Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2007 September 13

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September 13[edit]

how do i create a wiki[edit]

how do i —Preceding unsigned comment added by Leafy0524 (talkcontribs) 00:34, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If you mean how to create a wiki at your own website unrelated to Wikipedia then one possibility is to use the MediaWiki software (which Wikipedia also uses).
The following is if you want to create a new article here at Wikipedia.
Before creating an article, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject. Please also review a few of our relevant policies and guidelines which all articles should comport with. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite to reliable sources which verify their content and must not contain unsourced, negative content about living people.
Articles must also demonstrate the notability of the subject. Please see our subject specific guidelines for people, bands and musicians, companies and organizations and web content and note that if you are closely associated with the subject, our conflict of interest guideline strongly recommends against you creating the article.
If you still think an article is appropriate, see Help:Starting a new page. You might also look at Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:How to write a great article for guidance, and please consider taking a tour through the Wikipedia:Tutorial so that you know how to properly format the article before creation. PrimeHunter 00:47, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Level 3 Headlines[edit]

Hello. When are level 3 headlines appropriate? Sometimes, I see a level 3 headline directly below the Contents box. Is it supposed to be like that? Thanks in advance. --Mayfare 01:29, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Usually, headlines are used in descending order. However, some people choose to use particular ones depending on their aesthetic appeal. As long as you use lower levels beneath your headlines (eg. Level 4 underneath Level 3), the page will still function correctly. GlassCobra 01:51, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Template[edit]

Can someone please help me fix this template.Thanks,Thedjatclubrock :) (T/C) 01:31, 13 September 2007 (UTC). User:Thedjatclubrock/user blocked[reply]

Fixed it, you were missing a curly bracket in your #ifeq:, which I ended up replacing with a #if: anyway for easier use. Remember that when you call a template in a namespace other than "Template:", you MUST specify the namespace and any parent pages. Hersfold (t/a/c) 02:42, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Help with complex template[edit]

Hello all. I've been working with two other users on a complex template for a while, and we've reached the point where we've given up. The template is a proposed ANI collapsible archival template that needs to appear on the ANI page, but not on the ANI IncidentArchive pages. So far, we've made the templates User:Arknascar44/Ani-top and User:Arknascar44/Ani-bottom, which transclude (although apparently not) the templates User:Arknascar44/ANI top and User:Arknascar44/ANI bottom onto ANI only, and no other subpages. Any help getting the templates to properly transclude would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Arky ¡Hablar! 02:56, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, I tried, but I couldn't get the template to know that it was on the right page. Maybe someone who can program conditional templates can help. I've failed you. WODUP 05:49, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It appears the apostrophe in the title was being output by {{PAGENAME}} as &#39; instead of just ', so the comparison was failing. I've replaced it with {{FULLPAGENAMEE}} and adjusted the comparison text accordingly. Anomie 15:04, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

fonts for indian words[edit]

where do i get fonts to view indian words. thanks mark.121.217.227.38 03:14, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Indian" is not a language, as India has several official languages. Do you mean Hindi in Devanāgarī script? Or do you mean a Native American language? Check the Editor's index for information about various languages, for example: Help:Sinhala Font Guide (which I guess is a language for Sri Lanka, not exactly India but somewhat nearby), Help:Multilingual support, and Wikipedia:Language recognition chart. The Devanāgarī article has external links which may help you locate fonts. You may also ask at Wikipedia:WikiProject India. --Teratornis 03:50, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Is there a way to change my username?[edit]

I hadn't realized my username would be posted, and, as such, included my surname in my username. for privacy reasons, can i change this?fritz 05:20, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

See WP:CHU. WODUP 05:22, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]


thanks!! embarrassed for not finding it... —Preceding unsigned comment added by Fgheen (talkcontribs) 05:37, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

word description[edit]

Hello, i'm hoping someone can assist me in finding a word to describe a few words. Im after a word to describe.......determination,strength,wisdom and the same again for success,health,happiness. I'm making a design for a tatoo so if there is an english word or a latin i would very much appreciate your help, thankyou. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bakedog (talkcontribs) 05:45, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know, but you might try at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language. WODUP 05:52, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hey, would someone mind taking a look at this article? The infobox is quite messed up, and, for the life of me, I can't figure out how to fix it. Thanks! GlassCobra 05:55, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've done a few school infoboxes and ran into the same problem. The template links the country and puts in the little flag, so adding double brackets messes that up. WODUP 06:00, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Ahh, okay. Thanks! GlassCobra 06:04, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How do I deltete my profile or edit my username?[edit]

