Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2007 June 17

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June 17[edit]

How do I create an entry?[edit]

how do I create an entry?—Preceding unsigned comment added by Pacaurora (talkcontribs) 00:16, June 17, 2007

See: Help:Starting a new page. You might also look at Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:How to write a great article. PrimeHunter 00:25, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
And see Wikipedia:Why was my article deleted? for what happens to a large percentage of new articles by new users. Check out the deletion log; several articles are getting deleted every minute. The harsh reality is that Wikipedia has very demanding requirements for encyclopedic content, and often new users have incorrect assumptions about what they can write on Wikipedia. Before you create a new article, it's better to spend some time reading the manuals and making small edits to existing articles that have been around for a while, until you learn how Wikipedia works. --Teratornis 16:05, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Another tip: look for a WikiProject in your area(s) of interest. Wikipedia:How to write a great article mentions WikiProjects briefly, but you might overlook them if you are in too much of a hurry to start your new article. Haste often makes waste on Wikipedia (or, specifically, deletion of your work), so do take the time to read the instructions first. --Teratornis 17:44, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Business Pages[edit]

I noticed that there are pages about Sears JCPenny Wal-mart and so on. It is agaist policy for a person to put a page on here regarding their own business? If not please let me know all of the guidelines as I would like to have a page about my business, it may be small but it is important to me. Thank you Nettie

Please read WP:COI. Putting up a page about your own business may present a conflict of interest. Then, read WP:N and WP:V: if you business is notable (see WP:CORP) and you can provide third-party sources to prove it, an article could be written.
The best course of action would be to request someone else write an article about your company. -- Kesh 01:05, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia articles should be developed from Wikipedia reliable sources, such as newspaper articles and books. Of your business is small, it may be unlikely that enough Wikipedia reliable sources exist to create a Wikipedia article. -- Jreferee (Talk) 03:40, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

help me[edit]

i have tried to find the answer to my question in the help files, but i've just given up. apoplogies if it's there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Soulward

i posted the article a few weeks ago but it doesn't appear on a search for C.C. Saint-Clair.


i thank you for your time :) soulward —Preceding unsigned comment added by Soulward (talkcontribs) (e-mail removed for security)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Soulward is your user page. It is not part of the Wikipedia encyclopedia and it is not included in normal searches. If you want to create an article then see WP:VFAQ#How do I create a new article?. PrimeHunter 01:09, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict)

That's because it's not an article, it's your userpage. You would need to copy & paste the contents of that page to C.C. Saint-Clair for it to show up as an actual article. However, the article does not read like an encyclopedia entry, more like a synopsis of the book. Not to mention tons of original research. It needs rewritten before you move it to an article. Be sure it satisfies our guidelines on biographies of living persons. -- Kesh 01:10, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Soulward. You are in luck. C.C. Saint-Clair has posted her press clippings, the very sources you may need to develope a Wikipedia article on her. If you need assistance on developing an article on her, please contact me directly. -- Jreferee (Talk) 03:51, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Searching for images and help articles[edit]

Hi, is there any way to:

1. search for Wikipedia images by keyword?
2. search Wikipedia help pages (only)?

Matt 01:18, 17 June 2007 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.134.30.101 (talk)

First use the normal search box but click "Search" and not "Go". Then use the search box at the bottom and choose where to search. PrimeHunter 01:22, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Well, would you know it? I have never noticed that one before. Thank you. Matt 01:35, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

Infoboxes[edit]

How do I create an infobox? The pages I found on it are too confusing, and most of them just say how to edit the information in an infobox. I'm playing around with Template:Infobox a little in the sandbox, but, once I get my infobox created, where do I put it? And I don't know much about writing code for it, but I want to learn. --Tea and crumpets 02:04, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

As far as I can tell, there are two types of infoboxes. Some subjects already have predefined infoboxes for various types of articles (see Wikipedia:Infobox_templates). If you want to create your own infobox, it might be easire to use Template:Infobox. The three sample entries are there to indicate how to create an infobox.
Look at User:RJaguar3/Sandbox and User:RJaguar3/Sandbox 2. In the first sandbox, I cut and pasted the code from T:I. Look at the code. The things in triple brackets are variables, which allow the infobox's content to change. Look at the code for Sandbox 2. I've put User:RJaguar3/Sandbox in double braces and defined each of the variables by using the form
variable1=foo|variable2=bar
and so on for each variable. The values I put in for each variable determine what the infobox will display.
I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, leave them on my talk page or right here in this section. Thanks. RJaguar3 | u | t 02:30, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Also, try finding a WikiProject related to the subject at hand, they might already have a similar infobox and if not would probably be more than willing to help. akuyumeTC 02:33, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Template:Infobox_kana is a box with information, but it is not actually an infobox (called "infobox template") as that term is used in Wikipedia. As stated in Wikipedia:Template namespace, templates are used to duplicate the same content across more than one page. It appears that Template:Infobox_kana is such a template. -- Jreferee (Talk) 04:02, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Can't Create An Account[edit]

I have tried many times to create an account but for some reason nothing happens. I am taken back to the page to create an account.

