Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2017 October 27

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October 27

Tracy Anderson article is being vandalized.

An anonymous contributor only known as 50.74.20.82 has repeatedly removed an entire section of this article. The section has different sources cited according to Wikipedia's standards and there is no reason to remove it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Torowhynot (talk • contribs) 23:00, October 26, 2017 (UTC)

Hello Torowhynot, I suspect the IP did that because a significant part of the entire section was criticism, cited using dead links, blogs, personal wordpress websites and at least one link that did not even contain the subject's name. I have culled the complete section and used the Washington Post reference to build something that may be acceptable as critical review in this BLP. Please don't re-add any of the deleted material. Write back for any further assistance. Warmly. Lourdes 03:23, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Sparks Georgia Cook County

My name is Sherdina Long I am doing our family genealogy Bryant family, one family story I cannot find any information on and when I go to Ancestry 1920 no Family members come up, with that said my family was chased out of the city of Sparks, Georgia and a expecting African American lady was hung and the baby cut, sorry if this is to discussing, I just like to read something and add to my research.

Sincerely Sherdina Long — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sherdinal (talk • contribs) 00:28, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Hello Sherdina, while there are multiple references across Wikipedia of individuals and organizations titled Bryant, it's not clear which group you might be referring to. Warmly. Lourdes 03:27, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Revert the block interface

The interface for Special:Block was recently modified; no longer is the list of rationales short enough to see everything without scrolling, and it's distinctly unfriendly to use with the keyboard only. Is there any way that I can get it to go back to the previous version (whether via an edit to User:Nyttend/monobook.js or otherwise), aside from editing a MW-space page and upsetting the people who like the new appearance? Nyttend (talk) 01:59, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

How to assess an article.

Hi, a few articles which I edit and keep a watch on have a stub rating. Well they definitely aren't stubs. So, could someone help me out with assessing an article. And I am a member of Wiki Project Wikipedia. Thanks! Bingobro (Chat) 05:30, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Hi, on the article talk page should be a list of Wikiprojects connected to the article's subject. The stub rating should have sentence next to it with a link to the Wikiprojects quality scale where it should give a brief explanation of what is required of the article for each quality rating. If you want to link to any specific pages, I would be happy to help further. Kosack (talk) 08:28, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

@Kosack: Sure and thanks in advance! I'd link two pages-

• Birsa Munda Airport
• Sonari Airport

Both pages are o my watchlist and edited a lot by me if you'd help out it'd be great. Bingobro (Chat) 12:23, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

@Bingobro: I've reassessed both pages as start class as they both have some issues that need to be fixed before moving any further up the scale. I've tagged the articles with the most obvious issues to be addressed. Kosack (talk) 12:36, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Thanks and maybe in a month or so they may be ready to be moved up. Bingobro (Chat) 12:39, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Both articles may need some expanding before moving any further, particularly Sonari which has a prose size of slightly over 1500B. That's rather low for an article to be considered C-class or above I would say. Kosack (talk) 13:15, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Hello, Bingobro. Any editor can reclassify an article from stub class to start class. A stub is defined as an article "deemed too short to provide encyclopedic coverage of a subject." If the article has grown significantly, go ahead and upgrade it without hesitation. Cullen³²⁸ Let's discuss it 03:26, 28 October 2017 (UTC)

Notable individuals section in articles about towns

Could you please point me to the guidance on the above? Thanks! A P Monblat (talk) 06:28, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

My understanding is that the are notable enough for a mention if they have a Wikipedia article Jimfbleak - talk to me? 06:32, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Cities/Settlements:_Article_structure#Notable_people and Wikipedia:WikiProject_UK_geography/How_to_write_about_settlements#Notable_people and Wikipedia:WikiProject_Cities/US_Guideline#Notable_people. Nanonic (talk) 06:37, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Thanks, very helpful. A P Monblat (talk) 07:08, 28 October 2017 (UTC)

Need help transposing a table

The very wide table at Maghreb#Genetics of the Maghreb population needs to be changed into a tall table with the countries in columns and haplogroups in rows. This is to improve the readability of the article, particularly on small screen mobile devices. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 07:51, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Dodger67 Done. Let me know what you think. (basically cut and past article into excel, copied and pasted to another page paste-special transposed, copied *that*, dropped it into https://tools.wmflabs.org/excel2wiki/index.php and then saved that into the article.Naraht (talk) 18:25, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Thanks Naraht, now I also know about the Excel conversion tool too. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 07:15, 28 October 2017 (UTC)

Von joshua

Is this where I would make correctios on Von Joshua.? They have the wrong college ...... he went to Laney. Also has been coaching until present... Last 4yrs in Taiwan — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jjoshua39 (talk • contribs) 08:27, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Hi, if you have any additions to make to the page feel free, however remember they must be supported by reliable sources. You can also discuss any changes on the article talk page HERE where other editors involved with the page should be able to discuss the changes with you. Kosack (talk) 08:32, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

See also the answers which you received at WP:Help desk/Archives/2017 October 18#Von Joshua and WP:Help desk/Archives/2017 October 17#Von Joshua baseball player. --David Biddulph (talk) 08:43, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Password reset requested by someone other than myself

I received an email from Wikipedia claiming that someone had requested a password reset. The email mentioned my user name correctly, but the IP address given is not mine. Does this mean that someone is trying to take over my account? If so, is there anything I should do about it? BronHiggs (talk) 08:36, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

BronHiggs hello. If you have a strong password, ignore the message. On the side of caution, you may consider changing your password. You can read Wikipedia:User account security for more information. Thanks. Lourdes 08:59, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

You should also ensure that your e-mail address has not been compromised. (Don't worry, it probably hasn't, but just be aware of the possibility.) Dbfirs 10:13, 28 October 2017 (UTC)

Getting the Mobile watchlist results on non-mobile version and vice versa.

