Wikipedia:New contributors' help page/questions

This help forum has been discontinued. New contributors will instead be made welcome at the Wikipedia:Teahouse, a friendly place to help new editors become accustomed to Wikipedia culture, ask questions, and develop community relationships.

There is an extensive Archive of old questions from 2004 onwards.

September 22

creating a new page

I created a new article which I "moved". But, my article does not appear in Wikipedia yet. What is the next step? Thank you. --Jeanne4ever r (talk) 16:15, 25 September 2011 (UTC)

If you mean Peter Robinson (international trial lawyer), it's there in Wikipedia. - David Biddulph (talk) 16:40, 25 September 2011 (UTC)

... and I've now added a link from the disambiguation page Peter Robinson. - David Biddulph (talk) 16:46, 25 September 2011 (UTC)

Thank you. Am I supposed to "seek feedback"? --Jeanne4ever r (talk) 17:02, 25 September 2011 (UTC)

That's not necessary; the "New unreviewed article" banner at the top also arranges for the article to be placed in a queue, Category:Unreviewed new articles created via the Article Wizard from September 2011. Your post here may attract some feedback, too. -- John of Reading (talk) 08:11, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

Indeed it has. I have done a quick initial review, added a couple of maintentance tags and some categories. My main comment is that it needs more secondary sources - press articles etc. – ukexpat (talk) 15:57, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

Thank you for adding the categories. As for the secondary sources, I cited 15 media articles and two books - which seems like quite a lot. What other kinds of sources does the article need? Thank you for your help. --Jeanne4ever r (talk) 22:56, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

International DJ-ing Competition 2007-2010 (4 years)

hello. my name is Sergey. for the years 2007 to 2010 the EDM community around my websites has been running an "International DJ-ing Competition", shorter - I.D.C. in 2007 teams of 5 djs from 12 countries have participated, and it was a really great experience as much for the DJs as it was for the community. we did not run the IDC in 2011, simply because of the absence of any resources to fund this competition and provide prizes. and so after 4 years IDC has been stopped. we're desperately looking for sponsors, but being "a website" doesn't help. i was thinking alot, and one of the ideas seems to be possibly having an article about IDC in wikipedia. that could give the contest a second wind, we would be able to attract sponsors by referring to our article on the great resource that is so much respected by everyone (obviously - wikipedia). having somewhat legitimized it and strengthened the idea through a wiki-article would help us bring new avenues and directions for IDC, let it thrive once again. i doubt there is an international competition like that, and doubt there will ever be. our project has been and probably still is a unique start, that was buried under the paperwork and money issues...

and here comes the question, is this possible to have an article about IDC in wikipedia? and would it stick, or get deleted at some point? i have a page on my website dedicated to the IDC's past. just a few words here, the contest would always be announced in November, rules and teams set up and ogranized by January 1st, that gave participants some extra free time they had for the New Year's celebrations, time off school, etc, etc, to put together a special mix, instructions and requirements were listed in rules each year. a board of trusted community members would judge submitted DJ Mixes (blindly) and after a while would come up scores to all participants, which were normalized and 1st spots were awarded by Country (or by team) from the sum of all ratings and all normalizations. by mid February we'd have the results.

if someone will be reading this and willing to check my words, a simple search in google for "international djing competition tribalmixes" will provide a number of prominent respected resources citing my community and the news posts or forum posts about the IDC and all possible preparations and regulations. about 60% of first 3-4 pages are directly related to the IDC (contest) that we've held. also more info and reports on each year can be found here: http://www.tribalmixes.com/idc-all.php

the competition had media coverage with our own streaming radio to be the first to air sets from the competition, which later spread to other websites and radios. back then radio site was tribalmixes.org, although recently in may it was hijacked and we lost it, hence probably radio won't be of much help, all referrals are still pointing at the old domain.

thanks for your help!! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tribalmixes (talk • contribs) 05:45, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

If the competition has been written about by multiple independent reliable sources then it may have an article - but googling "international djing competition tribalmixes", as you suggest, does not give me any results which initially appear to be independent, reliable, and significant coverage.

In any case, even if it merits an article, you should not be the person to write it. Furthermore, your purpose in wanting an article (to attract sponsors) is an example of promotion, which is specifically not acceptable in Wikipedia.

