso/FEM - European Federation of Materials Handling, I presume? I had a quick look, but I notice that all the references appear to be trade-related. Are there any references which come from totally independent sources (like national/international media?) When I did a Google News Search on "European Federation of Materials Handling", all the references I could find were trade magazines. Google Scholar and Google Books didn't really yield much either - basically minor mentions (even Factory Planning Manual By Michael Schenk, Siegfried Wirth, Egon Müller only says FEM recommendations (FEM) in their list of available guidelines for building). I'm really not sure that it meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 13:22, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    FEM is a trade association so this may explain why some references are trade related. Although this does not mean that these sources are necessarily biased, among the reference are also the European Commission or the European Committee for Standardisation, which are both very much independent sources. FEM is a not-for-profit body such as other European trade associations, such as BusinessEurope or Orgalime, which are referred in Wikipedia as “Business Organizations”. We are unsure of what else we can provide to meet your criteria for inclusion but we are ready to assist in the best way we can. 85.118.209.145 (talk) 15:00, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Other stuff exists is usually not a helpful argument. In any event, if the organisation is notable, presumably there has been significant coverage in the media? – ukexpat (talk) 15:06, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Function to either hide the left sidebar or increase textsize on only the content article?

    When viewing wikipedia articles, if I need to increase the text size, then as both the text in the left sidebar and the text in the article gets bigger, the left sidebar consumes too much space on the webpage on the cost of the article's space. Therefore I think it would be great if there was either a function to turn the left sidebar's visibility on and off, so the article consumes the full page space, or, a function to only zoom the article's text size.

    Fixing something like this will probably help all of the wikipedia visitors who needs to increase the text size in order to be able to read the text.

    Does Wikipedia staff/developers think this is a good feature and that they will try to implement it? Or does it allready exist a good sollution to the described problem?

    Have a good christmas and a happy new year!

    213.89.146.219 (talk) 14:15, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Logged in users can choose between different skins and many other things. Some skins have no sidebar but show some links at the top or bottom instead, for example looking like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page?useskin=chick. Without logging in you can manually add ?useskin=chick to url's but having to do that is probably annoying. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:35, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    The Chick, MySkin, and Nostalgia skins don't have a left sidebar. There are also some user scripts that have been written that move the sidebar, like bottomSidebar and hidePane. Both options require an account, and there are other benefits to creating an account too. --Mysdaao talk 14:49, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Weird result from coding

    Why does this code: {{ws|[[s:ar:تهذيب التهذيب:مطبوع|''Tahdhib al-Tahdhib'']]|}} which produces: Tahdhib al-Tahdhib. produce a period as part of it when appearing on a page? I tried to debug but... Supertouch (talk) 14:43, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    The period is part of the code in the template {{ws}}. It is intended to be used as a reference, like in the References section at the bottom of Pope Sabinian, and references normally have a period at the end (see Wikipedia:Citing sources/example style). --Mysdaao talk 14:57, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Will I regret creating an account from a non-static IP?

    I'm on dial-up. My IP changes each time I connect, and sometimes I get other people's messages when I visit wikipedia. (The current IP I'm posting this from appears to have made an edit to a biography of a Turkish professor.) Suppose I create an account, and do all kinds of great stuff and get really comfortable with it, and then somebody using one of the IPs I was previously assigned goes and does some vandalism? Or suppose I get accused of sockpuppetry, maybe at a future time when I change to cable and a new ISP? I'd like an account, and of course I lose nothing if it goes wrong, but I sense hazards and potential disappointment. 81.131.31.130 (talk) 14:59, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Creating an account has significant advantages over editing "anonymously", see Wikipedia:Why create an account?. – ukexpat (talk) 15:08, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    (edit conflict) One of the advantages of having an account is that it is no longer publicaly linked to your IP. If one of your old IPs vandalises, it won't be linked to you. Of course, if it was to be you (speaking hyperthetically of course!), although an editor or admin couldn't link it to you, a checkuser could. If it wasn't you, then the checkuser would be able to see that your account wasn't using that IP. If you were to be accused of sockpuppetry, a checkuser would be able to see what IPs you were using around the time, and what IPs the sockpuppet(s) used, and see if they are connected - they wouldn't think "Oh, look, there's an IP they used 5 months ago, it must be them!". The fact that both you and they may have been using a BT OPENWORLD connection (I get that through the above IP) does not mean that you will be accused of being same person - although a checkuser would generally be able to work out if the two are the same person by the usage history! I think it would be a good idea for you to get an account - as I don't think you'll have any of these problems - just remember that if you 'behave' and do nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about! -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 15:16, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Is there a slight risk that a vandal uses an IP I got assigned last week, and like me uses the latest (well OK the 3.0 variety) Firefox on XP, and I get my account banned (or something) for it? Or will it be recognised by the checkuser that the IP range in question is randomly assigned and therefore I can't be held responsible without further evidence? 81.131.31.130 (talk) 15:28, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]


