Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2015 May 13

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May 13[edit]

Harassment[edit]

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.


User:NeilN is moderately harassing me by continuously posting message at another user's talk page instead of my own or his own, as well as by constantly posting comments at an unreasonable pace,without at all the reasonable minimum o 20 minutes, but rather less then 5 minutes each time!, causing harm to my child by forcing me to constantly reply to his accusations while doing so on another person's talk page (even though categories do exist on my own talk page and on his), while also repeatedly blatantly ignoring some of my specific replies even when it is on the same page he is using. Please ensure that this user stops harassing me by posting on another's talk page and by constantly replying with less then 5 minutes in between. I have not even been able to leave the very same page!                     ~Rayvn  01:14, 13 May 2015 (UTC)

Harm to your child? Care to explain that accusation? --Orange Mike | Talk 01:16, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Uhh, it is already explained. It can be explained by reading what I ave written =\.                     ~Rayvn  01:26, 13 May 2015 (UTC)
Update: This user is now editing MY comments on his talk page, and apparently demanding that I should be labeled as not having signed posts which I did sign (a common issue with that bot)!!                     ~Rayvn  01:26, 13 May 2015 (UTC)
Also, they're allowed to post at their own user page, and expect you to reply there. Also, you're the one that told them "take this opportunity to become aware of basic and obvious logic that you cannot usually prove (nor "cite") the fact that people do NOT do something."
I'm not sure if you're trolling or serious- in either case, this isn't the correct location for your complaint. Joseph2302 (talk) 01:21, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Well, since I am a user of the Internet and a human being, it can be concluded that I am not "trolling", since this is an extremely rare thing which for the most part does not exist other then those people who attempt to incite arguments by accusing others of doing this (not you inciting, in this case - so far - although there is really no need for such comments at all). This IS, however, the correct location, this IS the help desk where anyone who replies to my posting should either be taking care of the problem by informing this user that they are not allowed to harass others by constantly posting comments, posting them in other locations, etc., and/or by posting the page where harassers should be reported so that an Administrator can inform them of this if no readers here are one. That is in fact THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THIS PAGE. So stating that it is "not the correct location" is incorrect.                     ~Rayvn  01:35, 13 May 2015 (UTC)
From the top of the page: "This page is only for questions about how to use or edit Wikipedia." So, we've been pointing out how to sign your posts, and we've also pointed out that, while many times the best way to leave somebody a message is directly on their user talk page, there are some users (myself included) who like not to see a conversation scattered, so they will join in a discussion on another user's talk page. NeilN has been discussing your edits at a particular article in a constructive fashion; I don't see anything that would be construed as harassment. —C.Fred (talk) 01:42, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
@RayvnEQ: Your signature does not comply with the behavioral guidelines for signatures. Quoting WP:SIGLINK: "Signatures must include at least one direct internal link to your user page, user talk page, or contributions page; this allows other editors easy access to your talk page and contributions log. The lack of such a link is widely viewed as obstructive." None of the text in your signature is linked. —C.Fred (talk) 01:29, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I'd like this editor to stop messing about with signatures [1], [2] and refactoring [3] please. Perhaps another editor can have a word? --NeilN talk to me 01:56, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

  • [4] I guess this is the wrong forum, so its at worst borderline forum shopping... Also whats with the edit to every post on the page to add non-breaking spaces? Maybe we should just move this whole discussion to AN/I. Monty845 02:08, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Using sfn citation for templated citation[edit]

For article Camas pocket gopher currently at FAC, I have nearly all the references donse using {{sfn}} citations. One of the reviewers would like all references using this style, for consistency. There is one reference, currently footnote # 7, that uses the template Template:ITIS. I can;t get it to accept the SfnRef parameter, similar to what I did with this reference {{cite web |url=http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Thomomys+bulbivorus |title=Comprehensive Report Species – ''Thomomys bulbivorus'' |date= 2014 |work= NatureServe Explorer: An Online Encyclopedia of Life [web application]. Version 7.1 |publisher= NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia |accessdate= 28 November 2014 |ref={{sfnref|Comprehensive Report Species – ''Thomomys bulbivorus''|2014}} }}