If you can find multiple independent reliable sources which do meet the criteria, I suggest you post at Requested articles, specifying the sources, and perhaps somebody else will write such an article. --ColinFine (talk) 23:11, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

search key abbreviation does not find an article

I am trying to search for this page: Liquid optically-clear adhesive by its industry abbreviation "LOCA". However, the search result does not bring up this page. Thanks for your help! Laowai.blogger (talk) 07:47, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

A search for "LOCA" takes you to the "disambiguation" page, Loca, so I have added an extra link there. -- John of Reading (talk) 08:21, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

Thank you VERY much! Laowai.blogger (talk) 10:17, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

creating an article on a subject that has already been deleted

I'd like to create an article on a particular individual. When I searched his name, it became apparent that an article on him had been deleted last year. The reason was 'obvious hoax'. Can I create an article on him? How do I go about this? Many thanksKaybookworm (talk) 14:46, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

Try reading WP:1st, WP:BIO, and WP:BIOG. - David Biddulph (talk) 15:13, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

How do I add a Discography page for an existing person?

I need help. I have written major expansion for a person (Singer)with a Wiki page. I would like to start with a Discography that I have written for this person. I have done some minor edits, and believe I can make a decent start with wiki code. How do I start the Discography? Start on current page? Start a "new article" then link to main page? I could use some help, or a sponsor to follow me on this project. Cathlec (talk) 16:38, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

Unless the current article is very long, the discography section should be added to that article as a new section at the end, before the "See also" section (if there is one). You may also be interested in the Discography WikiProject. – ukexpat (talk) 16:46, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

September 27

adddition to my hometown page as a celebrity

you have only ONE of the pornographic actresses from St Joseph, MO listed in your entry.. i am known as Delightful Debi and was born Debra J Baker, also Debra McKnight now Tounzen. I became an exotic dancer at the nightclub known as the Players on Frederick Ave. in July of 1977 at the age of 17 as Li'l Annie and worked throughout the nightclub circuit as well as in KC, both MO and KS til 2007 when i moved to Las Vegas, NV and started in porn during AVN 2008 i would like to be included in my hometown's wikipedia entry also as an aside, i know the entire family of Marshall Mathers having dated his oldest uncle Todd Nelson, and babysat his younger uncle Ronnie Polkingharn as a child as well as Marshall, additionally his younger brother, Nathan went to school with my daughter, Alyssa McKnight at Mark Twain School. Please feel free to contact me directly to confirm any details either by telephone or email. i will submit contact details in private only though. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.253.47.18 (talk) 15:15, 27 September 2011 (UTC)

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.Template:Z26

Question

sr christopher soy ciudadano uruguayo vivi em new yok 20 anios tenia una cita em corte y por erro de mi abogado la perdi y usted firmo mi deportacion queria com todo el respecto que analise yo page inpuesto en america tenia seguro socil nunca tuve um problema com las autoridade nunca use drogas tengo un recor linpio tengo un hijo americano yo no tengo a nadie em uruguay vivi mitad de mivida em new york se que usted es uma persona publica muy ocupada por favor ajudeme munchas gracias julio cesar vera cabral <blanked> — Preceding unsigned comment added by 187.33.163.33 (talk) 16:10, 27 September 2011 (UTC)

Hello. You are on the English Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia. You may be interested in the Spanish Wikipedia if you would like to contribute there. TNXMan 16:16, 27 September 2011 (UTC)

1976 Tangshan earthquake

his article lists the "REAL REASON" of said earthquake: For a most ill-conceived analysis of the process, see Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, The Sword and the Shield, p. 322ff.

With the world’s attention fixed on whether Sakharov would too be tried, and Orlov, a leading candidate for another peace laureate, would soon follow. The Soviets apparently caused an 8.2 earthquake during the early morning of July 28, 1976 in the city of Tangshan, southeast of Peking, destroying nearly all of it, and half of its one million inhabitants.

The earthquake came without any tremors, and at a time when all the preparations to render some disaster less destructive were useless because all the people were sleeping. Scientists did not think that such a powerful earthquake was possible for another century, given the area’s previous history. Booksbenji (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 17:28, 27 September 2011 (UTC).

I'm not sure to what you are referring. That passage does not occur in the Wikipedia article. A claim that the Soviets caused the earthquake would need additional independent reliably sourcing before being added to our article. TNXMan 18:26, 27 September 2011 (UTC)

Finished Article, now what?

