Help desk
< March 7	<< Feb \| March \| Apr >>	March 9 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Help Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current Help Desk pages.

March 8[edit]

Vandalism help request from 98.48.11.89[edit]

I have noticed some vandalism at Talk:Murder of Laken Riley. Namely, some racist comments. Would an editor please assist me with fixing it? Thank you, 98.48.11.89 (talk) 01:42, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Done Tollens (talk) 01:43, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I've blocked the ip for now too Jimfbleak - talk to me? 08:50, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Getting repeated query error messages, never seen in years of querying[edit]

They look like this; my queries seem to be retuning good data. Ideas? Thanks!

2024-03-07 23:24:11.232 Bands and Members[9102:6438779] Error: execSQLStatement:onConnection:toCompletionWithRetry:writeLockHelp - SQL=BEGIN IMMEDIATE TRANSACTION;, error-code=10, error-message=disk I/O error

2024-03-07 23:24:11.232 Bands and Members[9102:6438779] Error: stepSQLStatement:toCompletionWithRetry - stepping returned unhandled result=10, DB=/Users/rondevvoss/Library/Containers/com.rivoapp.Bands-and-Members/Data/Library/Caches/com.rivoapp.Bands-and-Members/Cache.db

2024-03-07 23:24:11.232 Bands and Members[9102:6438779] Error: execSQLStatement:onConnection:toCompletionWithRetry:writeLockHelp - SQL=COMMIT TRANSACTION;, error-code=1, error-message=cannot commit - no transaction is active remBracketItems !!! Ron (talk) 07:32, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Ron. I don't know what this is, but I'm 99% certain that it is a technical issue, and absolutely nothing to do with the content that you're trying to submit. If it's still doing it, I suggest asking at WP:VPT. ColinFine (talk) 18:06, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

My bot is actually just reading (continuously for many hours, with the five second wait when told), no writing. It's still happening, apparently harmless (to me, at least). I'll ask Colin, thanks. Ron (talk) 00:56, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

On second thought, I'll wait, as I suspect the problem is with the above Cache.db file which, when the run is over, I'll delete and see if the problem goes away. Ron (talk) 01:22, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Lua error[edit]

Hey everyone,

I'm having a Lua issue where adding a template outputs an error on one of my subpages.

I had tried putting those on my user page, and I got the same error which is due to a maximum limit to fancy templates. But putting them on a subpage should reset the "fancy template count" for that page, shouldn't it?

Cheers! Cocobb8 (💬 talk • ✏️ contribs) 13:55, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The error message says 'too many expensive function calls'. A page is allowed 500 expensive function calls (see mw:Manual:Parser functions § Expensive parser functions).

Your sandbox includes calls to {{Articles with too few wikilinks progress}}, {{Articles with bare URLs for citations progress}}, {{Dead link progress}}. Each of those templates makes 243 of 500 expensive function calls via mw.site.stats.pagesInCategory() at Module:Progress_box line 55. 243 × 3 = 729 which is greater than 500 so the third template fails. There is no magic fix for this.

—Trappist the monk (talk) 15:06, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Cocobb8, iirc, templates hidden in collapsed content are not expanded until uncollpased. Try surrounding each of your three transcluded articles with {{cot}} / {{cob}}, and that ought to fix it. Mathglot (talk) 07:50, 12 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Unfortunately it didn't fix it :(

If I did something wrong please edit my user page directly Cocobb8 (💬 talk • ✏️ contribs) 13:34, 12 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

It won't because lua modules and templates ({{cot}} and {{cob}} in this case) are processed only once: when the page is saved. {{cot}} and {{cob}} emit html markup that tells your browser how to render the page. Regardless, even if collapsed text were somehow 'processed-on-demand', you would still be attempting to use more than the allotted number of expensive parser functions.