Thoughts on how to do this? I am thinking of abandoning the ITIS template and just using the citeweb template. Thanks. --Gaff (talk) 03:44, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

This reference has only 3 short bits of information (link, source, date). I don't see, how a harvard anchor would be beneficial here: the reader is forced to click once more to get to the online source, that could be conveniently reached with 1 click now. Harvard anchors are best suited for offline books and some citations with lengthy details. But online-sources with little additional bibliographic information don't need a harv anchor - mixing short sfn references and "direct" online citations to websites is commonly done in FA-articles. Note: if you really, really want to force a harv anchor here, check Template:Wikicite which can provide harvard anchors for "unusual" references (your idea with a cite web would work too). But I'd recommend against it in such cases. GermanJoe (talk) 04:39, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. I am going to copy/paste your comments to the discussion at Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Camas pocket gopher/archive2. I agree with your comments re: extra clicks needed, just for sake of "making it pretty." — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gaff (talkcontribs)

how to display details about a professional association in wikipeadia[edit]

we are a professional association attached to the parliament of Sri Lanka. we are interprerters of this instititution and have a professional assiciation called the Association of Parliamentary Interpreters. we would like to have our details in wikipeadia. can we do that -president of the association.06:14, 13 May 2015 (UTC)203.94.86.93 (talk)

First take a look at the Notability standard for organizations to see if the association qualifies. All I could find with a Google search is mentions on two people's LinkedIn pages. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 08:50, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia is not here to publicise an organisation, no matter how important or worthy. If people unconnected with your organisation have already written substantial material about it, then there can be an article in Wikipedia about it; but you are discouraged from writing it, because of your conflict of interest. If you find that the sources exist, then you could request an article at requested articles (though since Wikipedia is created by volunteers, there is no guarantee that somebody will fill the request). --ColinFine (talk) 10:48, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Help:Cite errors/Cite error ref no input[edit]

Please note that there are two errors in the Dorothy Comingore biography. First, she was a resident of Lord's Point, the community adjacent to Stonington, but is not Stonington. Stonington is the township that consists of half Mystic,Pawcatuck, Stonington, Old Mystic, Lord's Point and other small hamlets. I should know. I grew up for the first 25 years of my life in Old Mystic and visited Dorothy regularly at her home in Lord's Point.

Secondly, John, her last husband, indeed worked in the movie industry but not as an actor. He was a lighting tecnician and Dorothy, John and I talked about that on several occasions as he had an inferiority complex and she tried to assuage those feelings in my presence. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Geaaronson (talkcontribs) 07:03, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Geaaronson. I'm afraid that your recollections are not, of themselves, acceptable for Wikipedia, because there is no way a reader can verify them. On the other hand, most of the information in the article Dorothy Comingore is not referenced, and is therefore equally unverifiable: it is one of many articles which are not up to the standard we require for new articles today. Anybody may freely remove any unreferenced information from it. If you have published references for the information you wish to add, you are welcome to add it, with references - please see referencing for beginners if you are unsure how to do this, or else come back here and ask for help. --ColinFine (talk) 10:56, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

changing the name of an article[edit]

Hi, I was wondering when it is OK to change the name of an article about a person (biography.) If there are two people with the same name, but they have different middle names, is it necessary to include the middle name in the name of the article, even if the person is never called by the full, three name appellation? There is a disambiguation page for these two guys already.Donna Helene (talk) 08:32, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

@Donna Helene - It's easier to figure out the solution if we know which articles are involved. Resolving conflicts between the Common name and Disambiguation guides is basically impossible to do in the abstract. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 08:43, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
@Roger (Dodger67)--I would like to change the name of the Lev Binzumovich Leviev article to simply Lev Leviev, which is how he is always referred to. Could I do this even though there is someone else called Lev Avnerovich Leviev, and Lev Leviev is a disambiguation page? Thanks.Donna Helene (talk) 08:43, 14 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Donna Helene it depends on which one is more famous. Only if the one whose middle name is Binzumovich was much more well-known would that work. You could start a move discussion, but one option is to name the article you want to change Lev Leviev (Russian investor).— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 21:51, 15 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

New article blocked by old redirect[edit]

Hi - I have created a new article on the analyst Margaret Little at User:Jacobisq/Margaret Little, but find that there is already a redirect at Margaret Little to Les Voix Humaines re the gambist ML.