    It's unlikely. Checkusers are aware that IP's rotate. Even if the other IP was disruptive and somehow a SPI was started, so long as the other IP didn't share a similar editing style, you'd probably be fine. And even if you were accidentally accused, you'd still be able to respond and clear your name. Overall, if you establish a username and work from there, you're much less likely to have to worry about this sort of thing, since you'd be able to build up a history showing yourself to be a productive editor. So in short, no, don't worry about it. -- Bfigura (talk) 15:44, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    OK. I was just concerned because of the guy replying to this question: [11] who seemed to have had a bad experience. 81.131.31.130 (talk) 15:52, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Hmm, not sure what his/her deal was. But I would still say you don't need to worry about it. Sockpuppet investigations aren't started at the drop of a hat, and checkusers are smart enough to know that IP's geolocating to schools are likely to be shared. (Not to mention that you can generally respond to a SPI before they issue a block, and even if you are blocked accidentally, you can use the unblock template, or even email arbcom if necessary). I'm not going to imply the system is perfect, but there are other, more likely, things you should worry about first, such as tornados and velociraptor attacks. -- Bfigura (talk) 16:19, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Do not want account

    do not want account i opened. wanted one for e-mail not to use Wikipedia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Katiesgrammie (talk • contribs) 16:00, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Your account cannot be deleted, just don't log into it again and forget about it. – ukexpat (talk) 16:11, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Small text

    Wikipedia page writing is very small and i cant read anything. Changing the fonts via tools>options aint working.

    what can i do to make the fonts in wikipedia larger?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.228.233.57 (talk) 16:58, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Have you tried holding down Ctrl and rolling your scroll wheel? TNXMan 17:03, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    If you tell us what browser you're using, we can try and provide specific instructions. Best, -- Bfigura (talk) 17:05, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    how to submit a name and bio for Wikipedia?

    I'd like to submit name and bio so that it comes up on Wikipedia When their name or company is searched on a search engine. How do I do this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.53.153.135 (talk) 17:03, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    A Wizard is available to walk you through these steps. See the Article Wizard.

    Thank you.

    You will need to first register an account, which has many benefits, including the ability to create articles. Once you have registered, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject. Please also review a few of our relevant policies and guidelines which all articles should comport with. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite to reliable sources which verify their content and must not contain unsourced, negative content about living people.
    Articles must also demonstrate the notability of the subject. Please see our subject specific guidelines for people, bands and musicians, companies and organizations and web content and note that if you are closely associated with the subject, our conflict of interest guideline strongly recommends against you creating the article.
    If you still think an article is appropriate, see Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:How to write a great article, and please consider taking a tour through the Wikipedia:Tutorial so that you know how to properly format the article before creation. An Article Wizard is available to walk you through creating an article, but you will need to create an account to use it. if you don't wish to do so, you can submit a proposal for an article at Articles for Creation. TNXMan 17:04, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi Is it nescesary to cite sources if you mention external websites at the bottom that contains the info in the article?

    To bee precise I have added text to the page of the "Roland JX-10" keyboard synthesizer, my sources are my manuals, vintagesynth.com AND many years of operation the device. At the end of my text addition there is a <!-- The Above is writen by user: "Phazer1980" --!> and inside the comment a short quuestion about wether my addition are good enough to stay permantly on that page.

    Is the external links then enough source citing? It's no inexplicit science. Describing a synth can only be done desribing it's features correctly or incorrecly.

    Thank you all for a freakin' great site.

    Thank You in advance, Best regards

    Username: "Phazer1980" (Then 'Insert Signature* does work)

    Christian Dyrnesli

    Copenhagen (COP15 Town), Denmark —Preceding unsigned comment added by Phazer1980 (talk • contribs) 17:05, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Yes citing sources should be very specific because it makes verification easier. Directing a reader to the home page of website does not help them if the page that provides the reference is buried several layers deep in the website. But also please read WP:RS to see what qualifies as a reliable source for Wikipedia purposes - your experience is not a reliable source. – ukexpat (talk) 17:09, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    See also WP:FOOT. Footnotes on specific sentences are robust against future editing by other users. When you type a paragraph of text in an article on Wikipedia, other users may rearrange it in the future, possibly undermining the usefulness of embedded comments that apply to larger units of text. If you have original work that you would like to publish, search WikiIndex for alternative outlets. For example, Synthesizers.com Wiki looks like a possibility (although it seems to run on the PmWiki software rather than MediaWiki which Wikipedia uses - I may be biased by familiarity with Wikipedia, but I have yet to see another wiki software package that I like better than MediaWiki. I suspect that part of the reason for Wikipedia's huge success is that the software designers got a lot more right than wrong here). A wiki that specializes in synthesizers or electronic music will likely allow a wider range of content on its topic than Wikipedia does. --Teratornis (talk) 21:37, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Image deletion