Try emailing the encyclopedia though the "contact us" link to request an admin to securely create an account for you, and report the bug. --Haemo 10:09, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Disambiguation[edit]

Hello, I'm appologize for not finding this info in help so far, but my question is on disambiguation pages. I am interested in writing an article on a word that is a homonymy in the computer technology industry - which I teach in. The term is 'hardlink', meaning to link from a physical object - like hyperlink. When I do a search for hardlink I do not see a disambiguation page for the option of meanings. Is this something I can create or since the meaning I am looking for does not exist as a stub does that mean that I can not add it?

Thanks for any help.

You can create the page Hardlink (disambiguation). First create your article Hardlink (homonymy) or whatever you prefer. Place an {{otheruses}} template on the top of each article linking either to the disambiguation page or the other article. LaraLoveT/C 05:23, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Is Hardlink helpful? -- Jreferee (Talk) 05:26, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I think he/she wants to write an article on "Hard link" as opposed to "Hardlink", homonyms with apparently different meanings. If this is the case then she will have to rename the existing Hardlink page, then create a disambiguation page called "Hardlink", followed by creating the new article Hard link. This process is outlined at Disambiguation. JimDunning 05:47, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, I think I understand. The current search result for 'hardlink' finds 'Hard link' but my interest is in creating 'Hardlink', which is why I thought a disambiguation page would be needed. Thank you both for your assistance.

Make sure that the topic is encyclopedic, not just a definition, which should be submitted at Wiktionary. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 08:37, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

OK, I think I figured it out. The redirect Hardlink previously lead only to the article Hard link. Both Hardlink (disambiguation) and Hardlink (homonymy) were created, and Hardlink was redirected to Hardlink (disambiguation). I think some is going to slap a merge tag on all of it. I've tagged the two article talk pages with {{WikiProject Computer science|class=|importance=}}, so perhaps someone from that Wikiproject will give the scheme a second look. -- Jreferee (Talk) 15:13, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

help me[edit]

If you need assistance on developing an article on her, please contact me directly. -- Jreferee (Talk) 03:51, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

jreferee, i've done as suggested in the reply that came just before yours and have pasted the text under CC Saint-Clair http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.C._Saint-Clair, but it still doesn't show. i've looked up your pages but there's so much info there that i can't find how to contact you directly, as i'd love to accept your offer. cheers ~ S—Preceding unsigned comment added by Soulward (talkcontribs) 04:16, June 17, 2007

What do you mean by "it doesn't show"? It shows just fine under C.C. Saint-Clair. -- Kesh 04:33, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Sometimes you need to hit the F5 key to reload a page just after it is created so that it appears on your computer screen. It is there. I'll clean it up a little before the deletion crew hits it. -- Jreferee (Talk) 05:28, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ok. that'd be great, Jreferee :) i'll keep checking this space for a while, looking for confirmation that all is A Ok or to see how else you can help me get this right- cheers Soulward 05:43, 17 June 2007 (UTC) soulward[reply]

I revised the C.C. Saint-Clair article. Any other questions regarding the article can be posted on the C.C. Saint-Clair talk page at Talk:C.C. Saint-Clair. -- Jreferee (Talk) 06:33, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Watchlist question[edit]

Is there a way to add all of the articles under a particular category to your watchlist, without having to manually go into all of the articles and press "watch?"----La Parka Your Car 05:21, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No. Sorry. Dismas|(talk) 05:29, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Using popups, you can hover the mouse over each link and click the watch link. You don't have to open the page that way ;) - G1ggy Talk/Contribs 05:32, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Summary of Articles[edit]

Please ask all the contributors of wikipedia to include summaries of all articles. Thank you.

