Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2007 June 11

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June 11[edit]

Bruce7777777[edit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Bruce7777777

I created the above page. I've heard nothing. How do I get it on Wikipedia?

Bruce Charnley

You should copy the content to a new page, an article (see Wikipedia:Article for what an article is). Hopefully Wikipedia's naming conventions will help you decide what to name the article; I think that List of Elvis Presley's favorite books would probably be a good title (click on the link to create the page), and the title could always be changed later. GracenotesT § 02:54, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
And if you want your article to last you are going to need better sources them the ones you have now.... see WP:RS. For example, the intro to "The Impersonal Life" would be considered a WP:RSSethie 03:18, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It looks like you want to create a list, which usually are not well received unless they are referenced, such as with in-line citations. You may want to use the information from Wikipedia:List guideline to create your list. The criteria most often overlooked is Criteria for inclusion in lists: Lists should always include unambiguous statements of membership criteria based on definitions made by reputable sources. My advise is to include such a membership criteria and use the lists at featured lists as models on how to create your list. -- Jreferee 18:44, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Images upload only for user space[edit]

What is the policy regarding images like this Image:0001fiat.jpg? The user has a ton of them on his userpage. —Gaff ταλκ 01:51, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

To tell you the truth, those look possibly unfree (editing a non-free image does not mean that you can relicense it). Of course, spamming the user's talk page with image notices is not going to help anything; a patient explanation of the image policy and a detailed inquiry about the image might help. (See User talk:Raberr#Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for a discussion on what makes an image free.) GracenotesT § 02:03, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Assuming that the images are free, the following quote applies:

Images used on userpages should generally not be nominated on this basis alone unless the user is violating the Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not policy by using Wikipedia to host excessive amounts unencyclopedic material (most commonly private photos).

From WP:IFD#UE. Intentions are important here, and assuming good faith could be useful. GracenotesT § 02:06, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I don't understand. Are we saying that if the person didn't know they were doing anything wrong, they can keep doing it? Corvus cornix 17:18, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

how do you make a new article?[edit]

how do you make an new article? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by SVegerotX (talk • contribs).

Hi SvegerotX, and welcome to Wikipedia. One way to create an article is to make a wikilink for it, by putting 2 square brackets around the article name (e.g. If you wanted to create an article on Green grass, you would type [[Green grass]], and that would render as Green grass). You can then click the link and create the new article. You can also create an article by going to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Article_Name_Here and replace the "Your Article Name Here" with the exact title of your new article.
I recommend you read Wikipedia's policies and guidelines before creating your article, especially the Wikipedia:Notability guidelines. Should you need anymore help, contact me on my talk page at anytime. Good luck! ;) –Sebi ~ 02:24, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Questionable licensing[edit]

This image Image:027(5494).jpg was uploaded as GFDL. I have suspicion that its not GFDL, but probalby a publicity photo of some sort. I hate to not WP:AGF. Should I nominate this image for deletion based on my suspicion that the license is bogus? —Gaff ταλκ 02:37, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

  • Yeah, go ahead and list it for IFD. I've never seen a case like this before, but the image looks suspicious, and it was uploaded by a WP:NOOB who might not yet have full grasp of the rules. Of course, please notify her if you decide to act. YechielMan 03:31, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Want to know[edit]

how can i find the meaning of a word

I'd suggest Wiktionary. -Mask? 02:59, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

As AKMask mentioned, try Wiktionary, a dictionary that is one of Wikipedia's "sister projects". Wikipedia does not merely have definitions of words, because it is not a dictionary—it is an encyclopedia.

I also use the Online Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which is someone more complete than Wikitionary. GracenotesT § 03:02, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

my messages???[edit]

Every now and then I see that someone has sent me a message. I click on the "new message" button and get to that page. But when I try to find that page another time, it is nowhere to be found. It is not under any of the links to "my talk" or anything else realted to me in the top tool bar. Help!!! How do I find my message page?

Thank you Doug, Anyone7 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Anyone7 (talk • contribs)

It's your user talk page. Go to your userpage and click "Discussion"--$UIT
Your user talk page is located User talk:Anyone7. When you're logged in, clicking "my talk" at the top of the screen will bring you to your talk page. GracenotesT § 03:03, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps you saw the messages when you were not logged in. In that case you would have seen messages on the talk page of the IP number you had at the time (that number may change and may be used by other editors depending on your Internet connection). The messages should be about edits made by that IP number while not being logged in. If this is the case and you have a varying IP number then you may be able to refind some of the messages if you remember which articles they were about and you look for IP numbers in the article history. If you have a fixed IP number then just make an edit when you are not logged in, click on the edited page's history, and then on your IP number. PrimeHunter 03:25, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]


Thank you all. I think that last suggestion is the one which will work, for the others didn't show me the messages I was trying to reread.Anyone7 03:31, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

how do I submit an article[edit]

how do I submit an article—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Yosemiterv (talk • contribs).

