Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2009 March 4

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March 4[edit]

Article Title[edit]

How can I make a minor change to an article title?...such as changing The Order of the Greek Horsemen to Order of the Greek Horsemen. Thank you very much. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Whitey4man (talkcontribs) 00:02, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You can change the title of an article by moving it. Someguy1221 (talk) 00:07, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I ain't nobody's sockpuppet[edit]

Okay, it took long enough to notice, but it seems that my userpage has been tagged for sockpuppetry. What does it mean (am I on the verge of being kicked out)? What do I do? How do I remove this unsightly tag? Comments welcomed. Thanks for your help.
Yartett (talk) 00:22, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

  • I'd ask the editor who put it there to follow up on it and actually make a request for a sockpuppet investigation. If they don't want to go public with the accusation, there's no good reason to keep the template there. - Mgm|(talk) 05:52, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
For what it means, read the pages linked under WP:EIW#Sock, such as WP:SOCK. --Teratornis (talk) 06:06, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not being able to submit pict[edit]

I would like to know the proper steps I have to follow in order for me to be able to include a picture of public domain in one of the pages of Wikipedia. What is exactly "autoconfirmed"? Does the editing of typos count as an 'edit' in my record? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rocketonio (talkcontribs) 01:52, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The definition of autoconfirmed, as you can see on that page is at least 4 days and 10 edits, and any edit will count, as far as I know. Then you should be able to upload files, as well as edit semi protected pages and mark new pages as patrolled. -Evan ¤ Seeds 01:56, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
(edit conflict) See Wikipedia:User access levels#Autoconfirmed users. Typo correction or any other edit counts towards the 10 edits. Public domain images can be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons at http://commons.wikimedia.org where you can upload right away. Commons images can be used in Wikipedia articles just like images uploaded to Wikipedia. PrimeHunter (talk) 01:59, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]


Thanks for clarifying. Last but not least: Are the 10 edits measured by 10 typos being corrected or by any number of typos found and corrected in 10 different pages? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rocketonio (talkcontribs) 02:42, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Your edit count increases by 1 every time you click "Save page" after making any change to any page at http://en.wikipedia.org. Your two edits here also count so there are 8 left. PrimeHunter (talk) 02:48, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Since I have been member of this site I have noticed that some pages shown bias towards representatives of certain ethnic groups, for example: some pages don’t even mention the existence of certain actress or actors, or don’t show the picture of them regardless that there may exist many of those under public domain. Can you tell me how to address this issue? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rocketonio (talkcontribs) 03:13, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You can address them by uploading said images, but make sure you understand what public domain is first. Copyright law is often misunderstood and you'd be surprised how many photographs of actors are actually not free to use. - Mgm|(talk) 05:49, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Subject: The page called INDIGO CHILDREN[edit]

Resolved
 – Message left on user page by Arch dude  – ukexpat (talk) 16:25, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Subject: The page called INDIGO CHILDREN - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_children

I am Lee Carroll, author of the Indigo Book series, the one that introduced the term Indigo Children in my 1999 publication. I edited this page for factual content. Then I returned and found the edits were not accepted. In my personal area there was a message from a user named Eugene Krabs, who said:

"You can't just go claiming to be the author. WikiPedia is going to need proof that you are the book's author before you go editing an article you "claim" to be about something of yours. Please show us proof. Thank you. - Eugene Krabs (talk) 21:47, 27 February 2009 (UTC)"

So, does he represent Wikipedia? I will supply any proof needed.

I am the author.

What next?

LEE CARROLL

Lcarroll (talk) 04:12, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Without knowing the edits, the topic, or any of the history - my guess is that the editor is referring to the WP:COI, which could lead to the WP:NPOV policy. Check through those two articles and see if they may apply. It's very difficult to edit articles that you are closely tied to sometimes. Good Luck ;) — Ched ~ (yes?) 05:34, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Responded on Lcaroll's talk page. -Arch dude (talk) 16:05, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Huggle[edit]

Resolved
 – ukexpat (talk) 16:26, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How do you enable Huggle in your preferences? Okay15 Blah - What I've done 05:17, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You have to have have rollback in order to use huggle. — Ched ~ (yes?) 05:21, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
OK. Okay15 Blah - What I've done 05:28, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Looks like you'll need a little more time and a few more edits under your belt to be granted rollback, but it doesn't take too awfully long. — Ched ~ (yes?) 05:36, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Google Books[edit]

Is it possible Google Books can be discounted as valid source. Here's why. Not every user can access every page that is linked. In one instance, I clicked a link to a Google book page only to get a message saying the page is unavailable due to me reaching the limits of the book. It appears some users can see the page and other users such as myself, cannot. It's a problem. A-Kartoffel (talk) 08:03, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

  • No, access has no effect on the reliability of the source. I can't access BBC News videos because I don't live in the UK and loads of books because my library doesn't carry them. But BBC News is still reliable and those books are too. - Mgm|(talk) 10:00, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
"Google Books" is not the reliable source. The reliable source is the book itself, and the reference should be to the book, not to Google books. The reference should be a {{cite book}} rather than a {{cite web}}, and should include the ISBN. It is perfectly acceptable to include the link to Google books as a "convience link." this inclusion neither enhances nor detracts from the reliability of the book as a source. -Arch dude (talk) 15:37, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Electronic siganture software?[edit]

Is there any electronic signature software that supports Open Office format that you know of?