I don't think that's going to happen - nutshells are provided on policy and guideline pages to get to the heart of an issue; otherwise, we're an encyclopedia and are bound to not include summaries for general-purpose articles. --Haemo 10:05, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
We do already ask all contributors to include edit summaries (it's right down there at the bottom of every edit window), but the MediaWiki software does not force contributors to type edit summaries, nor is there a proactive feature such as a blank-summary warning dialog that would make contributors more aware of edit summaries and how they help other contributors. So it's quite possible for a contributor to be lazy and deliberately ignore the edit summary field, or to be completely oblivious to it. (The design philosophy of Wikipedia in some ways appears to favor convenience for the user who edits over the convenience of other users who try to understand what that first user did.) Also see WP:LEAD which tells how an article's lead section should introduce and summarize the article's topic. --Teratornis 15:54, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

if i just started an account.........[edit]

how do I set up my username "profile"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Elpasohighdesert (talkcontribs)

First, remember to sign all your posts with "~~~~" so that we can see who you are! :o) To get to your user page, just locate the page called "User:username". In your case, it would be User:Elpasohighdesert. If you're logged in, you can also access your page by clicking on your user name at the top of the page.
Once you're there, you can then draw up your page, and save it. See WP:UP for more info on what to include, etc. tiZom(2¢) 07:33, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Also see Help:Preferences, which might include some aspects of what you had in mind when you wrote "profile." I don't think Wikipedia commonly uses the word "profile" like that; for example, the word does not appear on User:John Broughton/Editor's Index to Wikipedia. The main things you customize after you create your account are your user page and preferences. I see you already received a welcome, but welcome again! Be sure to read all the pages linked from your welcome message before you attempt any major edits to articles. Also be aware that Wikipedia may be different from anything you have tried before; in particular, it takes time for many people to get used to the idea that anything we write here is likely to be changed by someone else. Try not to take offense if you write something you think is great, and then someone comes along and deletes it. As the Editor's index shows, Wikipedia has an incredibly complex set of policies, guidelines, and procedures, and they take some time to learn. --Teratornis 15:45, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Problem in notes[edit]

Can anyone work out what has gone wrong at William Shakespeare#Notes?

Compare the text on the page:

These dates use the Julian calendar. Under the Gregorian calendar, Shakespeare died on May 3. Others scholars, though, discount this, stating that the parallels are simply commonplace.

With the text on the edit screen:

An essay by Harold Brooks suggests Marlowe's Edward II influenced Shakespeare's Richard III, Other scholars, though, discount this, stating that the parallels are simply commonplace.

I assume the second is correct - it makes more sense. I've removed all markup and references from these sentences, above, although they have lots and presumably that's where the problem lies. Also, if it helps, note that the stuff about the Julian Calendar is in the preceding note. AndyJones 08:42, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Someone screwed up a ref tag; they used <ref name=Cal> instead of <ref name=Cal/> which wipes out everything until the next <ref> tag. I fixed it by adding in the slash, which now makes the rest of the line parse properly. --Haemo 10:02, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
See WP:FOOT for more information about <ref> tags. --Teratornis 18:01, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Excellent, thanks guys. AndyJones 12:26, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How do I create my own new page?[edit]

I want people to know what my internet radio station is all about so how do I create my own new page?

Well, before you do that, make sure that your station is notable according to our guidelines, and that you can cite reliable sources to back that up. Then, read this page to help you make a new page. --Haemo 09:56, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Self-made smiley template on talkpages?[edit]

I made my own template (in my namespace) for using smileys , my question: Am I allowed to use this template in public talkpages like this one? If not, then what about talkpages of other users? I suppose that will be up to them right? I intended to make this a public template but I saw the Template:smiley had been deleted many times before. Freestyle 09:12, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That should be fine because it's in your user space. Template:smiley didn't belong in template space as it has no encyclopedic value, but you can generally get away with these things in user space. Try to remember, though, that Wikipedia is not a social networking site :) - Zeibura(talk) 09:54, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I see. Nothing wrong though with showing your emotion when all you can do is type... Thanks for your answer. Freestyle 10:00, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
You might want to look over Wikipedia:Emoticons. Also, to get an idea of how others use a particular emoticon, go to the image page of an emoticon and click "What links here." -- Jreferee (Talk) 15:23, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Only half of the page saves[edit]

Just started an article called List of Cricket incidents and when I submitted it only the first half of the page saved. The second half of it, including references and categories are non existent yet if I click 'edit page' they are there. How can I fix this problem? Cheers Crickettragic 11:42, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You messed up with the <ref> tags. You used <ref> as a closing tag instead of </ref>. I fixed it. 84.144.253.195 11:53, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the speedy assistance, cheers mate Crickettragic 11:55, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No problem. 84.144.253.195 12:01, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Key word Mannatech not neutral -- admin owning definition[edit]