I mispelled my username when creating my account. How do I deltete my profile or edit my username? I wasn't able to this in "my preferences"

Thank you, Seanpcurto 06:17, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

We don't really have profiles here, just user pages. To change your username, you can visit WP:CHU, or, since your only edits were a sandbox edit and your question above, you can just create the account you want and abandon the one you've got now. WODUP 06:25, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Official Web site of the Malankara Orthodox Church (Indian Orthodox Church)[edit]

The official web site of the Malankara Orthodox Church is www.orthodoxchurch.in and not www.malankaraorthodoxchurch.in. Please make necessary changes. Fr. Mathew Koshy —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.88.230.138 (talk) 06:19, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for your suggestion. When you feel an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes. Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the Edit this page link at the top. The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes — they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills. New contributors are always welcome. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons why you might want to). --Pekaje 08:22, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Editing pages[edit]

how do i edit a wikipedia page?Jas007n 08:30, 13 September 2007 (UTC) Jas007n[reply]

Click on the "edit this page" tab at the top, edit the contents of the article, and click the "Save page" button. You should also preview your changes first (by clicking "Show preview"). Wikipedia:How to edit a page has more information. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 08:37, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
And please write a short edit summary (over save page)--Thw1309 08:40, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

waterbugs[edit]

why do they like water drains68.48.0.34 08:44, 13 September 2007 (UTC).[reply]

This help-page is for asking Wikipedia-related questions only. Please try the Reference desk as stated at the top of this page. Cheers, Lradrama 08:59, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The Waterbug article redirects to American cockroach. The article does not specifically say why these insects "like" water drains, but mentions how they use them for shelter, as a source of moisture, and as an entry point into dwellings. Read the article and follow the links to learn more about this fascinating insect which is tough enough to live with humans. --Teratornis 20:19, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

HELP[edit]

HOW CAN I DOWNLOAD THE CURRENT EVENTS? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.247.146.216 (talk) 10:17, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure what you mean. The events are decided as they come: Wikipedia:In the news section on the Main Page/Candidates. To download them all, you'd have to go through each day and save the page - but something tells me this is not what you want to do. x42bn6 Talk Mess 12:40, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

help!![edit]

Hi... im only a beginner and dont rely no how to create a page proparly.. i am a huge fan of australian womens goalkeeper melissa barbieri...and created a page as no1 had but didnt do it to well...i was wondering if mayby u cud re-edit it for me to make it look more of a wikipedia touch...please keep the information if u can...and i dont no how to put a picture on so cud u mayby fix it up... thnx —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zxcvbnm1991 (talkcontribs) 10:48, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

  • Since she is Australia's National Women's Goalie with several games to her credit, I removed the notability template that was placed on the article as well as the tag that said it didn't have any references. It did, they were just not named "references". - Mgm|(talk) 11:25, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

querry[edit]

sir,


where did i get the nifty level in this site —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.164.138.32 (talk) 11:38, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

  • Hi. Could you clarify what you mean by "nifty" ? Pedro |  Chat  11:46, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I am being threatened[edit]

The following user is threatening me,

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

I am new to wikipedia, I cant understand what he is saying, How can I solve this, Really I feel very bad about this user. regards —Preceding unsigned comment added by IndiWorld (talkcontribs) 12:00, 13 September 2007 (UTC) --IndiWorld 12:01, 13 September 2007 (UTC)Subscript text--IndiWorld 12:01, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

  • Based on your talk page, you appear to be in an edit war. Not logging in to make it look like you're someone else to circumvent the three-revert rule is not a good idea. If you didn't do that, just make sure you're logged in - that's all he's asking you to do. - Mgm|(talk) 12:16, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
User:IndiWorld is not as innocent as he claims to be above. When I asked him to stop editing using his ip, he denied that the ip belonged to him and later agreed that the ip did belong to him. In the middle, he engaged in a unwarranted personal attack on me continuously lying that the ip did not belong to him. The conversation can be seen here. Thanks -- ¿Amar៛Talk to me/My edits 12:46, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

project report[edit]

i need projct on Ip Routing and 2nd is ROUTER FUNDAMETALS; for help me how can get it esaily.221.128.178.100 12:19, 13 September 2007 (UTC)nilesh[reply]

