Help desk
< April 29	<< Mar \| April \| May >>	May 1 >

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.

April 30[edit]

Cite journal, pmc parameter[edit]

Suddenly the pmc param in cite journal does not display and link. This is new, I believe since the pmid shows a lock symbol. Did you now overengineer it? no pmc limits the utility of the pmid, pmc system very much. pls. take a look. 70.137.146.3 (talk) 01:02, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

See Template talk:Citation#HTTP Secure for PMID. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk 12:28, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Strange password problem[edit]

Hi there - I have a rather odd password problem in that I am logged in through my home PC but I don't know my password. I had my passwords stored in KeePass, but either I have forgotten my Keepass master password or my Keepass key file is corrupt. In other words, I am having to go through all of my online accounts and manually recover the passwords. I don't have my email account associated with my Wiki account. Is there anything that I can do? If I don't either recover the password here or somehow get my email address added to my wiki ID, I won't be able to use the account again after the next time I clear my browser history. Help? ♣♦ SmartGuy ♥♠ (talk) 02:07, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Special:Preferences. Email options are at the bottom of the page. - Purplewowies (talk) 03:21, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, but that is asking for my current password to confirm the change. Like I said, I have no idea what the current password is. It is stored in a password database to which I have lost access. ♣♦ SmartGuy ♥♠ (talk) 03:29, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

You are up against security measures to prevent somebody from taking over your account if they get access to a computer where you are logged in but they don't know your password. I don't know a solution but you could start by using {{User committed identity}} while you are still logged in. Developers can set an email address but I don't know under which circumstances they will do it. PrimeHunter (talk) 05:55, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! I'll give that a try. ♣♦ SmartGuy ♥♠ (talk) 10:10, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Hi again PrimeHunter and friends - I have the {{User committed identity}} all set up. How do I go about contacting a developer to see if they will set the appropriate email? ♣♦ SmartGuy ♥♠ (talk) 13:59, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know anything about procedures or requirements. I got no reply at Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)/Archive 82#Retrieval of passwords/committed identity. meta:Privacy policy says: "Users whose accounts do not have a valid email address will not be able to reset their password if it is lost. In such a situation, however, users may be able to contact one of the Wikimedia server administrators to enter a new e-mail address." Perhaps you should mention this when you contact somebody. See meta:System administrators. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:25, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Cool beans. I'll try that. Thanks.

PrimeHunter and friends - I have not yet tried to contact an admin at meta:System administrators since I have been slammed busy IRL the past few days, but I plan to do so soon. I am posting this reply from a different computer (turns out I am still logged in at work as well as on my home PC) to show further that I am actually me and not somebody else! ♣♦ SmartGuy ♥♠ (talk) 12:44, 2 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Erdos-Bacon number[edit]

I seem to have disappeared completely from the discussion of Erdos-Bacon numbers. I have an Erdos-Bacon number of four! I used to be there, but have been discarded. Why?????

My Erdos number is 2, through J. Loxton and through M.V. Subbarao, and my Bacon number is 2. I was in the movie The Bank, with Anthony Lapaglia, who was in a movie with Kevin Bacon.

Michael David Hirschhorn, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New South Wales, Australia. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.94.177.235 (talk) 02:21, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I have left a message at the talk page of the user who removed the material, informing them of this thread. The edit which removed the material was this one The edit summary, "fails verification by source" refers to the verification policy, and is stating that the sources cited to verify the text, failed to do so.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 04:30, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It was removed because it was not properly sourced. Specifically, the Bacon number is not sourced. Claiming to appear as an "extra" requires reliable sourcing. I have appeared as an extra in several films, but I can't prove it so I don't have a reliably sourced Bacon number. The user should read WP:RS. The article has a long history of lots of people trying to add themselves because they claim to have been an extra in a film, but rarely is it sourced. Secondarily, since the user acknowledges that he is trying to add himself, WP:COI should be read. 71.50.99.0 (talk) 13:09, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Two? I'm impressed. My Erdős number is three, but I haven't bothered to document it. I have no idea what my Bacon number is..--SPhilbrick (Talk) 17:18, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Bayonet[edit]

I have a pre 1937 nagoya arsenal arisaka bayonet serial # 42579 trying to find out it;s worth,need to know where to look for info. have found some info but no value and not the actual bayonet I have. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wayne Stanbra (talk • contribs) 03:17, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The OP also posted this question at the Misc. Ref. Desk. Definitely better suited over there. Dismas|^(talk) 06:29, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

wikipedia color issue in chrome[edit]

I have recently started facing an awkward problem with wikipedia CSS. The articles have started appearing in black font over blue background and has become quite difficult to read. This problem is only with the "english" wikipedia and is only on my chrome browser. I cleared my browser cache.. still not working. I am right now using safari just for wikipedia. I know it is a long shot, but if someone knows what's wrong here... can you please let me know how to resolve this.. appreciate the help... — Preceding unsigned comment added by Deepu04u (talk • contribs)

There is a bug in the latest version of Google Chrome that shows a blue background if the browser zoom level is set below 100%. Reset the zoom to 100% with Ctrl+0 or adjust it with Ctrl++ and Ctrl+-. PrimeHunter (talk) 05:44, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. that solved my problem.