There is very biased information being selected for formulating the definition for Mannatech. The entire definition is slanted heavily toward a negative nature. I have attempted to communicate with the admin about the problem but there is clearly no wish on their part to establish a neutral definition. Please let me know what can be done from here, if anything.Cosmochao 12:08, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It looks like you all have quite the edit war going there. I suggest a request for comment about the article. I would also like to remind you to remember that you aren't creating a definition for the company. You are attempting to neutrally report what other sources have said. We haven't established a "neutral definition" for child abuse or world peace, either.—WAvegetarian (talk) 12:49, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Please review Resolving disputes carefully to see if the process there can help you resolve this dispute. You and the other contributors involved have been having a discussion about the edits, so it's safe to say you're at the first step, Talk to the other parties involved. Since the article has now been protected by an admin, this may be an opportunity for all involved to engage in the second step of the process, Disengage for a while. This will give editors time to review the other options offered in the dispute resolution process and choose an appropriate course.
Please ensure that reliable third-party sources are used for all new edits, use Edit Summaries to minimize inadvertent reverts, and assume good faith. Consideration of forking the article content and creating a specific section addressing the controversy surrounding the company and its products may be an option as well. JimDunning 13:02, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
You might want to review Wikipedia:Avoid weasel words. -- Jreferee (Talk) 15:29, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Notification of page alterations[edit]

Hey guys, Does Wiki have the capability of allowing a user to sign up to a notification system for when a page is altered? If so, how do you access it? If not, maybe it is something you could consider. Regards, Ryan

It sure does. If you register a username, you can add pages to your watchlist using the watch tab at the top of your screen. Then the my watchlist link will take you to a page showing the last change made to each article on your watchlist.—WAvegetarian (talk) 12:42, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Ryan, if you're talking about a push notification (similar to eBay notifying bidders about new activity), then no, WP does not have that capability (the servers and you could potentially be overloaded). You could consider using a service like http://www.changedetection.com to watch a select few pages, although I can't vouch for it as I've never had direct experience with it. JimDunning 13:49, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Actually we do, via the recent changes IRC feed. But to get anything useful out of that, you'll have to write your own client/script to monitor the channel, or perhaps find one written by someone else. Actually, MediaWiki does have feature where you can ask to be e-mailed whenever any page on your watchlist changes, but it has been disabled on the English Wikipedia, presumably so that the servers wouldn't collapse under the load of sending all those e-mails. It's enabled on Commons, though, for example. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 22:19, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oy! Created page by mistake[edit]

While attempting to archive an old discussion, I mistakenly created a new page called Original version. Will someone please blow this away for me (I don't know how).

Tnx, --Ravpapa 14:17, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

deleted. ViridaeTalk 14:18, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
You can ask for deletion directly by adding {{db-author}} to the top of the page to be deleted. This alerts an Admin that the page's author wants it deleted (you might also include your rationale in the edit summary). As long as you're the primary contributor to the page, it will usually be deleted without further discussion. Jim Dunning | talk 14:24, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

So how do I go about getting a name change?[edit]

I have read my Right to vanish, but how to I go about getting a name change. Which bureaucrat do I contact? AVTN 15:10, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia:Changing username should have the answers for which you seek. --ElKevbo 15:33, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
You can request a name change at Wikipedia:Changing username. Any talk pages that you have signed will still display your former username. If you feel strongly about your name no longer being on visible pages on the site, you can edit these pages to remove your signature. (Your old signature will still appear in diffs and in earlier versions of the pages.) Jim Dunning | talk 15:36, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Adminship[edit]

Just out of curiosity, who is currently the youngest administrator? Or better still, how old is the youngest administrator? Many thanks.

There's no way to tell the age of any admin. Are you referring to the admin's tenure? Jim Dunning | talk 15:43, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Some administrators reveal their ages, but, ironically, young Wikipedians are discouraged from revealing their age and they are also removed. Off the top of my head, I think I recall someone who was 12 pass adminship, but, obviously, I'm not allowed (or, rather, ethically and security-bound) to reveal who it is. x42bn6 Talk Mess 15:48, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Page creation[edit]

I'm trying to create a page called Thomas Baxter. When I do a search, the name Thomas Baxter seems to only take me to this url: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_J._Bulger&action=submit

How can I create a new page named Thomas Baxter that won't be tied to the above url?