I'm not sure what you are asking, but see Router. That said, this is for help editing Wikipedia as opposed to help with real-life questions and you may get better responses at the Computing Reference desk. x42bn6 Talk Mess 13:00, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

editing[edit]

how do i edit a page? where is the link located —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mistermagik92 (talkcontribs) 12:29, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Up near the top, in bold. It should read, edit this page. See also How to edit a page. If the link is not available, but is available as "view source", then the page is protected. x42bn6 Talk Mess 12:37, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Proof rreading[edit]

Is there a tag to put on an article to request proof reading? {{{wikify}}} and {{{cleanup}}} seem too strong. Cheers, :) Dlohcierekim 14:14, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Would {{copyedit}} suit? It's specifically for "grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling". :) --Moonriddengirl 14:18, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
That's the one. Thanks Moonridden girl. Cheers, :) Dlohcierekim 14:21, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
{{cleanup}} is actually probably also okay. According to Wikipedia:Cleanup proof reading is one of the specific things the clean up task force will cover. If you really don't like that tag then go with the advice from Moonriddengirl. Pedro |  Chat  14:23, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Page move[edit]

I want to do a slightly complicated page move and I am worried about preserving page history (as I know this is important). Basically, there is an article ASIL Lyssi, a football team, but the creator wrote content about a player for that team, Pari Pantazopoulos. They also created a page Pari pantazopoulos about that person with the same content. I cleaned up ASIL Lyssi and added refs. Now I want to:

  1. Move the content of ASIL Lyssi to Pari pantazopoulos.
  2. Move (rename) Pari pantazopoulos to Pari Pantazopoulos to capitalise the name.
  3. Write a stub about the football team for ASIL Lyssi

Can I do this without causing problems? I have a vague notion that each editor's contributions must be preserved for the GFDL, but I'm not sure if moving stuff this way will do that. Thanks --Kateshortforbob 14:24, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You should be able to do this:
  1. Move ASIL Lyssi to Pari Pantazopoulos;
  2. Make Pari pantazopoulos a redirect to Pari Pantazopoulos;
  3. Edit ASIL Lyssi so it's a stub rather than a redirect to Pari Pantazopoulos.
Without causing any problems. Does anyone else agree? To further answer your question, your first point involves moving just the content of ASIL Lyssi, which would leave the history behind. That would be the problem, but it's actually solved by the non-existence of the desired title (Pari Pantazopoulos). Leebo T/C 14:39, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Great! I think I shall be bold and do it before I go home. Thanks for sorting me out - had a feeling I wasn't quite right! --Kateshortforbob 15:49, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

external links[edit]

How can I get an external link to my site from yours? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.37.165.181 (talk) 15:18, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No. See WP:SPAM, and WP:EL.--Max Talk (+) 15:20, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Please review Wikipedia:External links for more information. If your site contains (for example) further reading that would be relevant to an article but might overburden the article itself there wouldbe no problem. However if (again for example) you sold televisions and wanted to put the link into the wikipedia television article that would be considered spam. Do check the guidelines first before placing the link. If you think it's okay and need help inserting it please pop back to the helpdesk or ask at my talk page. Pedro |  Chat  15:28, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  • It's usually a good idea to discuss things with other editors and have them add the link to avoid any conflict of interest. - Mgm|(talk) 21:06, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wide Landing Page[edit]

Hi all,

This is something that has been bugging me for ages, why is the main landing page for wikipedia (ie. http://www.wikipedia.org/) so wide? It just looks like blanks space.

Thanks Doyley 15:40, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe someone can help you at the reference desk. This page is for getting help with using Wikipedia. Leebo T/C 15:46, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

poker editor contact request[edit]

Hello, I would like to contact the editor who manages poker related content. Can you please provide me with an email address or other contact information. I work with a number of poker content websites that offers a wide range of articles that are exclusively written on these sits and I think these articles might be a valuable contribution to the poker articles on Wikipedia. I would like to contact your poker editor so I can figure out what the next steps are.

