Wikipedia:Help desk

Welcome—ask questions about how to use or edit Wikipedia! (Am I in the right place?)

• For other types of questions, use the search box, see the reference desk or Help:Contents. If you have comments about a specific article, use that article's talk page.
• Do not provide your email address or any other contact information. Answers will be provided on this page only.
• If your question is about a Wikipedia article, draft article, or other page on Wikipedia, tell us what it is!
• Check back on this page to see if your question has been answered.
• For real-time help, use our IRC help channel, #wikipedia-en-help.
• New editors may prefer the Teahouse, a help area for beginners (but please don't ask in both places).

Ask a question

July 30

Change information

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Oregon_Raiders_football

The new Head Football Coach at Southern Oregon University is Charlie Hall. Former HFC Craig Howard passed away January 20, 2017 at the age of 64. Hall was named HFC on March 10, 2017. He was the HFC at Ashland High School since 2005. Hall is a SOU alum (1983).

http://www.souraiders.com/news/2017/3/10/charlie-hall-named-sou-head-football-coach.aspx?path=football — Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.100.40.166 (talk) 00:13, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

@184.100.40.166:  Done - I've updated the Southern Oregon Raiders football and List of Southern Oregon Raiders head football coaches page. Thanks for your help! And in the future, you are welcome to edit the page yourself and correct things like this!  Seagull123  Φ  20:24, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Taylor Webb - does he exist?

I was trying to do some work on Taylor Webb, since it has been tagged for 'tone' since 2007, but I can't find any evidence that this person ever existed. In particular, the List of Missouri State Legislators, 1820–2000, on the Missouri secretary of state website does not include anyone named Taylor (though it has several Webbs). Is AfD the right place for this? Leschnei (talk) 01:17, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

AFD would work fine. --Jayron32 01:30, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Leschnei and Jayron32, I've speedy-deleted it as a hoax. Normally we're not supposed to speedy a likely hoax, but the situation's different when the content can be proven to have been faked. On top of the absence of this guy from the 1820-2000 list, I checked up on both sources, and neither one exists. WorldCat shows that there's no "Missouri Political Review" (and aside from this article, a Google search finds just two results, both of them false positives), and as the Official Manual of the State of Missouri is online, I checked and found that it has 1967-1968 and 1969-1970 editions, but the cited 1968-1969 edition also doesn't exist (and neither of the extant ones mentions a Webb). Since the article claimed to have been derived from sources that didn't exist, it's a hoax by definition, even aside from the fact that there's no evidence of this guy having existed. Nyttend (talk) 01:38, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Great, thanks for your help. Leschnei (talk) 01:48, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Good find. It could be listed at Wikipedia:List of hoaxes on Wikipedia. PrimeHunter (talk) 10:16, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

CSD / PROD logs

At RFA I often see discussion of an editor's CSD / PROD history. Is there a canonical tool for finding these? I know that Twinkle generates a log of these, but I'm looking for one that also includes manual tags / page curation / new page patrol stats. A412 (Talk • C) 03:40, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Special:Log/pagetriage-deletion and Special:Log/pagetriage-curation contain some logs which I won't profess to have any details about (my logs are empty). It seems you need a wizard or a toolbar. Then there's Special:Log/patrol. I don't know of any tools to collate statistics for them, but who knows? -- zzuuzz ^(talk) 14:08, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Scan of a book cover

I want to upload a scan of a book cover to the article about the book. The article comments on the cover and describes it. How can I do this without getting into trouble over the copyright? Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 05:58, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

@Bubba73: You should be able to upload it here, not at Commons, claiming fair use. {{Non-free book cover}} is one of the "licensing" options at Special:Upload; choose "Non-free > Covers > Book cover". -- John of Reading (talk) 07:03, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Thanks, done. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 15:59, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Hi. I just made a page representing my client who is an actor. Our page is not showing in the google search . Kindly help with this issue. Thanks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:EmmadIrfani — Preceding unsigned comment added by EmmadIrfani (talk • contribs) 10:56, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

@EmmadIrfani: Hello, the page has been deleted as Wikipedia is not to be used as a 'webhost'. This has been explained at your talk page. Please follow the advice given there. Furthermore, new pages do not show in Google searches until they have been reviewed or for 90 days, whichever is the shorter period. You should closely read the helpful links already at your talk page and as you have a connection to the subject, follow the guidelines at WP:COI. You will also need to ensure that your client passes WP:NACTOR and that there are multiple reliable sources available. Wikipedia is not to be used as form of social media or directory and not every actor merits a page. If you are still convinced that a Wikipedia page is warranted please read WP:YFA and start the page as a draft via the article wizard. Thank you and good luck. Eagleash (talk) 11:55, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Pages in user namespace are automatically NOINDEXed, but in any case the user page has been deleted for reasons explained on your user talk page. If you plan to write an article about your client, you need to read about conflict of interest and WP:paid editing. --David Biddulph (talk) 11:56, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_people_of_Lebanese_descent