To create your own article see Help starting a new page. Make sure that the article is well referenced and satisfies the notability guidelines here: WP:NOTABLE. --Hdt83 Chat 03:26, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It depends. If you're brand new, go to Wikipedia:Articles for creation. If you've had an account for a week or more, type the title of the article carefully into the search box. It will say Wikipedia doesn't have an article, and there will be a red link. Click the redlink and write the article. See also Wikipedia:Your first article. YechielMan 03:27, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
(edited to remove redundancy after edit conflict) I suggest that you first take a tour through the Wikipedia:Tutorial. By the way, when you leave a message on a talk page or page such as this (but not for article edits) you should sign your post; just type four tildes at the end (~~~~) which will automatically format as your signature, linked to your userpage when you save. You can also add those tildes automatically by clicking on the button at the top of the edit screen that look like this:.--Fuhghettaboutit 03:29, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Moving PD images to Wikimedia Commons[edit]

While sifting through orphaned images, I found Image:Gheorghiu Dej inchisoare.png. I added the image to the appropriate article. There is a tag telling me to move it to Commons. What is the easiest way to do this, or do I have to download it to my computer, then re-upload on Commons? thanks. —Gaff ταλκ 03:29, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Now that its been added to an article it isnt orphaned anymore so therefore no longer needs the orphan tagMiraculousrandomness 19:32, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Okay. But that really doesn't answer my question about moving an image from here over to Commons. —Gaff ταλκ 18:27, 12 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
See Wikipedia:Moving images to the Commons. Does that help? - Mtmelendez (Talk|UB|Home) 17:58, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How do I cite a school roll book?[edit]

How do I cite a college roll book? The roll book is referenced to prove notable people attended the college. The roll book is a register that has the names and signatures of all the people who attended the college. Is it ok to cite a primary source like this? Is there a template for citing a source like this? Is there a wiki guideline/policy/essay that deals with citing and the use of primary sources?

The roll book is only available to the general public if they visit the school and ask to view it. Is this ok?

The short answer is yes. Issues like this have been debated willy nilly at Wikipedia:Attribution and elsewhere, but any source is better than none at all.
Regarding the style of references, see the Manual of Style. I prefer to use the order "author, title, place, publisher, year." List the editors in place of the author, and the school as publisher.
Generally, it's better for someone who's famous if you cite from elsewhere that they attended your school. Thus, if you wish to cite that George W. Bush attended Yale, from our perspective it's better to get it from a biography on Bush than from the library of Yale. YechielMan 05:40, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. It's one giant book across many years that people sign when they arrive so it doesn't really have editors. Would something like this be ok?:
College Roll, Melbourne, Rover College, 1921-present
Toadtoad 07:43, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Try using 
<ref>{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= |year= |publisher= |location= |isbn=}}</ref>
ignoring the fields that can not be filled. --Dark Falls talk 07:52, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Questionable St. Joseph High School (Westchester, Illinois) edit[edit]

Can someone take a look at this edit? I found it while patrolling Recent Changes and I don't know where to fact check for this. --JDitto 04:52, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah and I found this too. For this one I just need confirmation if it is notable. Thanks. --JDitto 05:06, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I reverted the first edit and warned the user. For the second edit, I'm not sure. You could put on a {{fact}} template, which looks like this:[citation needed]. If there's no reference, it's probably not notable. YechielMan 05:45, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for the help, YechielMan! --JDitto 05:43, 12 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Helpdesk Analyst[edit]

I am a helpdesk analyst for the government. It sucks, I want a worthwhile career. Give me a job?