Thank you, Kossflavour —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kossflavour (talkcontribs) 16:14, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi there. Your previous question on this has already been answered. That said, I'm going to also leave that link on your talk page. — Timotab Timothy (not Tim dagnabbit!) 16:23, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

translation[edit]

i want to translate my English poem to the other language, what should I do? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 154.20.39.237 (talk) 16:27, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You might be looking for Wikipedia:Translation, but they deal mainly with translating articles to and from other languages. If this is something of your own creation that isn't a part of Wikipedia, I'm not sure we can help you out much. Hersfold (t/a/c) 18:24, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Elusive template[edit]

I am certain there is a template which shows there is a current conflict\dispute\issue that needs to be resolved. Why can't i find it? Simply south 16:34, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

See Category:Dispute templates. PrimeHunter 16:37, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Whilst useful, i am not sure that is quite what i meant. It is in discussion on a WikiProject over WP:EL on a page. Simply south 16:53, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure what you're looking for, precisely. :) Are you asking about means to attract assistance, as with requests for comment? --Moonriddengirl 18:24, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Once again: nl:Wikipedia[edit]

Hi,

There are now seven people on nl:Wikipedia, including four moderators, who occupy themselves with, among other things, messing up my talk page archive. Any attempt on my part to correct this is met with a block, each time longer than the last. They have also nominated part of my archive for deletion.

What can I do?

Regards, Guido den Broeder 17:58, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm afraid we can't help you much - we can only offer assistance with the English Wikipedia, as I believe you've been told in the past. I'd recommend seeking some form of Dispute Resolution over there; if they have something similar to requests for comment on nl:, I'd recommend that due to the regularity of these problems. We cannot offer you any direct assistance or even accurately point you in the right direction, though, sorry. Hersfold (t/a/c) 18:20, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I have already tried all options within nl:Wikipedia but got no response. Is there no higher Wikipedia authority, or do I need to start legal procedures? Guido den Broeder 18:31, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Legal procedures? What on earth for? I don't know how things go over at nl, but here on en.wiki, the minute someone mentions such things, they pretty much get written off as a kook or troublemaker. I would suggest you stop doing whatever it is that's getting you blocked. Friday (talk) 18:39, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Your description of the situation casts administrators at the nl.Wikipedia as abusive and vengeful. The fact that you would come here, where we can't get a good impression of the whole situation and they can't explain themselves, makes me question whether your story is the full story or not. Such a thing would not happen here without responsible admins correcting the problem. There is no legal recourse for you to take, and editors making legal threats are blocked here at en.Wikipedia. Leebo T/C 18:43, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Friday, you are basically telling me that I should allow other people to do with my archive as they please.
Leebo, please respect the principle of assuming good faith. Guido den Broeder 18:55, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I told you I'm having a hard time believing your story as you are telling it and I want to hear the whole story (impossible, when we can't ask those accused to come here). Legal threats are taken seriously, so don't make them. WP:AGF doesn't prevent me from trying to hear all sides of a story. Leebo T/C 19:00, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Editors wanting to initiate legal procedures are prohibited from editing until such time that any legal procedures are resolved. That said, Dutch Wikipedia is completely seperate from English Wikipedia, there's nothing any of us could do anyhow. WilyD 19:02, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know the situation, because I don't speak the language. But, you do not own pages on wikipedia- even your user talk pages. If you wish to have complete editorial control, you can do this on your own website, but not on Wikipedia. If you wish to explain what the actual dispute is, perhaps some of us here can give you our opinions on the situation, but there's very little we can do about the decision making process on another wiki. This may be better done on your user talk page than here on the help desk. Friday (talk) 19:02, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
From my admittedly limited understanding of Dutch, it seems you were blocked for editing the comments of others in your talk page archives. No matter how trivial, it's extremely bad form. It could also very well be a blockable offense. Stop doing it, and you'll stop getting blocked. --Pekaje 19:12, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
All I did myself was correcting the typo 'Guide', with written permission from the user who made the typo. However, that was not my question. I was asking about what procedures are available to me to prevent others from editing or even deleting my archive - especially since it is evidence in a running ArbCom procedure. Guido den Broeder 19:30, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
You're not giving us details about how they're editing it or why they want to delete it, so there's no advice we can give you. Leebo T/C 19:33, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
That's alright then, since I'm not asking for advice. I'm asking for information. Guido den Broeder 19:55, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Friday gave you the info you asked for above: You can't prevent people from editing or deleting your talk page or archives, because you don't own them. Granted, they need a valid reason for doing so, but you won't tell us their reasons. Leebo T/C 20:03, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know their reasons. Guido den Broeder 21:14, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I'll say it again; I find it hard to believe that they would give no reason and others would find that acceptable. The fact that the archive in question relates to an ArbCom case goes to further show that we don't have the whole story here. Please address this at nl.Wikipedia. There is nothing we can do. Leebo T/C 21:20, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I would like to confirm that on nl:wikipedia there is an ArbCom case in process regarding Guido, where both his components as Guido have filed complaints. I don't think there's much more that can be done here on en:Wikipedia. kind regards, Venullian 11:16, 14 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