I would like to add my name to this list of American people of Lebanese descent. My name is Omar Aboulhosn. You can find more info about me here: https://ballotpedia.org/Omar_J._Aboulhosn — Preceding unsigned comment added by Omarabo (talk • contribs) 12:43, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Hi, only people with Wikipedia articles can be added to these lists, so unless you have an article, you can't unfortunately be added to this list. You may be notable, which is required for someone or something to have an article on Wikipedia, but please don't create an article about yourself - autobiographies are strongly discouraged on Wikipedia. If you want an article about yourself, please make a request for an article. You should try to find some reliable sources to help prove your notability - and you may wish to read Your First Article, and the help available for editors with conflicts of interest. If you need more help, you could visit the reference desk for help finding references, or just ask again here.  Seagull123  Φ  20:11, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

I'm sorry, judge; you're not at a high enough level to meet our standards of what we call notability. Examples of those who would meet that threshold include members of the House of Delegates or of the State Supreme Court. --Orange Mike | Talk 23:10, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Translation of an nonexistent article in wiki in english

I come from the viquipèdia, the version in català! I hope to collaborate a little with this one too, despite I do not have the same fluency in english :)

I have an entry of New Breeding Techniques, very simple, but I wish to put it present on this version. I just made a simple translation to catala and castella from the french version. I can not create a new entry, could anyone guide me?

Salut!!

Joan — Preceding unsigned comment added by Joanpetit (talk • contribs) 13:15, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

It can be difficult to create a good entry in a language in which you are not fully fluent, but the safest way is to start the article in WP:Draft space where other editors can correct any language errors before the article is submitted for publication. Remember that only subjects that have been written about in independent WP:Reliable sources can have an article here. You might like to read WP:Your first article and WP:Referencing for beginners before you start. Let us know here when you want someone to check the draft. Dbfirs 14:56, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

blocked external link

Can some kind person please explain what the reason may be for the following otherwise functional external link being blocked for some technical reason or other relating to the page Postural Integration, which I cannot understand:

• The International Council of PsychoCorporal Integration Trainers (ICPIT)

Thank you for any help in having it function again. It is important for the page it relates to. Osioni (talk) 13:17, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

It seems you successfully added this link last week[1], so I fail to see any problem here. I note you replaced a link to a functioning website with one to a website which is broken, but that is a different problem. -- zzuuzz ^(talk) 13:36, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Seems like the slash at the end caused some problems. It's fixed now. ArcticDragonfly (talk) 19:00, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Yes it links now (I think the www. was also too much), so thanks all and Greetings Osioni (talk) 19:11, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

It wasn't the slash at the end that caused problems, but the presence of "www." in the url. --David Biddulph (talk) 19:14, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Are red links not allowed on Wikipedia?

I added two programs to the list of video editing software and someone reverted them saying that the links were broken. Since it's a list of video editing software and not a list-of-video-editing-software-that-has-a-wikipedia-article-on, I think that the items belong there, red or not. ----Seans Potato Business 13:26, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Please read WP:CSC. Redlinks may be added, but there needs to be a reasonable expectation of them being turned into real articles in the very near future. Jarkeld (talk) 13:44, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

WP:WTAF also offers some relevant advice. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 13:49, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Nevermind, I've got more fullfilling things to do with me time. What a waste of time that was. ----Seans Potato Business 13:58, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Per Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Self-references to avoid we don't want lists to say "This list is only for subjects with a Wikipedia article." Sometimes it is stated in an edit notice, or hinted by saying the list is for notable subjects without defining notable. If the list has to be selective and all or almost all links are blue then the list is probably only for blue links. There may be a few red links which haven't been removed yet. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:57, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

there needs to be a reasonable expectation of them being turned into real articles in the very near future That's correct for lists of this sort (don't just add a name), but not for text in general. WP:RED discusses such links in ordinary text and notes that the title merely needs to be a likely article subject, without regard for whether an article is likely be created soon. Nyttend (talk) 22:52, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

The general, accepted standard on Wikipedia is that Stand-alone lists only contain links to existing articles. This is especially true for the "List of..." or "Comparison of..." articles listing and comparing various products and services (these tend to attract spammers).—J. M. (talk) 15:08, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

language for informations

I'm logged in - as you see - and at 'Language' my choice for answers is written in BLACK - as wanted: Deutsch I'm only logged in, as I do not longer want to receive the informations in english. I do not understand why you JUST CHANGED my setting into 'English' ?! I changed it AGAIN into Deutsch or GERMAN !!! and are eager whether you will accept this NOW !! Askan SiEBS — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ulenvater2 (talk • contribs) 13:35, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

@Ulenvater2: I'm not sure which website or language feature you refer to. This is a help desk for the English Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org. Many but far from all of our pages have a "Deutsch" link to a corresponding page in the German Wikipedia at https://de.wikipedia.org. If you go there and navigate internally then pages will be in German. If you later come back to a page here at https://en.wikipedia.org then it will be in English. "en" is the language code for English, and "de" is for "Deutsch". There is no user setting which will make you see pages in German when you are at the English Wikipedia. You can get a German interface by choosing Deutch at Special:Preferences, but the interface is only things like the links at the left and top, not the article text. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:36, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

use an image on another Wiki

I would like to use the image at this wiki Bunker Wünsdorf Zeppelin. I am translating the article and would like to use all the images in that article. Thanks scope_creep (talk) 14:38, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