email removed

Try Craigslist. Wikipedia is not a job listing service. :) YechielMan 05:35, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
We're all volunteers here. You're free to man our helpdesk by clicking "edit this page" at the top, but all you'll receive is the satisfaction of helping others... Calliopejen1 07:15, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
You will also receive an eye-opening demonstration of the most remarkably efficient help desk technology I have yet seen. In the real-world technical support work I have done, when I did not know the answer to a customer question right off the top of my head, I was usually in for a rough time finding the answer - not always easy to do while on the telephone with the irate customer. In contrast, on Wikipedia the answers to a large fraction of Help desk questions are written down already and are often fairly easy to find, once the Help desk volunteer learns a few basics of search. As a result, answering questions on Wikipedia's Help desk is actually fun, even questions I knew nothing about initially, in stunning contrast to real-world technical support, which "sucks" as the questioner mentions in polite understatement. Seriously, technical support has a reputation for rapid employee burnout and turnover (try running a real-world support department and keeping your people happy). And yet here on Wikipedia, a group of geniuses figured out how to make it so much fun that people will answer questions for free.
I think every technical support professional should try answering a few hundred questions on Wikipedia's Help desk over a several-month period, to see how support should be done. The resulting epiphany (dare I call it a wikiphany in blatant violation of WP:NEO?) might then lead to a larger number of real-world support organizations wikifying their operations, improving service for the customers and job satisfaction for the employees.
Everything can be better, of course. One knock on Wikipedia's current Help desk technology is that it works better for help providers than it does for some of the people seeking help, given the need to know something about wikitext markup and Wikipedia's talk page conventions to write understandably here. Many if not most people who ask questions on the Help desk are new to wiki editing in general and to Wikipedia in particular, and some of them might benefit from having the guidance of a structured form or series of forms they could fill out to construct their questions. Using forms might make it more likely, for example, that every question has a section heading, that all the questioners would sign their questions, and if the question involves a page, the resulting question would contain a link to the page. --Teratornis 15:23, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The other huge advantage of Wikipedia's Help Desk model is if you don't know the answer to a question, it's entirely possible to just not answer it and wait for someone else to do it. As for technological improvements, something like an InputForm extension would be very useful in many places all over Wikipedia, but I don't think one exists at the moment. --ais523 15:27, 11 June 2007 (UTC)
MediaWiki is not TWiki (which allows for flexible input forms, I gather), but over time MediaWiki might accumulate some more of TWiki's features. Flexible input forms could certainly help out in lots of places. Having multiple volunteers to answer questions not only helps with the questions we don't know how to answer, but it also makes partial answers useful. For example, if a question involves some specific thing in the Wikipedia universe, but the questioner did not refer to it by the proper name, a volunteer can help to clarify the question, perhaps enough to help someone else who knows about the relevant topics realize what the question is really about. I learn a lot by reading the comments that successive volunteers add to an initial response; it's interesting to watch the way people get ideas by reading the earlier comments. E-mail discussion lists allow for the same sort of thing, but I prefer the cleaner formatting on the Help desk, compared to e-mail threads that tend to get gummed up with top-posting and untrimmed quoted text. I guess while we're on the topic, the Help desk could be better if there was a simple way to request some sort of notification whenever a new response appears to a given question, perhaps like the notifications we get for edits to our user talk pages, or like the e-mail notifications from Bugzilla. Another problem might be that the people who have the skills to make the Help desk friendlier to new users are generally not themselves new users, so perhaps they don't have a direct personal incentive to worry much about the problems that new users face (not that I'm questioning anybody's dedication, of course, just noting that most people tend to think more about the kinds of problems they find personally relevant). --Teratornis 18:47, 14 June 2007 (UTC)sjfdjklsdlsfkjfjk sdafsfljlfdlfdjlkx[reply]

Spam protection filter warning[edit]

I got this after I checked a questionable article (Ensparc), clicked on the company's link and tried to create an Afd. It talked about a blacklisted hyperlink (www.orkut.com/Comm if I wrote it down properly). I closed Firefox, ran Ad-Aware SE and Norton and got a clean bill of health from each. Am I ok, or is there something else I need to do? Clarityfiend 05:49, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's Wikipedia's spam filter, so there's nothing you can do except remove the offending link and then safe with your desired changes. In any case, I've prodded that article.--Chaser - T 05:55, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I misunderstood the warning. So it was talking about the article itself. Thanks. Clarityfiend 06:19, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Music labels[edit]

Should distributing label be included in Labels line in an album's infobox? Daniil Maslyuk 06:31, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

!!HELP ME! Accidental Deletion![edit]

I was reading an aritical when I found a tiny mistake. I went to fix it when I accidently deleted half the section! What Do I Do!?!

Hi, how are you? Welcome to Wikipedia.
I had a look at your contributions and found the edit you were referring to- I jsut restored the version before the one where you accidently deleted some of a section.
If you have a look at the tabs on the top of a page, you'll see one that's titled History. Click on this tab, and click on the time and date of the version you want to go back to. Once at this version, click edit page and save- this is reverting. It's explained better at Help:Revert.
I hope that helped you- Cheers- CattleGirl talk | sign! 06:57, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I had the same problem with earlier versions of Firefox browser. You might want to download the most recent version of your browser. Also I removed the template brackets from around your comment. Joie de Vivre 12:02, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
See Wikipedia:Browser notes and m:Browser issues with MediaWiki. --Teratornis 14:48, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

how do i download  ?[edit]

how do i come about downloading the whole wikipedia encyclopedia

Wikipedia:Database download has the information you're looking for. -Mask? 08:04, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

BLP interpretation has gone completly mad[edit]

THe current interpertatoin of wikipedia BLP has gone completly round the bend wiuth articles being reduced to absolute nothingness under claims of BLP the following arer a few examples.

  1. William Danso [1]
  2. Patrcik Mackay [2]
  3. John Childs[3]

There are more but these are just a few the interpretation has gone round the bend and needs sorting out as a few users are being completly rediculous in the interpretation of BLP.--Lucy-marie 09:02, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

See User talk:One Night In Hackney for an explanation. You could have asked him before you brought it here. Anyway, this issue is beyond the purview of the help desk. You can seek further comment at WP:ANI (though I'd advise you to drop it). YechielMan 11:37, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
This Signpost article discusses the orgins in the recent surge in the use of BLP. As a second opinion, I agree with YechielMan's post. -- Jreferee 19:19, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

java core[edit]

i must prepare fr computer exam,i already attened three times for exams without proper subject so i want java core complete notes to prepare fr exams as well as fr improve knowledgethanks for giving me this opertunity there is no time fr exams to prepaer that is y iam asking u plz give me some nonets to prepare exams.