I am confused. So how do I actually get my article live on Wikipedia. It is complete now.

Thanks.William J Lavonis 22:40, 27 September 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Drlavonne (talk • contribs)

Relevant advice is available at WP:SYMUD. - David Biddulph (talk) 00:06, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

September 28

Operation Sea Signal

Hello,

I logged onto this page wondering how many U.S. casualties were suffered during Operation Sea Signal, and found no answer. I know this to be false, as I deployed there from the git-go, and saw many servicemen beat near to death. Due to the msany riots early on, I consider myself lkucky not to be among them. Perhaps this should be noted, unless only current U.S. casualties matter. Thanks in advance of your corrected info,

-- Josh Milner Former PFC, 300th MP co — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.228.11.143 (talk) 03:57, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

Operation Sea Signal (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views)

Wikipedia articles can always be improved. If you can find reliable sources such as books, journals and respected news websites that give more information about Operation Sea Signal, then please feel free to expand the article yourself, or to post the sources at Talk:Operation Sea Signal where they will be seen by the editors most interested in maintaining the article. -- John of Reading (talk) 07:03, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

Topic How can a good school image be created in a society?

Topic How can a good school image be created in a society? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.152.138.240 (talk) 08:55, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

Please do your own homework.
Welcome to the Wikipedia New Contributors help page. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misevaluation, but it is our policy here not to do people's homework for them, but merely to aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn how to solve such problems.
Please attempt to solve the problem yourself first. You can search Wikipedia or search the Web.
If you need help with a specific part of your homework, the Reference desk can help you grasp the concept. Do not ask knowledge questions here, just those about using Wikipedia. -- John of Reading (talk) 11:35, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

How to add a page to my watchlist.

New to this, so having trouble with things that are pretty obvious:

1. how do I add a page to my watchlist? I can't find anything to click on anywhere... 2. is there a way to contact other users to discuss potential edits to pages they have set up? I don't want to just edit, as people just seem to automatically revert things. The changes I intend are factual, and come from scholarly sources not seen by other users, so a discussion with previous contributors would make sense.

WilliamBuchanGraham (talk) 12:05, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

1. See Help:Watching pages; you add a page to your watchlist by clicking the white five-pointed star at the top right of the page.
2. Yes, each article has a "Talk page" (also known as the "Discussion page") where editors can discuss possible changes to the corresponding article. See Help:Using talk pages for more detail.

Thank you for registering, by the way. I've left you some introductory links on your talk page. -- John of Reading (talk) 12:16, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

Editing pages in languages other than English

I wish to edit some pages related to the project for which this page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurogentest - is an entry. However I wish to update relevant pages in languages other than English and I am wondering how to proceed.

One of the functions of the initiative is to produce information about genetics in a range of different languages. Whilst the entry in English for something like amniocentesis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amniocentesis) is very detailed, the corresponding page in, say, Polish is not (http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amniopunkcja). The information has been translated, verified, checked, approved by the European Commission and so on already (e.g. http://www.eurogentest.org/patient/leaflet/patients_polish.xhtml), however as I cannot read or speak Polish I am wondering what to do next. Should I just transfer the information to Wikipedia and wait for it to be edited / corrected by speakers of the various languages? Or what?

Also I need clarfication of the legitimacy of placing information about genetics in English produced by the EuroGentest initiative onto the English Wikipedia pages (having checked that this does not duplicate any accurate information already on Wikipedia)? I am not entirely clear, having read the help guides. The material is impartial information about genetics for the general public and was produced by a non-for-profit health charity on behalf of the European Commission.

EuroGentest (talk) 15:42, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

In terms of trying to work with different languages and attempting to get some native-language help in either translations or even simply fixing content, there is the Wikimedia Embassy page that list several editors who have volunteered explicitly to help out with issue like you are trying to work out right now. Most of these "ambassadors" speak multiple languages and can genuinely work with you on these problem. Sources in other languages can be particularly useful for some of the other language-editions of Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects.

As for worrying about how complete the coverage of a topic is in another language you are not comfortable in contributing to, just give it time. Make those contributions in a language where you are comfortable, as there are several people who do scan articles written in other languages and often do translations of that content to their native tongue. I've done that even with articles written in languages other than English and have translated them to the English-language Wikipedia.... although going the other direction does seem to be much more common due to the fact that so much more content is available in English.