Wenda Crawford

If appropriate, revise [1]. -- Jreferee (Talk) 15:45, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
There is a redirect from the Thomas Baxter page: it appears Bulger used that name as an alias. I think a Thomas Baxter disambiguation page will have to created. Jim Dunning | talk 15:50, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Since there is a redirect from the Baxter article to the Bulger article (because Bulger used Baxter as an alias), a decision must be made as to whether Thomas Baxter should point to only "Thomas Baxter" (Wendy's article), or to both Baxter and Bulger. In other words, is it still a valid concern that readers may search for Bulger using his alias? If the redirect is no longer needed, then it can be modified and replaced with Wendy's article. If it is still needed, then a disambiguation page is required so readers can choose between the two articles. Jim Dunning | talk 16:01, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Stupid ref tag issue[edit]

I can't figure out why my tag at Fantastic_Four:_Rise_of_the_Silver_Surfer#Reception (tag 19), isn't reading like the others on the page for an internet cite. The date shows up by the author insted of after the article title and publisher. what am I doing wrong? ThuranX 16:55, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How about now? --Smokizzy (talk) 17:02, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
(ec)You have used {{cite web}} whereas the others use {{cite news}}, both of which provide a slightly different layout. Hope that helps, mattbr 17:04, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That helps. Thanks to both of you. I'll adjust to cite news, and that should resolve it. ThuranX 17:09, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

procedure of getting Indian equivalency of American degrees[edit]

I am interested in getting equivalence of American degrees . Pl. give me the office address and phone numbers.please reply at [email address removed] pradeep j jha

Sorry, Wikipedia cannot help with your question. YechielMan 21:17, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
This help desk is where Wikipedia answers questions about Wikipedia. Wikipedia's reference desk is where Wikipedia answer questions not related to Wikipedia itself. The reference desk probably is where you want to post your question. -- Jreferee (Talk) 04:22, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia may be able to help. See: Bachelor's degree#United States, Bachelor's degree#India, and Academic degree#Types of academic degree: United States. Most articles about universities here have contact information or links to official university Web sites which routinely contain contact information. To find a specific institution see List of universities and colleges by country. We don't e-mail answers from the Help desk, sorry; the Help desk functions as a wiki page which archives rather than as an e-mail discussion list. --Teratornis 05:46, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Displaying GMT, not "Wikitime"[edit]

Hi, How can I get the Wiki to display GMT, i.e. an hour later than is displayed by CURRENTTIME or LOCALTIME. Thanks. Hogyn Lleol 18:47, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Did you look at Help:Preferences#Time zone? I'm asking because I can't tell from your question whether you already tried changing your preferences (i.e., select Special:Preferences and the "Date and time" tab). If you already tried that and it didn't work the way you want, please give some more details about the problem you are seeing. --Teratornis 20:16, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, I've looked all over for help! My preferences already state that my local time is 1 hour different. I'm really only playing, but what I want is a box on my User page along the lines of "It's 20:48 on Sunday 17 June", but both CURRENTTIME and LOCALTIME both display CURRENTTIME. Whislt the local time is displayed on many users pages, it doesn't work on Userpage, so is there anything like a bit of code I can use to show it? Hogyn Lleol 20:38, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It works on my user page. Corvus cornix 01:22, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
There's probably a parameter on localtime like |UTC-5}}. --(Review Me) R ParlateContribs@ (Let's Go Yankees!) 01:34, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe you really want mw:Extension:TimeZoneInfo. I don't see it here on Special:Version's list of installed extensions. But you could install it on your own instance of MediaWiki (see mw:Manual:Wiki on a stick for instructions on how to run MediaWiki as your personal wiki). There are, of course, lots of Web pages that display the current time around the world; search for some with Google:time zone. And don't forget to search the Help desk archive for: time zone to see what has come up here before. --Teratornis 05:00, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Get the stats of my edits so far[edit]

Can I get the consolidated list of my edits thus far? If yes, How?Hallenrm 18:57, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

  1. List of edits
  2. Statistics and most edited pages
Prodego talk 19:07, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How to find an article that has been redirected by someone[edit]

One of my articles Energy (chemistry) was mischeviously redirected to Energy can I locate the contents of that article? Hallenrm 19:01, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

When you go to Energy (chemistry), click the link in "(Redirected from Energy (chemistry))" at the top of the page you are redirected to. Then click history, and then the timestamp of your revision. However, it looks like Energy (chemistry) was actually merged into Energy here. Prodego talk 19:12, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No the content that appears is totally different from the content of Energy (Chemistry). How can it then be a merge? Hallenrm 06:39, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Cells in table[edit]

A
B
1
2
3
4
5
6

I have such a table. For now cells A and B each have 3 cells below. But I want that cell A have 3,5 cells below it self (also half of violet cell) and cell B have only 2,5 cells below it self (second half of violet cell). What shall I do? Please edit the code.