You will need to check the license information on each individual image, scope_creep, as images can be used under several different licenses, and i do not know the specific policies of the German-language Wikipedia. If it is under an acceptable free license, the best option would be to upload to commons, then the image could be used on every edition of Wikipedia. If not, check our criteria for the use of non-free images to see if the images can be uploaded here. You can not directly use an image from another Wikipedia. Commons is a special case, as it exists to share freely available resources, largely images. DES ^(talk)_{DESiegel Contribs} 16:23, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

The image has a CC-by-sa 3.0 copyright tag, which means it can be shared. How do I upload it to Wikipedia Commons?. C (talk) 16:57, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Thanks for the work DES. scope_creep (talk) 16:57, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Scope creep go to https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:UploadWizard and follow the prompts from there. Be sure to copy in source and license information from the original, and I would advise a link to the original also. DES ^(talk)_{DESiegel Contribs} 17:09, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Thanks DES, I found they were in commons already, with different spelling. Took me 30 mins to find it out. Please close this.scope_creep (talk) 17:19, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

If you click on an image, there will usually be a big blue button below it. On en.wp it says "More details"; on de.wp it's "Weiter enzelheiten". If you click on that button and it's a Commons image, it takes you to the info page on Commons for that image. If the image is locally hosted, it takes you to an info page on the relevant Wikipedia. So it's not necessary to run a search—just click on each image and then blue button in turn to see which ones are at Commons. Rivertorch^FIRE_WATER 17:57, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Thanks Rivertorch scope_creep (talk) 23:27, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

2018 Major League Baseball All Star Game Logo

I Found it on Sportslogos How much px is there can you upload it for me please and the date says the game will be played on the 10th not 17th AM I right or wrong. 2600:8803:7A00:976A:841D:87F9:BBC5:CBA5 (talk) 17:49, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Hello 2600.*, the recommended size for most "fair use" images is 100,000 pixels. Higher resolutions should only be used, when absolutely necessary for the image's encyclopedic purpose (and such images may be challenged by other editors, if a convincing rationale for a higher resolution is missing). See WP:IMAGERES for more details, usable templates, etc. GermanJoe (talk) 19:31, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Also, if you register an account (easily done in a few seconds), you could upload such logos yourself. It's a lot quicker than requesting such new logos on forums. And of course all contributions to improve the project are appreciated. GermanJoe (talk) 19:46, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

The website of the Washington Nationals (host team for the 2018 All-Star Game] shows July 17 as the date. A question: Can the logo be used on Wikipedia, since it presumably is copyrighted? Eddie Blick (talk) 19:55, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

"Fair use" images and logos to identify the article topic are generally OK, and often used in article infoboxes on en-Wiki (assuming all 10 criteria of WP:NFCC are met). Such limited usages are based on US law and perfectly fine (emphasis on "limited" usage). 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game does exist already, so an upload with a rationale for this article is OK in this case (see WP:LOGO for more info). Fair use contains additional information about the concept in general. GermanJoe (talk) 20:14, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Jillian Loyden's Place of Birth

To Whom It May Concern:

You have my daughter Jillian Ann Loyden's place of Birth as Vineland NJ. This is NOT correct. She was born on June 25th, 1985 in Norwood Massachusetts. You can check Vital Statistics there.

I am positive of this, as I am her Mother. Tracy Loyden-Freese — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.240.242.213 (talk) 21:22, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

I have removed the birthplace from the infobox, it was unsourced anyway. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 21:29, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

Hi Tracy. If you would like any correct information to be added, then you need to point us to a WP:Reliable source where the information has been published. (We have no way of knowing that it is you who is writing from IP address 76.240.242.213.) On the other hand, if you find anything else that is incorrect and unsourced, then do let us know here. Dbfirs 16:34, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

"Technical" error message on Russia

This major country "main" article has the following error message at the top of the page in large bold red text: Lua error in mw.wikibase.entity.lua at line 37: data.schemaVersion must be a number, got nil instead.

This obviously needs to be fixed asap. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 21:24, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

I don't see it currently. Such errors can often be fixed by purging the page. PrimeHunter (talk) 22:07, 30 July 2017 (UTC)

July 31

how to view a talk page on a mobile device

How can I view an article's talk page on a mobile device? (Currently via the Android Chrome browser, but I'd use the app if it would help.) It's clear how to edit that page, or view via the non-mobile web, but not how to view the page on mobile. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.170.191.96 (talk) 06:04, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

At the end of the page should be a "Talk" and a "Categories" button. Regards SoWhy 08:24, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

The "Talk" button is only present for logged in users. It's difficult for others (there have been complaints). They can manually edit the url to insert talk: or Talk: after wiki/. If they have a "Desktop" link at the bottom then they can click that, click the "Talk" tab at top, and click "Mobile view" at the bottom to get back to the mobile version. The "Categories" button in mobile is only present for logged in users who have enabled "Beta" under "Settings" at the top left menu button. PrimeHunter (talk) 10:25, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

XFD !voting helper?