—Trappist the monk (talk) 14:23, 12 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

How do I add a link to just 1 archived tweet?[edit]

On Brian Deer, I cited this November 2022 tweet by Deer, as evidence he has Irish citizenship and his middle name is Laurence, which has now gone dead. I found an archive of Deer's tweets that contains the tweet, (it's the 16th tweet from the top). Trouble is, when I click on the tweet itself (to use it as an archived version of the original tweet) I am met with this error message.

I have 2 questions about this:

1. How do I add to the reference just the archived tweet? 2. Does the link being dead mean Deer does not want it to be added, and does that mean I should not do so?

Thank you, Slamforeman (talk) 14:06, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Twitter is not acceptable as an independent verifiable source anyway Jimfbleak - talk to me? 16:07, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I thought it is when it’s a primary source stating a fact they'd have no reason to lie about, or am I mistaken? Slamforeman (talk) 16:55, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Jimfbleak, I went looking through the guidelines, and I am almost certain his tweet is fine to cite, per WP:TWITTER. For my own understanding, can you elaborate on your view that it would not be? Slamforeman (talk) 18:48, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Slamforeman, fair enough. I wouldn't necessarily accept it as evidence of, say, age, but it looks OK for what you are claiming Jimfbleak - talk to me? 10:49, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Citing a whole journal[edit]

Hi Folks!! How do I cite a whole journal, for example [1]. Thanks. scope_creep^Talk 16:26, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Why would you compel our readers to laboriously search through every page of a journal to find the one article/page/paragraph/sentence that supports a factoid in an en.wiki article? Don't be reader hostile.

—Trappist the monk (talk) 16:44, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Trappist the monk: The whole journal is about him. It would be cited in further reading. Would it not be expected to be cited in that manner? There is actually two journals dedicated to the man. Put a link in then in the ext links? scope_creep^Talk 17:02, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If the journals are not used (cited) in support of the en.wiki article text then §Further reading is probably more appropriate for listing them than §External links.

—Trappist the monk (talk) 17:24, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Trappist the monk: They won't be cited in the article themselves, but I would like to use a proper cite so they are formatted like the rest of the entries in the George MacDonald#Further reading section. How would I do it, if its possible. scope_creep^Talk 17:45, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Scope creep use a cite template but remove the ref tags before saving. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 17:53, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If we're talking about using {{cite journal}}, there isn't a way to link to the online journal without the template also has an article title. You can write:

{{cite journal |title=none |journal=North Wind: A Journal of George MacDonald Studies |publisher=St. Norbert College |issn=0265-7295}}

North Wind: A Journal of George MacDonald Studies. St. Norbert College. ISSN 0265-7295.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)

but that adds the article to Category:CS1 maint: untitled periodical. Too bad there isn't an en.wiki article about North Wind the journal; could have used |journal=[[North Wind (journal)|North Wind: A Journal of George MacDonald Studies]] or some such. Probably better to avoid {{cite journal}} entirely:

[https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/northwind/ ''North Wind: A Journal of George MacDonald Studies'']. St. Norbert College. {{issn|0265-7295}}.

North Wind: A Journal of George MacDonald Studies. St. Norbert College. ISSN 0265-7295.

—Trappist the monk (talk) 18:03, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

That seems to have fixed it visually, putting the title=none. I guess a Gnome will be along to try and fix it properly. It is a peer-reviewed journal. Seems to be well respected, while the other one, although long lived, >40 years, looks more like a personal project for that group. I've saved the above text to a area in my user page. I might create the journal article at some point, although it will be a while. I've got so much to do. Maybe in six months to year. It wouldn't be a big article. George MacDonald seems to be massive and well known Victorian writer who started the whole fantasy thing, although up until about three months ago, I hadn't heard of it, so probably creating it is a good idea. I think we can leave it there for the moment. Thanks Folks!! scope_creep^Talk 18:17, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

It ther is no title, then I use |title=(untitled), which avoids the CS1 error. Mjroots (talk) 20:22, 12 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Login issue - original email account closed[edit]

Hello Wikipedia team,

I tried logging into Wikipedia with username but when I set up the account originally I used my old email address which was deleted several years ago. I now have new email accounts.

