Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2012 October 6

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October 6

Am I allowed to delete my own post from a Talk page?

The other day I drew the attention of another editor to the fact that what he had written about someone, without any sources, was quite libellous and a breach of WP:BLP.

This editor immediately removed the offending content, so soon after I removed my post, because it now referred to non-existent content.

Unfortunately, by this time, another editor had commented on my post. The first editor insisted on restoring my post because the final post now referred to non-existent content.

A tiny edit skirmish ensued. I gave up.

I can see the logic problem here, but I did not want my post looking silly by referring to non-existent content. Of course, it's still there now, and looks silly.

So, am I entitled to remove a post of my own that no longer makes sense? HiLo48 (talk) 03:36, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

I would just leave a note saying that the problem has been solved. That way people will understand the issue is resolved. If the page is set up to autoarchive by Miszabot, it'll go away on its own anyways. --Jayron32 03:39, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Correct procedure to request additional uninvolved editors take a look at a problematic article

The article has a history of to and fro editing and least one major contributor has been indef blocked for COI promotional editing. Although it has been cleaned up quite lot from when it was purely a puff piece I still think it is far from neutral. Roger (talk) 10:44, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Letting us know what article you mean would be a good start. Maproom (talk) 12:16, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Ok, I thought there was a specific procedure for such "canvassing". The article is Camus Cognac - don't look at only the article as it is now, take a look at the history too. Thanks. Roger (talk) 13:17, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

There probably is a specific procedure for dealing with "canvassing", I just don't know what it is.

Anyway, I have looked at the article myself. I see three editors, the IP address 62.102.249.36, the single-purpose account User:Misssoleil, and User:Campuscow whose name suggests a Conflict_of_interest, who have been adding the advertising material, User:Athomedia77 who twice blanked the page awaiting "consideration by Camus marketing & legal departments" and has been blocked from editing Wikipedia, and a number of experienced editors who have been removing it or toning it down. I have just had a go at this myself, and added the article to my watchlist. Maproom (talk) 10:53, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! It's a good feeling when my concerns are validated by someone else. Roger (talk) 11:30, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

Deletion of edited information

hello, this is srikanth from warangal(a.p)(india). the previous day i edited some information in wiki of warangal page. but today the edited information is deleted, reasoning that there is no proof for the information added by me. But the entire info which was presented by me is 100% exact one, and i tried to add proof by other informational sources, but there are no web pages or any links about the matter represented by me.... so, please help me.!SRIKANTH9911 (talk) 11:46, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Whether it is 100% true or not is not relevant here - what matters is that it has appeared in a reliable published source. This is called verifiability. If, as you say, there is no published source to confirm the material (on or offline), then it cannot be used in Wikipedia. - Karenjc 12:20, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Srikanth, the main reason your edit was reverted was not lack of proof. It was because the information you added (List of bus services) looked trivial in the context of the article. Wikipedia is not a directory. The information could have been summarized in a single sentence by saying that there exists local bus services from warangal to nearby towns. Don't get discouraged by this. As you are from Warangal, you can try to contribute in other areas in which the article lacks like History, Economy. But remember to use reliable sources. --Anbu121 (talk me) 12:37, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

deleting user subpages

Sorry for what I'm sure is a FAQ, but is there a better way of deleting one of your own user subpages than slapping a {{PROD}} tag on it and waiting for an admin to delete it for you? —Steve Summit (talk) 12:11, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

{{db-author}} should do the job fairly quickly. - Karenjc 12:17, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

{{PROD}} is only for articles. Use {{db-author}} or {{db-u1}}. PrimeHunter (talk) 12:37, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, both. —Steve Summit (talk) 14:30, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Resolved

Actually {{tl:db-author}} is also meant for articles. To get user pages (such as sandboxes you no longer need) deleted {{tl:db-user}} is the correct tag. Roger (talk) 17:24, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

{{db-author}} (redirects to {{db-g7}}) is for all namespaces per Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion#G7. {{db-user}} is a redirect to {{db-u1}}. I saw (and deleted) the page Steve tagged. Either tag would have worked in this case. Search the CSD talk archives [1] to see why U1 and G7 aren't merged. PrimeHunter (talk) 17:40, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Useful info, thanks. Roger (talk) 17:50, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

