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January 4[edit]

Templates[edit]

How are templates created? They seem so difficult to understand. Mr. Prez (talk) 00:03, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

See Help:Template. PrimeHunter (talk) 00:08, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I want to create categories[edit]

Cant find anything about it. Here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Categories_for_discussion my question was simply deleted after one month. Nobody answered anything.German.Knowitall (talk) 00:10, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Did you read this section on cats? ArcAngel (talk) (review) 00:21, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Your post was archived with no answers at Wikipedia talk:Categories for discussion/Archive 2009#Categories for quizzing. It was a wrong place to post. Wikipedia:Categories for discussion is for discussing changes (delete/rename/merge) to existing categories but not creation of new categories. There is no central place for that. Any logged in user can create a category by saving a non-empty category page. If you want feedback then you can try the talk page of a relevant WikiProject like Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Games. PrimeHunter (talk) 00:31, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In fact you can create a category by adding a link to it on any page by inserting [[Category:<category name>]] anywhere on the page. It will appear as a redlink until you put text into the category page itself, but if multiple pages link to it, it will function as a category containing all those pages. --ColinFine (talk) 08:09, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the answers. I'm not sure if I understand it all but I will try to go ahead with this advice.German.Knowitall (talk) 00:08, 5 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

start up[edit]

how do I start my own page in Wikipedia? Mmellino (talk) 02:59, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Welcome to Wikipedia, please have a read through this. Jeffrey Mall (talk • contribs) - 03:11, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

What do you mean by "my own page"? On Wikipedia, we do not own pages, but you can make a user page about yourself. --Teratornis (talk) 04:19, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

If you mean that you want to create a page about a new topic, please read your first article carefully. --ColinFine (talk) 08:10, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

A Wizard is available to walk you through these steps. See the Article Wizard.

Thank you.

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 with which all articles should comply. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite 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 Wikipedia:Your first article. You might also look at 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. An Article Wizard is available to walk you through creating an article. – ukexpat (talk) 17:32, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Assessing (Grading) an Article in an WikiProject[edit]

In WikiProjects, I've noticed that articles are given grades (A, B, C, Start, Stub, etc) and importance levels. Who is allowed to grade an article? Can anyone do it, can only admin, or is there some special process where multiple people give input? I know that most WikiProjects give a grading scheme matrix on the WikiProject main page, but I wasn't sure if there was some sort of process of actually giving the grade and/or changing a grade.

Also, is the method for assessing an article the same from WikiProject to WikiProject, or is it just dependent on the project and their participants?

Thanks for your time!--armoreno10 04:03, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Generally, anything "B" and below can be assigned by anyone, but A-level needs a formal review by someone who is active in the project. There are a few projects that also require a somewhat formal review for B-class as well, but I think if you are looking for anything below A-class, just make a good-faith effort to assess it yourself using the criteria listed at the relevent Wikiproject. If you want an "A-class" review, find someone who is active in the project, and ask them to review it. --Jayron32 04:09, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

And see the links under WP:EIW#Assessment. --Teratornis (talk) 04:21, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Log in[edit]

Very strange. I was asked to log in, which happens every month or so, and could not. I enter my name, and it is changed automatically to all capital letters, and then is unrecognized. I cannot enter my user name as it is. What goes on?? An answer can be put on my talk page, I am Dumarest. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.142.164.33 (talk) 13:09, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Your user page says you use Firefox. Check if the wrong username is stored in Firefox. See [1]. Copied to User talk:Dumarest#Log in. PrimeHunter (talk) 13:59, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Facts[edit]

Trying to change facts regarding a page created about my father (media personality). —Preceding unsigned comment added by Steve.holmanjr (talk • contribs) 13:13, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Are you referring to [2]? Information in Wikipdia should be verifiable with prior publication in a reliable source. People are not allowed to use their own unpublished knowledge. Do you have a published source to this statement? The text was placed in the wrong place. The "edit this page" tab at top can edit the whole page. See also Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons and Wikipedia:Conflict of interest. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:07, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Flagging a Section as United States - orientated?[edit]

In the Article History of Banking - Global Banking, this section seems to be entirely about banking in the United States, not global.

This:

{{Original research}} {{Unreferenced}}

Is tagged in the opening to the section, but how do I add one that flags it as being US-orientated? E.G Interactive (talk) 16:45, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

See Wikipedia:WikiProject Countering systemic bias#Related cleanup templates and Category:Internationalisation maintenance templates. {{Globalize/USA|section}} may suit your purpose. PrimeHunter (talk) 16:54, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you.

suits the purpose just fine. E.G Interactive (talk) 16:58, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Number[edit]

FINDING A NUMBER WITH A 602 OR 603 NUMBER. i HAD A CALL FROM ONE OF THOSE PREFIXES AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO READ THE REST OF THE NUMBER. i AM VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN THE SPEED DIAL PROGRAM, AND WOULD LIKE TO GET BACK TO THE FELOOW WHO i WAS TALKING TO. i LIVE IN A 954 AREA WHICH ARE LOOKING FOR REPS. tHANK YOU, rOBERT yNGVE ^{[details removed]} —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.245.232.231 (talk) 17:34, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Please use a descriptive title in future questions.

