Help desk
< May 3	<< Apr \| May \| Jun >>	May 5 >

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.

May 4[edit]

uploading source files[edit]

I've created a graph in Grace that I want to use in an article. Why can't I upload the original source file so that it can be updated by somebody else in future? Or is there a possibility? --Cambrasa confab 00:51, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No, you will have to export a picture of the graph, then upload that. MediaWiki supports .JPG, .PNG, .GIF, .OGG, and .SVG filetypes. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 00:57, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That's weak. Can't I upload the file in text format to a subpage of the article's talk page?--Cambrasa confab 01:02, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You can, but only the filetypes above can be displayed, so it doesn't really do much good. Most people only want the graph, not the data. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 01:10, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Of course it does good. They can download the source file and modify it, and upload a new picture. How is this supposed to be a collaborative project if you can't even change the the graphs? Why should you have to reinvent the wheel every time you want to do a small update? --Cambrasa confab 02:22, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

SVG is an editable format that you can upload. According to the Grace home page, it exports to SVG. You might see if Grace can also open the SVG files it writes and let you edit them. That might be possible, since SVG is an XML format. See WP:EIW#Graphic for more stuff about graphics on Wikipedia. Maybe there are groups of Wikipedia users who share graph files more efficiently via some sort of back channel. Or maybe they use their user subpages for this kind of data. I have no idea, since I haven't investigated that, but it seems like an obvious thing for some people to do. If you think Wikipedia is weak with graphics, wait until you try working with maps. --Teratornis (talk) 05:46, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I might add that MediaWiki's inability to work with many file types (such as spreadsheets, databases, and presentation software) limits its utility in corporate wiki applications. Which is a bummer, because Wikipedia is great collaborative tool for text. TWiki claims to support more file formats and allow for collaborative editing on spreadsheets etc. I looked at TWiki a little, but it came as kind of an unpleasant jolt after I had gotten used to MediaWiki (different wikitext syntax, no talk pages, I don't think its default appearance looks as good as MediaWiki's monobook skin, the category system looks inferior). I guess when you learn one wiki software package, all the others will seem broken. Anyway, illustrations are an acknowledged deficiency on Wikipedia, so maybe the Wikimedia Foundation will chip away at that problem as time goes on. Wikipedia is very much a work in progress, so if you don't like something now, check back in a year or two. --Teratornis (talk) 06:03, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The problem there is that as you extend support for more file types, you start relying on app's outside the browser, now you wander into unknown territory and people can start injecting some really funky stuff into our hopefully 100% reliable site. Franamax (talk) 06:34, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia isn't meant for hosting files like that (WP:NOT). It's an encyclopedia, so we need verifiable facts. Another wiki might be better suited for files that folks can download and manipulate themselves. -- Kesh (talk) 11:40, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

uploading images[edit]

I have uploaded two images using my account. But, it is still not uploaded in the article related to it.

== Why is it soooo??????? == Please replay!!!!! waiting..... —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kinkate (talk • contribs) 01:18, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Images do not automatically appear in articles they are associated with. You must edit the page you want the image to appear in, adding image markup to it. Standard image markup is [[Image:name of image|thumb|descriptive caption]].--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 02:17, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Also, the image you uploaded has no copyright tag, and may be deleted if one is not added. Please see Wikipedia:Image copyright tags to learn which one is right for you. But I should say that fair use images as pictures of living people are not allowed per this policy. weburiedoursecrets inthegarden 09:45, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A note to you, KinKate. You are unlikely to recieve very thorough, if any, answer if you continue asking questions like that. You should be grateful for help rather than complaining about waiting because you don't understand the website. Adam (Manors) 17:15, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How can I correct the page name "Image:Lotus79.jpg" to "Image:Lotus77.jpg" please?[edit]

Resolved

The photo that appears on the page named "Image:Lotus79.jpg" is that of a Lotus 77 rather than of a Lotus 79. The details below the photo say that it is a Lotus 77 but also say that it is a Lotus 79. How can I clean this up please? GTHO (talk) 11:47, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I think you'll have to upload the file again, under the new name. weburiedoursecrets inthegarden 12:03, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The only way to move an image is to upload it under the new title, and tag the old one with {{isd|Full name of image excluding the "Image:" prefix}}. Mister Senseless™ (Speak - Contributions) 18:17, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How do I ask for a third opinion?[edit]