    On our Birth of Coffe wikipedia entry someone deleted the photograph I donated. I did give rights permissions so why was it deleted? Daniel Lorenzetti —Preceding unsigned comment added by Daniellorenzetti (talk • contribs) 17:24, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Probably because the image (which was uploaded to Commons and deleted from there) was not clear as to the permission. I suggest that you head over to the Commons OTRS page and submit the permission as described there. And just a reminder that it's not "our Birth of Coffe [sic] wikipedia entry", it's a Wikpedia article that anyone can edit. – ukexpat (talk) 17:30, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Unhide Template

    Resolved
     –  – ukexpat (talk) 21:08, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    I want to ask, if I add two templates at the end of an article then automatically both of them gets hidden, so is there any way that any one of the templates can be unhidden by default and the others remain hidden. Thanks for your replies. Managerarc (talk) 18:25, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Many but not all templates designed to be at the bottom of an article have a state parameter described at Template:Navbox#Setup parameters. PrimeHunter (talk) 18:55, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks a lot. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Managerarc (talk • contribs) 21:03, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    How to Download thousands of wikipedia in PDF

    Hello everyone,

    Could anyone help me download a lot of wikipedia article in PDF. I can't do manually the number is too big

    I am looking for a bot or something else. I downloaded the encyclopedia in xml but wikipedia generates the PDF online, and it adds everything in it.

    Thanks a lot—Preceding unsigned comment added by Jadito9 (talk • contribs)

    Have you tried Help:Books? You can make a collection of articles in it and generate pdfs of them all. DuncanHill (talk)

    Would like to find out where abouts of one Hindu Goddess by the name "Rajura Devi" Or "Rajara Devi" or "Rajala Devi"

    Where can I find an information about one HIndu Goddess by the name "Rajura Devi" Or "Rajara Devi" or "Rajala Devi". —Preceding unsigned comment added by Chinjo27 (talk • contribs) 22:21, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Have you tried the Humanities section of Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in answering knowledge questions there; this help desk is only for questions about using Wikipedia. For your convenience, here is the link to post a question there: click here. I hope this helps. Intelligentsium 22:40, 18 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    December 19

    2 Grammar / Wiki questions

    1. How should it be written: "[[The Secret (The Office)|The Secret]]" or [[The Secret (The Office)|"The Secret"]]?
    2. How should it be written: ...this is mentioned in a newspaper article / poem called "Is Wikipedia an Encyclopedia," which was written by a critic. OR ...this is mentioned in a newspaper article / poem called "Is Wikipedia an Encyclopedia", which was written by a critic.
    Thanks, C Teng [talk] 01:57, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    For the first, I think your second example is easier to understand. It makes no difference to the displayed result, but the underlying Wiki-code is a little easier to read. btw I enclosed both of your examples in tags, so that the difference could be seen.
    For the second, the answer is at WP:LQ in the manual of style; the second is correct. --AndrewHowse (talk) 02:09, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    There actually is a difference to the display in the first question: "The Secret" or "The Secret". In the second case the quotation marks are part of the link and they shouldn't be, so use the first option. That is what citation templates do. PrimeHunter (talk) 15:49, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Modify entry name

    Hi, I'd like to know how do I proceed to modify the entry name of an article I've created. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ikematsu (talk • contribs) 04:51, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    You don't have enough edits to do it yourself. How do you want the name changed? (Or do you actually want to move it into article space and out of your sandbox?) --Orange Mike | Talk 05:01, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Oh, boy. You're right, I was thinking my article was posted outside of the sandbox. Thank you! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ikematsu (talk • contribs) 07:07, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    age template with iso date

