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October 9

e-Mail

When I initially established my account, I submitted the wrong e-mail address due to a typo error. How do I change or correct my E-Mail address? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.28.194.92 (talk) 02:02, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

First you need to log into your account. You are currently editing while logged out. Secondly, there is a tab at the VERY top of every page that says "my preferences". Click that tab, and you can change your default email address there. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 02:26, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A "Jimbo Wales" subpage

I came across this: User:Hda3ku/ / / / / / / / / / / sdf when I decided to see where the Jibo Ravana.jpg picture linked to. Now, I want to assume good faith here, but I'm afraid it could be used for "naughtiness", if you know what I mean. A little help? Thx. ←Signed:→Mr. E. Sánchez ^{Get to know me!} / _{Talk to me!}←at≈:→ 03:27, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It's just a copy of some revision of User:Jimbo Wales. Calvin 1998 ^(t·c) 03:41, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

yeah, the WP:AGF response is to ignore it, since it doesn't seem to be doing any actual harm. Actually, my best guess is that the user liked the layout of Jimbo's user page, and made himself a copy to play around with the Wikitext and see about implementing some of it himself. Just a guess here. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:44, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

One could ask about it on User talk:Hda3ku. --Teratornis (talk) 04:07, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! ←Signed:→Mr. E. Sánchez ^{Get to know me!} / _{Talk to me!}←at≈:→ 08:09, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Article Fjolla

There ia an article here on Fjolla that I was going to transwiki to Wiktionary, but the word already exists there, but without this meaning (see wikt:Fjolla). I would think it needs to be merged with that entry because it is non-encyclopedic in nature to stand, being simply a definition of the word, as an article here. My problem is what to do. It does not qualify, from what I gather, for tagging {{Copy to Wiktionary}} because the words exists there already. Does it need to be AFD'd, and then appended to wiktionary once deleted, or is there some other method other than the copy tag that will expedite this? --JavierMC 06:12, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think that it needs to be transwikied to Wikt. The WP Fjolla article is about the name, whereas the Wikt definition is for other uses of the word. The WP article can certainly stand on its own - we have many articles about first names - John (first name) for example, that also have definitions on Wikt - John. Fjolla need some work, but I think it is a valid WP article. The Wikt definition could be expanded to include the name definition, similar to John, though it would obviously be less detailed. – ukexpat (talk) 15:07, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I have wikified Fjolla and created the relevant name category and sub-cat and applied the sub-cat. Maybe someone familiar with IPA could add the correct IPA pronunciation key? – ukexpat (talk) 15:29, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Asking for votes?

Now, an editor has asked on his/her userpage for editors to go to an AfD and vote Keep. Now, I know there's a policy against this, but I can't recall which one. Can you help me? Thanks! (Oh, if that's not against policy, also let me know, please!) ←Signed:→Mr. E. Sánchez ^{Get to know me!} / _{Talk to me!}←at≈:→ 08:11, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I think you're thinking of Wikipedia:Canvassing, but I don't think that's what's going on here. Spamming lots of people's talk pages to try to persuade them to support your point of view is frowned on. Highlighting a discussion on a userpage isn't. In fact, encouraging relevant editors to contribute to a discussion is a contructive approach. It might sometimes be helpful to remind people that an AFD is a discussion, not a vote, though. --HughCharlesParker (talk - contribs) 08:47, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I guess this is about User:Crazyla112 which looks inappropriate to me. It makes unsourced partisan claims in a place other people are unlikely to comment. And it's by the article creator who has a strong conflict of interest (screen writer for the article subject) and asks people to please go to the AfD and vote keep. They are not asked to consider guidelines, alleged sources or anything else. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:20, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Image copyright question

Can I use the top part of this image free of copyright (date c1920s) in a Wikipedia article? Mjroots (talk) 09:54, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Not necessarily. If the author of the photograph is unknown, then possibly, because it's fair to assume it was taken in the 1920s and copyright will therefore have expired. If the author is known, however, then copyright will subsist until 70 years after their death, so the image may not be copyright free yet. _Gb^T/c 12:21, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Picture is almost certainly from an old picture postcard, the publishers of which are almost certainly defunct.Mjroots (talk) 08:30, 10 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If the publisher is defunct, that makes it more difficult to use the image. The publisher might have been a source of information on whether the image was still under copyright and on how to contact the photographer for permission. —teb728 t c 09:08, 10 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I want to report a sock-puppet