Hi. I seem to remember that back in the day there existed a script that made it easier to add comments to XFDs using a prompt without having to edit the page directly. However, I cannot find it anymore. Does anyone know which script I mean? Regards SoWhy 08:27, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

• User:Jnothman/afd helper. Probably deprecated. Lourdes 11:08, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

Thanks Lourdes. And it still works! Regards SoWhy 11:19, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

Sounds good. Lourdes 11:21, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

Dirk Coetsee / Coetsenburg / Stellenbosch Mountain

Dear Sir / Madam

Recently, after spending a considerable amount of time searching for valid references, I submitted the following draft articles in the hope that they would be accepted by Wikipedia:

1.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Dirk_Coetsee 2.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Coetsenburg 3.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellenbosch_Mountain

I am the direct descendant of Dirk Coetsee (1655-1725) on which the first article focuses and my family currently owns and occupies the Coetsenburg Estate which is situated at the foot of the Stellenbosch Mountain on which the second article focuses.

I made a copying/pasting mistake with reference 10 in the first article and an editor named Shadowowl, known as a deletionist, thus rejected it. I subsequently corrected the mistake. (Personal attack removed)

Also -  and this has become a major national issue in South Africa, dominating news headlines, and it has been reported on internationally too - the British PR firm Bell Pottinger has recently been editing Wikipedia articles related to South Africa because they have been paid by politically-connected businessmen accused of state capture and significant corruption to change the public perception of said businessmen and politicians. They have adopted an anti-white, anti-colonial stance. Dirk Coetsee was a Dutch settler and his family - my family - are part of the scapegoated group "white monopoly capital" which Bell Pottinger has been attacking.

I am asking if (Personal attack removed) could review and possibly accept my articles. I have striven to be as neutral as is humanly possible. Thank you.

Best DG — Preceding unsigned comment added by Philemon Matilda (talk • contribs) 09:07, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

Hi @Philemon Matilda: if you have a connection to the things you have written about, then you have a conflict of interest (COI), and you should exercise caution while editing these subject - there is a page about the help available for editors with COIs. In brief, on Wikipedia, "Do not edit Wikipedia in your own interests or in the interests of your external relationships." On another point, please do not make arguments "ad hominem" to other editors (such as you did about Shadowowl above), regardless of your intentions. With regards to your drafts, both are awaiting review, and as you can see from the review template on both pages, this may take 2-3 weeks, as there are (at the moment) 1148 submissions awaiting review. I personally don't see any problems with the reviewers, but if you wish someone else to review the drafts, you should ask this question at the Articles for Creation help desk (click on the link to this other help desk in the third bullet point in the beige/orange box at either the top or bottom of the drafts). I would advise you to address the issues in the red/pink box at the top of Draft:Dirk Coetsee, about referencing. You may wish to visit the reference desk for help on finding these references. You may also wish to read Your First Article (if you haven't done so already). If you need any more help, just ask here or leave a message on my talk page.  Seagull123  Φ  16:20, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

@Philemon Matilda: Please do NOT use personal attacks! I removed it for now, but it can lead to a ban if you do it again! I am not affilated in ANY way to the colonisation of South Africa! -- » Shadowowl Marcos Rodriguez | t | SPI | AIV | Sandbox | Helpdesk » 16:47, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

Hi @Philemon Matilda:, contrary to your expectations, you would actually get good advice and assistance if you were to post at WT:WikiProject South Africa. One of your drafts has in fact already been reviewed and accepted by a South African, me! Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 08:08, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Hello @Dodger67:, thank you, I am so glad that you referred me to that page! I am still learning and getting used to the editing process. Thank you for reviewing and accepting the article in question which I've just realized you did. I have created two articles titled "Dirk Coetsee" and "Coetsenburg". I still do not know how to add "1655-1725" behind Dirk's name in the section title. Dirk's surname was initially Couché which morphed into Coetsee and later Coetzee; he signed it personally Coetsee in the Geslagsregister, though, so it is evidently the name that he eventually chose to be known by. There is a book by an academic at the University of the Western Cape detailing the origin of Dirk Coetsee and the Coetsenburg Estate which is very well-researched and referenced: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41056580?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents If you have some time during what I'm sure is a busy schedule, could you please take a look at my articles "Dirk Coetsee" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Dirk_Coetsee) and "Coetsenburg" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Coetsenburg) and accept if they are suitable? The "Dirk Coetsee" article was rejected by a deletionist because I mistakenly copied and pasted the wrong reference (I really shouldn't edit late at night). Thank you once again. Philemon Matilda (talk) 08:24, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Please stop throwing "deletionist" around. It's not WP:CIVIL - X201 (talk) 09:39, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

broken reference links

How do I go about editing a broken reference link I find?

i.e. Subic Bay Freeport Zone ref 6

no longer exists — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vgerdj (talk • contribs) 12:12, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

First, run a search at the linked site to see if the url has changed. (In this case, no dice—the article appears to be gone.) Then enter the dead url at the Wayback Machine to see if an archived version is available. (No dice again here—Wayback has several snapshots of that url, but all show a page with a 404 error.) If you want to be extra diligent, you could Google around to see if the page was mirrored at some other site—but be careful not to link to page containing a copyright violation. Then it's up to you. If you have the time and the inclination, look for another reliable source that supports the passage. Otherwise, place the template {{dead link}} immediately after the </ref> tag. And you're done. Unless, of course, you have strong reason to think the content is wrong and the reference was bogus in the first place, in which case you could remove the offending passage along with the ref. If you do that, you might copy them onto the talk page and leave a note there, for posterity. Rivertorch^FIRE_WATER 12:58, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Summer_Time