Please, contribute what information you have. There are numerous policies in place like WP:NPOV, WP:OR, and WP:AEAE, but as long as you can cite the references and are trying to make a genuine contribution, I hope to see more of your contributions on this project. I know editing Wikipedia can be at times a bit intimidating, but there are many people who have specialized knowledge who have made some incredibly valuable contributions to Wikipedia in the past, and that is one of the reasons why it has become such a repository of human knowledge. --Robert Horning (talk) 16:49, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

I echo what Robert Horning said, but I want to give you a couple of warnings about specific matters that may cause friction if you are not aware of them. One is WP:Copyright: you may not post material from another website on Wikipedia, unless the content is explicitly in the public domain, or has been released by the copyright owners under one of the licences acceptable to Wikipedia. (It is not enough for the copyright owners to give permission for it to be posted just on Wikipedia). A second one is conflict of interest: since by your username you appear to be affiliated with the project, you need to be very careful about how you contribute to any articles that relate to the project. The third point, unfortunately, is that your username contravenes Wikipedia's username policy: accounts must be used by individuals, not groups; and though you can in general use whatever name you like for your account, names that suggest that they relate to organisations are not allowed.

I am sorry to be the one that delivers warnings to you, and I hope you are not put off contributing to Wikipedia by them; but I think if you know the limitations at the start, you will find your experience of contribution rather better than if you don't. Please read the links that Robert and I have posted. --ColinFine (talk) 18:34, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

Help with new article/page

I wrote an article/page on the notable BBC TV series Screen One yesterday but I'm not sure what to do now. I can't find it in wikipedia, but it's in my My Contirbutions folder as Editing User:Suffolkscribe/Screen One

Should I be doing anything? Is it just a question of waiting for someone to look at it first? Please advise!

Suffolkscribe (talk) 20:58, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

There are 2 useful links at the top of your draft page: Wikipedia:So you made a userspace draft and Wikipedia:Requests for feedback. Try reading those. - David Biddulph (talk) 21:36, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

September 29

Hello, New to Wikipedia

Good Day, Name is Chris.

I am new to actually using and adding information to Wikipedia. May someone please review what I have edited under http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Compton_Wynyates&oldid=452865856 under Cultural References. I am a fan of the show "Keeping Up Appearances" Staring Patricia Routledge. Watching an episode in that series I noticed the Estate from "Walt Disney's - Candleshoe, staring a young Jodi Foster. Doing some research "comparing photos of the actual manor, found by searching for the movie Candleshoe" I found out it indeed is the same estate. My question is was my addition correct? what would be the correct way to let the world know that some scenes from that episode were filmed there, as I could find no reference to it. Thank you for your time.

Betruetothy (talk) 12:50, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

Sorry, but if there are no reliable sources documenting this, it cannot go into any article(s). Your own observations constitute original research and synthesis, which has no place here. --Orange Mike | Talk 14:04, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

editing

Do I need to create an account to be able to edit pages, and once I have edited them will they be saved86.177.5.20 (talk) 14:14, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

No and yes. But there are many advantages to creating an account. – ukexpat (talk) 14:28, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

Most pages can be edited without creating an account but there are advantages to having an account. Once you edit a page and click "Save page", your changes will immediately be seen by others viewing the page, but some edits are considered inappropriate by other editors and reverted. I suggest you go through Wikipedia:Tutorial. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:32, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

United States Bill of Rights article

Under the heading: English Bill of Rights

The first two sentence are:

One of the earliest documents used in drafting the American Bill of Rights was the English Bill of Rights of 1689, one of the fundamental documents of English constitutional law. The English Bill of Rights differed substantially in form and intent from the American Bill of Rights, because it was intended to address the rights of citizens as represented by Parliament against the Crown.

The second sentence is essentially incorrect. I believe it should be replaced with something like the following:

In order to understand the English Bill of Rights it must be considered in the context of the precise time. It was created as part of the legalisation of the so called Glorious Revolution in which William and Mary came to the Throne after the overthrow of James II and VII. This revolution completely changed the nature of monarchy in England. Prior to this, the monarch had considerable power over the creation of law. After it, he had no more than a limited veto. After England had had successive experiences of kings who claimed "The divine right of kings", whereby a King could be judged only by God, and of an equally unfettered rule by Parliament, the new constitutional settlement set out to limit the powers of both by creating a constitutional monarchy. Within this, only Parliament could create Bills, but only the monarch could give assent for a Bill to become Law and could do so only if the Bill was fair, merciful and constitutional. In this way, neither monarch nor Parliament could create law in their favour and the monarch acted as a protector of the constitution and the people against Parliament. The Bill of Rights, within this context, protected the people from Parliament by defining constitutional rights which Parliament could not remove. It was the beginning of the transfer of power from government to the people and the beginning of freedom.