If yes, can you please provide me with the relevant company or software that can help me. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Thembanim (talkcontribs) 11:28, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Have you tried the Computing section of Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in answering knowledge questions there; this help desk is only for questions about using Wikipedia. For your convenience, here is the link to post a question there: click here. I hope this helps. Algebraist 11:30, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Have you tried the Computing section of Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in answering knowledge questions there; this help desk is only for questions about using Wikipedia. For your convenience, here is the link to post a question there: click here. I hope this helps. TNXMan 12:56, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I've heard rumors that too much time on Wikipedia causes double vision. Any truth to that? --Teratornis (talk) 05:54, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How do I add clean up templtes which I do not find in the list...[edit]

Resolved
 – ukexpat (talk) 16:27, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

to the "Pickleball" article? It seems to be, merely, a very short summary, an image, and two very long lists. The summary has a too-short template added, but I can not find a template for the lists which should be converted to prose, other than the "trivia" template, which does not seem right. I askéd at the IRC but they said there is one and maybe it will repair in time, but I just wanted to confirm... Thanks for any help. P. S. Why did a bunch of new buttons (horizontal line, redirect, strike, line break, superscript, subscript, small, insert hidden comment, picture gallery, block quote, table, and reference) appear on my toolbar recently?--Ecw.technoid.dweeb (talk) 12:54, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps {{Not list}} or better yet {{Prose}}? Nanonic (talk) 13:05, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you.--Ecw.Technoid.Dweeb|contributions|talk 16:15, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Information about Economice trends[edit]

Hi

I need information about Economic Trends & Structural changes :Economic growth (trends),Economic develpoment (Structural changes), Issues in economic development.Long run strategy &policy of economic develpoment.

Since I am new to this... please guide how to see my request (this one) in wikipedia.

You can rech me on <blanking>

Thanks, Sumanth. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sumanth.vankadaru (talkcontribs) 14:21, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Have you tried the Humanities section of Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in answering knowledge questions there; this help desk is only for questions about using Wikipedia. For your convenience, here is the link to post a question there: click here. I hope this helps. Also, see our articles on Economics, as they may have the answers you need. TNXMan 15:20, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

copyrights[edit]

would like to know copyrights for printing information in our book or letting people pick the information up at our office? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.112.201.55 (talk) 16:46, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Are you referring to Wikipedia content that you want to re-use? If so, please see WP:REUSE. If you are seeking legal advice as to copyright of materials that you have produced for use outside Wikipedia, we cannot give legal advice, you should consult a lawyer. – ukexpat (talk) 17:44, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Adding links[edit]

Resolved
 – ukexpat (talk) 17:46, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How do I add links to another article in Wikipedia? Sorry if it's obvious, but I'm new. —Preceding unsigned comment added by CeresVesta (talkcontribs) 17:03, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

See Help:Link. The basic syntax is to wrap the name of the linked page in double square brackets. For example, my link was created with [[Help:Link]]. Algebraist 17:05, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by CeresVesta (talkcontribs) 17:20, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

And see Wikipedia:Build the web and WP:LAYOUT (the latter to learn about the "See also" section). You can also learn how to create or improve navigation templates. For a general introduction to Wikipedia, read Wikipedia: The Missing Manual. --Teratornis (talk) 06:09, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Video question[edit]

i need to see the video of president samuel doe's torture. --213.210.245.231 (talk) 17:38, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Have you tried Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in knowledge questions and will try to answer any question in the universe (except how to use Wikipedia, since that is what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps.. – ukexpat (talk) 17:46, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

NO PICTURES[edit]

all the web pages don't display the pictures, they show a little red square in a box where the picture should be. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.141.183.211 (talk) 21:05, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Just to confirm, does this happen only on Wikipedia pages or on all internet pages? – ukexpat (talk) 21:17, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

changing the text at the top of a page[edit]

I am trying to edit the very top portion of the "Young Life" page, but I don't see and edit option. the first edit option starts with "History" but I need to edit what's above history. Thanks for you help!Sjknott (talk) 21:10, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Just click the edit tab at the top of the page and the whole page will open in edit mode. – ukexpat (talk) 21:15, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You can enable this at Special:Preferences → Gadgets → Add an [edit] link for the lead section of a page. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) talk - 21:38, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

quick question[edit]

Thought I'd break the "research, find info, provide helpful links" mindset for a second here at the help desk. Perhaps one of you kind folk have been around long enough to notice certain behavioral patterns in us wikipeidans. My question is this:

