Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2014 December 8

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December 8

Referencing errors on Economy of Georgia (country)

Reference help requested. I made several edits to the Agricultural section of Georgia, but it was wrong so I deleted it. I might have also deleted some other reference but cannot find it. Can you help me? Thanks, 1992ml (talk) 00:37, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Hello @1992ml:, I fixed one parameter for you (url instead of ref). For the other references you just need to add a title - usually the title of the referenced article or page. See template:cite web for a documentation of possible parameters. As far as I could see in a quick check, you haven't deleted any old references today. GermanJoe (talk) 01:17, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

page protection

We have a page that is wide open to and attracting plenty of vandalism. I have read through the policies in relation to this, but being a newbie, can't figure out how to request page protection - could anyone help me out please. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Keith65 (talk • contribs) 04:27, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

You need to ask at Wikipedia:Requests for page protection. AndyTheGrump (talk) 04:45, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

You used the phrase "We" - please not that "you" do not have a page on Wikipedia, please read our policy on ownership of articles. Wikipedia has a page about the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, which can include all appropriate material, for, or against the party, provided it is written from a neutral point of view, and is properly referenced to reliable, independent sources.
If, as it appears from your phrase "We", you are connected to the party, you have a conflict of interest in editing the page at all. Please read and follow our policy on conflict of interest, which makes it clear that, except in very rare circumstances, you should not be editing the page at all.
Regarding "Vandalism" I note that you have removed large sections of referenced text that are critical of the party, so, if anyone has been "vandalizing" the page, it could well be seen to be you. - Arjayay (talk) 09:22, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Donation pop up banners continue after donation.

I have made a donation Wikipedia so why am I still being bombarded with the popups blocking info I am seeking evrrytime I open Wikipedia? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lartomar2002 (talk • contribs) 05:05, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Hi Lartomar, and thanks for donating. Unfortunately, because your donation is anonymous (at least as far as the community is concerned), there's no way for the software that produces that banner to know when you've made a donation. However, you can turn it off manually: go to Preferences (in the top right of your screen), go to the Gadgets tab and check the box next to "Supress display of fundraiser banner". Save the changes and you'll no longer see the fundraiser message. Yunshui ^雲_水 11:07, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

POTD caption is/was a redlink.

Today's POTD caption is/was a redlink Correa Alba. It should be Correa alba (genus & species). I made it a redirect, but the caoption is still wrong per MOS. —Gaff ^ταλκ 05:25, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

I believe I've fixed this with this edit. This version of today's POTD is not used on the Main page and is not protected. -- John of Reading (talk) 07:49, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Add proofs/arguments in a wikipedia article

Hello everyone, could be possible that arguments/proof in an article are forbidden if no sources are provided? For example the article related to the number 11 (eleven) has several statements backed by no proofs. Can a random editor add them, or unless a source is cited is it not recommended? 91.66.224.104 (talk) 11:14, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Sources are needed for all statements that are not obvious and uncontroversial. For example, I don't think anyone would object to the statement that 11 is the fifth prime number. If a statement needs proofs or arguments to support it, then it should probably be sourced. Also note that we don't allow "original research" here. If it's a proof that you've come up with yourself, it should definitely not be added. Rojomoke (talk) 13:26, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Thanks, but "obvious and uncontroversial" is quite subjective for my experience, anyway if i interpret it as "generally accepted" i can understand it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pier4r (talk • contribs) 13:52, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

try reading it as "statements for which there is no significant controversy or accepted alternative views."-- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom 14:27, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Oh, that sounds way smoother. Thanks!— Preceding unsigned comment added by Pier4r (talk • contribs) 15:25, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Blackboard system

I’d like to update you about uploaded material on blackboard system [On female and male sides] — Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.48.120.47 (talk) 15:18, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Sorry i don't understand, could you elaborate more? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pier4r (talk • contribs) 15:25, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

I've added a header to your comment. -- John of Reading (talk) 15:40, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Is this something about the article Blackboard system? (I don't see anything about male and female sides in that). If you want to add information to that article, you are welcome to, provided that everything you add is correctly cited to a reliable published source (original research is never permitted in a Wikipedia article). If you think something should be added that isn't sourced, or might be controversial, you should start a discussion about it on the talk page Talk:Blackboard system. --ColinFine (talk) 18:03, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Senator Kevin DeLeon