86.161.182.153 (talk) 20:12, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

The proper place to discuss this is on the aticle's talk page. GB fan 20:28, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

September 30

Champions

The current champions are the Stockholm Exiles, who beat Enköping in the 2010 grand final. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.250.139.41 (talk) 22:06, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

Champions of what? But if you have a reliable source for the information, please be bold and edit whichever article it is, to add the new information. --ColinFine (talk) 22:57, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

October 1

false accusation

I did one revert, and then add two refs. This is the only revert I have every done. An admin come and gave me a formal warning for edit warring. This happened in mid august 2011, I have tried talking to the editor in question 3 times on their talk page requesting they change their comment or explain how I was edit warring. To date they won't reply about the edit warring part of their warning. I feel having an unjustified warning about edit warning on my talk page is like having a black mark against me. Where do I go to have this remedied? ?oygul (talk) 04:22, 1 October 2011 (UTC)

Why do editors delete so much stuff?

Hi, I'm new here, but not new to journalism. What I don't understand is why it seems editors of Wikipedia seem so interested in deleting and disproving what has been contributed, even with 20, 50, 100 citations on the subject, the material gets deleted with bogus 'reasons', claiming that the information is irrelevant. Photos that were uploaded, and fit directly with the subject of the article were deleted and changed to another similar photo, with no reasons given. To me, this seems to break a few of the guidelines of Wikipedia, such as vandalism, and one of the pillars of Wikipedia, Don't bit the newcomers... I am not trying to point fingers or accuse anyone of vandalism, thus I haven't included direct reference to the editor(s) referred to in that particular case... But what I'm saying is that I don't understand why they do this, or what I can do to revert the article back to pre-deletion... Let me rephrase that... I know 'how' to revert, but I also don't want to start an editing war, and I don't want one of these all-powerful editors to block me and accuse me of vandalism. Some editors seem very nice and levelheaded. Others don't, and its those editors that don't seem to be following the rules, while telling others the material doesn't comply with this or that (obscure reference to a Wikipedia rule)... I am truly confused by this attitude that seems to be working against the system, from within. Thanks for your assistance... Alayna the Extravagant (talk) 04:28, 1 October 2011 (UTC)

Nobody else seems to have answered you, so I will have a try. You've written as though you're making a general point, but I get the impression that you're really talking about a specific incident, or series of incidents. But since you haven't identified the specifics, it's hard to give you anything but the most general answer.

Generally, people delete material because they don't think it meets the Wikipedia guidelines: they think that it is a copyright infringement, unsourced, non-notable, not neutral, original research or irrelevant to the article. Opinions may often differ as to the applicability of these criteria in particular cases, and certainly there are some editors who go round removing some kind of content wherever they find it. (I have been tempted to go round removing "X in popular culture" sections wholesale, as they are usually unsourced, and almost never cited to a secondary source, and most of them are non-notable or indeed trivial. I haven't done so yet, though.) As you know there are also people who vandalise by removing material.

All I can suggest is to engage with the editors who have removed the material you think should stay, either on the article's talk page, or on their own talk pages. --ColinFine (talk) 22:06, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

• Thank you for this answer. I was asking generally, based on a few recent events in an article I was submitting and editing. Soon after creating it, the article had been marked for speedy delete, but stopped because one or more others saw the notability. I added more details to the article, only to have 2/3 of that deleted, as well as the photos I placed on there, the photos replaced with another similar photo, and the article nominated for deletion (by the same editor)... That editor deleted many details which do fit in the article, but perhaps needed to be tied together through some better editing... After all this, more sources were added(some were news articles/ editorials by international news agencies, written by their regular full time news staff), and these were removed stating they are not reliable sources. Soon after, I offered 10+ sources on the exact topic of the article, and again the same editor says they are not reliable sources, and that not all of them or none of them even mentions the topic... It can be disappointing to have your work removed by someone else, but even trying to stay objective and not take it personally, its particularly discouraging to a new contributor to have all the details and research overturned, with very little explanation. I don't want to accuse anyone of vandalism in this case, but removing reliable references and then trying to delete an article because there are no reliable citations... That seems to border on vandalism. I feel that editors, though they probably edit thousands or articles and get tired of reading other people's poor writing styles... need to be more objective and do more editing and less deleting. Your answer explains both sides of that pretty well... so thanks. Alayna the Extravagant (talk) 12:19, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