It should look like this:
|---------|------|
|--|--|--|-.-|--|--|

Look also an image of table. Thanks a lot. --Janezdrilc 19:49, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Just split up the 4th column like this:
A
B
1
2
3
4
5
6

Sebastian 19:58, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks again, it really works. --Janezdrilc 20:39, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Edit summary question[edit]

It is about time I asked this question. Whenever I revert to a previous edition of an article (be it due to vandalism or what have you) I always write 'rvv' in the edit summary box. What I would like to do is have that automatic thing where you get 'Undid revision by.... ' or 'Reverted to ..... ' - what do I have to fill in, in order to obtain this? Many thanks indeed.

When you check the diff of a page, it has a little link that says UNDO. when you click that, it automatically does the edit summary ur were talking about. Try it on this page! but don't revert! It only happens on the second newest edit i believe Dep. Garcia ( Talk + | Help Desk | Complaints ) 19:55, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
For more help, see Help:Reverting and WP:UNDO. Dep. Garcia ( Talk + | Help Desk | Complaints ) 19:57, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
By the way, you should only be using rvv for obvious vandalism, as it stands for "revert vandalism". Using it elsewhere is likely to aggravate good-faith contributors, who don't take kindly to being tarred as vandals. For non-vandalism reverts, you should always give a brief explanation of why you're reverting in the edit summary, so you might put "rv - fair use galleries are not permitted" or some such instead of "rvv". Cheers, --YFB ¿ 20:00, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Further to the above, as a registered user, if you select "history" of an article, then hover over the date of the desired revert, the drop-down box will offer a number of options, including "rev". Select this, wait a couple of seconds, and it will automatically revert to this earlier version, giving the detail you requested. Hogyn Lleol 20:11, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The drop down box you are referring to, Hogyn Lleol, is not a feature of MediaWiki, but a user script originally created by User:Lupin. You can find it at Wikipedia:Tools/Navigation popups. Harryboyles 15:05, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Excellent! You guys are the best.

Also, the undo link only provides an automatic summary if you undo just one edit (that I've seen, anyway). However, there are some programs and similar devices many people use to edit Wikipedia (especially when vandalism reverting is involved), and they often create edit summaries for the common tasks they perform. See Category:Wikipedia tools, particularly Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser. Confusing Manifestation 23:41, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

looking for jewish cantors[edit]

i would like to get into cantors Moshe stern and others

If you want to read about Jewish cantors, please see Category:Hazzans. YechielMan 21:15, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Is there ANY way to delete an account and the history of it[edit]

Hello,

Just wondering if there was ANY way possible to delete an account and all of its history including edit page history and the name changing log. ANY way at all. If this might have to do with an administrator, how do I get in touch with them? Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Projectileman (talkcontribs)

Accounts cannot be deleted, but you can request that your User and User Talk page be deleted by placing {{db|U1, User requests delete}} on the pages in question. However you will have to use the account in question to place this tag. Furthermore, I believe can also request the account be blocked from further edits. akuyumeTC 20:40, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
See How do I delete my user and user talk pages? and m:Right to vanish. -- Jreferee (Talk) 04:55, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Article rename?[edit]

Hello there. I found an article called Make new entry but it seems the original editor of the article wanted it to be called Self-Compassion. I am not sure what to do about it, as it isn't wikified at all. I am worried someone may list it for speedy deletion. This would be a shame as it seems to have quite a few references and clearly represents some hard work. I am happy to help add wikilinks etc to the article. Any advice would be appreciated. What should I do? Best regards... 195.137.96.79 21:24, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Moved to the correct location (Self-compassion). I'll wikify the article while I'm at it. x42bn6 Talk Mess 22:26, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It was created as the only edit by User:Kristinneff and the only link is to http://www.self-compassion.org/ which is by "Kristin Neff". Google searches indicate some complete sentences are copied from other sources. I would investigate potential copyvio problems before spending time on this. PrimeHunter 22:33, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
6 of the references are by "K. D. Neff". There may also be WP:COI problems here. PrimeHunter 22:40, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
OK thanks a lot for your help here folks. I'll read up about conflict of interest and copyvio and see what I can do, now that it's there as a propper article, though psychology isn't really my thing. Thanks a lot. Best regards 195.137.96.79 22:48, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It does seem like a notable topic by a quick Google search (but of course that can just be meaningless, and I am nowhere near psychology in terms of knowledge). Although I've wikified the article, I've let the author know about WP:COI but it does seem a shame that an article that seems notable has problems. If anyone is confused about this, see the original version. x42bn6 Talk Mess 22:52, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Eek, actually I think I'd do more harm than good editing this article as it really isn't my topic and I'm not really experienced enough here to deal with any potential WP:COI and WP:COPYVIO issues. Thanks again for helping me on this - I encountered the original article using the Random Article function - and I just thought I'd bring it to your attention. Best regards 195.137.96.79 23:35, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