  1. I noticed that I have begun to sign my email messages with " ~~~~ ". Does this mean that I am developing a "wiki-addiction" problem?, and is there any cure? .. Thanks. Cheers — Ched ~ (yes?) 21:29, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Just don't use {{fact}} tags in your work e-mails. – ukexpat (talk) 21:34, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Or worse, marking memos for {{db-nonsense}} --Evan ¤ Seeds 22:01, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
LMAO - sigh .. I'm still waiting for 74, TnXman, or someone to throw one of those "We can't give medical advice" templates in. (and I actually did do that .. Well, I'll pick up my "wiki-demerit" for socializing on the way out - you folks have a good one =D — Ched ~ (yes?) 22:20, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This page is for questions about using Wikipedia. Please consider asking this question in the Wikipedia:The real world. They specialize in knowledge questions about the real world and will try to answer any question in the universe (except how to use Wikipedia, since that is what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. You could always try searching Wikipedia for an article related to the topic you want to know more about. I hope this helps. -Optigan13 (talk) 22:32, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In my learned medical opinion, you appear to be developing moderate to severe wikipediholicism. I'm sorry, but your prognosis does not look good. TNXMan 22:45, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(undent) Wikipedia makes the Real World obsolete, and the sooner everyone realizes that, the happier everyone will be. Everything sucks compared to Wikipedia - you will see countless examples of this every day. --Teratornis (talk) 05:52, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Sicilian Language[edit]

How can I find articles written in Sicilian? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.229.41.179 (talk) 21:49, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You can find them here. You can also look on the left side of any Wikipedia page, and there is a list of alternate languages that the article appears in. But there's a Sicilian article only for every 1 in ~200 English article, so you usually won't find one. Someguy1221 (talk) 21:57, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

New Template[edit]

Resolved
 – ukexpat (talk) 02:48, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I created a new template called Template:Numerical PDE and included it in several articles, but changes I made to the template do not appear in the articles. Now the template appears differently in different articles. What is going on ? How do you repair this ? Example: the article Finite difference method displays an older version of the template. Charvest (talk) 22:17, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Sometimes it can take a while for template changes to be visible in articles where the template is used. Have you tried a server purge. – ukexpat (talk) 22:24, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
(ec) try it now - sometimes you have to do a null edit to the article after you mod a template, that way it doesn't pull from cache. — Ched ~ (yes?) 22:25, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
cool ukexpat, I didn't know we had access to purge - ?action=purge huh? good deal! — Ched ~ (yes?) 22:27, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Brilliant, ukexpat, thankyou. Charvest (talk) 22:40, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Also, clicking on the clock that is displayed in the upper right of the page purges the page. TNXMan 22:47, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The clock is an optional setting under Gadgets at Special:Preferences. It's off by default. PrimeHunter (talk) 23:34, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Resolved
 – ukexpat (talk) 02:47, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I've been wanting to replace the picture of Siouxsie Sioux in her article, because that picture is nearly thirty-years-old and obviously she's changed since then. I found what I deemed to be a couple of suitable images under the Creative Commons CC-BY and CC-BY-SA licenses acceptable for uploading images on Wikipedia. However, I've recalled seeing the first image elsewhere on the internet, so is it ok to use the image anyway, being that it is under the proper license? --Whip it! Now whip it good! 22:32, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, seeing it somewhere else on the net means that if Wikipedia uses it, it wont be troublesome, because the picture is already on other websites. Raaggio 22:55, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I think the best idea is to ensure that the person who uploaded the images under the licenses you mentioned actually has permission to license them that way. A picture may be used in different places across the internet, but we have still have to have the correct licensing info. Another good place to ask would be at the media copyright desk. They may be able to point you in the right direction. TNXMan 22:59, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. --Whip it! Now whip it good! 00:04, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I would say that neither photo would be of use for us here. The first one, as it if found elsewhere on the web, means it is likely copyrighted by someone other than the flickr user (therefore he cannot release it by that CC license). I found a blog post with that same image that predates the flickr user by 4 days, which further indicates this user got it from somewhere else (also, the set up is clearly a photoshoot, and there is no evidence that this flickr user is a commercial photographer). The second image is clearly labeled in a set that says these are not the flickr user's images. Again, the flickr user here is not the photographer (or copyright holder) and cannot legally release that image under the claimed license. Normally, you can accept flickr users are face value, and believe their licensing claims. But sometimes you do run into cases where users have uploaded other's works and improperly claimed a CC license. Both of these images appear to be cases such as those. Sorry.-Andrew c [talk] 02:44, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, here in Wikipedia, various locations of a copyrighted picture across the net is considered WP:FUR (Fair Use Rational). Look it up, Raaggio 23:33, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

That said, the photos of Siouxsie in this user's photostream seem legit, as do this and this.-Andrew c [talk] 02:49, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

And of course, we have an image from the first user already in the article... -Andrew c [talk] 02:55, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Edit to article just disappeared[edit]

This AM I edited the page on Ben Bernanke by adding some non-controversial details provided in 3 New York Times articles on him. I also included the reference links to the NYT articles. I saved and the changes were immediately visible. When I checked back this PM my additions were gone and are also not listed in the editorial history for the page. What happened? Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sevalt (talkcontribs) 22:49, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm. I'm not sure what you mean. Your account shows no edits to the Ben Bernanke article. Nor are there any edits to the article that match your description. Might you have possibly hit "show preview" at the bottom of the page instead of "save page"? TNXMan 22:54, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]