I am sure that User:WorldAtlas and User:ThomasBuckley are the same person. They make similar edits to the same articles and they even sign their names in the same incorrect manner. Also they are coluding in a debate as to which logo to use in the article University of East Anglia - See here. What can you do about this? I don't think it's right if the same person is trying to manipulate debate to get their own way. 79.75.215.137 (talk) 11:48, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Usual place would be WP:SSP, but given the cross-over of edits, it's pretty clear that they're one and the same. The giveaway, for me, is that Thomas Buckley uploads a logo for Connecticut College here, and a few minutes later WorldAtlast edits the page here to insert it. _Gb^T/c 12:01, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

So what will be done about it?—Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.75.215.137 (talk • contribs)

Try checking the talk pages of the user concerned...the older account has been blocked for one day, the younger account has been indefinitely blocked as a sock._Gb^T/c 12:16, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I think reporting it to WP:Suspected sock puppets is the best thing to do. Gb is right, it is pretty obvious that there's sockpuppetry occuring here, but SSP is still the place to go to get it dealt with. --HughCharlesParker (talk - contribs) 12:58, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Erm, I've already dealt with it...although my previously reply was a bit vague, so I've expanded on it now. If you mean what to do with future instances, then yes, definitely add them to the permanent backlog that is WP:SSP ;-) _Gb^T/c 13:09, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Electrical Engineering

I heve N6 Diploma from Durban Tecnical College can I enrool with you —Preceding unsigned comment added by 147.110.52.117 (talk) 11:53, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Anyone can create an account on wikipedia - you're welcome here regardless of your qualifications. Just click on the Log in / create account link at the top right of any wikipedia page. You don't even have to create an account to edit, but there are advantages to doing so. --HughCharlesParker (talk - contribs) 12:21, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 6 million articles and thought we were affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this page is for asking questions related to using or contributing to Wikipedia itself. Thus, we have no special knowledge about the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the upper right side of your screen. If you cannot find what you are looking for, we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome. Best of luck. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 12:26, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Vandalism

Can anybody please take a look at this contributions (Special:Contributions/Bopped_Kia)? For example Uncle Sam. Thank you. --тнояsтеn ⇔ 12:06, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Already blocked, thanks for the heads up. For future reference, vandalism is best reported to this page where it'll get a quicker response. _Gb^T/c 12:17, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

As I'm contributing to the German Wikipedia I didn't know the right place for my enquiry. Thanks though. --тнояsтеn ⇔ 14:26, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Zaccanopoli

Anyone want to take a look at the Zaccanopoli article. I have trouble believing anything in the article is true. Kobain (talk) 13:59, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It appears to be a real place, but I've removed the obvious vandalism. Thanks for catching that! TN‑X-Man 14:01, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Help

I am working on my first article/page in a "sandbox", my user page, as suggested. Three questions:

1. Citing sources: I am pulling information from fact sheets, overviews, and annual reports supplied by the user group, the subject of my article. Do I cite those as sources or is it not necessary or do I just cite the user group address and user group website?

2. How do I move the content from my user page to Wikipedia once I am ready? Start a page and copy and paste?

3. If the article is accepted by Wikipedia, when and how will I be able to upload and display a logo for the user group?

Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by CarinJohns (talk • contribs) 15:30, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry to just dump some homework on you but take a look at Wikipedia:Your first article, WP:CORP and WP:FAQ/Business and WP:RS. In order to upload an image your account needs to be 4 days old with 10 edits. Gtstricky^{Talk or C} 16:15, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

To be more specific to answer these questions:

1. You want to be as specific as possible when citing a source. You want someone to be able to find the exact page you are looking at if they were to check. If you only cite the website in question, it may not be easy or intuitive to find the source. If you are looking at a webpage, cite the exact URL of the page that ties to that "fact", and if you are reading a book, you should cite the page number and edition (ISBN) so someone could find it if they wanted to. WP:CITE and WP:CITET are good references for how to handle this.

2. Once you are "autoconfirmed" (4 days and 10 edits on your account) you will have a series of new tabs appear at the top of your screen. One is named "move". You simply use that tab, which will open an easy to use dialog where you move the article to the new name. Its pretty easy, but if you have trouble or are unsure of how to use it, ask an experienced user (I can do it) to help out or show you how it works.

3. Likewise, once you are autoconfirmed (4 days and 10 edits) you will get a new option on the LEFT side of your screen, in the "toolbox" section that says "upload file". There is an upload wizard that will walk you through the process. Before you upload, you should DEFINATELY read WP:IMAGE and WP:IUP for information on image liscencing and Wikipedia. Its complicated, and make certain you understand how to correctly tag and describe any images you upload.