There is as a dispute about Drug policy between me and user SSteinberg. He deletes sources and replace the source with a ^{[citation needed]}. More details on the talk page for the article.--Dala11a (talk) 13:03, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Try filing a request for comment. weburiedoursecrets inthegarden 13:17, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

... or Wikipedia:Third opinion. More generally, you might want to read Wikipedia:Dispute resolution. -- Rick Block (talk) 14:58, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I have tried to follow your advise but I can not see the that it is in the list of disputes. Syntax error??Dala11a (talk) 15:00, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The listings are updated automatically by User:RFC bot, whenever it runs (which seems to be about once an hour). -- Rick Block (talk) 15:16, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I looked at Talk:Drug policy. (For starters, it would help if participants would follow the Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines and add proper section headings above each discussion.) The dispute is difficult to follow, and the murkiness may be to some extent deliberate by both parties. It's typical, but not helpful, for disputants to attempt to argue in abstract general terms from Wikipedia guidelines and policies rather than in concrete terms specific to the disagreement. This is a style of argument in keeping with wikilawyering, and it rests on the unstated presumption that Wikipedia's policies and guidelines are so ingeniously devised that we can always apply them without regard to the specifics of a situation. However, this would only work if Wikipedia's policies were logically consistent, and they aren't (which is why we sometimes ignore all rules). If you want third opinions, make it easier for people who haven't been involved in the dispute to understand exactly what is in dispute. You should detail (perhaps on a user subpage) exactly who did what, and why, and who objected, and why. Please refer to the other user (Ssteinberger) by a correct username, so we can see who is involved. Third parties are unlikely to want to do much work just to understand what the question is. See Eric S. Raymond's How to ask questions the smart way. --Teratornis (talk) 21:57, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Link Blacklisting Filter[edit]

Resolved

The link blacklisting filter seems draconian. I wanted to clear up some punctuation/capitalization issues on the Kikuchi Dairoku page, but was told my edit had a blacklisted link. Neither had I added a link, nor was the questionable link in the section that I was specifically editing. In fact, the link has been there for years, unchallenged through many edits (perhaps the link's domain, lulu.com, is new on the blacklist), and is apparently on topic. I don't feel entitled to remove this link.

The blacklisting policy effectively freezing this page, and perhaps others in a similar situation. Surely the blacklisting should be designed to permit edits to sections that have no blacklisted links? Ezrakilty (talk) 15:18, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There's a discussion of this underway at WP:VPT#Bug Report. Algebraist 15:21, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In the mean time, I have removed the blacklisted link, so it should not trigger the spam filter any more. Feel free to save your edit again. Stwalkerster [ talk ] 15:24, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Category Bug?[edit]

Resolved

I'm just curious if anyone has an explanation for this. I was doing CAT:CSD patrol this morning. The Celestial Plot has been in the category for many hours. As far as I can tell has never marked for speedy deletion; it has no deleted edits and no deletion log entry, so it's a first time creation (so this is not some type of carryover from a past tagging); the page has no templates on it which could be piggybacking the deletion category (through lack of "noincludes") and I have purged the category page. Yet it remains in the category. Any ideas?--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 15:46, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Doesn't seem to be there anymore... weburiedoursecrets inthegarden 15:58, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

One of the pages, HasSpoilers, was deleted today by Discospinster (talk · contribs) as a test page. It was transcluded onto the page, so maybe the category was transcluded when it was tagged? PeterSymonds | talk 15:58, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm, but it looks like it was just [[linked]], not actually {{transcluded}}, so I don't see how any speedy deletion tag on it could ever place it into the category just by linking. Anyway, there is no issue here that need to be solved; I just have the curiosity bug.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 17:34, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

[1] It was. But at least it's solved now. :) PeterSymonds | talk 17:39, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

D'oh! Im sure that was it. Thanks!--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 18:28, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Album covers for band article[edit]