Getting a response from Wikimedia Permissions[edit]

Dear Help Desk- I have worked long and hard on a major scientific article in my Sandbox: Isothermal Microcalorimetry (IMC) It is a parallel to existing articles on Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC).

I have included 7 figures in my article. One is a photo I took myself, 3 are from journal publications I co-authored, 2 are from papers by others, and one is from product literature. Wikimedia Permissions have flagged 3 of my figures. I have sent them several emails relaying permissions I received by email. I also sent them an email 6 days ago (forwarded again today) summarizing that I have the needed permissions. No response so far.

I would appreciate any help in getting Permissions to release my figures so I can submit my article to the Wikpedia editors. Many thanks, DanDaniels DanDaniels (talk) 09:19, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The only advice is to please be patient. The OTRS permissions folks are all volunteers like the rest of us, and there is always a backlog.--ukexpat (talk) 13:10, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I was unhappy with how long it was taking for OTRS to process images - there is a backlog stretching well over a month, and I knew some of my requests have taken a long time to process, so I volunteered to help out.

I'm only on my third day, so still learning the ropes.

In a coincidence, I started working on your requests earlier this morning. They are unnecessarily complicated due to no fault of your own. I have straightened out a number of issues, added permission to several images, but have some emails out to you on some open issues.

I've also offered to help you with your article.

Check your email for some messages from me, and I hope we can get the remaining issues resolved so you can work on the article.--SPhilbrick (Talk) 17:14, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Showing a picture to left of an infobox[edit]

I wanted to add a picture to the Past Chairs section of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus article, because there is a lot of empty, white space going a-begging there. However, the presence of the {{Hispanic and Latino Americans}} template creates a long infobox running down the right of the page, and this forced the picture I added to display well below the Past Chairs section, and screwed up the layout of the article. I experimented with the {{stack}} template but it didn't help. How can I make this work? — O'Dea (talk) 11:31, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Whitespace and placement of elements can be browser dependant. Is [1] what you want? PrimeHunter (talk) 12:00, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

No. In that edit you ask about, the large photograph appears immediately below the infobox instead of above in the Past Chairs section, in both Firefox and Internet Explorer. I wanted the picture to appear in the ample space to the right of the list of names, and left of the long infobox. I've noticed this before, that where an infobox exists, all images are forced to appear below it, and only text can appear to the left of an infobox. Your edit produced the same result as my earlier attempts, in both browsers. — O'Dea (talk) 15:24, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

This is what I want — but this is what I get. — O'Dea (talk) 15:56, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

What about forcing a left alignment on it? (I personally don't like that stylistically in that location, but...) - Purplewowies (talk) 15:35, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I want it right aligned, alongside the infobox, not left of the bullet list, like this. — O'Dea (talk) 15:56, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

So, is it impossible to display an image left of an infobox? — O'Dea (talk) 00:58, 3 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Fraudulent Account Set up under a 13 year name[edit]

Who do I contact regarding a FALSE Account set up in my daughters Name, inappropriate messages being sent back and forth. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.75.133.178 (talk) 14:20, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Please first check that you are at the right website - this is the Help desk for Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. It is not a social networking site, and it would, I think, be unusual for inappropriate messages to be sent back and forth here. If the problem is occurring at Wikipedia then the page you need is Wikipedia:Child protection. It includes an email address to which you may send the details - at minimum, the names or URLs of the pages where this is happening. Please don't post any confidential details on this help desk page. -- John of Reading (talk) 14:28, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

You may also wish to email an Administrator to keep the page name from public view, then have them review and possibly delete the page.--Canoe1967 (talk) 15:43, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

'Show' button in a collapsible template obscuring some words[edit]

I created User:Toshio Yamaguchi/Template:Unsolved. How can I prevent the Show button from obscuring part of the wikilink, ie how can I force the Show button to appear behind the last word of the wikilink? See my sandbox for the described unwanted effect. -- Toshio Yamaguchi (tlk−ctb) 14:30, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I copied this to my userspace so I could test with wild abandon. How does User:Purplewowies/testing template/tries look to you? The first is a transclusion of your template page; the second is a transclusion of User:Purplewowies/testing template. I messed with the width, and it seems that the magic number is 350px -ish (though that's slightly bigger) if you want it left aligned. The magic number if you want to keep it centered is about 375px. - Purplewowies (talk) 16:05, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The second one looks good. Perhaps I should change the template and base the template on something like Template:Navbox instead so that it fills the entire horizontal length of the bottom of the page. That would avoid the problem entirely. -- Toshio Yamaguchi (tlk−ctb) 16:41, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Steyr GB[edit]

