Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2010 January 25

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January 25

Vandalism not affecting page display?

Resolved

 – Mysdaao ^talk 13:14, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Compare the display of this edit to the display of the current version of the article, List of National Historic Landmarks in Vermont. You'll notice that the box in the top left corner of the table is a different color, but why don't we see the text added by the vandal? Of course I'm not trying to vandalise more effectively :-) I simply want to understand better why the broken template doesn't display as normal text. Nyttend (talk) 01:01, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I think your describing two different things. With regards to the #1 box looking a different color, it has to do with the template:

! {{NRHPlegend|NHLD|1}}

versus what was used for the other ones:

! {{NRHPlegend|NHL|2}}
! {{NRHPlegend|NHL|3}}

as for the vandal edit, I don't think they intended to mess specifically with the table in a specific way, but were just performing random vandalism. Tiggerjay (talk) 01:52, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

The text entered in this edit didn't display in the article because it was added to part of table for the style, not the text. When defining the headers, the style options go first after the !, and text goes after the |. The vandal changed the color by removing the last } from {{NHL color}}, but the change wasn't in the right place to affect the displayed text of the table. See this example for how style formatting of a table's headers work. --Mysdaao ^talk 01:55, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Okay, that makes sense to me; I've never quite understood how tables here work (this table and similar ones for other US states' lists of National Historic Landmarks were placed by other people), so I couldn't imagine why the text wouldn't appear in this box as it would if I typed it into the leftmost column of a lower line; e.g. type some text between the right braces of the NRHPlegend template in a lower line, and it will display the text. Thanks! Nyttend (talk) 05:57, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

By the way, I was only trying to ask one thing: I've worked enough with these tables that I knew that removing the template would make the color default to a whitish shade (the only reason that I mentioned it was so that you'd know I hadn't forgotten about it!), so all I was wondering about was the way that the random text didn't show. Nyttend (talk) 05:58, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

How do I merge two accounts?

I began editing Wikipedia pages before I had an account. The history of those edits is tied to my IP address. Is there a way to merge that earlier history to my new "Named" account's "my contributions" page. In short, I'd like to merge my old IP account into my new Named account. The old IP address account could then be deleted and those edits reassigned (renamed) to the new account.

MKevH (talk) 01:31, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Unfortunately there is not. Sorry. Tiggerjay (talk) 01:34, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

It used to be possible to change attributions for an edit, but not since 2005 (see this page). However, as that page says, you can list your contributions made with the IP address(es) on your user page. --Mysdaao ^talk 01:35, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Billboard.com and WebCite

Does this citation only show a blank Billboard page for anyone else, or is it just me? If it isn't just me, is it some sort of incompatibility between Billboard and WebCite? Are there services similar to WebCite that might work instead? —Akrabbim^talk 03:02, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I also get a blank page, although I do not know of any similar services. Xenon54 / talk / 03:08, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I also got a blank billboard (Firefox 3.5.7)... but I don't see why it matters at present as the original article is still viewable (http://www.billboard.com/#/features/top-25-tours-of-2009-1004053062.story). The Internet Archive provides a similar service and will probably make available an archived version of this web page later this year. Adrian J. Hunter^{(talk•contribs)} 15:33, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Deletion of protected template

Please assist I have nominated Template:Extra_chronology for deletion, but I cannot tag it, as it is protected. Can someone please add {{tfd}}? —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 03:37, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Done. Wikipedia:Templates for discussion#Listing a template mentions other possibilities for nominating protected templates. PrimeHunter (talk) 04:00, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Clover, the film

Found it under Elizabeth McGovern, but when I click on it it goes to the flower clover. Is it in another location? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shagra (talk • contribs) 07:58, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

We don't seem to have an article on the film. I've removed the link so that won't happen again. Dougweller (talk) 08:04, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I have changed it [1] to a piped red link to Clover (film). That is the common solution in such situations and was already done in Ernie Hudson and Zelda Harris. The link will work if an article is made later and it ensures that somebody doesn't remake the wrong link. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:41, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Swami Premeshananda

Please write Swami Premeshananda instade of Premeshanada. Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premeshananda —Preceding unsigned comment added by Amit.saha70 (talk • contribs) 09:00, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Since you created the article in both places, I have merged them. Please pay attention to the notices on the article though. It's very important that you add references to reliable sources to the article.--BelovedFreak 10:35, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

As the relevant portion of our Manual of Style explains, we do not use honorifics as part of article titles; nor do we use them in the body of the text, except in the first sentence of the lede. --Orange Mike | Talk 22:54, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

New page patrol: marking pages as patrolled.

Would it be possible to automate the marking of pages as patrolled following nomination for speedy deletion? This would streamline the process somewhat as some editors neglect to mark pages at present. Catfish Jim and the soapdish (talk) 13:36, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I believe there was a bot that did this, I don't think it's around at the moment though and I can't remember what it was called. Jeffrey Mall (talk • contribs) - 14:50, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

If you use Huggle it automatically marks such pages as patrolled. – ukexpat (talk) 15:44, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

please give me the answer of this question...