You are referring to International Coffee Day (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views)? – ukexpat (talk) 16:08, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

Yes, that is correct... Alayna the Extravagant (talk) 11:09, 4 October 2011 (UTC)

Adding images

How do you add an image to a Wikipedia article? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.112.119.165 (talk) 16:05, 1 October 2011 (UTC)

There are a few ways, what image are you trying to place, into what article ? Mlpearc powwow 16:24, 1 October 2011 (UTC)

You should find an answer here: Wikipedia:Picture tutorial. Mlpearc powwow 16:31, 1 October 2011 (UTC)

talking to someone

I'd like to leave someone a message but there is no edit button on their talk page. HOw can I talk to them? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.88.11.143 (talk) 23:28, 1 October 2011 (UTC)

Which page is it? PrimeHunter (talk) 00:39, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:AnonMoos 174.88.11.143 —Preceding undated comment added 02:12, 2 October 2011 (UTC).

That page is not protected so you can edit it. There is a glitch where unregistered users will sometimes see no edit links on an unprotected page. If this happens then click the "View source" tab at top to edit the whole page, or purge the page which should make the normal edit links. PrimeHunter (talk) 02:32, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

Thanks! (talk) (don't know how to make it date) —Preceding undated comment added 13:10, 2 October 2011 (UTC).

If you are saying that you don't know how to finish a talk page message with a signature with name and date, the answer is to put 4 tildes ~~~~, or use the signature button in the toolbar above the edit window. In contrast, 3 tildes ~~~ give your name and no date; 5 tildes ~~~~~ give date and no name. - David Biddulph (talk) 16:53, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

October 2

username appears in search

Why does the search show Usernamemississanne/Anne Abernathy rather than just the author's name Anne Abernathy? And can the middle name be added - Finch = Anne Finch Abernathy

Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.110.47.127 (talk) 00:24, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

I guess you refer to the user page User:Mississanne/Anne Abernathy, "Miss Anne". Are you the user Mississanne? Are you Anne Abernathy? PrimeHunter (talk) 00:43, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

Because the page has been created as a user sub-page, which is the recommended way to do it. See WP:SYMUD for how to move it to article space: but do not do so yet, because it is nowhere near ready. If you attempt to do so, it will certainly be deleted because it does not contain a single citation to a reliable source; and in particular it does not contain the multiple citations which are required in order to establish that the subject of an article is notable. For biographies of living people we are especially concerned that everything in them be cited to a reliable source.

If the article is edited to include these citations (and some other problems of formatting and wikilinking) it may then be moved, almost certainly to Miss Anne, because Wikipedia's manual of style says that the title of an article should be the most familiar or widespread name by which it is known.

PrimeHunter's question as to whether your are Anne Abernathy is important because if you are, you have a conflict of interest, and should read that link before doing any more work on the article. --ColinFine (talk) 22:16, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

new article

I have written an article but can't work out how to upload a diagram ---15:37, 2 October 2011 (UTC)Espritdecor (talk) 15:37, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:Picture tutorial. - David Biddulph (talk) 16:47, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

October 3

Whether this organisation merits inclusion in Wiki

Good afternoon,

I work for an organisation called AIDS Accountability International and we are similar to Transparency International but just started and still growing. We do unique work on accountability and have had a huge impact in the four years of our existence. Wikipedia has no page that deals specifically with AAI nor accountability wrt healthcare.

However reading your COI info I was advised to ask a Wiki editor for the go-ahead before I create a page on AAI and accountability.

Please advise.