My father is the founder of L.E.S. in Skokie, IL. In the "Development" section of this article, it says Steyr took legal action to stop production. This is false, and is pure speculation on the part of gun historians. What really happened was that Steyr had a contract with L.E.S. that if L.E.S. used Steyr's logo and marketing material in regards to the Pi-18, L.E.S. would receive financial compensation. When that compensation never came and Steyr refused to comply with their contract, L.E.S. stopped using the Steyr logo and began marketing their gun as the Rogak P18. Steyr took their company to federal court with Judge Julius Hoffman presiding. Because Steyr had violated the terms of their contract, they ended up dropping the suit. The marketing of the Rogak P18 was NOT in response to a lawsuit, and it was NOT because of copyright infringement, as this article implies. In fact almost the opposite was true. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Osteoblastic (talk • contribs) 15:42, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Even if the information is true, it cannot be verifiable because you have not provided any sources. It seems like you have a conflict of interest here. AndieM (Am I behaving?) 16:37, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

If information in the article is not supported by reliable sources, anybody may remove it; though in view of your conflict of interest, it would be better for you to explain on the article's Talk page what you would like removed. In order to add alternative information, you need to find reliable sources that support the information. (And if reliable sources disagree, the article should present both sides). --ColinFine (talk) 16:55, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Image not appearing[edit]

I restored an image, and tried to put it back into an infobox in Lubert Stryer, but I don't see it. I'm sure I'm missing something stupid, please be kind and point it out gently.--SPhilbrick (Talk) 17:05, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

There seems to be an image there. Is it the one you were trying to insert in the infobox? If not, please send a link. AndieM (Am I behaving?) 17:25, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Not sure what happened, I looked several times and refreshed multiple times. All OK, now.--SPhilbrick (Talk) 17:30, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved AndieM (Am I behaving?) 17:42, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Looking for Edits[edit]

Hi-there. I've been trying to find someone to edit a draft of the Bloomberg Television article (I have posted on the WP:Television, WP:Journalism etc as well as the current article's talk page without any response). The current article is generally disorganized and lacks citations. I've tried to clean it up and give better sourcing. Would someone mind taking a look at it? I do some work for Bloomberg L.P. and don't want my conflict of interest to interfere with Wiki guidelines. If you read it over and find the changes suitable, would you also submit the edits to the current article? My draft is located here: User:RivBitz/Bloomberg_Television_Sandbox Thank you!--RivBitz (talk) 18:10, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Version mismatch on Collections extension[edit]

Back on April 25, someone reported a problem with the Collections extension throwing a version missmatch error and preventing display of the desired book. See here. We are getting the same problem across multiple browsers and machines. A Google search finds this error coming up in developers forums over the last year or two. Any thoughts or recommendations beyond the previously supplied "clear your history" suggestion? 205.254.147.8 (talk) 19:36, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

There are unfortunately problems in some cases and I don't have a good solution. Perhaps one of the articles in the book contains incompatible code, and the book may work if that article is omitted. Will you create an account at Special:UserLogin/signup and post the username here? Then I or another administrator can confirm the account so it becomes able to save books. If you save the book then others can investigate it. Saving a book is nearly always possible even if the book cannot be generated. PrimeHunter (talk) 20:18, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

wikipedia When opened in a google chrome with zoom 90% the background screen is blue[edit]

wikipedia When opened in a google chrome with zoom 90% the background screen is blue — Preceding unsigned comment added by Summy1983 (talk • contribs) 21:32, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, that's a bug in Chrome. Setting the zoom to 100% is the workaround. RudolfRed (talk) 21:36, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

e/c

There is a bug in the latest version of Google Chrome that shows a blue background if the browser zoom level is set below 100%. Reset the zoom to 100% with Ctrl+0 or adjust it with Ctrl++ and Ctrl+-.--ukexpat (talk) 22:12, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

jewelers initials[edit]

I have acquired a platinum diamond ring, it has script letters inside the band of MB, can you tell me if this is a the initials of the maker? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.93.203.166 (talk) 23:10, 30 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

You could try Hallmarks and the links at the bottom to external sites. This help page is actually for help in editing wikipedia. You may also try the Reference desk linked at the top of this page as well.--Canoe1967 (talk) 00:04, 1 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]