Under the map Time in Europe light green UTC+03:00 (in Russia Moscow Time) Crimea is the part of Ukraine, occupied by Russia. This fact is recognised by EU, USA, Canada and other countries and world organizations. You should change the colour. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.110.129.120 (talk) 16:48, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

The color doesn't indicate any political affiliation, just that Crimea currently uses UTC+03:00 as its time zone. Note that Belarus and Turkey are also light green and are not part of Russia. uhhlive (talk) 18:58, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

And to clarify further, "(in Russia Moscow Time)" means that in Russia this time zone is called Moscow time. It doesn't mean that everybody in the time zone are in Russia. In Turkey it's called Turkey Time. PrimeHunter (talk) 19:24, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

Company page

How do I make a page for my company without it deleting? — Preceding unsigned comment added by IMoumou (talk • contribs) 22:19, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

Hi @IMoumou: Please wait before creating a page about a company or organization.
Since you have a close connection to the company or organization, you have a conflict of interest. Please read the FAQ first. If you still think your article is appropriate, you can submit it to Articles for creation. Just click this link and follow the instructions. Writing an article for Wikipedia is harder than many people realize. Even professional writers find that the format and style needed for a good encyclopedia article are different than what might be appropriate for other venues. You could:

• Get someone else to do it—If your only goal is to make sure that an article is added to Wikipedia, you can request that someone write an article on the subject.
• Start by editing other articles—If you are interested in becoming an editor at Wikipedia, our experience demonstrates that it is better to start by improving existing articles, which will help you get a sense of how this place works, and then you will be ready to write your first article from scratch. A good place to visit is the Wikipedia backlog, where there are literally hundreds of thousands of articles needing help from editors. Find an article in a subject area you know, and add a source, or a reference, or simply help write it better.
• Go ahead and try—If you do decide to write an article immediately, please read our policy on conflicts of interest, then read our guide to writing your first article, which will repeat some of the good advice above. Then please use the Article wizard, which will help you through the steps. I urge you to accept the option to save your first draft in your user subpage, which will reduce the chance your work will be deleted before it is ready.

 Seagull123  Φ  22:33, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

August 1

Schrodinger's User

This is likely not the right place to post this but I'm not really sure what is, and the sheer overwhelm of Wikipedia's interface doesn't help. Whenever I post a comment on a talk page and sign off on it, clicking on my username takes me to a page that does not exist. My username was recently disallowed, after which I requested a change and the editing ban I got lifted, but the actual change does not seem to have taken place... or at least, too place partially. My username displays as Kaos-Industries on the top of my screen, my user page, any edits I make, and everytime I sign off on a talk page. However, on my talk page, it displays as HashimA, as seen here: ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:HashimA. Could someone explain to me what's happened here, and help me fix it?

Kaos-Industries (talk) 00:24, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Your user and talk pages are separate pages. Just click on the red link to your user page, which has been renamed User:HashimA apparently, type something there and save it. It will then turn blue. Clarityfiend (talk) 00:36, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

The account User:Kaos-Industries was renamed to User:HashimA 24 September 2016 [2] and the talk page was redirected to the new name. But instead of using the renamed account by logging in as HashimA, you created a new account with the name Kaos-Industries 30 November 2016. You either have to start using the account HashimA, or request a new rename of Kaos-Industries to another name of your choice (you cannot rename your second account to the same name HashimA). See Wikipedia:Changing username. Which do you want? PrimeHunter (talk) 01:13, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

I'm curious to know what connection you have with User:Nazim Hussain Pak. Dbfirs 06:24, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

article issue problem

hello sir i make a post shariram martial school but i diont no my page is delete by wiki so please help — Preceding unsigned comment added by 20sharmashyam (talk • contribs) 04:59, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Hello 20sharmashyam, the article has been tagged under our speedy deletion criteria #A7. Procedurally, the A7 tag doesn't apply for educational institutions. So I have removed the same. But I have subsequently proposed deletion of your article; please see the comments I have left on the top of the article to understand how to improve the article. Warmly. Lourdes 05:44, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Determining when an article title is ambiguous

So I'm pretty familiar with the guideline WP:DISAMBIG, and the article The Racer (Kings Island) has clearly been treated with parenthetical disambiguation. Typing The Racer into Wikipedia's search box takes us to the disambig page Racer. My question is, doesn't the presence of The in the title make a difference here? There is no other page on Wikipedia called "The Racer". I'm wondering if the parenthetical Kings Island should be removed from the title, renaming the article to simply "The Racer". Aside from the advice of taking this to WP:RM, I'd be interested to know if this is the right approach. Thoughts? --GoneIn60 (talk) 05:01, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Hello GoneIn60, the article The Racer exists as a redirect to Racer. In my opinion, the current status is perfect and doesn't need to be changed. Warmly. Lourdes 05:36, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

