Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2023 July 26

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July 26[edit]

massprotect tool[edit]

I'm using the above script on testwiki and other language wiki. Using this tool, the edit protection works but move and create protecion throw an error. No protection occurs when only move or create protection is selected, If I select both edit and move protection, only edit protection works. Does the script properly protect on enwiki? I'm asking here because it's a script from enwiki. -- ginaan(˵⚈ε⚈˵) 00:02, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@기나ㅏㄴ Presumably Timotheus Canens would be the best person to comment and help if possible. Mike Turnbull (talk) 15:39, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I have added a file (portrait) in the Personal life section - way too big. please fix, thanks 220.101.55.254 (talk) 00:38, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Fixed – it was missing the |thumb parameter. Skarmory (talk • contribs) 00:44, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Transwiki request[edit]

Mahjong Competition Rules is not an encyclopedia article covering a game's rules (which might be overly narrow in the first place) but directions on how to play that game in accordance with those rules. I think it should be moved to Wikibooks or some other project, but how do I request this? I figured there would be a transwiki-request template, but Template:Transwiki was deleted because it was an unnecessary fork of Template:Prod. I also figured there would be a project page, but WP:Transwiki redirects to a technical how-to-do-it page without a place to request a transwiki. 123.51.107.94 (talk) 01:16, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Probably, since it has existed for quite a while, you should AfD it and suggest transwiki as a possible option. Sungodtemple (talkcontribs) 01:57, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Using ISBN in visual editor to insert a reference[edit]

Hi. I used to be able to paste an ISBN into the automatic generator but now it's no longer an option. Is this a permanent change? I have to say it's very annoying. Please reinstate it. :) Also was there ever going to be the option of putting in the OCLC number into the automatic generator? Gertrude206 (talk) 03:50, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Gertrude206, I don't know what you mean by "the automatic generator", but Template:Cite book continues to allow "isbn=" and "oclc=". (When editing source. I know nothing about the visual editor.) -- Hoary (talk) 04:33, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
The instructions on WP:REFVISUAL show one can use ISBN in Automatic. Or used to be able to.--Gertrude206 (talk) 05:13, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Eng lish[edit]

Eng lish 2400:1A00:B1E0:7786:9077:BCCA:8510:C04C (talk) 03:54, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

If you have a question, please ask. -- Hoary (talk) 04:33, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Differentiating article titles[edit]

As sometimes two different places in completely different areas can have the same name, I would use parentheses, right? However, I am unsure if I am supposed to put the city, subdivision, or country inside of it, if there is a specific preference. (e.g. Should I use Bob's House (North Carolina) and Bob's House (California) or Bob's House (Asheville) and Bob's House (Fresno)?) DarkNight0917 (talk) 04:13, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

DarkNight0917, chores are many but life is short, perhaps too short to allow searching for every relevant guideline. I'd choose the former pair; anyone preferring the latter pair could rename the two articles (preferably citing a reason why). -- Hoary (talk) 04:43, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@DarkNight0917: As someone living in a different part of the world to Bob, I know roughly where North Carolina and California are within Bob's country, whereas Asheville and Fresno mean nothing. So I'd prefer the (state) version. Bazza (talk) 09:19, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
And if there were multiple Bob houses both in California, then further disambiguating would be helpful, but don’t overly narrow down (unless it’s a precise name or something meaningful) ~ 🦝 Shushugah (he/him • talk) 11:54, 28 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Unable to download pdfs for articles whose names contain exotic characters (which previously used to work)[edit]

Hi,

I'm currently unable to download pdf files for articles whose title contain the Greek letter 'π' standing for the mathematical constant pi.

The article pages I tried include:

'List of formulae involving π' 'Leibniz formula for π' 'Approximations of π' 'Chronology of computation of π'

Of these, I previous could download the pdf file for 'Leibniz_formula_for_π'.

I have a copy of 'Leibniz_formula_for_π.pdf' whose timestamp says May 14th, 2022, or around a year ago.

I tried to download pdf files for the above articles with Firefox, Chromium and some other download utility, all of which did not work.

I hope Wikipedia will fix this issue soon.