Hi, I have recenlt added a few things to the above page, with sources and links but it keeps getting removed. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Whistleblowerca (talk • contribs) 16:58, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Please read WP:BLP.--ukexpat (talk) 17:04, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Just to be a bit more helpful than Ukexpat, though his link is VERY relevent: the issue is not the existence of the sources, it is the wording of your text, which is wholly inappropriate for an encyclopedia. You need to make sure that the tone of what you write is neutrally worded and of an appropriate style for an encyclopedia. Writing like "Suffice to say the flaunting of cash was pathetic" is entirely inappropriate in tone for an encyclopedia. Most of your text is like that. Instead, you should be reporting simple facts, with no commentary or opinion, when you cite to sources. Let the readers form their own opinions one way or the other, just stick to basic data and information, and don't use statements like "miffed at the whole flaunting of donor cash" which is not an appropriate thing to say in an encyclopedia. If you have your own blog hosted somewhere like Blogspot, it would be fine to say that. At Wikipedia, we strive for a more neutral and dispassionate reporting of facts. --Jayron32 17:07, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

The article in question is Kevin de León. Robert McClenon (talk) 21:43, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

I see that there has been no discussion on the article talk page, Talk: Kevin de León. I also see that the original poster has been edit-warring the change. Discuss on the article talk page. If discussions on the article talk page do not resolve the issue as to what is a valid encyclopedic neutral way to describe the controversy, read the dispute resolution guidelines and follow one of the dispute resolution procedures, rather than edit-warring. Robert McClenon (talk) 21:47, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Archiving the talk page

How can I have my talk page archived? Mhhossein (talk) 17:53, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Help:Archiving a talk page explains how to do it. There are many different options, including doing it yourself, or signing up for a bot to drop by every day or so and do it for you. Just read that help page, and it will walk you through the process. --Jayron32 19:20, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

If you want to get it going quickly you can duplicate what I'm using on my talk page. Edit my talk page, copy the first nine lines, edit your talk page, paste the nine lines at the top, change my user name to yours, and save. You can also increase or reduce the value of the |age= parameter, which sets the amount of time that a section must be without activity before it can be archived, in hours (I have it set to 720 hours or 30 days). Read the help page linked above if you want to consider other archive bots, or to simply understand things better. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 19:25, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

@Jayron32 and Mandruss: Lots of useful tips. Thanks. Mhhossein (talk) 02:55, 9 December 2014 (UTC)

I don't get how to "properly" edit a symptom of migraines

How can I add a symptom to Migraine Headaches with out the same person editing it repeatedly. I have a credible resource — Preceding unsigned comment added by Athena oleander (talk • contribs) 21:11, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

References

I assume you are referring to this edit:[1]. Firstly, a statement that "Chemicals may trigger migraine headaches" is so vague as to be meaningless, and secondly, you need to actually cite the full reference in edits you make (see Wikipedia:Citing sources. Note however that for medical claims, sources cited need to comply with Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources (medicine) guidelines, and I very much doubt that mcs-america.org would be acceptable, as a lobbying organization. AndyTheGrump (talk) 21:24, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

The original poster refers to the "same person editing it repeatedly". However, in looking at the history of Migraine, I see that the original poster made only one edit that was reverted, and I see no discussion on the talk page, Talk: Migraine. Discuss on the talk page, and follow the guideline listed above for identifying reliable medical sources, where our standards are particularly strict. Robert McClenon (talk) 21:27, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Making my page

How do I make my page live? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jennafaherty (talk • contribs) 22:33, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

I assume you mean User:Jennafaherty/sandbox? Click on the green 'submit your draft for review!' box. AndyTheGrump (talk) 22:44, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

creating a book

I am creating a book and in downloading it into a PDF file I got an error message Rendering process died with non zero code: 1

What do I do?

Barrie — Preceding unsigned comment added by Barrie Segall (talk • contribs) 23:52, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

@Barrie Segall: Someone with this same issue asked about it above. See WP:HD#Problem with rendering a book. Dismas|^(talk) 00:30, 9 December 2014 (UTC)