I would think the right approach would be to raise The Racer at WP:RFD (and if the consensus develops that the roller coaster is WP:PRIMARYTOPIC, it will naturally lead to a page move) rather than The Racer (Kings Island) at WP:RM, since it is a disambiguation issue rather than a "what is the appropriate title" issue. (I have no strong feelings either way about the bottom of the issue.) Tigraan^{Click here to contact me} 07:45, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Lourdes, Tigraan: Thank you for the feedback. It was very helpful. --GoneIn60 (talk) 13:02, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Misplaced deletion nomination

I nominated something other than an article for deletion recently (a category perhaps?), but can't recall what it was. I can't find it in my watchlist either. I'd like to know what happened to it. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:13, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

In your recent contributions outside of article space, I can see Category:Actors from the New York metropolitan area, Category:Films set in sea and Category:Works set in sea up for deletion. -- John of Reading (talk) 07:38, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Thanks. It was the first one I was thinking of. The other two slipped my mind completely. Clarityfiend (talk) 08:40, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Novopolotsk State Musical College

Good morning,

Why doesn't the page Novopolotsk State Musical College appear on a websearch "Novopolotsk State Musical College" on Google even though I selected the option 'let this page be indexed by search engines' in the advanced settings of the page?

Kind regards, --Les Yeux Noirs (talk) 10:02, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

@Les Yeux Noirs: Hello, new articles will not appear in Google searches for 90 days or until they have been reviewed, whichever is the shorter period. Eagleash (talk) 10:07, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

@Eagleash: Thank you for your answer --Les Yeux Noirs (talk) 10:11, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

@Les Yeux Noirs:, I've removed promotional language and lists of non-notable people without Wikipedia articles (the staff list would soon be out of date anyway). You now need independent verifiable sources to enable us to verify the facts and show that it meets the notability guidelines. I've moved it to Draft:Novopolotsk State Musical College to protect it from deletion while you do that. if you don't understand any of my changes, ask on my user talk page Jimfbleak - talk to me? 12:42, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

2017 MAC Football Championship Game Article

Can you move the 2017 MAC Football Championship Game from the Talk Article To The draft Article Please. 2600:8803:7A00:976A:6010:40F7:DC38:A01E (talk) 14:08, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Why Didn't You Answer Me GET YOUR LAZY BUTT'S IN GEAR NOW. 2600:8803:7A00:976A:6010:40F7:DC38:A01E (talk) 16:50, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

I posted this at your talk page the last time you made such a request, but it appears your IP has changed in the meantime. Allow me to restate:

Writing in ALL CAPS is considered shouting and comes across as rude, not to mention demanding that other editors "get their lazy butts in gear." Keep in mind that we are all volunteers here and that civility is one of Wikipedia's fundamental policies. –FlyingAce^✈hello 18:41, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

I placed the article in the articles for creation review (which is how IP articles are commonly reviewed). Please be aware that 1,250 articles are waiting, so it will take about a month to get reviewed. Daylen (talk) 18:49, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Thanks Daylen For doing that. 2600:8803:7A00:976A:6010:40F7:DC38:A01E (talk) 20:32, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Finding Wiki-Writers

Hello,

I am trying to find professional Wikipedia writers that I may employ to write a page for me in the required format.

Any suggestions on how to reach them?

Thanks, — Preceding unsigned comment added by 158.106.192.154 (talk) 14:26, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Hello friend. I think you should start by reading WP:Paid editing and WP:COI. For reasons that should become obvious after reading those pages, most paid editors tend to keep a low profile on this project and probably will not contact you directly here, because such editing is generally discouraged and highly controlled (though not outright against the rules if done properly and in a transparent manner). This is because paid editors will have an incentive to not always follow one of our most important editorial policies (WP:Neutral point of view) to the letter, which has lead to a lot of disruption of articles in the past, as you might imagine. But the good news is, you don't really need to pay someone to edit; provided that your proposed article meets our criteria for inclusion on the project, you can almost certainly find someone to write it for you for free. Can I ask what the subject is, of this article you wish to have written? Snow ^{let's rap} 15:33, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Add recipient of Soldiers Medal

My father was the recipient of the Soldiers Medal while in Viet Nam. I have the documents and can upload the info. How do I add him to the Soldiers Medal List of Recipients?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier's_Medal — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.82.9.2 (talk) 16:36, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Unless your father is notable enough to have an article in Wikipedia his name should not be listed there. If you look at the list, List of Soldier's Medal recipients, every single entry has a Wikipedia article. If he is notable enough to have an article, the article should be written first and then added to the list. ~ GB fan 16:43, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Shane Roiser

I am having repeated defamatory and libelous edits made about myself and seek to have the title page barred from further entries or the editor(s) responsible banned from making edits. The edit timeline shows the nature of the content and the timelines involved. I suspect I know the person responsible and legal enforcement is and has been in place for some time to protect my personal safety and that of my family. It seems however, that you have created a conduit for anonymising false information. There also seems to be a lack of fail safes to prevent repeated breaches. I look forward to some assistance in preventing further continued publication of false personal information. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:C7D:324E:9600:6983:9754:E751:F704 (talk) 18:18, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