Please do not include contact details in your questions. We are unable to provide answers by any off-wiki medium and this page is highly visible across the internet. The details have been removed, but if you wish for them to be permanently removed from the page history, email this address.

This page is for questions about using Wikipedia. Please consider asking this question at the Wikipedia: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. You could always try searching Wikipedia for an article related to the topic you want to know more about. I hope this helps. --Mysdaao ^talk 17:57, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Please do not SHOUT. Writing in all-caps, or "shouting", is considered inconsiderate and attention-seeking behaviour, and is thus discouraged. Your question will be no less regarded if written in regular case, nor will it be any more regarded if written in uppercase; in fact, many users choose to ignore queries written in all-uppercase. Intelligentsium 18:28, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Info Box[edit]

Please advise on how to insert info box i.e. Vasileios Spanoulis for Joshua Urbiztondo,Thank You, Dave —Preceding unsigned comment added by David Urbiztondo (talk • contribs) 20:40, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The infobox you require can be found here: Template:Infobox basketball player. To insert the infobox into User:David Urbiztondo/Joshua Urbiztondo, just edit the draft article and put the infobox coding at the top of the article.

Also, looking at your username, I'm guessing you are related? I would advise you to read Wikipedia's Conflict of Interest guidelines and Wikipedia's Neutral POV guidelines. Although not forbidden, it can be difficult writing about someone you personally know in a neutral point of view! -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 20:49, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Need help in posting an article[edit]

I have written a subpage for a client of mine and am ready to post it...but frankly, the directions for doing so make no sense tome. I had no problem creating the article under my user ID: Colleenszot/Phil Cooke. I just want to post it! Can someone help me so I easily understand how to post? Thanks so much Colleen ~~ —Preceding unsigned comment added by Colleenszot (talk • contribs) 21:51, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

No. It would be a conflict of interest for you to post a biography of a person who has paid you to write it and/or post it to Wikipedia. --Jc3s5h (talk) 21:55, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Plus, there is no evidence that Mr Cooke satisfies Wikipedia's notability guidelines, meaning if the article was posted it would likely be deleted for being about a non-notable topic. Being on TV does not necessarily make you notable; if it did, then I would have a better claim to notability than Mr Cooke (no offence intended). I suggest you read and understand Your first article, What Wikipedia is not and all of the 5 pillars. Xenon54 / talk / 22:01, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Alternatively, anyone can post a biography about anyone on WikiBios. There was also a Wikipopuli but it seems to be broken now. What city are you in? Your city may have a City wiki where you could post. City wikis are nice because they dispense with Wikipedia's notability requirements, and aim for comprehensive depth about a given geographical area, with articles about (ideally) every business, school, park, street, public building, nonprofit organization, or person in that area who wants an article. --Teratornis (talk) 01:10, 5 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I moved it into article space, but it is obvious spam and unlikely to survive. --Orange Mike | Talk 01:14, 5 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Posts for The International Cat Association[edit]

Hi -- I am the Director of Marketing for The International Cat Association (TICA). I did not set up the account to originate the page on TICA or post other information regarding the different breeds, the cat fancy, etc. So, that means I don't -- and no one else at our office -- know(s) who set up the account or the log in.

Do I need to be the originator of this content to be able to edit the content on the page about TICA or to post links to our new breed pages? If I do, can you help me with the log in for the account that was set up or tell me who originated it?

I appreciate your help!

Regards Debra Decker TICA Marketing www.tica.org

63.98.241.3 (talk) 23:11, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Ms Decker. Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia which anyone can edit. You can edit the article on The International Cat Association, as you edited this page, by clicking on "edit this page" at the top of the page. However: you are strongly discouraged from editing the article of an entity which you are directly related to, except to correct unambiguous factual errors; this is known as having a conflict of interest. Any changes must be backed up by citing reliable sources. If there are factual errors you would like to correct, please see the tutorial and, of course, please do not hesitate to come back here if you have more questions. Xenon54 / talk / 23:59, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Or to gain consensus on changes that you think should be made, please open a discussion on the article's talk page. – ukexpat (talk) 15:15, 5 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

And do disclose your interest in the subject if you post there. --ColinFine (talk) 19:10, 5 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]