poker editor contact request[edit]

Hi. Thanks for the response - didn't realize my question had been answered earlier. Woodym555 suggested that I should leave a note on the talk page of Wikipedia:WikiProject Poker. I went to that page but I couldn't find the talk page....sorry if I've missed something obvious but can you tell me how I can contact one of the editors in the WikiProject Poker. Thank you, J Bradley 18:17, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Here you go: Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Poker. :) --Moonriddengirl 18:20, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
In the future, you can always access the talk page of a page or project by clicking the "discussion" tab at the top of the page. Hersfold (t/a/c) 18:22, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Deleted content in Muscatine, Iowa[edit]

A while ago, I added some content to the article about Muscatine, Iowa. It was a couple of paragraphs about a native of the town who was an historical character. I researched this person carefully for a college paper and reviewed the historical record before entering the data. I can substantiate the content that I added. Now I find it has been deleted and I would like to know why. Furthermore, there is a link that purports to go to a biography of that person but it goes to someone of the same name who has no relation. This is very frustrating. Can you help? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.108.197.210 (talk) 18:23, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What is the name of the individual in question at Muscatine, Iowa? Do you have any idea when you might have made the change? I'll be glad to see if I can help you figure out why it might have been removed, but the only contribution showing for your current IP is the edit today. It's difficult to figure out precisely when your edit might have been removed without more information. :) --Moonriddengirl 18:28, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  • I notice how you said that you CAN substantiate the content. Being able to, but not actually substantiating it with sources could be a reason. Also, it's rarely a good idea to put a person's biography in a town article. It's a better idea to put a link in the famous inhabitants section of the town, and make a separate page for the person. - Mgm|(talk) 20:58, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Show / Hide[edit]

Recently, I've noticed that anything with a show/hide feature, like navigation boxes, is defaulting to "hide" every time. That seems to be new. Is it? Also is there some way I can change it? I'm sure I'd much prefer they all showed with an option for me to hide them. AndyJones 19:05, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia:NavFrame describes this function, but I have trouble understanding how they work myself, so I can't really explain beyond that. Leebo T/C 19:08, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  • I actually had the opposite problem on my userpage - with me they wouldn't hide when they did so before. I wonder why someone changed the template when it has an effect on so many pages. - Mgm|(talk) 20:56, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Twinkle[edit]

How do I use it? I've installed + cofigured it, but how do I use it? I couldn't find any documentation, or I wouldn't be asking.

Ignatzmicetalkcontribs 19:15, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If it's installed, the answer is in your tabs. They should include little collections of letters like "csd" and "last" and "rpp" and xfd". Each of these tabs should explain itself when you roll over it with the mouse. It's a pretty user friendly program once you get going. :) Did you have specific questions about it? (I also have no documentation.) --Moonriddengirl 20:18, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Are you using Firefox? It may not work properly in Safari. --Hdt83 Chat 22:00, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How oo I change my username[edit]

I have tried un-successfully to change my username from Shandick to Shandrick, because I made a typing error.

How do I change my username?

Mike Shandrick —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shandick (talkcontribs) 19:16, September 13, 2007

See Wikipedia:Changing username. Leebo T/C 19:18, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, I see you've already made a request at Wikipedia:Changing username#Shandick → Shandrick. You weren't unsuccessful, you simply haven't given the bureaucrats enough time to make the change. Leebo T/C 19:20, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How do I archive stuff, and how do I find subpages of my user page?[edit]

What's the procedure for archiving User talk page material?