I think the best thing you can do is go to the BLP noticeboard and post a request there. Alternatively, you can tag the pages for speedy deletion with {{db-blp}}. If that does not help, then contact Wikipedia instead. Ups and Downs (↕) 18:34, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

If unsourced BLP-information ("BLP" = "Biographies of living persons") is repeatedly added to an article, another option is a request to protect the page against further disruption. Wikipedia has a strict policy regarding such information about living people - more details about these rules are available at WP:BLP. I know that doesn't help you immediately, but this background information is hopefully helpful in the long run. GermanJoe (talk) 19:10, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

IP reverting editions

There is an IP that is insisting on removing information that Brazil beat the South American record in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay event at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest in these 2 articles: Swimming at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships and Swimming at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay. One of his editions: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swimming_at_the_2017_World_Aquatics_Championships_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_4_%C3%97_100_metre_freestyle_relay&diff=793286280&oldid=793134071 . I just put the information back with sources verifying it, and I left a message on his discussion page, trying to teach the question to him. If he rolls back the information, now with added fonts, I expect someone to take action, as there is ongoing abuse on his part. Thank you. 179.197.227.146 (talk) 19:31, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

I am a third party observer to this. The only reason the reversions seem to have been happening is because SA is not an officially recognized area, and that seems to be all. This does not list SA whereas This does list AM, because AM (meaning Americas record) is officially listed by FINA and Omega timing, simple as that. I hope the difference in area record is recognizable. While "South American" record is bigger than a "national record", I don't know the correct way to list the record on the main page. 24.17.207.180 (talk) 21:14, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Just to add, there is no North American record, just as there technically is no official South American record. 24.17.207.180 (talk) 21:15, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Wikipedia, or the people who truly understand and live in the "swimming world" (swimmers, fans, coaches etc) don't need FINA's approval to recognize any record. In fact, FINA is highly unorganized on the issue of data management. Until a few years ago they didnt put anything of AM, OC, ER, EU on the time lists (Omega is not FINA, OK?), just the WR, and even so the other records doesn't cease to exist just because FINA don't recognize it. Incidentally, you are the one who is claiming FINA doesn't recognize the record, who guarantees me that FINA don't do it? And even if they don't do it, that would be no reason to ignore the record. All the specialized media have always placed the South American record. And finally, the media doesn't say "record of North America" because this continent only has 3 countries, not counting that US has 99% of the records. Then they never mentioned the existance by total lack of necessity. South America and Oceania has more than 10 countries. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2804:d41:b28:2fba::1 (talk) 22:01, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

This is pretty esoteric for the help desk. What you might do is pick the talk page of one of those two articles and post more or less what you've posted here. (On the talk page of the other article, you can put a link to the first talk page to let others know there's a relevant discussion proceeding elsewhere.) If no one shows up for the discussion, you can ping the editors who have recently edited those articles, and you can also leave a neutrally-worded message at a related WikiProject to try to alert more people who have some familiarity with the topic. Rivertorch^FIRE_WATER 22:20, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

How do I report a user?

He's been following me around, reverting my edits, and calling me names. Clearly, he's looking for a confrontation, and I'm not interested in giving him one. Please advise. DetroitWheels74 (talk) 20:09, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

You can look at WP:HOUNDING. Ruslik_Zero 20:23, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Yes, but how do I actually report the user for their "hounding"? And to whom? DetroitWheels74 (talk) 11:05, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

In my experience the best way to avoid a confrontation is to just ignore the other party and walk away - maybe take a short wikibreak. If you feel the situation is sufficiently serious, you could write an incident report at WP:ANI - but that is pretty confrontational. And bear in mind the advice in WP:BOOMERANG. Gandalf61 (talk) 12:03, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Except if I'm the one who takes a "wikibreak", he wins, right? DetroitWheels74 (talk) 12:54, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Portal:Sierra Leone

In Portal:Sierra Leone in the "Sierra Leone articles" section the part British colony (1800-1961) goes into the article about Sierra Leone's history. Can someone help me how to link the part with the article Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate? Thanks. –Sullay (talk) 23:35, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Hi @Sullay: Please see Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Linking#Section links for details regarding section linking (you just add the number sign, like I did with the link). Have a nice day! Daylen (talk) 00:04, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

August 2

Help:Cite errors/Cite error ref no input

Dear Sir, I set some references on my article "Sayeed Abubakar"; but it shows "error". Please tell me, what I have to do now. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Asma Zenzali (talk • contribs) 00:41, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Make sure every opening <ref> tag has a closing </ref> tag and ensure that there is content inside of them. To place your references, use <references/>. That is all I have to tell you to avoid errors. Ups and Downs (↕) 01:51, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Need help writing an article on Orange is the New Black actress

I need help writing a article about a star from Orange Is the New Black called Amanda Stephen. Could someone help? GraceAllison (talk) 00:55, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

First, make sure that the subject meets Wikipedia's notability guideline for people and for entertainers. If you're sure, a good next step is to use the the article wizard. Follow the instructions there and, if you run into any specific problems, feel free to come back here and ask. Rivertorch^FIRE_WATER 04:39, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure that she doesn't. The CV at her own website http://www.amandastephen.net/resume--profile-links.html , which would have the most info, doesn't seem to make her notable.Naraht (talk) 10:55, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Link to specific section of an article