    I am trying to calculate a time (in years) between two given dates that are in iso format (1938-04-22). I want to be able to type {{age-iso|1938-04-22|2002-01-14}} and have the reader see "64". The dates themselves are being brought as a variable from template, so it will actally look like this {{age-iso|{{{start}}}|{{{end}}}}}. (perhaps {{age-iso|{{{start}}}|{{{end}}}|years}} is even better for general use?) Is there such a template? Part of the problem is I am having difficulty including pipes in my variables - hyphens are much more friendly. I am loathe to have variable for each the year, month, and day of each dates as variables, but I am aware that is an option. Jrkenti (talk) 06:16, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm poor at templates but I have created {{Age-iso}} which appears to work. It uses mw:Help:Extension:ParserFunctions##time to convert dates so several date formats are accepted. {{age-iso|1938-04-22|2002-01-14}} produces Template:Age-iso. It calls {{date}} which gives the same: {{age|1938|04|22|2002|01|14}} produces 63. You say you want "64". Does that mean you only want year2-year1 without considering the month and date? That is simpler. You can do: {{#expr:{{#time:Y|{{{end}}}}}-{{#time:Y|{{{start}}}}}}}. PrimeHunter (talk) 16:56, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Templates mentioning "iso" in a date related template should
    • not be written by anyone who has not read the ISO 8601 standard (the standard, not the 'Wikipedia article
    • document the acceptable input range of the template
    • vomit ugly error messages unless 1583 <= year <= 9999.
    The writer of the template should figure out how he/she is going to communicate to users that they must only use the Gregorian calendar, never the Julian calendar.
    Templates that fail to do this should be promptly deleted before they become too entrenched to delete. --Jc3s5h (talk) 17:08, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    OK, I have deleted the template. The date code in it is here if Jrkenti wants to use it for a given purpose:

    {{Age|{{#time:Y|{{{1}}}}}|{{#time:m|{{{1}}}}}|{{#time:d|{{{1}}}}}|{{#time:Y|{{{2}}}}}|{{#time:m|{{{2}}}}}|{{#time:d|{{{2}}}}}}}

    PrimeHunter (talk) 17:28, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Thank you very much, I have spent most of my morning reading time templates to find things like {{#time:m....}} and have created something similar to what you made. Thank you very much for helping out with this.Jrkenti (talk) 17:23, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    PrimeHunter, why did you delete it? It works great, and it seems like it would put out the right error messages. I wanted to use it! (I also wanted to make another that calculated the age in days. Must it really be deleted?Jrkenti (talk) 17:34, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    If there was some "noinclude" text explaining Jc3s5h's concerns would that be sufficient to bring the template back to life? Jrkenti (talk) 17:42, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Maybe under a name without "iso" in it, but I will just leave the code here and let others decide if they want to use it for something. PrimeHunter (talk) 17:48, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    I created {{Age ymd}} and {{Age in days ymd}} but I do not know how to add meaningful documentation, so they have none. Any help? Jrkenti (talk) 18:05, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Book stores query

    Sir, I would like to know thw contact addresses of Book Stores selling Bengali books in United States of America.I mean complete mailing, contact address, phone numbers, e-mail id's,websites if any. Any positive and swift response from your end shall be highly appreciated. I am forwarding my mail id. for your benevolent pursual; <redacted email> Regards - sujan —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.162.208.194 (talk) 06:53, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Please do not include contact details in your questions. We are unable to provide answers by any off-wiki medium and this page is highly visible across the internet. The details have been removed, but if you wish for them to be permanently removed from the page history, email this address. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 14:09, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    • I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 6.8 million articles and thought we were affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this page is for asking questions related to using or contributing to Wikipedia itself. Thus, we have no special knowledge about the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the upper right side of your screen. If you cannot find what you are looking for, we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome. Best of luck. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 14:09, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Changing Passwords

    Once you've created a user account in Wikipedia and given it a password, is it possible to change that password? If so, then how do you change that password?

    Bowei Huang (talk) 22:40, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    When you're logged in, click "my preferences" in the upper right corner. Dismas|(talk) 07:08, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    If you've forgotten it and listed an email address, you can have it reset. Otherwise, you're out of luck. -- Bfigura (talk) 07:43, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Box with broken blue lines

    I tried to edit the Tuli Kupferberg article with a paragraph containing information I received from Tuli himself. He asked me to make this edit as the misinformation is dangerously misleading to the public. It conveys the romantic notion that one can jump off a bridge and not be hurt by it. I entered the paragraph and all that was published after I clicked "Save" was part of the first sentence I wrote with box around it made up of small broken blue lines.

    "The above paragraph is a poetic fiction by Anne Waldman and Ted Berrigan and did not really occur" is the sentence that appears in typewriter type larger than the rest of the type/

    How can I get the entire paragraph published on the page as I wrote it?