About Wiki and for editing knowledge

How to protect or unprotect a page? I want help for the wiki back ground color code. How to delete a page? What are bots or what are their job in wiki?--pratyya (talk) 13:23, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Only administrators can protect, unprotect and delete pages. See Wikipedia:Protection policy, Wikipedia:Requests for page protection and Wikipedia:Deletion policy. Bots are programs making automated or semi-automated edits, usually of a repetitive nature. See Wikipedia:Bots. I don't know the default background color code. PrimeHunter (talk) 13:34, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

The default skin is Vector. Help:Using colours#Wikipedia says: "In the Vector skin, the background colour on all pages is #FFFFFF". PrimeHunter (talk) 13:40, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Inaccurate data

Within This article: Wealth in the United States

This chart is incorrect. It shows year over year declines in net worth for three years (2000-2003). Using the sited data source there wrer only two yaers and the magnitude of change was an order lower than the author shows.

File:Change in US household wealth 1946-2007.gif — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.186.114.186 (talk) 13:57, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

What is your source? We need to see it to make the change.— Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 20:31, 10 October 2012 (UTC)

Breaking up is hard to do

How do I break up a long list of items, listed in 1 column, into 3 or 4 shorter columns?--Doug Coldwell ^talk 15:15, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

A table might help, although tables can be a bit of a pain. See Help:Table If you identify the list in question, we might be able to give more specific advice.--SPhilbrick(Talk) 15:35, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

List in question is List of biblical names.Can it be 3 columns instead of 1? Can you do it using "Template:Multicol". Thanks!--Doug Coldwell ^talk 20:36, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Check if this helps: Template:Div col --Anbu121 (talk me) 15:52, 6 October 2012 (UTC) Yuuuuuuup! Thanks. --Doug Coldwell ^talk 19:56, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Image thought to be copyrighted in the public domain?

Hi there. I was looking through the non-free images that need to be resized when I encountered File:Abieagent073017.jpg. It says the publishing date is sometime in 1917, so I would guess it's in the public domain. I'm not sure what to do about this, and I don't think I'm bold enough to fix this, so I'd just like to notify a more experienced editor who could research this more and take the appropriate action. Sorry if this isn't in the appropriate place. If it isn't, then please post what I should do if I encounter something like this again. — Preceding unsigned comment added by The Quirky Kitty (talk • contribs) 16:45, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

I have linked the image in your post with [[:File:Abieagent073017.jpg]]. A colon in front works for all wikilinks, also category and interlanguage. (No comment on the image itself) PrimeHunter (talk) 17:15, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Thanks. The Quirky Kitty (talk) 03:31, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

Article about Udo Kier

There are lots of mistakes in the English article about Udo Kier, also very subjective point of view, no neutral position. For example, it's written that Udo Kier is German actor while he lives and works both in Germany and America since 1991 so he is German and American/Hollywood actor. Also written that he is "known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies". Known for whom, I wonder? For horror fans? He did more than 200 films and only very few among them are horror or "exploitation"(by the way, what is "exploitation movie"? it must be "sex exploitation"what is also not true as he did no more than 5-6 films like that). Udo Kier did many serious films. Then there is very offensive quote by the frontman of music band Korn that contains word "fuck" and so on..Then Udo Kier never said that he is homosexual! Is it possible to add him into the "Gay actors" page?? Then he never was "protege" of Fassbinder, it's an old myth, he was discovered in London by another director and did about 10 films before to work with Fassbinder and they were more friends than collegues, Udo did mostly episodes in his films. Then Udo kier play sonly in episodes in Lars von Trier movies after "Europe" film whicj was in early 90s...and many other mistakes! Unfortunatelly, user called "Joshmaul" didn't accept my editing, almost no one change I did. It looks that there is personal hateness towards Udo kier or probably even homophobic. Please help to edite Udo Kier page correctly! For the moment the text of the page based mostly on one old article/review which has nothing to do with reality and was many times disproved by Udo Kier himself in his interviews. I sent links to many interviews with the actor where he says the true about himself but almost nothing was written and accepted by Joshmaul and almost no change done, even in a movie title which I took from IMDB, now there are lots of mistakes! What to do?? Who is "Joshmaul"? Your official editor? How to write true (based on Kier's resent Interviews and IMDB bio) in Wiki????? The interview about his childhood and work with Paul Morrissey (information was not accepted by your editor)

The interview where he talk true about Fassbinder and their relationships! My edits wasn't accepted!