Say I want to not just put double hooks around a word or phrase to make it a link, but rather link to a specific section of another article, or a different artikle, like the one about Tibet history, instead of just the Tibet article. How do I do that?Tochar (talk) 06:20, 2 August 2017 (UTC) OK; sorry; I see that the q has been a already. Tochar (talk) 06:24, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

(edit conflict)The "hash" symbol is used to refer to a section, like this: Tibet#History. Dbfirs 06:25, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

See more at Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Linking#Section links. PrimeHunter (talk) 11:17, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Barry Mannakee

Ref number 7 is incorrect as it has red writing. Please fix . 123.2.36.6 (talk) 07:09, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Have removed the soft hyphen from the quote, error is now fixed. Bakilas (talk) 07:12, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Jack Atley

Why cant the page about me be removed from Wikipedia.

I have expressly told you that this is highly stressful for me.

It is inaccurate, wrong, out of date and damaging to my professional career - which has nothing at all to do with photography or race car driving - and I have kindly asked that Wikipedia remove it, on multiple ocassions.

THIS IS A PAGE ABOUT ME. NO ONE ELSE. NO ONE ELSE HAS TO LIVE WITH THIS. I DO. Yet others seem to care and keep replacing this page.

And despite me asking a number of times to delete this page and going through various channels asking for this, the page is exactly the same as what it has been.

WHY DOES THIS CONTINUE TO HAPPEN when I am crying out to you to constantly to remove it? Why does the fact I tell you this is highly stressful for me fall on deaf ears?

What is it going to take to have this damaging, stressful and wrong page about me removed from Wikipedia? WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE??????? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jackatley (talk • contribs) 12:02, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

@Jackatley: Jack, I've responded on my user talk page. WikiDan61^ChatMe!_ReadMe!! 13:11, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

• (edit conflict) Jackatley, I assume this is about the page Jack Atley. There was a discussion about whether the article should be deleted here, which concluded that the page should be kept, though some poorly sourced statements had to be removed. I fail to see how the page as it exists is problematic in any way, but I am ready to assume the subject is truly hurt by its existence.

Your reason for deleting the page seems to boil down to "I do not want this page to exist or be found in Google", which is not quite enough. You being hurt by the page's existence is no grounds to delete it (long story short, the Wikimedia Foundation (the organization that handles Wikipedia) is located in the US, and see Freedom of speech in the United States). If you have specific reasons to think the page intrudes on privacy, or makes false claims, by all means say so and we will see what can be done, but Wikipedia has plenty of unflattering pages about living people and they do not get deleted just because the subject is unpleased. I would also suggest reading about the Streisand effect. Tigraan^{Click here to contact me} 13:22, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Name Change

Hello friends -

I am finally starting to manage my career tools, and I've noticed that my Wikipedia page (the first page to show up when googled) displays my name incorrectly! I haven't used a middle initial in my name for 35 years, so I'd like to remove it, but after reading the editing instructions, I can't seem to figure out how...! Can you help?

Many thanks in advance!

Here's the page in question:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_H._Jenkins

All the best!

- Daniel Jenkins

Danjenkins309 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 12:20, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

• Hi Danjenkins309. First let me say, thank you for bringing this here rather than trying to fix it yourself. Which is discouraged at Wikipedia and seen as a conflict of interest. In looking at why your name appears this way, the protocol must yield to what is most commonly found by reliable sources to date. For instance: at your IDBD Daniel H Jenkins Page you'll see that your middle initial is represented. Furthermore, within the listed works up until 2013, your middle is present. This is perhaps where the mistake has occured. However, your website shows the contrary. Since IBDB is not a reliable source; let me assemble reviews, interviews, and articles that support your claim: Daniel Jenkins. On quick review, the LP of "Big River" states: "Daniel Jenkins" and that was from 1985. This does help your claim; and will make the search easy. Once I have cited the reliable sources, I will move the page to the correct name. Thanks. PS the page itself also needs to be updated and edited. Maineartists (talk) 12:47, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Upon further review: I thought the page was set up correctly for the benefit of your name: "Redirect" tag at the top of the page, both names are represented, etc. However, the links (and online sources) prove that your current name is: "Daniel Jenkins" supported by WP:COMMONNAME. I will move the page so that it titles: "Daniel Jenkins" with the lede stating "Daniel H. Jenkins". In addition, as I said, the page is poorly represented of your work; and is terribly structured and worded. I will go in and update and fix. I hope this helps. Maineartists (talk) 12:59, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

How to use Sandbox for new draft when it is redirected with a submitted article pending review?

Hello! This is no doubt a bit stupid so sorry in advance. I drafted an article in my sandbox. I then submitted it for consideration which meant that my Sandbox page is redirected. The article is now pending and has been for a while. I would like to start working on something else in my Sandbox (which is redirected to a draft article page) while keeping the draft up for review. How do I use the Sandbox without deleting the article which is submitted or interfering with the redirect? Thanks. I really have tried to see if there was an answer in the FAQ.....ECURBEC (talk) 13:27, 2 August 2017 (UTC)