    Thanks , lightning49 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lightning49 (talk • contribs) 15:21, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply] 

    This happens when a line starts with leading spaces like this one.
    I removed leading spaces in your post here. The whole text of a long line with leading spaces can still be read by scrolling to the right in your browser but that is not the intended use of leading spaces. Note that Wikipedia:Verifiability and Wikipedia:Reliable sources require published verifiable sources to Wikipedia's content. If something is dangerously misleading but there is no published source explaining this then the best solution may be to remove the misleading text instead of explaining it with use of a non-public source such as personal communication with the subject. PrimeHunter (talk) 15:36, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    I've fixed the formatting problem for your submission (and removed some repetition in it). But there is a problem with the material you've added, because in Wikipedia's terms it is original research. I'm not sure how best to handle this, and have opened a discussion on the article's talk page. --ColinFine (talk) 17:02, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Joining and/or editing

    You have got a major factual error in your article abour Lord Monckton. It says he is not a member of the British House of Lords. He is. There is NO edit tab at the top of the page. There is no way to correct this mistake. I have tried over and over again either to log in to my old account or to create a new one. Your system will not let me do so. It throttles every attempt. It won't e-mail me my old password, It won't allow me to select a new username or password. It blocks everything. It seems designed only to waste people's tiome and circulate unreliable information. WILL YOU PLEASE STOP RUNNING IT THIS WAY. I think you are doing a lot of harm by circulating misinformation and then preventing people from editing it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.110.36.92 (talk) 16:13, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Well if you do things like this, then people become rather distrustful of you. Why not post a link to a government or newspaper source or something that clarifies that he IS a member of the House of Lords ? You can add the link with an explanation to the talk page of the article. —TheDJ (talk • contribs) 16:34, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    He is not included in http://www.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/mps_and_lords/alphabetical_list_of_members.cfm. The article Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley is semi-protected so it can only be edited by autoconfirmed users. As TheDJ says, if you have a reliable source saying he is a member then you can post it to the talk page. If you have forgotten your password and the account has not stored an email address where you can receive mails then you have to create another account with another username. PrimeHunter (talk) 17:13, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    I'd personally have a hard time accepting the word of another source beyond the one that PrimeHunter posted. Is there reason to believe that the official UK Parliament website itself would be wrong on this matter?!? --Jayron32 01:28, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    This is a well-known climate change denial meme which circulates widely on the Web. The origin is evidently a fraudulent claim by Lord Monckton himself. It's been debunked numerous times. See for example this article by George Monbiot. --Teratornis (talk) 05:18, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    barnstar

    Is there a way that barnstars can be created? I thought of one that I was sure was already made, but couldn't find it on the list. Paperfork ♠ 17:11, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    The upper right box at Wikipedia:Barnstars has links to more pages with awards. The discussion tab redirects to Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Wikipedia Awards where you can ask a question or post a suggestion. PrimeHunter (talk) 17:17, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    (e/c) Sure, but it is restricted by its nature to people with skills at image manipulation/creation which might or might not be you. You can take one of the existing barnstar images such as File:Original Barnstar.png, tweak it, upload it to the Wikimedia Commons (instead of here, so that all projects have access to the image (sign up)), then post your suggestion for its inclusion (in Wikipedia:Barnstar) and purpose at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Wikipedia Awards. If all of that sounds impossible, you can suggest someone else create it at the talk page I just linked or there may be other relevant places. Cheers.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 17:24, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    template

    If I type, for example, {{wikipedia}}, a navagation box pops up because it is a template. How do I make the article show up? Is there a template so I won't have to put <tt><nowiki>(text)</nowiki></tt> every time I want to show something in plain text? Thank you. Btilm 19:40, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    I find some ambiguity in your question when you ask how to make the "article show up". So let me cover the matters I think might be involved. If you want to link to the template, rather than having it come up, you can type {{tl|Wikipedia}} which formats as {{Wikipedia}} (tl stands for template link) or you can link to the template's name: Template:Wikipedia. If you want to link to the article about this site you can type [[Wikipedia]] which formats as Wikipedia. If you want to transclude the article content that is at Wikipedia by treating it as a template, see below.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 20:09, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Just add a colon before Wikipedia. Intelligentsium 22:27, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Reading articles on Blackberry

    Untill recently, I had not problem reading all but the longest Wikipedia artciles on my Blackberry. Now, even the shortest article or even the search page retruns an error that it is too too big to laod. I haven't added software and have free memory in excess of 4 mg. Has omething changed on your end? Suggestions? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.113.7.99 (talk) 20:31, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Is this using the mobile version of the webpage ? And what model blackberry do you have (One with WAP1 or with WAP2/full HTML) —TheDJ (talk • contribs) 22:38, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    thanks. I didn't know there was a mobile version. oddly, the non-mobile version worked well until two weeks ago. Now if mobile Google would bring up mobile wikipedia, all would be perfect. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.113.7.99 (talk) 15:16, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Image on Commons with name needed for template

    File:Map of Kosovo-Pomoravlje District.PNG is currently available on Commons as File:KPM19.png. I was going to delete the local image until I realised that it's used in {{Infobox Serbian district}} at Kosovo-Pomoravlje District. That template automatically links to a map, using the following code:

    [[Image:Map of {{{en_name}}}.PNG|151px|center|Location of district within {{{province_or_region}}}]]

    It looks to me as if the template would be unable to display this map if it's under any other name at all. Do we have a template saying "Don't delete this image, even though it's on Commons, because it needs to have this specific name"? Or would you recommend that I reupload it at Commons and try to have File:KPM19.png deleted there as a duplicate? Nyttend (talk) 20:35, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Can't you just change the template? Or if it is used on a lot of pages like this, add an image redirect. Intelligentsium 22:28, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Image licence question

    I have discovered that Noise Ninja is available for Linux too. I downloaded a trial version of it, and it seems to work fine. I'm currently contemplating on whether I should register it.

    Now, when I have previously added pictures to Wikipedia, they have been made almost completely with open-source software. The only proprietary software involved has been in the camera itself. In contrast, Noise Ninja is proprietary, commercial software. Would it affect the licence of the images in any way if I used Noise Ninja on the images I were to upload to Wikipedia? I suppose it wouldn't matter at all, because the copyright of a tool doesn't extend to products created with the tool, but I'd like to know for sure. JIP | Talk 00:16, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Your last sentence says it all. The copyright applicable to the text I'm writing doesn't change if I type and edit it using Corel's copyrighted and trademarked Wordperfect and then copy and paste here using Microsoft's copyrighted and trademarked Internet Explorer, on my Logitech Group's copyrighted and trademarked Logitech keyboard.--162.83.163.199 (talk) 00:33, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    December 20

    Error: too many #time calls

    I created a list of US Supreme Court justices such that their ages when they were appointed, when they exited the court, and when they died are calculated from the dates of said events. The dates are passed into a template which returns a paragraph about the justices. After 90 justices, it appears that I have broken some rule about #time calls. How can I get around this? (If I delete the first 80 justices from the list the errors go away.) ((I also have some errors on the template page, but I seem to be able to use it just fine.)) Thanks for any thoughts. Jrkenti (talk) 00:39, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    #time is an expensive function, in that it uses a lot of parser overhead, thus the number of allowed calls per page is deliberately limited. You should substitute static information where it will not change, such as for deceased judges. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) talk 01:40, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Customize text above edit box

    Resolved

    What is the template or wikicode for customizing the text that appears above an edit box? I see that some Wikipedians have customized the text when someone edits their talk page, for example. Thanks.—Finell 01:54, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    I think you mean Wikipedia:Editnotice. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) talk 02:00, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Wow, that was fast. Thanks!—Finell 02:05, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Adding An Article

    I would like to add an article to Wikipedia about myself. I am a new author and trying to obtain exposure and I was told that I could do that here. Is that true?

    Thank You 03:22, 20 December 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Agbusby1 (talk • contribs)

    Sorry, that is not really possible here. Wikipedia highly discourages people from editing where they have a conflict of interest. Furthermore, Wikipedia does not have articles on people looking for exposure, only subjects that have already been covered in reliable sources. I would suggest wikipopuli instead. TNXMan 03:25, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Wikipopuli has been offline for some hours today. You could also try WikiBios. To the original poster: who told you that you can or should write autobiographies on Wikipedia? What did they base this claim on? --Teratornis (talk) 05:10, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    I would also like to add that new authors would not generally meet our Notability Criteria for creative professionals. If you do in fact meet those criteria and the General Notability Guidelines, then I would suggest that you leave a message at Wikipedia:Requested articles, with reliable, independent sources (for example, coverage in national/international media about you - not just a few seconds of TV coverage, or a single sentence, but significant coverage) of information showing that you meet the notability criteria for inclusion. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 14:05, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Killed in action

    I was reading the infobox on Dutch_intervention_in_Bali_(1849) when I saw the Killed-In-Action symbol there. It seems inappropriately Christian-centric. Imagine Reason (talk) 12:35, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Then you are inappropriately reading too much into it. —TheDJ (talk • contribs) 13:09, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    The {{KIA}} template uses the dagger. You can discuss at Template talk:KIA. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) talk 13:13, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    The template has an |alt=yes option btw. —TheDJ (talk • contribs) 13:21, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    In the dagger article, it says In military history, a dagger is often placed next to the name of a commander who is killed in action. - it makes no mention of the religion of the commander in question - it is a general sign used by historians. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 14:08, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    google advertising

