Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2014 August 1

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August 1

Account deletion

How do I delete my account? It must be deleted! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dinodino1212 (talk • contribs) 01:10, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

You can't - but you can exercise the 'right to vanish', see Wikipedia:Username policy#Deleting and merging accounts. AndyTheGrump (talk) 01:22, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Article on Alexander City Alabama

You might want to look at this article. I don't think the wealthy residents engage in human sacrifice, nor did an alien space ship crash there and destroy most of the town.

 Fixed. Dismas|^(talk) 05:59, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

High database server lag

I get a message at the top of my contributions page saying Due to high database server lag, changes newer than 1,009 seconds may not appear in this list. and yes, my recent edits did not appear in the list, what is the cause of this problem and when will it stop? TheChampionMan1234 05:34, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Don't know but there's already a question about it at WP:VPT#Murderous server lag. Dismas|^(talk) 05:57, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Main Page

On TwoOneTwo's userpage he claims he didn't create the Main Page despite the history. If he didn't who did? NickGibson3900 - Talk - Sign my Guestbook 08:50, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

@NickGibson3900: An interesting question. I tried a few searches but failed. It might have been Larry Sanger. His article states that "Shortly after a blank wiki was set up Sanger wrote the initial pages and promoted the site", but that doesn't make clear there was any "main page" at that time. Magnus Manske is active and might know (and will be pinged by the linking of his name here).--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 11:53, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

I seem to remember Jimbo Wales starting the default (as in: main) page with "Hello world". Can't find a quote online quickly though, --Magnus Manske (talk) 12:02, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

See this. --Glaisher (talk) 12:12, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Great, thanks for responding. By the way, slightly related, apparently there's been a recovery of some very early Wikipedia content: the text of Wikipedia, from February, March and August 2001, and the revision history from January 15, 2001 to August 17, 2001, that were thought lost. See here.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 12:39, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

The history of HomePage (the original name of the page) would seem to indicate the answer is user:Malcolm Farmer. However, the page was almost certainly imported from Nupedia; the page protection notice shows clearly that there were previous versions of the page. SpinningSpark 12:42, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

GATA

It says on your website that GATA is proposed for deletion from your website but I can't find out how to comment on this. Can you direct me to how to do this? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.200.41.236 (talk) 09:01, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

I think you mean GATAC? If so, then you can comment on this page - Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Gold_Anti-Trust_Action_Committee_(2nd_nomination). CaptRik (talk) 10:52, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

speedy deletion of image

I have been recently contacted advising me that two images that I drew myself and carefully added to two Wikipedia entries [(nest (protein structural motif) and niche(protein structural motif)]that I had created some while back, are now allocated for "speedy deletion". Apparently I can click the button labelled "Click here to contest this speedy deletion", but I cannot find such a button anywhere either by opening the Wikipedia entries or their source codes. Anyway I'd like to contest the proposed deletions as the images make all the difference to readers in understanding the structural concepts involved. I'd be grateful for your help. JamesMilnerWhite — Preceding unsigned comment added by JamesMilnerWhite (talk • contribs) 10:15, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

@JamesMilnerWhite: The two images were already deleted, so the pages no longer exist for you to view the speedy deletion template in and access the protest buttons. But you seem to be under the impression that the images are sought to be deleted entirely, thereby removing the images from use and from the respective articles, which is not the case. Rather, File:RL nest bound to egg oxygen atom.pdf was deleted, because you created it under two names and we don't keep two copies of the same image; File:RL nest bound to an egg oxygen atom.pdf was kept and is still shown in Nest (protein structural motif). The same it true of File:Niche3 bound to water molecule.pdf versus File:A niche3 bound to a water molecule.pdf. By the way, both images are marked to be copied to the Wikimedia Commons. Since they are free images, they belong there. Please note that upon further uploads of free images, you can and should upload directly there rather than here, so that all Wikimedia projects have access to the images. Best regards--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 11:30, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Exemptions

am asking if there are any exemptions in the Bachelors of Accountancy program as i have completed the technician level in the ZICA program — Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.46.194.88 (talk) 14:25, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 4 million articles and thought we were affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this page is for asking questions related to using or contributing to Wikipedia itself. Thus, we have no special knowledge about the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the upper right side of your screen. If you cannot find what you are looking for, we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome. Best of luck.--ukexpat (talk) 15:10, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Business and economics portal

Can someone explain to me how the portal rotates between selected articles and pictures, and why market indices and business news have not been updated since january. Also selected economy seems to not be workingLbertolotti (talk) 15:01, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

The articles exist at Portal:Business and economics/Selected article, and the pictures are at Portal:Business and economics/Selected picture. They can be edited there or more items added. The rotation is controlled by {{Random portal component}} which is called from Portal:Business and economics for each random element (pictures, articles etc—you can see the code for these calls by looking at the page in edit mode). The random elements on portals used to change every time the page was reloaded. This no longer seems to be happening so I am wondering if it is broken. The old template code has been replaced with a Lua module (Module:Random portal component) written by User:Mr. Stradivarius. Hopefully the ping will get his attention.