The help desk is for Wikipedia related requests only. Please try the reference desk for all other inquiries. Particularly for Java, I would try the computing department. E talk 10:59, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Separate account for Wikipedia in other languages?[edit]

Hi! I'd like to become an editor for de.wikipedia, too. I have read [[4]] and it doesn't seem to explain what the approved way of getting access to more than one wikipedia is. Then I read [5], which explains that it is necessary to sign up individually for each "wiki" - but I'm not sure whether this refers to wikipedia/wikimedia/wikicommons or individual wikipedia sites, too. So, should I just sign up from scratch on de.wikipedia or is there a better way? Thanks, Jenser 11:41, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You have to create an account for each Wikipedia language. [6] suggests to pick the same user name on each. PrimeHunter 11:50, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. That was the link I found, too, but I wasn't sure whether I understood it correctly. I just signed up, but "my" username was already taken. Cheers, Jenser 12:14, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Cannot remove some articles from categories[edit]

Why is it that I cannot remove California Biblical University and Seminary from Category:Unaccredited institutions of higher learning? It should only be in the subcategory, Category:Unaccredited Christian universities and colleges. Is the article automatically included in the former category because of its inclusion on List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning? Please help. Joie de Vivre 12:01, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It is automatically in the category because it uses Template:Unaccredited. PrimeHunter 12:10, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Can you explain how to make a similar template like (Unaccredited-Christian)? They really should be subcategorized. Joie de Vivre 12:14, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Never mind, I figured it out :) Joie de Vivre 12:18, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not a template coder. You can ask for help at Wikipedia:Requested templates. I don't know whether separate templates is the best solution. An optional parameter to the existing template could be added. The template can be discussed at Template talk:Unaccredited. PrimeHunter 12:25, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

interview[edit]

WHT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF QUESTIONS ASKED WHEN A PERSON GOES TO JOIN AIRHOSTESS COURSE?

Have you tried Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in knowledge questions, and will try to answer any question in the universe (except how to use Wikipedia, since that's what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps. LaraLoveT/C 14:15, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Change article title[edit]

how do I change an articles title. I started a new article "Victor kunonga". Discovered that its actually supposed to be "Victor Kunonga" with an Uppercase "K" since it is a musicians name. How do I make this change. I discovered the article doesn't com on automatically when a user search for "Victor Kunonga" with the upper case (it shows as a search result).

thanks

If your account is at least 4 days old, you can rename the page with the 'move' tab at the top of the page. If it's less than 4 days old, ask another editor to rename the page for you (for instance, here, at requested moves, or the assistance village pump). See Wikipedia:How to rename (move) a page. --ais523 12:45, 11 June 2007 (UTC)

Name Input on the Births Page(1977)[edit]

Hello, I recently tried inputing my name on the Births Page- 1977, Adrain Longo, United States. Unfortunately, to read and understand all of the Directions on how to do so, uhmmm, would take a BIT longer than I have for the next few weeks? Is't possible for someone to do this for me? Thanx, your time is preciously Appreciated.

Hi, Adrain. In order to be included in Wikipedia articles, you must meet WP:NOTABILITY. If you do, you would edit the page in the same way you did this one to add your question, placing your name in the appropriate place. LaraLoveT/C 14:13, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Finding "The Lady Home Journal" November 1913 Edition with Amelia Airheart pictured on the cover[edit]

I have a cannister which features that specific edition. At the top of the picture of the cover of that magazine it reads "WITH 12 POPULAR STORIES". That peaked my curiosity and wondered what the other articles that ran along her famous flight were about?? It seems particularly interesting when you realize that was 7 years before women got the right to vote in The United States. Yours truly, Patricia

Have you tried Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in knowledge questions, and will try to answer any question in the universe (except how to use Wikipedia, since that's what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps. LaraLoveT/C 14:20, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I'm intrigued all the same: a 1913 cover of the Ladies' Home Journal with Amelia Earhart on the cover? Our article says she started flying only in 1920... Lupo 14:45, 11 June 2007 (UTC) (P.S.: Also see here: it doesn't appear to be a 1931 cover either...)[reply]

Raymond James[edit]

The wiki for Raymond James is incorrect. The logo is an outdated one, as the J in the new logo is different. Please take the steps necessary to change to the new logo.

http://www.raymondjames.com

Not sure if this was fixed yet or not but if you wish to fix it you are free to, save the image and upload it to wiki, make very sure you include the proper copyright information and reason why the image can be used for reference. Then change the image name in the Raymond James wikipage to that of the new image. If you have other questions let us know. Hholt01 15:02, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Quote and infoboxes[edit]

Hi, I'm editing an article that features both a quote box and an infobox. The problem is that the box of the quote box is going behind the infobox, which looks a little odd. Is there any way of changing the templates so that this doesn't happen - I have edited templates before but have only really made minor changes so I don't really have much experience with the code. (EvilRedEye 13:59, 11 June 2007 (UTC))[reply]