why is PE wiki down?????[edit]

I try to use PE Wiki over the last whole week and this is all I get why??

Server Error in '/' Application. Too many connections Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: MySql.Data.MySqlClient.MySqlException: Too many connections

Source Error:

Line 422: } Line 423: con = new MySqlConnection(ConString); Line 424: con.Open(); Line 425: Line 426: return con;


Source File: g:\home\cmce.se\pe-wiki.info\www\App_Code\Service.asmx.cs Line: 424

Stack Trace:

[MySqlException: Too many connections]

  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.PacketReader.CheckForError() +91
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.PacketReader.ReadHeader() +229
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.PacketReader.OpenPacket() +119
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.PacketReader.ReadOk() +10
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.NativeDriver.AuthenticateOld() +217
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.NativeDriver.Authenticate() +116
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.NativeDriver.Open() +1140
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.MySqlPool.CreateNewPooledConnection() +139
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.MySqlPool.GetPooledConnection() +49
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.MySqlPool.GetConnection() +115
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.MySqlPoolManager.GetConnection(MySqlConnectionString settings) +215
  MySql.Data.MySqlClient.MySqlConnection.Open() +143
  PE.Service.GetConnection() in g:\home\cmce.se\pe-wiki.info\www\App_Code\Service.asmx.cs:424
  PE.Service.LoadData() in g:\home\cmce.se\pe-wiki.info\www\App_Code\Service.asmx.cs:151
  PE.Service..cctor() in g:\home\cmce.se\pe-wiki.info\www\App_Code\Service.asmx.cs:50

[TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'PE.Service' threw an exception.]

  PE.Service.GetConnection() in g:\home\cmce.se\pe-wiki.info\www\App_Code\Service.asmx.cs:416
  PE.PageBase..ctor() in g:\home\cmce.se\pe-wiki.info\www\App_Code\Template.cs:39
  PE.Welcome..ctor() +23
  ASP.default_aspx..ctor() in c:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Temporary ASP.NET Files\root\662f66fa\e3fcba7f\App_Web_3v7e9-zp.8.cs:0
  __ASP.FastObjectFactory_app_web_3v7e9_zp.Create_ASP_default_aspx() in c:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Temporary ASP.NET Files\root\662f66fa\e3fcba7f\App_Web_3v7e9-zp.34.cs:0
  System.Web.Compilation.BuildResultCompiledType.CreateInstance() +49
  System.Web.Compilation.BuildManager.CreateInstanceFromVirtualPath(VirtualPath virtualPath, Type requiredBaseType, HttpContext context, Boolean allowCrossApp, Boolean noAssert) +115
  System.Web.UI.PageHandlerFactory.GetHandlerHelper(HttpContext context, String requestType, VirtualPath virtualPath, String physicalPath) +31
  System.Web.UI.PageHandlerFactory.System.Web.IHttpHandlerFactory2.GetHandler(HttpContext context, String requestType, VirtualPath virtualPath, String physicalPath) +40
  System.Web.HttpApplication.MapHttpHandler(HttpContext context, String requestType, VirtualPath path, String pathTranslated, Boolean useAppConfig) +139
  System.Web.MapHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute() +120
  System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +155


Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:2.0.50727.42; ASP.NET Version:2.0.50727.210