I have one major subpage of my user page, called Timothy_Perper/Sandbox, but I had another. Now I simply can't find it. How do I locate and list those subpages?

Thanks.

Timothy Perper 19:47, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Archiving instructions can be found at Wikipedia:Archiving talk pages. It might be helpful for you to keep a link on your user page to your subpage, which you can do by putting double brackets around it. If you know the name, just go to it: User:Timothy Perper/Sandbox. Leebo T/C 19:49, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
See here. --Outspan [talk · contribs] 19:52, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
As for finding subpages, Special:Prefixindex is awesome. I found your page, too. :) Nihiltres(t.l) 19:57, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
(edit conflicT) [1] shows a page at User:Timothy Perper/Baku (spirit). You can also find pages you have edited by clicking "my contributions" (probably at the top right depending on your skin). PrimeHunter 20:02, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. I find the sandbox by pulling up by user page and then going up to the browser search bar (I use Safari on a Mac) and simplly adding /Sandbox to it. Very fast. Prefixindex is neat. Timothy Perper 20:13, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Delta lambda psi[edit]

Hello, I am the President and founder of Delta Lambda Psi and I am currently making a page for it but I typed in the heading wrong and it currently reads "Delta lambda psi" but should read "Delta Lambda Psi" with the L and the P being capitalized. Can you please help me with this, I can't figure out how to redo the heading.


Thanks so much

Tim Lafond —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tlafond (talkcontribs) 19:54, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hey there. Changing the title required moving the page to the correct capitalization, which I have done for you. It should now be at Delta Lambda Psi. Do note that the article needs to be sourced and verifiable in order for the fraternity to be considered notable - now that it's at the right spot, please make sure to get some good third-party references in to ensure that it meets our guidelines. Cheers! Tony Fox (arf!) 19:59, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hey Alphachimp's last edit was 6 September 2007. I noticed that there are two users awaiting approval for AWB. Is there anyone who can pick up where Alphachimp left off? 70.233.142.135 20:13, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There are others who can make approvals - the list was just updated yesterday. I'm not one of them myself, but just give it another day or two and it should be updated. Paitence! ;-) Hersfold (t/a/c) 20:20, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Software notability criteria[edit]

Why don't we seem to have any notability guidance for software? there is a historical page on the matter but it is inactive. This seems to be a fair large oversight? or is this now covered somewhere else? Fredrick day 20:54, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's just generally covered by the basic notability guidelines at WP:N, requiring that it be backed up by multiple reliable secondary sources. Most of the criteria on that historical page is covered under WP:CORP or the aforementioned general page, which was the rationale used to reject the proposal here. Hersfold (t/a/c) 21:50, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
thanks for that - I must confess that I find WP:N to be so vague and circular as to be useless. oh well. Fredrick day 21:54, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  • I too preferred the more specific guidelines with examples of things that could partially indicate notability (sales, awards, etc). The general ones are too vague and open to misinterpretation. If you wonder if a subject is suitable, I guess asking a relevant wikiproject is the best idea. - Mgm|(talk) 09:50, 14 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Help[edit]

How do I make this picture smaller? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dr. 7man (talkcontribs) 21:47, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Include the size you want in pixels (px) after a pipe character (|) in the image link, like this: [[Image:blah blah.jpg|150px|caption]]. For more help, see Help:Images. Hersfold (t/a/c) 21:50, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've tried that already, but it didn't work--Dr. 7man 21:52, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Replace the |frame| parameter with |thumb| and add the 150px. So something like this: [[Image:blah blah.jpg|150px|thumb|caption]] should work. --Hdt83 Chat 21:58, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I am being maligned[edit]