The mobile version of Wikipedia has a watchlist results that show all changes to an article rather than just he most recent one. Is there any way to get that from en.wikipedia.org without going to en.m.wikipedia.org. Conversely is there anyway to see the en.wikipedia type results (only the most recent change for each article) on en.m.wikipedia.org without going to en.wikipedia.org on my mobile device?Naraht (talk) 11:32, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

In the desktop site you can enable "Expand watchlist to show all changes, not just the most recent" at Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-watchlist. PrimeHunter (talk) 11:40, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

And can I do the reverse on the mobile site?Naraht (talk) 11:43, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

I don't think so but I rarely use the mobile site and never its watchlist. PrimeHunter (talk) 11:57, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Where can I get help with tables?

I am working on an article on Mustang District. I have some tables, and I have the data for more tables. But, I am afraid I need some help to format those tables. Where can I go and ask for some help? Aditya^{(talk • contribs)} 15:30, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Hi, there is a brief tutorial for building tables available HERE. If you want a more detailed explanation you can go to Help:Table which goes into further detail and other users will be able to help with any questions on the talk page. Hope this helps. Kosack (talk) 16:45, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

R from Future Name

Do we have a template for a redirect from a future name that has been confirmed by reliable sources, but has not yet gone into effect? I recently created Justice High School as a redirect to J.E.B. Stuart High School as that will be the new name by Fall of 2019, but as the name change has not yet gone into effect, it should remain at its current location for now. We have a template for R from old name, but as far as I can tell, we don't have a template R from future name. I don't have enough template knowledge to create one, but if someone else wants to, and we don't already have one that I'm missing, that would be great. Smartyllama (talk) 15:57, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

I think it would get too little usage. You can just use {{R from alternative name}}. PrimeHunter (talk) 16:11, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

"Common names" headline in Bothrops asper?

This format seems a little bit weird and uncommon, is this within guidelines of some themed articles (like animals)?--fireattack (talk) 17:36, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

The article is fairly comprehensive for a species account. It is perhaps unusual to have a section devoted to common names, but not exceptional. Other articles in the Bothrops genus also have this section heading. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 17:48, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

I'm not talking about the section, but the first line ahead of the whole article:

Common names: fer-de-lance, terciopelo,-fireattack (talk) 18:34, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

I've never seen that before, although in trying to answer your question, I discovered that the same format has appeared in Pituophis catenifer since at least 2009. Instead, I'd advocate what's done at Acer saccharum — give the binomial and then say (commonname 1, commonname 2) or (commonly known as commonname1, commonname2). Nyttend (talk) 22:04, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Now that I understand what you are referring to, I agree with Nyttend. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 08:40, 28 October 2017 (UTC)

References

deactivate

my ex signed up for this and I want to deactivate this page so I may register myself and be free of all the crazy that was put here — Preceding unsigned comment added by TorontoHistoricalSociety (talk • contribs)

Hello, TorontoHistoricalSociety. It sounds like you've just broken upL my sympathies. But I'm not quite sure what you're asking. The account you are currently using is not acceptable for two reasons: first, because shared accounts are not permitted; secondly, because account names which appear to represent an organisation are not permitted. If you wish to carry on editing Wikipedia, I suggest you create a new account which is personal to you (it does not have to be your real name: I use mine, but many users do not). Does that answer your question? --ColinFine (talk) 22:57, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

You can register a new account without any need to deactivate the original account. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 08:44, 28 October 2017 (UTC)

... but in any case the previous account has been blocked as an unacceptable username. --David Biddulph (talk) 09:14, 28 October 2017 (UTC)

Where's the guideline on recognizing national sovereignty?

Noticing the flurry today of replacements of "Spain" with "Catalonia" and subsequent reversions (e.g., relocating Urgell from Spain to Catalonia and back in the article on Andorra), I was trying to figure out where the guidelines are on what Wikipedia recognizes as independent/sovereign nations or, perhaps to put it another way, what Wikipedia considers to be the highest-level political entity to which a location belongs. Can someone point me to the right place? Largoplazo (talk) 23:27, 27 October 2017 (UTC)

Largoplazo hello. This is an atypical issue that should be resolved on the respective talk pages. However, in my experience, political issues that are fanatically and aggressively edited by both sides, most often finally reach the RFC stage, and post that (when it hits the ceiling) ARBCOM. The next few days would provide clarity on where Catalonia actually stands (in my opinion, it would be back with Spain). And editors should take it easy till then. I know this might not be the answer you expected; but hopefully someone else would add to my statements here. Warmly. Lourdes 05:11, 28 October 2017 (UTC)

Largoplazo, right now there's a discussion at WP:AN about imposing restrictions on this kind of editing: not restrictions on people like you who are being helpful, but restrictions on people persistently making such edits and making it easier to revert the one-time replacements. This is commonly done in such disputes, simply because they're basically intractable as far as preventing online disruption, and they don't go away quickly; we've had this kind of thing on Indo-Pakistani relations and Israel/Palestinians for a good while, if I remember rightly. Nyttend (talk) 12:43, 28 October 2017 (UTC)

Thanks for your replies. Well, I'm surprised that even some very broad guiding principles for this sort of thing haven't already been arrived at and documented somewhere, but I'm interested to see the discussions at AN and ANI that have arisen around the confusion. The concept of a honeypot article blows my mind. :-) Cheers. Largoplazo (talk) 15:09, 29 October 2017 (UTC)