Thanks. 14.32.11.214 (talk) 04:52, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

You're not alone. I tried this on Chronology of computation of π with Mypal 68.12 on XP, and got a 'file not found' error. With FF 113 on Win 10 it sits there for a while and then just opens a blank new tab with nothing in the url bar. ΔT (timekeeping) and Timișoara suffer exactly the the same fate. As a control, Hinchingbrooke House with no special characters downloads and saves fine. Maybe the Village Pump can help, but I would wait until others with more tech knowledge have replied before trying there. MinorProphet (talk) 11:36, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
It was reported last Friday at phab:T342442. There is no mention of a fix yet but some Wikipedia languages are heavily affected so I guess it will be a priority. PrimeHunter (talk) 11:39, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
It's fixed now, for example Leibniz formula for π: Special:DownloadAsPdf/Leibniz formula for π. PrimeHunter (talk) 10:17, 27 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Great, thanks for the update. MinorProphet, pp 14.32.11.214. MinorProphet (talk) 13:07, 29 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Resolved

Sorting categories by date[edit]

I'm trying to find the oldest articles in Category:All pages needing cleanup, Category:All articles with topics of unclear notability, and others which are sorted alphabetically, not by date. Is there a toolforge thing to help with this? Festucalextalk 10:26, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@Festucalex For that sort of cleanup, I think your best bet is to use a bot-produced list where you can choose to convert categories/topics of interest to you into a .csv listing. The resultant spreadsheet of articles to be cleaned up (based on the tags they contain) includes dates. See User:CleanupWorklistBot for details. I hope that helps! Mike Turnbull (talk) 15:28, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

App menu redirect to browser[edit]

When I use the Wikipedia app (on Android) there is a bottom-border menu that includes a hamburger button labelled 'More'. When I select this, it presents six options, starting with my own user page, and finishing with 'Donate'. Of these six, four are wikilinks that open in the app, and 'Donate' is a URL since it opens a page outside Wikipedia. What annoys me is that the first link, to my own user page, is also a URL, so it opens in a browser. Why is this? If I want to use the browser interface, I can decide that for myself, but if I've chosen to use the app, why would it send me over to the browser?

I know that can get there via my user talk page in one extra click, but... -- Verbarson  talkedits 14:10, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Few people (if any) who frequent this page have anything to do with the design or development of the app. You'd be better asking at WP:VPT, or perhaps at mw:Talk:Wikimedia apps ColinFine (talk) 16:54, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@ColinFine; Thanks, I've taken it to mw:Talk:Wikimedia Apps -- Verbarson  talkedits 10:12, 27 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

BC, AD[edit]

Will you please use BC and AD so people who went to school before 2000 can understand you? Thanks. Hollykf (talk) 14:26, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@Hollykf the guidance is laid out at MOS:ERA. Either can be used in Wikipedia articles, depending on context. 199.208.172.35 (talk) 14:37, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I went to elementary school long (40–50 years) before 2000, and some of my Jewish classmates used CE/BCE dating, presumably for religious reasons. One should never assume that one's personal experience is the universal experience of humanity. Deor (talk) 14:45, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
My secondary school, run by the Methodist Foundation, was using history textbooks with BCE/CE in 1970. If it bothers you, think of them as meaning "Before the Christian Era" and "Christian Era." {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 51.198.140.169 (talk) 15:15, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Hollykf, did going to school before 2000 somehow render people incapable of understanding what they may have been exposed to thereafter? -- Hoary (talk) 23:28, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@Hollykf Before 2000 AD or 2000 BC? Sorry could not resist... ~ 🦝 Shushugah (he/him • talk) 15:20, 27 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

ISBNs[edit]

I want to cite volume 2 of a book. If I give its ISBN as printed near the beginning of the volume, 01-12-091102-7, I see an error message saying the number of digits is wrong. Then If I remove the leading 0, I instead get an error message saying that the checksum is wrong. Removing all the -s doesn't help. Is it acceptable just to use the ISBN from volume 1? Maproom (talk) 16:02, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

ISBN 0-12-091102-7?
Trappist the monk (talk) 16:59, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
If that's the book, it even has an article: Winning Ways for Your Mathematical Plays. Mike Turnbull (talk) 18:57, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you both! Maproom (talk) 20:30, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I think that[edit]

editor 2601:19D:401:A650:D05E:6860:2F4B:7080 should be banned for a recent post at The International Jew but am not sure how or where to suggest it. Carptrash (talk) 18:57, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

It's just (rather nasty) vandalism. Revert (which you've done) and warn (which I've done, but starting at level 3). If they continue, take it to WP:AIV, but there's no point for a single instance by an IP. ColinFine (talk) 19:39, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]
If they pull another ugly stunt like that, I will be happy to block them. Cullen328 (talk) 02:00, 27 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

references have been removed?[edit]

2012 in science - Wikipedia 86.167.32.204 (talk) 19:38, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

The problem is that 2012 in science has got too long to expand all the templates, so it is now in the hidden category Category:Pages where post-expand include size is exceeded. It needs to be shortned or split. (Unfortunately, what seems to have pushed it over the limit is citation.bot adding IDs to a lot of the references.)
I see that this happened a couple of weeks ago, and Forbes72 sort of fixed it, but it was inevitable that it would get broken again. I'll put a message on a couple of the relevant WikiProjects, but I don't know what the answer is. ColinFine (talk) 20:27, 26 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]