New to wikipedia, I have published an article under the heading of Cifrangon, in all innocence, to try to draw more people into the debate on the origins of the Welsh. I have done my bloody best to try to provide any and all validation for comments which I have made. I am now being subjected to an attack by someone who calls himself nuttah68, who is accusing me of creating this article to publicise a book which he claims I have written, and is therefore trying to delete my article. He hides behind an alias, he gives no justification for his comments, and is doing his very best to trip me up. This is neither fair nor reasonable comment. His remarks are defamatory, untrue, a tissue of lies. I understood that defamatory remarks were banned from wikipedia. I am Bob Sunman, from Cardiff in South Wales, aged 67, divorced, with kids and grandkids, and have written under the name of 'Ouldbob'. I am a mature student, reading for an MSc at the Glamorgan University for fun. Now retired, I have spent my working life in science and international sales of that science. I am or have been a member of various professional societies, including the Instrument Society of America, the Optical Society of America, the Laser Institute of America, the Institute of Patentees, the Institute of Electrical Engineers, the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants, the Chartered Institute of Secretaries, the Institute of Sales Engineers and the Institute of Export as well as some overseas professional organisations. I have a PhD,(Physics), two BSc's,(Pure Mathematics and Computer Science: and Astronomy and Astrophysics), an HND in Polymer Technology, three fellowships, and am currently reading - at Glamorgan University - for an MSc in Astrophysics and Science Communication. I am a scientist. Archaeology is my hobby. I am trying to clear away cobwebs, yet I am being subjected to this scurrilous attack. This is absolutely disgraceful, completely unwarranted and is deliberately malicious. I find this very upsetting, since I cannot countenance enemies who are cowards and hide while slandering and libelling honest and innocent people. If this is what Wikipedia is all about, strike out everything I have written and cancel my membership. This is disgraceful/ —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ouldbob (talkcontribs) 22:18, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I do not see any attack - wikipedia is not a publisher of Original research (which you can read more about here WP:OR), interesting while your work is, it is original research and therefore not suitable for inclusion on wikipedia. The system has fallen down a bit because someone should have explained to you why your article is unsuitable for wikipedia. Fredrick day 22:29, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not trying to be rude here, but a scientist should know to approach any new, radically unfamiliar environment with an open mind, actually try to falsify each of one's early naive hypotheses, and try to avoid hasty generalizations. Above all, seek out the wisdom of the natives before trying something unfamiliar. Try not to approach Wikipedia with the same arrogant incaution practiced by some of the early polar explorers; they tended to view the Inuit as mere savages, overlooking the fact that the Inuit had the best cold-weather clothing and survival technology at the time. Some of the early explorers who assumed their English woolens were better than Inuit furs are still up there, frozen where they fell. The lesson there is that no matter how adept one is in one's familiar environment, one starts from incompetence again in sufficiently alien surroundings. On Wikipedia, of course, newbie mistakes are rarely as consequential as mistakes in the real world - at worst, one loses time or one experiences some emotional stress. Speaking of the latter, computer-mediated communication requires a certain amount of sangfroid, especially if one chooses to be bold without first reading the friendly manuals. Think of this as a kind of thesis defense, except the questions are less predictable.
While it may not be obvious at first glance (and in my opinion, Wikipedia doesn't do nearly enough to get this point across to new editors), Wikipedia has staggeringly complex and often unintuitive policies, guidelines, and procedures. Almost everybody who is new to Wikipedia makes at least a few incorrect assumptions about it; for example see: Wikipedia:Replies to common objections (I made a bunch of those assumptions too, when I first got here). This is not surprising, because just ten years ago, probably no sane person would have imagined Wikipedia in its present form could actually work. Yet it does. Something mysterious and subtly clever is going on here, something that appears to defy conventional logic - how it is possible for a site that allows free editing by millions of people from around the world to avoid turning into a complete muddle? Productive editing on Wikipedia requires some understanding of how it works. I suggest reading The Hive, by Marshall Poe, The Atlantic Monthly, September 2006 - an article describing the history of Wikipedia. --Teratornis 04:11, 14 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Alexander Hamilton[edit]

How do I locate information on Alexander Hamilton's economic ideas and theories?67.84.25.141 23:00, 13 September 2007 (UTC) (email removed to avoid spam)[reply]

You could try starting at Alexander Hamilton. 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 is what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps. PrimeHunter 23:56, 13 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Latest photos on horsburgh light (pedra baranca)[edit]

Dear Sir,

I would like to attached the latest photos on horsburgh light (pedra branca) Mantanani 23:58, 13 September 2007 (UTC).[reply]

The Horsburgh Lighthouse I take it? If you took the pictures yourself, then you are free to upload them under an appropriate license of your choice - see this for more details. Sephiroth BCR (Converse) 00:04, 14 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Use the "Upload file" link on the right, or use Wikimedia Commons so the images can be used by Wikipedia in other languages. --h2g2bob (talk) 06:43, 14 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]