Resolved

i want to know the information about the following topic:

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HAZARDS AND PROBLEMS —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.196.0.38 (talk) 17:39, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Hello. I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our roughly three million articles, and thought that we were directly 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 a help desk for asking questions related to using the encyclopedia. Thus, we have no inside track on the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the left hand 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. TNXMan 17:44, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Page Statistics

Resolved

 –  – ukexpat (talk) 04:51, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Hi all. Has anyone noticed that page statistics has not been counting hits since January 23, 2010? Does anyone know what is going on and/or where this should be reported? Thanks in advance! --Neon Sky (talk) 19:27, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

WP:VPT? – ukexpat (talk) 19:37, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Sometimes the Wikimedia Technical Blog explains mysterious server issues. --Teratornis (talk) 21:05, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I posted on bugzilla. They seem to have fixed it now. :) --Neon Sky (talk) 01:39, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Order of Wiki page types from general to specific

I'm looking for an outline or list of how Wikipedia lists the page types in order of how specific they are. ie Portal, Category, Lists, Subpages, & namespace etc. For instance, I'm assuming, you would never find a category page in a namespace page. I think there may also be some page types that lie outside of the main list such as Lists. Here you can have all types of lists including lists themselves. With that said, what would these be considered to be equal to in this list. Thank you in advance.

Imann08 (talk) 19:35, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I'm not sure I understand your question. Not all the various page types lie on a single continuum of specificity. Trying to rank them that way would be like trying to decide which is more specific, a dog or a cat? That doesn't make sense. You could read the help pages for all the terms you mention, Help:Namespace, Help:Category, WP:PORTAL, WP:SUBPAGE, WP:CLN, and look in the Editor's index for lots more. --Teratornis (talk) 21:13, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

It is true that not all of the page types lie in a specific order. I mentioned this in my reference to the lists page type. I have taken the route of the help files and am only here after not finding a decent answer or one that I could understand. With that said, it seems pretty clear that a portal would rank higher than a category which would rank higher than a namespace. To me, it seems that a list would fall somewhere just about a namespace or be the equivalent of one. I can't think of all the page types off the top of my head. I have seen the help pages talking about each individual type such as categories and portals etc. I was just hoping that there was one that put it all together in one big outline or list as there are some that obviously follow some sort of order even though there are others that may deviate from that order from time to time. Thanks again.

Imann08 (talk) 22:20, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Namespaces and categories, for example, are different groupings of pages. One is not "higher" than the other. Category pages exist in only one namespace, the Category: namespace, but category pages themselves can contain links to pages in any namespace. A category itself does not consist just of a category page, but also of the links to that category which occur in other pages. Calling that collection of things a "category" is just a conceptual convenience. The underlying reality is a bunch of code in the MediaWiki software. If you are new to Wikipedia, try to empty your mind of preconceptions. Don't try to force Wikipedia to fit your current worldview, which you formed by experience with other things. Just read the friendly Wikipedia manuals, make some edits, see what other editors do to your edits, and read the manuals more to understand why they did what they did. After a while, Wikipedia will make some sense to you, and you will probably conclude it is different than what you knew before Wikipedia. --Teratornis (talk) 22:49, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Portals, categories, lists, namespaces, subpages are different concepts which are used for different purposes and are not part of a hierarchical structure where some are above others. If you have a specific goal with your question, for example where to search or place a specific type of information, then maybe we can help if you say what the goal is. PrimeHunter (talk) 23:04, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

French typo (Charcher)

Resolved

 –  – ukexpat (talk) 21:44, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I'm not sure this is the right place to report a typo, but please note that the French version has a typo in the word (and associated buttons) "Chercher" (Search) which currently reads "Charcher". The A should be replace with an E. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Panfouez (talk • contribs) 20:50, 25 January 2010

Hello. Could you be more specific? I'm not sure which article you're referring to. Otherwise, if you spot a mistake, it's ok for you to change it yourself, by clicking "edit" at the top of the page. Or do you mean on the French Wikipedia? In which case, I'm still not entirely sure what you mean.--BelovedFreak 21:04, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Please dismiss this comment. My Wikipedia settings were set on the wrong language therefore making a different spelling of the word "Search" appear like a typo.

Copying the Wikipedia Upload Pages

I am trying to figure out which extensions Wikipedia uses to facilitate image uploads. I manage a chemistry book wiki used by students and we want to be able to train them to use copyright correctly and using a Wikipedia-like uploader seems appropriate. Is there some place which documents this functionality? Would it be easier to try to make use of WikiMedia Commons? (We have a slightly more restrictive Copyright currently on our wiki: Attribution Share-Alike 3.0). Thanks for any help! Jshorb (talk) 21:29, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Start with Commons:Commons:Village pump/Archive/2008Jun#New upload form which should lead you to pages or people who know the details of how the upload scripts work on Commons. User:Lupo might be one such person. For general tips on running your own MediaWiki wiki, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Transwiki. --Teratornis (talk) 22:57, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Creating an account for someone else

When someone else requests for an account to be created, where does the request go? I'm not even sure where to look. --The High Fin Sperm Whale 22:22, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

The request is found in a restricted interface used to create accounts. You need to be approved by an interface administrator to use the tool. Hamtechperson 22:40, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Were do you ask permission to view the interface? --The High Fin Sperm Whale 05:14, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Username

How do I change my username? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Garston (talk • contribs) 22:27, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

See WP:CHU. --The High Fin Sperm Whale 22:30, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

(e/c) Wikipedia:Changing username. If you go to Special:Listusers and find the name you want is already taken, you may be able to "usurp" the name, if it has not made any significant edits. For that, see Wikipedia:Changing username/Usurpations. Xenon54 / talk / 22:33, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Is there a script....

to show the vandalism level on every page? Hamtechperson 22:35, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

If there is, it should be listed in WP:EIW#Vandal. --Teratornis (talk) 22:59, 25 January 2010 (UTC)