4. I know you didn't ask a question #4, but I thought it prudent to answer an implicit question you may not know you had. With regard to "acceptable" articles at Wikipedia, you should read and understand the concept of notability at Wikipedia. In your article, you need to establish that the group/person/company/whatever has been recognized as notable by the world at large outside of Wikipedia. In order to do that, your article should cite extensive coverage of the subject in independent sources (those unconnected to the subject itself). If no one outside of Wikipedia and the subject has written about it, then it shouldn't have an article on Wikipedia. Be certain your article is able to meet that basic requirement.

Good luck, and let us know if you need more help! --Jayron32.talk.contribs 17:55, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've looked at the sandbox, and there's no way that organization is going to pass muster as notable. We can't have articles here on every organization on the planet; it's simply not practical. --Orange Mike | Talk 21:05, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

FWIW I agree with you completely. Maybe a one sentence mention in the SAP AG article or related articles, but not a whole article to itself -- as it stands it would probably be deleted per WP:CSD#G11 or WP:CSD#A7. I seriously doubt whether there is any significant coverage in any WP:RS to be found. – ukexpat (talk) 21:37, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Requested Template:User Good Topic

Within Category:Wikipedia featured topics templates there should be a Template:User Good Topic analogue to Template:User Featured Topic. Can someone throw something together.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 15:35, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

~~:Template:User Good topics exists...doesn't have the behavoir of the FT template, but could be an easy fix.~~ Louis Waweru Talk 15:50, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That is the analogue to Template:User Featured topics. Both are needed.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 16:09, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, I modeled one after the analogue...please let me know if something isn't linking to the right page. Louis Waweru Talk 16:53, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 17:08, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It is not working properly. It is showing on the side no matter where I place it on the page. I want it to work like {{User Good Article}} in terms of page placement.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 17:13, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It does not seem to be boxing correctly on my user page and is showing twice although only added once.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 17:17, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, I placed it on your page for you...that's why it was appearing twice. I removed it and I think it should box fine now. Louis Waweru Talk 17:28, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

O.K. All seems fine now.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 17:53, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

One last thing. I think good in good topic status should be lower case.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 18:24, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Done - BTW, do you know of a reason why "Good topic status" and "Featured status" would be in bold? Louis Waweru Talk 18:36, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. I guess to make them stand out.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 19:05, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Album page infoboxes are missing genres

I did some mass editing to some of my created album pages about 12 hours ago, but since I made the changes none of the pages are displaying the Genre section of the album. I've viewed the pages on two different computers at both home and work, and the problem persists even on pages which I haven't touched for months. Is something the matter here? Mac dreamstate (talk) 17:19, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, the genre variable has been removed, see Template_talk:Infobox_Album#Genres Ling.Nut ^{(talk—WP:3IAR)} 17:24, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I see. Does that mean I should hold off editing any album pages for a while? Mac dreamstate (talk) 17:27, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No, they should be fine to edit; it's only that one line that is under debate. Meanwhile, if you have any opinion about the matter, it is under discussion here. --Moonriddengirl ^(talk) 17:29, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Many thanks for pointing that out to me. I've been completely dumbstruck by their disappearance ever since last night! Mac dreamstate (talk) 17:53, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Upload a Piciture I created

I am not an administrator but desire to upload a logo that represents the golf tournament I am creating a page for.

Can someone help me upload the jpg image I have on my hard drive to the wiki server so that I can reference it and have it appear on the new wiki page I am creating about the golf tournament?

Thank you,

17:54, 9 October 2008 (UTC)LionsNational (talk) 17:54, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In order to upload a picture, you need to first be "autoconfirmed". That requires that you have 4 days experience and a minimum of 10 edits. Once you are autoconfirmed, there will be a whole bunch of new tools you will have access to, including the option to upload files. On the left side of the screen, under the "toolbox" header will be a link that says "Upload file". From there, a series of "wizards" can help you through the technical aspects of uploading files. Also, before you upload ANYTHING, you should read and understand Wikipedia's rather strict policies on the proper use and liscencing of images. Such information can be found at WP:IMAGE and WP:IUP. This is perhaps one of the most complicated and stringent parts of Wikipedia, so be certain you understand how to correctly tag and label your images when they are uploaded; improperly labeled and/or used images can present legal complications for the Wikimedia Foundation (wikipedia's parent compnay) and they need to be strict that intellectual property laws are followed to the letter. Good luck, and if you need any more help, feel free to ask! --Jayron32.talk.contribs 18:00, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If it is your own work please upload it to Commons so that it is available to all the WP projects. Commons does not have autoconfirmation requirements. – ukexpat (talk) 21:39, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Translating pages