This help desk is only for help with the editing of Wikipedia. Furthermore, we are not mind readers, thus we do not know what PE wiki is. If it is another wiki ran with MediaWiki software, perhaps you should visit the MediaWiki support forums or try a Google Search. akuyumeTC 22:07, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Hello, I assume you mean www.pe-wiki.info. I am getting the same error. You can still look at (older versions) of pages by using the google cache, do a search with [2], add a keyword, and click the 'in cache' link at a search result. Browsing the site this way doesn't seem to be possible though. As far as I know PE-Wiki is not in any way associated with wikipedia, so we can not tell you why it is down. Maybe it's just overloaded? ssepp(talk) 22:11, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
A Google search shows a problem is discussed at [3]. That forum seems a better place to discuss PE-Wiki problems. PrimeHunter 22:20, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
We are not mind readers but it seems some here are pretty good Google readers. If there ever is a Google Olympics I think the Wikipedia Help desk team would make a decent showing. --Teratornis 05:08, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What was wrong with the picture?[edit]

I uploaded a picture of Peri Gilpin PeriGilpin.JPG a few days ago and yet now I find it deleted because it was "not fair use". But why wasn't it? It was a small web-resolution screenshot taken from an episode of Frasier just for illustrative purposes. I've seen loads of this type of image on here before so what did I do wrong exactly?

You can contact the editor who deleted it [4] at User talk:Jeffrey O. Gustafson. PrimeHunter 22:46, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
You must always include a fair use rationale for any image you claim for fair use. In addition, if it's a screen shot from the TV show, then under fair use, it can only by used on an article about the show. Fair use is generally only allowed when there is no possibility of someone taking a public domain picture. Since Peri Gilpin is still alive and not a hermit, somebody somewhere with a camera would be able to take a picture of her at some point. Corvus cornix 01:24, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It is fair use in an article on Peri Gilpin, but it is not Wikipedia fair use in a Wikipedia article on Peri Gilpin. Wikipedia has requirements in addition to fair use laws. The uploaded a picture of Peri Gilpin would only be Wikipedia fair use in a Wikipedia article about that specific Frasier episode. Yes, there are loads of improperly used fair use images, but someone eventually will get around to tagging and bagging them. -- Jreferee (Talk) 05:10, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Using a web based IRC client[edit]

I can vaguely remember that there are two tools that are designed to connect to the Wikipedia IRC channels. One goes to #wikipedia, #wikipedia-en, or #wikipedia-en-help, and can be found at WP:IRC. There's another one that only connects to #wikipedia, but I can't find it. If someone knows where it is, could you please leave a note on my talk page (and where you found it, if possible). Thanks, G1ggy Talk/Contribs 23:18, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Crockery Township article[edit]

I'm brand new to Wikipedia. How do I find out how to locate a source cited in a Wikipedia article? The article on Crockery Township refers to an oral history published by someone I've never heard of, and mentions facts I have never run across. I would like verification of the facts by referring to the source cited in the article. Is that even possible?Chasm 23:18, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You'd be talking about Crockery Township, Michigan and the reference entitled Boom and Bust: A Brief Oral History of Nunica, I would guess? Google doesn't give me any results for the title other than the article itself, so I would suggest your first point of call would be a library - I'm not sure where you live, but I suspect a state or national library would be more capable of helping you than a local one. Confusing Manifestation 23:24, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
You could ask the editor who added the source [5] at User talk:Pianoguy. But the latest edit by Pianoguy was 13 May 2007. PrimeHunter 23:52, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Boom and Bust: A Brief Oral History of Nunica is not on Amazon.com and a google search for Kent Publishing House does not clarify things. Since the book is not used for in-line citation (e.g., footnotes), if there are facts that you find shady, there is nothing wrong with deleting them or putting a {{fact}} next to the fact. I would try contacting User talk:Pianoguy first, but proceed after a few days if there is no response. -- Jreferee (Talk) 05:19, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Flexible image[edit]

There is an image on the top of my user site. But the size fits just for 17'' screen (I selected pixels so). That means when I work with 19'' screen, the image is too narrow. Beside I don't know how does it look like on laptop screen. Can somebody make the image flexible? --Janezdrilc 23:39, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What you want is a width of "100%". To my knowledge. Wikipedia bans percentage-based widths. Why? I have no clue. It could be that someone thinks they are evil. It could be that they are too hard to program into the wiki program. It could be that the programmers don't know that percentages can be used in html. Until they allow percentages, you are stuck using a fixed-pixel width and hoping for the best. --Kainaw (talk) 14:43, 19 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Copyvio's[edit]

What is the procedure when you find out that someone is apparently inserting copyvio's into articles? Thanks, Gatoclass 23:55, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Revert and warn using {{uw-copyright}}. Repeated offences can be treated as vandalism ({{uw-vandalism3}}, for example). x42bn6 Talk Mess 00:07, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]