Consider using {{cquotetxt|Deep in the caverns beneath Firetop Mountain lies an untold wealth of treasure, guarded by a powerful Warlock - or so the rumour goes. Several adventurers like yourself have set off for Firetop Mountain in search of the Warlock's hoard. None have ever returned. Do you dare follow them?<br><br>Your quest is to find the Warlock's treasure, hidden deep within a dungeon populated with a multitude of terrifying monsters. You will need courage, determination and a fair amount of luck if you are to survive all the traps and battles, and reach your goal - the innermost chambers of the Warlock's domain.}} in place of what you have now. LaraLoveT/C 14:19, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Used a slight varient of that, thanks. EvilRedEye 16:24, 13 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How do I delete my account?[edit]

How do I delete my account? And if that's not possible how do I remove my information?

You can't. You can have your userpage deleted by adding {{userreq}} to the page. See also m:Right to vanish. LaraLoveT/C 14:57, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
See How do I delete my user and user talk pages? -- Jreferee (Talk) 19:48, 14 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How do I add U.S. Open to the news page on the main page?[edit]

The U.S. Open of golf begins today at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh.

Please how do I add this news event???????

Hholt01 14:58, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I suppose you would go to edit current events for today (see http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Portal:Current_events/2007_June_11&action=edit). LaraLoveT/C 15:12, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Only admins can edit the main page. You can see Talk:Main Page for information about how you can help the process, and suggest possible Main Page items. (Wikipedia's Main Page's In the News section is for articles which were created or expanded as a result of news events; Wikinews may be more appropriate for news in general.) --ais523 15:35, 11 June 2007 (UTC)
See User:John Broughton/Editor's Index to Wikipedia#Mai for details. --Teratornis 15:36, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks all, I did post it under discussion for the main page and used LaraLove's link to add it as well, thanks again! Hholt01 16:09, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
How to suggest an article for ITN provides instructions on How to suggest an article for the In the news section on the Main Page. -- Jreferee 19:47, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Got a db spam notice on the page I'm creating for my company[edit]

Hi

I just received a db spam notice on the page I'm creating for my company (Basell Polyolefins). Our competitors (BASF and Exxon Mobile) have entries in Wikipedia - why are we getting labeled as Spam?

Please advise

Thanks

Mark —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Mjtalley (talk • contribs) 13:30, 11 June 2007 (UTC).[reply]

Hi. When a page is tagged as {{db-spam}} (and many are, every day), it's not necessarily a reflection of the articles subject, but the article's content. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not mere advertising, and pages must always read as encyclopedia articles. In this case, Basell Polyolefins, reads exactly like an advert. Additionally, even if this were not the case, it would have been tagged as {{db-copyvio}}, for copyright violations. The text you submitted is (mostly) in a press release from your own website, and quoted web searches of parts of it reveal verbatim copies are elsewhere on the internet, also apparently under copyright, and thus would not be suitable for Wikipedia, where all contributions must be available under a free license, even if you originally wrote the text. See the page on Copyrights, and also, please read the page on Conflict of Interest.
To get your company into Wikipedia, please take a look at the articles for your competitors, such as Exxon Mobile. Notice that it is written in an encyclopedic format, with original content, citing reliable, published, 3rd party sources. Anakin 16:22, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

adding my profile/bio in wikipedia[edit]

is it possible to add my profile in wikipedia source is it legal/illegal to add my profile, if it is legal then please help me in editing my bio/profile thank you.

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Mic s1 (talk • contribs) 16:23, 11 June 2007.


Hi there and welcome.

First off you need to see if you meet WP:N requirements. Then there are other issues, but we can start there. Sethie 16:26, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]


Hi there. You are welcome to add bio / profile information to your user page (I think this is what you want), although if you want to add it to the main article space on Wikipedia, it will have to pass notability requirements for encyclopedia articles. Generally though, user pages are intended for info about someone that relates to the running of the encyclopedia. There's a lot of information on this, about what you can and can't do with user pages at Wikipedia:User page. If you only want a personal page for chat etc.. you'd be better off creating a page on MySpace or Virb or any similar site, which are made for it. Hope this helps. If you've any more questions please don't hesitate to ask. Anakin 16:34, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

editing a wikipedia entry[edit]

I represent an author whose entry in Wikipedia is not 100% accurate. We would like to copy and paste the current section which needs to be modified,into a user page,make the appropriate changes,make certain the functionality is correct,then import it into the production version as a new addition.

Please clarify if my user page is where I can do this? I thought the user page and subpages were personal sandboxes yet when I began to do this, the system told me to do this in a sandbox.Please clarify.

If weare on the right path, when we are finished, do we simply copy and paste the corrected version over the old (current version)

Your advice is appreciated.