Hi, is there an area/ wikiproject that deals with translating articles from other wikis? TheMorid i a n 18:34, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Check out WP:TIE. --Alinnisawest,^{Dalek Empress} (extermination requests here) 18:38, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

And WP:EIW#Translate. --Teratornis (talk) 21:17, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Glasses that are too big;)

Hi. if you go to my user page, there at the bottom is an image of oversized glasses with a quote under it. Is there any way to compress the image? Contact me on my talk page, thanks.--Archeopteryx (talk) 18:41, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Replied on the user's talk page. _Gb^T/c 18:46, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

'The Workers in the Vineyard'

I tried to create this page as a simple redirect to ---> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Workers_in_the_Vineyard but it asked me not to. Any particular reason? No biggie, no rush, whenever, thanks. SmokeyTheCat •TALK• 19:04, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Could you elaborate on what you mean by “it asked me not to”? Did you perhaps try to redirect to the full URL rather than the article title, [[Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard]]? —teb728 t c 20:23, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Prize for improving articles?

Resolved

Hello, I recall seeing a Wikipedia page somewhere where editors could request for articles to be improved, such as to Featured Article status, in exchange for a monetary reward. I can't seem to find this page, and a quick look at the archives didn't turn up anything relevant. —Erik (talk • contrib) - 21:33, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

WP:REWARD would be the one! Pedro : Chat 21:38, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you very much! :) —Erik (talk • contrib) - 21:43, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Making a new article that needs the title of a redirect...

I want to make a new article for the name of a school, but when I put in the name of the school, instead of going to "An article doesn't exist," it redirects to a school that has a similar name but isn't actually called it. At the top it says it was redirected from my search term. How can I make a new article from a redirected search term? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Fedorka (talk • contribs) 21:34, 9 October 2008 (UTC) --Fedorka :-) (talk) 21:37, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If you click on the "redirected from......" comment you will get to the original page and will be able to edit it. However there may be a very good reason for the redirect so a disambiguation link may be needed. What article are you trying to create? Pedro : Chat 21:38, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Theresianum (it's an academy in Vienna... it redirects to an Austrian military academy) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Fedorka (talk • contribs) 21:40, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is the school you want to create known exactly by that name? If so go here] and you can create the article. But if this is not the exact school name we will need a disambiguation page. You'll also want to put a WP:HATNOTE at the top of your new article to help readers learn if they are looking at the right article. (click on my blue links for more info). Also, if you wouldn't mind, when you type a comment please add four tildes ( like this ~~~~) as it signs your name automagically. Ta! Pedro : Chat 21:46, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It's known as both the Theresianum and as the Theresianum Academy (although people searching would most likely just put Theresianum). What do you think I should do? And sorry about the signature issue... I've never posted on here before... :-) --Fedorka :-) (talk) 21:52, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You could write the article at Theresianum Academy, and then turn the Theresianum redirect into a disambiguation page to direct people to both articles. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 22:25, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Theresianum should be a disambiguation page with links to Theresian Military Academy and Theresianum Academy in that case (I'm assuming the one you wish to create will be notable, but in general schools will be). So you create an article at Theresianum Academy (click the red link) and then edit Theresianum per the instructions at WP:DISAMBIG to turn it into a page where our readers can choose which academy they mean. Sorry if this seems all very laborious but with so many articles it is inevitable Wikipedia will have places with more than one common name. Also, see WP:FIRST for article writing help. Pedro : Chat 22:27, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is it worth putting my band on Wiki or will it just be deleted?

Hi

I've been using Wikipedia for a long time now, but have never edited any page myself, which I now want to try.

For my 1st attempt I really want to make a page for my band, but have a few reservations. We are a fairly well known underground band here in my city, but as New Zealand isnt a massive place we are not going to be known outside of it (aside from Myspace). My concern is that I would be wasting my time, that I would make a page for my band and it would get deleted as we are not famous and cannot site lots of sources proving we are real etc (though we do have a myspace page). I wanted to put a few wee pictures up and maybe a song for people to listen to and download if they like us, a way of getting used to using a Wiki and making a page for my band at the same time. Should I bother?