    Hi, recently I've been seeing a lot of pushing for donations. I was thinking of sending 10 bucks, because I read your articles a lot, but then it occurred to me that advertising could solve the problem. Your webpages are at the top of google for practically all keyword searches and I'm sure you could make a lot. It wouldn't bother me, I'd expect it, and I feel it would definitely be less annoying than your constant big pushes for donations at the top of each page. You've got space on the side and it would be a perfect solution. The internet and information should be free, advertisers would gladly pay, and I think denying that is a bit silly. I read your history and see that the founder failed with this approach in the past, but now you are getting so much traffic that I think migrating to this approach should now work. Perhaps only tasteful advertising that is not in your face, while still accepting donations. Otherwise, good job guys and gals! Karel —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.137.72.32 (talk) 17:37, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    The reason for the annual fundraising is to prevent Wikipedia from having to be funded by advertising. Many editors (and readers) would object to advertising being on Wikipedia - indeed, there would be the worry that by having advertising on Wikipedia, Wikipedia would cease to be neutral. This is a perennial suggestion, and is covered at Wikipedia:PERRENIAL#Advertising -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 17:50, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Associate my account with a new email

    I forgot my wikipedia password, and asked it to send me a new one. I haven't gotten an email, which tells me that the account was probably associated with the address at my old job. Is there any way to recover the use of my account and re-associate it to a current email address?

    Username is 'spool32'. I know the likely address the reset email was sent to, but can't access it now.

    —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.184.82.127 (talk) 19:25, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm sorry, but if you've forgotten your password and cannot access your email, there's no way to recover your account. Your best bet is register a new account. TNXMan 19:51, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Sometimes people want to maintain their old name because it had an editing history. However, "spool32" only had one edit, so the best thing to do is register a new account.--SPhilbrickT 22:01, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    I appreciate the suggestion, but I really would like to retain the username. I have a public presence online in other areas that I'd like to carry over to wikipedia. I hold the spool32 at gmail dot com account... there's really nothing I can do to resurrect this username? It's obviously not one in demand, or one that could be considered worth stealing... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.184.82.127 (talk) 23:23, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    As the spool32 account has only 1 edit, and that was to the Sandbox (now Wikipedia:Sandbox/History) back on 2005-01-19 at 11:43:31, it might be possible to usurp it by following the procedure under WP:USURP - create a new username, follow the instructions at WP:USURP, and make a note there that it is your old account to whose email address you no longer have access, that the only edit was on 2005-01-19 at 11:43:31 to Wikipedia:Sandbox/History, and that you are willing to send the old work e-mail address (to which you know longer have access) to a bureaucrat through the mail system. It is possible that with all of this you could "take over" the spool32 account - but not guaranteed. If you try that and have no luck, then I can't see any way in which you could have the "spool32" account assigned to your new email address(I think the fact that you show yourself willing to email the old e-mail address to a bureaucrat - and that you do if asked to do so - will show that you are indeed the editor "spool32" - it certainly can't do any harm!) Please note do not post your old work e-mail address anywhere on Wikipedia! - only send it to a bureaucrat if they ask you to at the WP:USURP page, in which case they will explain how to do so. Hope this helps -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 23:47, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Use of Google Earth images (again)

    Sorry to bring up this issue again, but this time I have a different question. If screenshots from Google Earth are uploaded to Wikimedia Commons for usage in articles, that would be unacceptable because Commons' photos must be allowed for commercial licensing, right? But the screenshots I am intending to upload are for Wikipedia use only, and Wikipedia's image policy allows fair use, so under fair use these screenshots would not be allowed for commercial use, and we could use them on Wikipedia? Shannontalk contribs 22:31, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm afraid not. My understanding would be that these would not qualify under any of the criteria for fair use. The nearest I can see is Screenshots from software products: For critical commentary. - however, you are not using it in the "Google Earth" article for critical commentary, and that would be the only article in which its use could be justified (indeed there are some there already). Their use in any other article would not come under that criteria — and it wouldn't qualify as Cover art/Team and corporate logos/Stamps and currency/Other promotional material (Posters, programs, billboards, ads)/Film and television screen shots/Paintings and other works of visual art/Images with iconic status or historical importance. Sorry, but I can see no way in which this would be allowed under fair use, and it definitely wouldn't qualify in any other way! -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 23:54, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Also note that copyrighted images cannot be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, and in no circumstances is a "Wikipedia-only" license ever allowed. Xenon54 / talk / 23:57, 20 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    December 21

    Question

    i just bought a 1976 mercedes 280 sl but on the trunk it has 500sl and the people has owned the car for 15 years and said the 500 sl has always been on there. the 280 sl emblem was in the glove box. can you tell me where to look for the vin number ?? i have found these numbers on the car. 1078201064R and 225602-ORECHTS and the number 001101 plus the car is a EURO. i will not get the title until net week so i can not check the vin number until then. thank you. [details removed] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.144.71.11 (talk) 00:40, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi 71.144.71.11, the Help desk is only for asking question about how to use Wikipedia. I suggest you try the reference desk which is dedicated purely to help answer general knowledge questions. Furthermore, please don't add any personal contact details to your questions as these pages are highly visible, if you ask a question here, we'll reply here. Thanks, Jeffrey Mall (talk • be merry) - 01:23, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    using my name in a disambiguation page