Ed Reynolds/swiftsure1

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Swiftsure1 (talk • contribs) 16:45, 11 June 2007 (UTC).[reply]

Hi. There should be no problem with using your user page as a personal sandbox. However, a better idea is to create a sub page of your user page. E.g., User:Swiftsure1/Sandbox and make the edits there. Also (if you prefer) you can edit it in place on the article and use the Show Preview feature for tests. If you need to save it in a half-finished state you can always copy and paste the content into a text file on your computer. However, please read the pages on Conflict of Interest and No Original Research before you begin editing to make sure the content is okay. Remember that a Wikipedia article is not supposed to be edited by the person it's about because of difficulties in maintaining a neutral point of view.... Content which is original research, unsourced, or biased, may be challenged and removed at any time if you don't have reliable third party sources for it. Hope this helps. If you've any more questions please ask again. Anakin 16:59, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Also read the official policy at Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons. Selfpublished material by the subject can be used as source in some cases, but your private knowledge cannot be used. PrimeHunter 18:03, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Image Editing[edit]

I'd like to make a change to an image on Wikipedia (Image:ba4.jpg) but I don't know quite how. If I upload a new one, with the same name, will it overwrite it correctly? If so, what effect will my changes have on the existing summary and licensing options, or do I need to find out what they were originally and paste back in the same text?? The image is non-free, so is it okay to make any changes to it at all? My intention was to lighten the gamma and adjust the tone (slightly) to make the colors match the way they are on the series. Anakin 16:47, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If you upload an image it will overwrite. I am not sure about your other questions though. -Ĭ₠ŴΣĐĝё 17:12, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

AK-47[edit]

Yes, how much would it coast for a AK-47? Email me at [email address removed for security] —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.19.119.121 (talk • contribs) 17:08, 11 June 2007 (UTC).[reply]

This page is for questions about using Wikipedia. For miscellaneous topics please see the Reference desk and ask your question there. Anakin 17:16, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
See AK-47#Illicit trade for some prices in war-torn parts of the Third World. --Teratornis 19:52, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-Protection and Good Faith[edit]

I recently requested semi-protection for list of characters in Ed, Edd n Eddy because about 80% of the edits is either getting reverted, or a revert itself. The edits that get referted are in by far the most cases done by annons, and I believe mostly in good faith. The page itself is now full of comments what not to change straight away, but discuss on the talk page first. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to deter those edits. The semi-protection was denied on the grounds that most of the edits seem good faith edits. Although this is true, it doesn't mean that they are still fairly disruptive, and require a lot of reverting again. To me, semi-protection seems the most logical sollution still, but with that being denied, what would be other options to lessen disruptive edits? Martijn Hoekstra 17:24, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure what the target is but I might suggest that you put a HTML comments in there somewhere. Something like <!-- Do not do *such and such*. Please discuss things on the talk page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:List%20of%20characters%20in%20Ed,%20Edd%20n%20Eddy) first. -->. It doesn't show up on the article but only when editing, so you can target certain sections. On the other hand, it still induces line breaks so don't do double line breaks between the comment and other text/code. But semi-protection, if discourages good faith edits, is bad. Good faith edits are hard to come by. x42bn6 Talk Mess 18:26, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
well, the article currently has this at the top <!-- Before attempting to contribute to this article, please read the discussion page first. Thank you. --> . And then comments at the beginning of every section. Im ust say, after rereading the comments they are not the most civil wordings in the world, probably due to the regular maintainers growing annoyance of having to revert almost every edit. When about 80% of the edits end up being reverted, or are reverts themselves, maybe some other measures are possible. Martijn Hoekstra 19:24, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Then consider leaving messages on the talk pages of the editors (a nice, non-bitey one), asking them to go to the talk page after reverting. I'll watch the page and familiarise myself with the stuff, then I'll help revert (if necessary). x42bn6 Talk Mess 21:46, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I usualy leave uw-v1s at the user talkpage. adding a link to the talkpage of the article might be a good idea, but it are usualy different annons who make only one edit to this specific article.Martijn Hoekstra 21:51, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Introductory Paragraph[edit]

I updated information in the main text of an entry, but I can't update the introductory paragraph, which is not up-to-date and therefore contradicts the updated body text. Is updating that intro something an Administrator would do?

  • You might be clicking the "edit" button at the right-hand side of a section heading. If you want to edit the introductory paragraph, click the "Edit this page" tab at the top of the article. Then, you can edit the whole article at once. --Elkman (Elkspeak) 17:47, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict)

I assume that this is what your were talking about. The problem there is that you were only editing a section by clicking on one of the [edit] brackets on a headline. If you wish to edit the whole article click the edit button on the top of the page. Cheers.

P. to the S. please sign your post by putting ~~~~ after them. thanks! -Ĭ₠ŴΣĐĝё 17:49, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If you for some reason (for example page size or edit conflicts) want to edit only the introduction and not the whole article, then you can first click edit on a random section and then change the URL to end with "section=0". PrimeHunter 17:55, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the help (I'm new to this)! About signing my post - I clicked the "sign post" symbol, but it put my name at the beginning of the article. I don't want to claim credit for the whole piece - I just made one small tweak. Mosholu 18:27, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The advice to sign your post refers to your entries on this Help desk page, and on any talk pages you edit. When you edit articles, you do not sign your work. Also, since you are editing the lead section of an article, read WP:LEAD which is all about what should go in lead sections of articles. --Teratornis 19:46, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks again! - Mosholu 19:53, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Multiple page names[edit]

How do I redirect certain searches to a page, ie NIN and Nine Inch Nails both bring up the Nine Inch Nails page. How do I do the same for a page which can be called either Immanuel One Twenty Three or Immanuel 123?