Thanks Rush Bloodbomb (talk) 22:03, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You've already explained that your band is not notable. So, it would be deleted. Having a MySpace page does not indicate notability. Anyone (even pets) can have MySpace pages. Basically, Wikipedia is not for advertising a band. It is an encyclopedia for things that are already notable and do not need to be advertised. -- kainaw ™ 22:19, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Agree. See WP:BAND for more information. Tan | 39 22:20, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I thought that may be the case, you didnt have to be condescending about it though. Oh wait, your American, yes you did. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bloodbomb (talk • contribs) 22:38, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Oh ya, discrimination is surely gonna make your case... Grsz ^X 22:48, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

(e/c) That's a pretty large assumption there. Why are you assuming that these editors are American, and why would that mean they're condescending? The response to your question didn't seem overly condescending to me. GlassCobra 22:51, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No need to be uncivil about it, though, Bloodbomb. Notability is an important guideline in the Wikiworld, Tan and Kai were just explaining that. They might have been a little harsh about it, but it's your comment that's really unacceptable. Also, sign your posts with four tildes (which look like ~~~~). Thanks, I c eUnshattered ^{[ t ]} 22:48, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps this essay is in order. Garycompugeek (talk) 23:02, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Be nice! He/she/it is obviously intelligent and has good command of grammar, and at least he/she/it asked, rather than just creating an article.

Release an album, then you can have an article - but only if you don't make it yourself. Dendodge|Talk^Contribs 23:16, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

(undent) Bloodbomb asked a question in good faith. While the initial brusque answers are factually correct (it would take a brave man to bet on a new article about a band surviving long against the tender mercies of deletionists, who regard band articles as a food group), a more constructive response would be to tell Bloodbomb that creating new articles on Wikipedia is perhaps the most difficult, high-risk way to get started as an editor. For a new article to survive, especially in the topic area of bands where new articles die faster than replacement troops in the Battle of Stalingrad, the article's creator must have more than a first-timer's knowledge of Wikipedia's rules. The conservative approach is to begin by making small edits to existing articles, study what other editors do to your edits, and learn to look up the various policies and guidelines that the other editors are (or should be) following when they edit something. (I try to help, by adding links in my edit summaries that explain what I do to articles, and why.) Over time, the new editor will learn what survives on Wikipedia and what doesn't, giving him/herself a stronger chance of writing a new article that might survive. Bloodbomb, you should also peruse the featured articles about music. To pick one at random, see Janet Jackson. In particular, see Janet Jackson#Footnotes. Even if some deletionist on Wikipedia had never heard of Janet Jackson, he or she could easily see from the huge number of reliable sources in those footnotes that this Janet Jackson person is clearly notable. If you want to write an article about your band that survives, write your article to the same standard as those other featured articles about music. As even a cursory glance will indicate, a first-time Wikipedia editor is many hours of study away from mastering all the Wikipedia arcana that goes into creating a featured article. Perhaps the single biggest hurdle is learning to find reliable sources and put them into footnotes. See WP:RS, WP:CITE, WP:CITET, and WP:FOOT. You can learn to make footnotes by adding them to articles that need them - and Lord knows Wikipedia has plenty of articles that need them. Another way to learn is to watch the Articles for deletion page. When you see (yet) another band article coming up for deletion debate, often the problem is that the article lacks the kind of sourcing you find in Janet Jackson. See if you can add those sources and rescue the article from deletion. Once you can save a few articles for other bands, you will be much more ready to write your own article with defenses already built in. Good luck, and thanks for asking on the Help desk rather than forging ahead in blind faith as so many others do, to their grief. --Teratornis (talk) 23:21, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

And of course there is the conflict of interest problem, but I regard that as secondary if you learn how to write featured articles. Only a tiny percentage of Wikipedia's editors know how to write featured articles, so conflicts of interest become much more likely in the average case of someone writing about something they have a personal involvement with. Who would write an article about a band anyway, besides members of the group, or their fans? If only disinterested parties could write about bands, we probably wouldn't have any band articles. --Teratornis (talk) 23:29, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If you're not notable enough for Wikipedia yet, see WP:OUTLET and wikiindex:WikiIndex. And in the meantime, practice editing on other bands' articles on Wikipedia. --Teratornis (talk) 23:32, 9 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Brusque? Condescending? I don't see either of those - I see an answer that explained WP notability as it applies to bands with links to the relevant pages. The fact that the original poster didn't like the answer does not mean it was inappropriate in content or tone. – ukexpat (talk) 14:08, 10 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

See our side discussion on Wikipedia talk:Help desk#Condescending. Anyone who spends much time online will have the puzzling experience of typing things without conscious malice that someone on the other side of the world finds offensive. Similar problems arise in the real world, where one person's innocent comments can wound someone else. Sensitivity training tries to fix this, generating much fodder for late-night comedians in the process. --Teratornis (talk) 18:10, 10 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]