I would like someone to give me a link to the album cover use policy on Wikipedia. I would like to know if non-free album covers are allowed for to be used as identification of the band in band's infobox. --staka (T ・C) 17:38, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It's detailed here: Wikipedia:Fair use#Images, under cover art. The unacceptable policies on album covers are here: Wikipedia:Non-free content#Images 2. Basically, identification is okay with a critical commentary, but decoration, eg. for a discography, is not okay. Thanks, PeterSymonds | talk 17:45, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Add language[edit]

Hi, how can I add a language in the “Main Page”. Namely Kurdish (ku). So if you can tell me how, then thanks a lott. Kawe2620 (talk) 17:48, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The main page only lists other languages that have at least 20,000 articles so as to avoid flooding the main page. According to their Statistics, they only have about 11,000 actual articles. See Template:MainPageInterwikis for more information. Hersfold ^(t/a/c) 17:52, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

When can the count goes up. If an article begins with “ku.wiki…”, if it is correct. Why can table not be the same like an English page. I mean an “en.wiki…” page. Look at this page [[2]] and [[3]]. Or is the same drove? In any case thanks a lott. Kawe2620 (talk) 18:17, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Normal pages are different. For normal pages, you add [[LANGUAGECODE:OTHERLANGUAGEARTICLE]] to the end for the link to show up. On the main page, Template:MainPageInterwikis is transcluded onto the page. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 19:04, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Also see Help:Interlanguage links, WP:EIW#Translate, and WP:EIW#Interwiki. --Teratornis (talk) 05:55, 5 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Organization listed on Wikipedia[edit]

I work for a non-profit education organization. We want to post on Wikipedia. Does that mean we have to write an article about us to do that?

CAM —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.143.80.33 (talk) 17:53, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Please read WP:ORG. Does it satisfy the notability guideline? If not, then probably not; remember that if we had every organization in the world, it would be manic! Also, please read WP:Conflict of interest; you shouldn't really write about topics that you are actively involved with. Thanks, PeterSymonds | talk 17:56, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If you mean you want an account, just make one with any non promotional name...... Dendodge.Talk^Help 17:57, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, and it can't be a shared account either...... Dendodge.Talk^Help 17:58, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Please sign your post by typing four tildes (~~~~) or clicking the signature button above the edit box (as shown to the left ←). Do NOT sign in articles. Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 18:00, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Filing Wills and Living Trusts[edit]

Do Wills and Living Trusts have to be filed with the state? If they are witnessed and signed are the enforcable by the courts?“ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.186.158.5 (talk) 20:24, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

We cannot offer legal advice. Please see the legal disclaimer. Contact your lawyer....... Dendodge.Talk^Help 20:26, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Please sign your post by typing four tildes (~~~~) or clicking the signature button above the edit box (as shown to the left ←). Do NOT sign in articles....... Dendodge.Talk^Help 20:28, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

article for deletion[edit]

How can I delete an article?

It is someone's idea of a joke, as far as I can tell. They have edited Olympic Games to put in a link to Computering.

Computering

Wanderer57 (talk) 20:30, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've deleted the redirect. In the future, our deletion policy gives directions on how to handle such cases. Hersfold ^(t/a/c) 20:33, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You need to be an administrator to delete articles, but if you see an edit that is not appropriate then you can revert it see WP:REVERT. Harland1 (^t/_c) 20:38, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

See also: WP:CSD. weburiedoursecrets inthegarden 21:28, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Do I understand correctly that I (without administrator authority) could delete a newly-created article by reverting the edit that created it? Wanderer57 (talk) 22:28, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No, you cannot revert an article creation. You could have reverted the edit [4] which added the link to Olympic Games, but that had already been done when you posted here. PrimeHunter (talk) 22:42, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

encyclopedia[edit]

what is the volume # and edition # for wikipedia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.61.138.76 (talk) 22:59, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There isn't one. If you're trying to cite one of our articles, you can type the title into the form at Special:Cite, and it will give you a bibliographic entry in several formats. Hersfold ^(t/a/c) 23:01, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Please sign your post by typing four tildes (~~~~) or clicking the signature button above the edit box (as shown to the left ←). Do NOT sign in articles....... Dendodge.Talk^Help 23:03, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]