Add #REDIRECT [[The destination article name]] to those pages, you might see WP:REDIRECT for more information. I hope this helps. Peacent 18:04, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Cheers! Thats cracked the problem ;) Jjmoreland 18:16, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Images[edit]

How do I create images from any website like Google Images, put it into the Editing Box of Wikipedia, and then making it into a picture akin to anyone who has done the same?

If by Google Images you mean Google Image Search, be aware that most images on the World Wide Web are under some sort of copyright restriction that makes them incompatible with Wikipedia's GFDL. See Wikipedia:Image use policy. --Teratornis 19:20, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

pictures[edit]

who do you add pictures to a wikipedia page?

See Wikipedia:Images and Wikipedia:Uploading images for detailed discussion and instructions on how to add images to a Wikipedia article. Please read and understand the key points of our image use policy before you upload images to Wikipedia. (Feel free to come here with any questions you might have.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 18:40, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Plantar Fasciitis[edit]

I would love to edit, actually practically re-write this whole page. Can I do that? There are so many opinions on this condition and the science on it isn't that great, but this current article says to avoid open back shoes and flip flops when in reality those shoes can be the best tool for healing plantar fasciitis (such as the Haflinger Grizzly Clog or a Birkenstock shoe or sandal) as long as they do not have soft mushy sole. I would present all sides of course and list treatments in a less biased way. I have written most of the website for BuffaloOrthotics.com and we talk a lot about plantar fasciitis. I would write the article with Dan Husom C.Ped., C.O. who has been in the business of shoes/feet for over 20 years and holds a patent for a shoe sole. Thank you, Adrienne Murray —Preceding unsigned comment added by BuffaloOrthotics (talk • contribs)

On Wikipedia, almost any user can edit most articles, so the software won't stop you from editing almost anything you think is wrong, but making one's edits stick may be harder. (The fact that you asked before forging ahead shows you are thoughtful and should be able to fit right in, but Wikipedia is a complicated project and you may need some time to understand how things work here.) Wikipedia has a number of policies and guidelines which articles are supposed to comply with, but some articles comply better than others at a given time. Since you appear to be new to Wikipedia editing, I suggest that rather than diving into large-scale article rewrites immediately, you begin by listing any problems you find with an article on its talk page, which in this case would be Talk:Plantar fasciitis. The most important thing is to provide reliable sources for all your claims. Other editors can discuss your suggestions and everyone can work toward consensus on what to do with the article. See the talk page guidelines so you understand how to edit properly on talk pages. There are also templates you can use to "tag" an article that has specific kinds of problems; see WP:TEMPLATE and Wikipedia:Cleanup resources. (Click on all the links in this paragraph and read all those pages carefully.) --Teratornis 19:06, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Cannot create account[edit]

I can't seem to create an account. It keeps telling me incorrect password or confirmation code. What am I doing wrong?

You might follow the instructions at Wikipedia:Request an account. Peacent 18:49, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Help moving trivia[edit]

Hello, could someone help me move the trivia section on Final Destination, around the article, it needs to be removed. Francisco Tevez 18:53, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, Francisco. I suggest that you bring this concern up on the article's talk page. Editors interested in the topic are sure to lend a hand. LaraLoveT/C 19:45, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Graphics editing question[edit]

I JUST STARTED A NEW BUSINESS AND I WOULD LIKE A 3D ADVERTISEMENT TO GO ON THE SIDE OF MY TRAILER.I HAVE 4 PICTURES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TOGER AS ONE IMAGE,DOES YOUR SOFTWARE PERFORM THS TASK — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.31.150.100 (talk)

Wikipedia is a wiki that runs on the MediaWiki software, which probably does not do what you want. You might have better luck with GIMP or a similar program. --Teratornis 19:11, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

When it absolutely, positively, has to be objective[edit]

Hi, FedEx has recently commissioned a report called Access (access.fedex.com) - this study was done by SRI. With that said, we would like to create a wikipedia entry for this study. The study reports on how companies like FedEx give access to information, people, idea, etc to small businesses, government, and the academic community. We understand that wikipedia needs to be objective - so would it make sense for us to put the initial entry in as a subset of the FedEx entry OR should we enter it as it's own individual entry. We just do not want to break any rules and violate any of your terms, so just are looking for some guidance. Thanks, Tracee Smith, FedEx Corporate -- 901.818.7422 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.18.173.72 (talk)