The market indices are updated on the page Portal:Business and economics/Market Indices. This appears to have been done automatically by User:DinojermBot. You will have to take the issue up with the bot owner. According to the bot's talk page there was a problem after the shutdown of the toolserver, but the bot has now been transferred to WMLabs so it should be doing it's task again. However, the bot has not made any edits since January. SpinningSpark 16:50, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

The documentation for how to add selected articles and pictures is at Template:Random portal component/doc. If anything there is unclear, let me know and I'll investigate, and update the docs if necessary. Best — Mr. Stradivarius ^{♪ talk ♪} 08:08, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

Can't we just import articles from Category:FA-Class_WikiProject_Business_article as default or do we have add articles manually?Lbertolotti (talk) 17:15, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

You have to add them manually. They are not full articles, just very short summaries usually based on the lede section. SpinningSpark 18:45, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

I suppose the news not autoupdating is also related to the shutdown of toolserver.Lbertolotti (talk) 17:27, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Possibly, but that is a different bot, User:Wikinews Importer Bot. The bot owner is User:Misza13 if you want to ask them about it. Alternatively, if you can't persuade the bot owners to get them going again, you can make a request at Wikipedia:Bot requests for a new bot. SpinningSpark 20:06, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Turns out the right information is in this page: https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Portal:Economy_and_business

Media Viewer concern for image used in Made in USA Brand Certification Mark article

Dear Wikipedia Expert Volunteer,

I am new to media viewer. In editing my article Made in USA Brand Certification Mark today I quality checked the image file in it, and saw media viewer for the first time. My image is non-free and is labeled copyrighted and trademarked. But Media Viewer allows easy use of the image via download, share and embed options on Media Viewer. Can these options be turned off/disabled for all users? And Media Viewer comments beneath the image that there is no description available, although there is a description above it. How to I hide or get rid of Media Viewer's no description available note? The file page I mean is here File:Made in USA Brand Certification Mark logo.svg

Thank you,

AndreaAufden (talk) 15:44, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

The option cannot be turned off, all Wikipedia content is available for downloading. In any case, it is pretty much impossible to physically prevent any picture anywhere on the internet from being copied, copyrighted or not. SpinningSpark 16:54, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Of more concern to me is how the article made it through AFC review...--ukexpat (talk) 17:45, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

It passed AFC by complying with the pass standards - which are (intentionally) not a cast iron guarantee of notability. AFC's standards are intended to "translate" to a 50/50 chance of surviving AFD. At the time of the review the article had two independent sources. It's very disheartening to AFC reviewers when they get criticized for both passing some drafts too easily and also being too strict with other drafts - finding the right balance is not easy. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 09:15, 2 August 2014 (UTC)

changing heading from USER:MTERESACLAYTON to M. TERESA CLAYTON

I am in contact with Ms. Clayton and posting to her bio here in Wikpedia but the topic heading says "USER:MTERESACLAYTON instead of just M Teresa Clayton. How do I correct this? - R. Macey — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rhona Macey (talk • contribs) 16:44, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

You are referring to User:MTeresaClayton, which is the user page of a Wikipedia editor who has chosen the username "MTeresaClayton".

You should not write to the user page of another user. Or, if you are the same person as MTeresaClayton, you should not have two user accounts. However, I assume that your intention is to create a Wikipedia article about Teresa Clayton. It seems likely that you are associated with Teresa Clayton, and therefore have a conflict of interest, and should not create an article about her. Maproom (talk) 17:32, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

(Clarification about writing to a user: Messages to a user usually go on the user talk page not the user page.) RJFJR (talk) 21:08, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Hi guys. A slight correction to your piece on Buffalo Springfield's "For what it's worth"

Ozzy Osbourne's name is traditionally spelled "Ozzy". Not "Ozzie".

I'm a serious Ozzy fan, so I just had to point this out. lol — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.70.237.200 (talk) 19:20, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

 Fixed. Thanks for letting us know! Dismas|^(talk) 20:11, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Embedded mathematical equations

Hello, I am a new contributor. I want to submit an article with several equations. Can I upload a complete PDF file with the equations embedded (created with the MS Word equation editor), or do I have to use LaTex? Thank you. Peterzipfel37 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Peterzipfel37 (talk • contribs) 20:52, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

If you are intending to contribute to Wikipedia math[s] articles, you should read Wikipedia:MATH, which explains the dialect of TeX used here in Wikipedia. Here is a specimen: ${\sqrt {1-x^{3}}}\!$. In any case, you don't create an article by uploading anything, you create it by typing, just as you typed your question above; of course you can use copy-and-paste (though not of copyrighted material). Maproom (talk) 21:09, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Writing an acceptable article about an organization

Hello,

Is there any way that my article can be modified so that it is acceptable to post on Wikipedia. I have questions about whether or not the advertising policy is an issue. If the reasoning behind why the article titled "WasteGateApp" was not chosen was due to its lack of explanation of the content, then I would be able to change it. Could you please tell me what the acceptable method of writing about an organization could be.

Thanks

Harrison Fung — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hfung9 (talk • contribs) 22:48, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

@Hfung9: The reason why WasteGateApp was deleted is because it was found to be advertising/promotional, and the article did not credibly indicate why the subject was important. Piguy101 (talk) 22:52, 1 August 2014 (UTC)