    I would like to add my name, Andrew Taylor, to a disambiguation page and then link it to another page, Andrew Taylor (Andrew Lincoln Taylor), which would contain a brief biography of facts about my life. Problems?MrAndrewLincolnTaylor (talk) 04:40, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Yup. You should not edit articles about yourself in any way. Furthermore, it does not appear you, as a subject matter, merit an article at Wikipedia. --Jayron32 04:42, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    In the category: 1987 Births...

    I clicked on a couple peoples names and every single one of them was either on a sports team or ran for some kind of position...people I haven't even heard of. My question is, can I add my name to the list even though I'm just an everyday kind of person? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Satchelofgoodness (talk • contribs) 07:08, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Not unless you are notable and can verify that with reliable sources. Ks0stm (T•C•G) 08:23, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Organized AnonIP vandalization

    Where should organized anon-IP vandalization be reported. Looking at WP:AIAV, I see three anon IPs all performing the same vandalization. Looking at recent changes, I see many more. I know the standard process is to warn 3 times and then block - but these are apparently automated, so by the 3rd warning, there will be dozens of reverts. -- kainaw™ 07:43, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    It's already at WP:ANI#Welcome to Wikipedldia! if that's the event you refer to. Ks0stm (T•C•G) 08:21, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    bv3dsxcssdq

    What does the edit summary "bv3dsxcssdq" mean in this edit and the one before it? (BTW, don't worry about the spam; it has been removed.) 08:01, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

    That was an automated spambot test. The accounts have been blocked. -- kainaw™ 08:03, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    contacting admins

    is there a way to directly find admins to talk to? --Brunk500 (talk) 11:54, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Wikipedia:Administrator's noticeboard/Incidents. Ks0stm (T•C•G) 11:59, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Red Panda

    Red Panda entry has nothing there. —Preceding unsigned comment added by ProjectWorldPeace (talk • contribs) 11:57, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Be bold and add information, so long as it is verifiable and sourced with reliable sources. Ks0stm (T•C•G) 12:02, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    I'm not sure what you mean but Red Panda is a long article to me. Try to bypass your cache if you see nothing there. PrimeHunter (talk) 12:15, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Hello there,

    From what I can tell, I should be able to put in links to Wikipedia articles on my website. My website features web pages on science fiction topics (books, movies, games) and will feature affiliate advertising. I'd like to provide Wikipedia links to my visitors on some of my favorite authors and/or specific novels, so that they can get some useful information on them. Can I do this? Thanks for your help. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.232.122.83 (talk) 16:06, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    Anyone can indeed link to the articles from their website. Just use the code <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/article-name">Wikipedia's entry about article-name</a>. Please make sure that you make clear that this is a link to a Wikipedia article though! -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 16:18, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes. But if you want to reuse Wikipedia content, see WP:REUSE. – ukexpat (talk) 16:20, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    Also, see Wikipedia:Diff#Linking_to_a_diff for how to link to a specific version of an article. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 16:22, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    TFD

    How do you close an template for deletion? Btilm 16:20, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    see Wikipedia:Templates for discussion/Administrator instructions, Template:Tfd top and Template:Tfd bottom -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 16:23, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

    BRAD101

      I would like to get in contact with BRAD101 and any related advisers pertaining to the original Frigates of the United States Navy.
  As you may already know, I have been representing and dedicated my life to the Frigate USS UNITED STATES since September 1978. I was able to establish this frigate as the first United States Navy war ship. I have muster rolls which continue to grow. And I have construction plans and data on the frigate as well. Currently I am transcribing the Carpenters' Reports, acquired from the Pennsylvania Historical Society.
  You can imagine there are countless numbers of organizations and associations related to these subjects. This is why I do not "join" them. However, I do enjoy donating information, and over the past 30 years I do so without charge, fees, or memberships. Sharing information about our first frigates has brought me joy in dealing with the public as to the importance of these first ships. Not bad for an ex-Army member.
  If you would please pass on my contact information to those you know who share such information I would be most honored to hear from any of them. I find such conversations stimulating and educational. You may wish to post my contact information as well
  Your most humble servant;

    USS UNITED STATES Foundation Edward C. Zimmerman, Jr. Founder, President, & CEO USSUNITEDSTATES@Yahoo.com National Headquarters: 

     (702) 250-0917
 3415 Ocatillo Mesa Way,
 North Las Vegas, NV 89031
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Help_desk&oldid=333079489"