Lillipa (talk) 12:07, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

Please read WP:ORG and WP:COI. The vast majority of organisations are not sufficiently notable to have an article in Wikipedia. We strongly discourage users with a conflict of interest from creating articles about subjects where they have a conflict of interest. – ukexpat (talk) 16:13, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

Editors editing articles

Hello, I am looking to write an article on Rockford First Church. I haven't posted the article yet, because the last time I tried there were many revisions and such that needed to be done. I was able to tweak the article. I was wondering if there was a way to have someone look over the article and work with me to get everything in order. That way I don't loose the work that I have done on there. Thank you and let me know. Amandaallard05 (talk) 19:51, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

WP:Requests for feedback is the place to go. – ukexpat (talk) 20:45, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

October 4

How to have a change replace the incorrect information

I read the entry for Helen Lemme and found some incorrect information. I clicked on edit and made a correction. I saved that correction. Now when I look up Helen Lemme, I see both the incorrect entry and my corrected entry. How do I get the bad entry to go away.

My name is: Paul Lemme — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.118.144.175 (talk) 13:09, 4 October 2011 (UTC)

I've reverted your edits so that you can start again. It looks as if you'd copied the visible page and pasted it in after the existing wiki source. Next time, jut click the edit button and change the existing wiki source. - David Biddulph (talk) 13:20, 4 October 2011 (UTC)

Given your name and the name of the article in question, I'd ask that you please also be aware of our rules about conflict of interest and autobiography. --Orange Mike | Talk 16:29, 4 October 2011 (UTC)

I don't see that WP:AUTOBIO can be relevant, Mike, but you are right about WP:COI. - David Biddulph (talk) 16:45, 4 October 2011 (UTC)

I feel that writing about one's momma or granddaddy also falls under AUTOBIO; but that may be my country sense of family as almost part of one's self. --Orange Mike | Talk 17:14, 4 October 2011 (UTC)

Use the "Edit" tab at top of the page. PrimeHunter (talk) 16:39, 4 October 2011 (UTC)

October 5

Source Material.

Sir . 1. Please let me know if the handouts/pamphlets given out by various State Government Tourism Departments can be considered as source material , almost none of them have references . 2.If they can be used as source material, how and where can I send soft copies of such handouts/ pamphlets . Kindly notify on talk page . Thanks . PM Velankar — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pmvelankar (talk • contribs) 00:37, 5 October 2011 (UTC)

I would be very cautious about using such materials as sources; they are advertising, not scholarly in intention or design, and can often propogate attractive myths. --Orange Mike | Talk 14:27, 5 October 2011 (UTC)

Macedonian translation

I have master thesis in the field of information retrieval. I have used Wikipedia 2008 document collection from INEX organization. It was on English language and with XML structure.

I wonder, if there is a way to get the Wikipedia document collection in Macedonian language for the purpose of my master thesis.

Best regards,

88.85.98.130 (talk) 07:05, 5 October 2011 (UTC)

I suggest you ask at mk:Википедија:Портал/Помош. But be aware that if they have any such collection, it is likely to be a collection of information from the mk Wikipedia, not translations of the English documents. --ColinFine (talk) 18:31, 5 October 2011 (UTC)

Marian Spencer

Hello: I was wondering why my article regarding Marian Spencer was determined to be an Ohio politician stub instead of just an Ohio politician article. I looked at the page regarding what makes an article a stub, and I feel that it could definitely go either way, but that it is better developed than some articles that were not deemed stubs. I would like this to be answered on my talk page. Thanks, User Revilos1 Revilos1 (talk) 22:20, 5 October 2011 (UTC)

I have removed the stub category.[1] I suspect the stub category was not intentional and have asked the editor at User talk:Housewatcher#Stub category. PrimeHunter (talk) 00:02, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

October 6

More efficient learning

Do you think it would make spreading knowledge (what this website is about) much easier if for each of the hyperlinked words throughout an article, a brief definition and/or description popped up while hoovering over the link? Just a suggestion, seeing as most of what I'm Interested in and researching, I really don't know what half the terms in the article actually mean. Who wants to open a new page every other sentence they read to actually understand what they're reading? Just a suggestion :)

- 70.44.164.48 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 09:52, 6 October 2011 (UTC).

This is already available. If you register an account and log in, you can enable "Navigation popups" in your preferences. Try it! -- John of Reading (talk) 10:04, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

Oh, nice! sorry for wasting your time :D — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.44.164.48 (talk) 08:28, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

No problem! -- John of Reading (talk) 09:58, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

A Suggested Article

There's an international "Pioneer Little Europe Movement" now, which was inspired by an 86 page e-book prospectus.

As it now has activists in Kalispell, Montana; the United Kingdom, and Australia, could someone there include some details on it?

Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.122.53.241 (talk) 11:21, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

The fact that a Google search for the phrase come up with only 3 hits might suggest that it is not sufficiently notable to justify a Wikipedia article. - David Biddulph (talk) 11:25, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

adding a reference

Hello:

Re: the name "Lorelei"

Under the "References in works of art" section I would like to add "Canadian band Southern Star released a song called Lorelei on their 2011 album, and the following MP3 link:

http://www.southernstarmusic.com/pages/lorelei.html

How do I do this?

Thank you

Southernstarmusic (talk) 16:22, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

Lorelei (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views)

To judge from the account name you have chosen, you are here to promote your own band. This is not allowed at Wikipedia. For a more detailed explanation please look at the FAQ page for organisations. -- John of Reading (talk) 18:11, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

You don't. We call that spamming, and it's regarded as a form of vandalism, since your purpose is to publicize your band, not to improve the encyclopedia. --Orange Mike | Talk 21:32, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

October 7

How can I self certify or gain assistance to certify my own researched input into an article I wish to edit. Historical.

I have been researching historical and geological matteres on the Rotomahana complex for about 12 years. A lot of the data I wish to submit may have to be in the third person mode can I have assistance to complete this project. I feal I need a peer to assist with referencing. Herbyfitz (talk) 23:04, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

You need to read WP:OR. The short answer is that if your research has been published in a reliable source you can reference it; if not, then it is not acceptable in Wikipedia. - David Biddulph (talk) 07:19, 7 October 2011 (UTC)

Thank you for your reply david.My work has been over a ten year period and the time consuming part has been in field work. I have established a web page with results and references to others research work. I intend to pubish a book in the near future.I am tryig to enlighten others to my research results i wikipedia without including personal data which belongs in my book.I note that when I hover near reference points I have inserted that the note advises that I am unknown.Does this mean the article or comment is under threat of removal? Hoping you can help. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Herbyfitz (talk • contribs) 08:10, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

Did you read the link David gave you? When your research has been published in a reliable source (which probably means a refereed journal, or a book published by a reputable publisher), it can be summarised in Wikipedia, citing the publication. Until then, you are welcome to add information from your research which comes directly from your reliable sources, citing them, but you may not include or link to any of your own arguments or conclusions. --ColinFine (talk) 10:57, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

October 8

Maths question

Is 1 + 2cosAcosBcosC is equal to -cosAcosA -cosBcosB -cosCcosC OR -1 + 2cosAcosBcosC is equal to -cosAcosA -cosBcosB -cosCcosC . — Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.228.19.187 (talk) 08:15, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

Yes, I think one of these is correct, and you can find out which it is by trying, say, A=90 B=45 C=45. -- John of Reading (talk) 10:21, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

Kevin Richardson

In kevin richardson's profile, said: KEVIN REJOINED THE BAND"

Why dont you edit in backstreet boys biography that he rejoined the band 49.14.198.112 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 12:48, 8 October 2011 (UTC).

Kevin Richardson (musician) (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views)

Backstreet Boys (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views)

The Richardson article seems to say that he rejoined only for the one performance in July 2011, is that right? You would be welcome to add that to the Backstreet Boys article, provided you can find a reliable source such as a news report to back it up. -- John of Reading (talk) 15:54, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

Translation into Georgian

I speak several languages - Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, etc. When there is no article in Georgian language, how could I post translation of English articles in Georgian language? - I'd like to contribute such translations

Thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tikusa (talk • contribs) 14:31, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

Thank you, that would be great. You will need to find some instructions at the Georgian-language Wikipedia. If you can't find them, then try asking at the Georgian Wikipedia. -- John of Reading (talk) 16:10, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

Inclusion of Sub Tribe of Gandapur "Jaffar Zai"

I read the wikipedia Gandapur & I draw your kind attension about the issue and appropriate action and to say that there is sub tribe of Gandapur namely "Jaffar Zai" which is not included in the list. The Jaffar Zai" tribe is also mentioned in the history book "Khursheed-e-Jehan". Kindly include the same in the list and correct the history. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.153.0.74 (talk) 15:53, 8 October 2011 (UTC)

disambiguation

Hi

I have been putting together a new page on the writer and historian John McKean - my draft is on my User Page - but there are already a number of entries with this title.

So how do I ensure this guy is disambiguated from the others?

(And if you've any thoughts on how to improve this draft page that'd be great too)

cheers,

Laurie Melville