Another interview whre he tells about Fassbinder and how he (Udo Kier) in real came into cinema, about how he made debut!

Almost nothing was accepted by "Joushmaul", he also can't prove am I represent Udo kier or not, and it's not his business at all. i never says that I'm representative myself, I said that some information was passed by his representatives what is true and also it wass their asking to change the article. I can provided you with 50 other articles and interview with Udo Kier which disproved almost all the information in the English wiki article! Besides the article wrote more as a critique that neutral bio and besides the language of it is very poor and even sound as slang..("He has strarred" instead "he played" or "he was in") and so on. Please help!!! Can people edite anything in Wiki or not??? I'm totally into this theme and subject!

This is largely a content dispute. Take it to the talk page and discuss it to reach consensus. But bear in mind:

• Your sources must be reliable (IMDB, for instance, is not.)
• Unsupported accusations of bias and prejudice because someone reverted an edit are unhelpful.
• If you are also editing as User:Playersde, who is currently busy reinserting the removed material back into the article and whose edit summaries resemble some of your arguments above, you need to be careful not to fall foul of Wikipedia's rules on using multiple accounts: see WP:SOCK. Discussing and agreeing the new wording would be a better strategy.

_ Karenjc 21:57, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

You seem to have an incorrect idea of what an exploitation film is: we have an article exploitation film. Also, Wikipedia is not censored and it's acceptable to include language such as "fuck" if it's relevant to the topic. And interviews aren't always considered reliable sources: just because somebody says something in an interview, that doesn't mean it's true (even Udo Kier may not always be a reliable source when discussing Udo Kier). You should research these topics so you have a better idea about Wikipedia policy and the terms used in the article, and then try and discuss it on the article talk page. --Colapeninsula (talk) 11:48, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

We don't have "official editors". Just ordinary volunteers. We have administrators who sometimes get involved when things get complicated, as they seem to be in this case, but if you follow the advice above that may not be necessary.— Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 21:28, 10 October 2012 (UTC)

Changing a toolbox link?

Is there any way to make "Upload file" in my toolbox link to Special:Upload or WP:Upload/old instead of the wizard? - Purplewowies (talk) 18:44, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

This in Special:Mypage/skin.js (your current skin) or Special:Mypage/common.js (all skins) will add a new link "Old upload" above the existing link:

mw.util.addPortletLink(
  'p-tb',
  mw.util.wikiGetlink( 'Wikipedia:Upload/old' ),
  'Old upload',
  't-uploadold',
  'Upload files with old form',
   null,
  '#t-upload'
);

You can guess how to get Special:Upload instead. PrimeHunter (talk) 19:11, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Red link should be blue

When copyediting Silvestre de Sousa I tried to wikilink Queen's Vase but couldn't, although the page exists; it links here, and in the edit window of the de Sousa article for the life of me I can't see any extra spaces, misspellings or missing brackets (my usual problems). Although I have much experience with pilot error, this time I can't figure out why it won't work. Any suggestions? Thanks and all the best, Miniapolis (talk) 20:35, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Please check it now. Some problem with the apostrophe. --Anbu121 (talk me) 20:50, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

You can copy-and-paste the title from the target to ensure a link works. PrimeHunter (talk) 22:09, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Thanks very much; I never thought to check the apostrophe! All the best, Miniapolis (talk) 13:47, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

Advertising on Wikipedia

I'm suddenly seeing ads on Wikipedia. One right under the article title, and another right above an article's table of contents. I am NOT happy. I thought Wikipedia would never run ads? 98.193.228.251 (talk) 21:18, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

It doesn't. What are you seeing? You may want to check your computer for malware/adware. The Computing RefDesk might be able to help you further. - Karenjc

They are not made by Wikipedia. See WP:RFAQ#ADS. PrimeHunter (talk) 22:10, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

On the last page with ads, the first one was a weight loss ad, and the second was for an online game. I scanned my computer, but didn't find anything. I'll take the question to that RefDesk. Thanks for your help. 98.193.228.251 (talk) 01:32, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

WWE LIST

Is there any list on Wikipedia about wrestlers of WWE who have deceased ? 123.201.218.122 (talk) 23:07, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

User asked the same question that the Ref Desk as well. Should be answered over there. Dismas|^(talk) 23:13, 6 October 2012 (UTC)