Is there a way to establish my original Wikipedia account under my original username, or will I need to open a new account?

Thanks, Chris Rice Springfield, MO USA 75.98.102.50 (talk) 17:05, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

This is often asked, and if you do not have access to the old email address then it is pretty much game over and you will have to set up a new account. See H:RP for more detail.--♦IanMacM♦ ^{(talk to me)} 17:10, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

How do I stop an image from indenting the next section header?[edit]

I know there's a simple way to do this, but I cannot seem to find it. The article in question is Georg_Wilhelm_Friedrich_Hegel#Reception. (It's an issue only on large displays.)

Many thanks! Patrick J. Welsh (talk) 18:04, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@PatrickJWelsh: put the {{clear}} template just above the heading. -Arch dude (talk) 18:07, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! That did it. Patrick J. Welsh (talk) 18:14, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Or, move the offending image to the right?

—Trappist the monk (talk) 18:10, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Images on the right is the preference of MOS:IMAGELOC, for easier reading and WP:ACCESSIBILITY. Bazza 7 (talk) 19:21, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Chiropractic[edit]

The description of Chiropractic on Wikipedia is false. Chiropractic is not pseudo science. It has been scientifically proven. Mkrizan88 (talk) 19:44, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Mkrizan88: You're welcome to raise this on the article's talk page. Please check first that the matter has not already been discussed and resolved; and be ready to support your claims with citations to reliable and independent sources. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 19:50, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If you check the archives on the talk page [2] you will find that it has been discussed at enormous length over many, many years. You would need to explain where it has been "scientifically proven". Theroadislong (talk) 15:26, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I would not. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 16:23, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

New Profile[edit]

Does anyone know where I can have someone check my content to see if I meet the eligibility requirements for a page? JenniferGuttman (talk) 20:24, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@JenniferGuttman, Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Assuming this [3] is you. Per my googling and WP:GNG, the answer is no, but of course google doesn't know all. You can try for a second opinion at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Women in Red. Wikipedia:An article about yourself isn't necessarily a good thing may be of interest. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 21:55, 8 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

There are zero "profiles" on Wikipedia, only articles on people who pass the criteria at WP:GNG. 20:41, 8 March 2024 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Theroadislong (talk • contribs)

@Theroadislong: wikt:profile#Noun: "A summary or collection of information, especially about a person". Wikipedia has millions of articles meeting this definition. Please stop giving misleading, bitey answers. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 12:48, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Not remotely misleading or bitey, see Wikipedia:NOTPROFILE. Theroadislong (talk) 13:59, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

NOTPROFILE is a shortcut to Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a blog, web hosting service, social networking service, or memorial site. That section - indeed, that whole page - page does not include the string "profile", and OP was not asking for anything listed there. In plain language, it is perfectly reasonable to refer to a Wikipedia article about a person as a profile of them, and it is clearly that to which the OP referred. Your response did absolutely nothing to address their question: "if I meet the eligibility requirements for a page?" beyond what had already been said by Gråbergs Gråa Sång. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 16:18, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@JenniferGuttman: Hi Jennifer. Your use of the word "profile" inadvertently raised the hackles of some of us here, like walking into a gathering of women and saying "hi, girls!" It seems like a quibble, but the underlying problem is real. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, and the term "profile" is not used by encyclopedias. You won't find "profiles" in the Encyclopedia Britannica. The term implies that it's a piece intended to show the subject in the best light. The term "article" is more neutral, and we hope it will remind you and other editors to maintain a neutral point of view. -Arch dude (talk) 16:40, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you so much for the clarification. I am very sorry for my clumsy verbiage and for any misrepresentation my language may have played in demonstrating a lack of respect for the importance of Wikipedia and the work of the editors. 2600:1017:B82C:9C0D:7820:622D:9AA0:90A3 (talk) 20:10, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]