The relevant guidlines here are WP:COI and make sure you also keep within WP:V and WP:N as always. Martijn Hoekstra 19:39, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Hello Tracee, and thanks for asking before acting. FedEx already has an article, so I would suggest mentioning this SRI study on Talk:FedEx and asking for comments from other editors who have worked on the FedEx article about whether and where to include content from the study. See Help:Talk page so you know how to use talk pages properly, and see WP:CITE and WP:CITET for the guidelines and mechanics, respectively, of citing sources on Wikipedia. Also see WP:COI and WP:PEACOCK for problems to avoid when you have a personal or institutional interest in a topic you write about on Wikipedia. Since you appear to be new at editing here, I recommend not trying to start a completely new article right away. New articles by new users often violate various policies and end up getting deleted. Even many experienced editors would have some challenge to write an article about their own company and having it "stick." I also suggest spending some time to study the FedEx article and Talk:FedEx in detail, along with other articles here about FedEx and its industry, so you get a feel for what constitutes encyclopedic content about a corporation. FedEx is a big company, so it certainly meets Wikipedia's notability guideline. If the SRI study you mention was published and you can cite it properly, it should meet Wikipedia's requirement for a reliable source. --Teratornis 19:41, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Tracy. I would be happy to help you create a Wikipedia article related to the study The Power of Access: A Landmark Study on the Relevance of Access to People, Businesses and Nations. However, the only potential WP:RS references I could find to use in the article are:
These really are not independent WP:RS since they appear to be produced by those that have an interest in the study. Also, I do not think the study itself could be cited in an article about the study since it is not independent of the topic of the article, namely independent of the Power of Access study. If you know of other WP:RS, please contact me on my talk page. The report itself might be posted at Wikisource or Wikiversity, but you would have to check with them. -- Jreferee 20:32, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]


Other people's answers a a bit cryptic, so I'll give an easier version.
Wikipedia frowns upon people directly editing pages if they have a conflict of interest (COI) such as being strongly involved with the thing the page is about, or being paid to promote it.
We ask that you post on the talk page (go to the FedEx page and click the "discussion" tab at the top of the page). I'd suggest posting a link to the study together with a few brief notes on what the main points to include are, and ask that it be included on the page. Other editors will make use of it - they may add a section or just use it to improve the article by adding information about the company.
Individual studies generally don't get their own entry (there are a few exceptions where the study is very well known, such as the Kinsey Reports. The formal standards for inclusion are notability and verifiability)
Please note that most people here are volunteers - if you need to get in touch officially for any reason, see the Wikipedia:Contact us page. --h2g2bob (talk) 20:50, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Seth Finkelstein[edit]

Is there a way to check Seth Finkelstein (talk · contribs) is the real Seth Finkelstein (perhaps in the same way people checked RichardDawkins (talk · contribs) was the real person)? Do I send an email and forward the reply to WP:OTRS? --h2g2bob (talk) 20:04, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This is by no means a verifiable method but Seth Finkelstein (talk · contribs) put an edit summary of (rv vandalism - Folks, THIS is why I don't want an entry, it's just hate-bait) on that article. akuyumeTC 20:28, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Additionally, his talk page contains a discussion for deleting the bio page. [7] akuyumeTC 20:31, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Public Domain or free image[edit]

Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri was invloved in an important court decision today with implications for Bush administration policy regarding detention of enemy combatants. We need an image for his page. I'm trying to find one by browsing the resources at Wikipedia:Public domain image resources but getting nowhere. Any thoughts? —Gaff ταλκ 20:43, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If he was arrested, would he have a mug shot? Aren't they PD? --h2g2bob (talk) 20:53, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
If you check out Google images, many sites use a single image. I'm guessing that this is an arrest photo taken by the United States government. If you can find the source of the original photo and if it is by the United States government, then you might be able to find a free license to use at US Image copyright tags. (Lots of "ifs" and "mights") There might be a fair use argument for using his arrest photo. The folks at Wikipedia_talk:Image_copyright_tags might be able to assist you with developing such a fair use argument. -- Jreferee (Talk) 20:55, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I'm guessing its PD as well, but I am not risking getting one of those ugly template tags on my talk page. I did post my question at Imager copyright tags. I may just put up a request for the image and leave it at that. Its not clear to me that all mug shots are PD. There was a big stink over this on the Paris Hilton talk page and they wound up having to call the county sheriff. —Gaff ταλκ 21:11, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

indicom mobile number[edit]

how to find out an address if the tata indicom mobile number is known?

I'm not sure that's a question Wikipedia can help you with, but you could ask at the reference desk. —Gaff ταλκ 22:04, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Which is here. x42bn6 Talk Mess 01:40, 12 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

straw beach umbrella[edit]

Looking for a really good close up of a beach umbrella top view and underneath. Can anyone help me by posting a definition and picture of one? I was so sure I would find one on here..........

Disambiguation Titles[edit]

I have noticed that disambiguation titles sometimes have a "(disambiguation)" included in the title and sometimes not. Which method is perfeerd? -Ĭ₠ŴΣĐĝё 22:05, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes there is a opinion on that. See Wikipedia:Disambiguation#Page naming conventions, for the naming convention. --Tλε Rαnδom Eδιτor (ταlκ)
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