I have put a new redirect for the gambist on the new article. Is it possible to delete the old redirect and make room for the new article? Jacobisq (talk) 11:08, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Well, that was fun - had a bug occur in the middle of the move which lost the whole page for a time... I've now successfully moved your draft to the right place. Yunshui  11:14, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
What seems to have happened now is that there is a redirect from a page in article space to an article in user space. It is my understanding that that isn't permitted. Is this condition temporary, while the article on the psychologist is promoted to article space (main space)? Also, is the plan to make the article on the psychologist primary, or to provide a disambiguation page which will be primary? Robert McClenon (talk) 15:45, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks Yunshui for moving article, which seems to be in main space now. I had hoped to have the psychologist article primary - it has not yet been reviewed of course: don't know about disambiguation. Jacobisq (talk) 09:20, 14 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
@Robert McClenon: I don't see any cross-namespace redirect from the mainspace; if you point me to it I'll sort it out. I did experience a weird crash in the middle of the move (and I also accidentally moved it via User:Margaret Little - rookie mistake!) which may have generated a redirect I wasn't aware of. By the time I posted the above message, though, I was pretty sure I'd ironed everything out. Yunshui  09:26, 14 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I don't see any cross-namespace redirect either at this time. I don't know exactly what happened. Thank you. Robert McClenon (talk) 14:30, 14 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Is transcluding a signature sub-page an acceptable way to sign a talk page post?[edit]

Is {{User:Username/signature}} an acceptable method of signing one's posts? Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 11:44, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

This, WP:SIG#NT, says that is forbidden. -- GB fan 11:56, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, now I can point the editor concerned to that guideline. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 12:16, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Can I have a link to Jesus in my signature?[edit]

I was reading the signature guideline and I couldn't find a definitive answer to this question on that page. Am I allowed to have a link to an actual Wikipedia article (namely, Jesus) in my signature? The signature would look like this:

Jesus > me

Is that allowed? --A guy saved by Jesus (talk) 13:08, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

For those of us who do not believe in higher powers that could be seen as disruptive.--ukexpat (talk) 13:43, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
(ec)...and promotional. IMHO a user's signature should link only to their own User and User talk pages, article links are deceptive. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 13:49, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
(ec)It's not forbidden, but WP:SIG#DL says "Brief additional internal links are generally tolerated when used to facilitate communication or to provide general information, but undesirable if seen as canvassing for some purpose". To me, that would be an example of canvassing. --ColinFine (talk) 13:47, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but I really think most Wikipedia users have heard of Jesus, and can find his article without help from your sig. AlexTiefling (talk) 13:49, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
And the way it is presented may be interpreted as you believe you are Jesus. -- Gadget850 talk 13:51, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
FYI I have started a discussion of the general principle at WT:Signatures#Article links in signatures, please feel free to participate. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 13:56, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
How long until Flow is implemented? - X201 (talk) 14:00, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Among other things, it should be emphatically clear which links point to your user page and identify you, the Wikipedia editor – that is the entire purpose of the signature, after all – and which parts of a signature are decorative fluff of one sort or another. Really, though, the most appropriate place to present your personal views (within reason) is on your user page. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:02, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I don't see how it could be interpreted as me believing I am Jesus. It's a greater than symbol, not an equals symbol. --A guy saved by Jesus (talk) 14:07, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Lots of people don't know mathematical notation. It looks like an arrow, as if to say 'Jesus is this guy'. And again, we all know who Jesus is already. AlexTiefling (talk) 14:09, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Your user name already identifies your religion. If you want to provide any more information, you can put userboxes or Wikipedia links on your article page. I would advise userboxes rather than article links, because reading the Wikipedia article about Jesus is not likely to cause anyone who isn't a Christian to become a Christian. Robert McClenon (talk) 16:20, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]
That's actually a very good point. Since the article is written from a neutral point of view, as Wikipedia articles are supposed to be, linking to it wouldn't really serve the purpose I would intend for it to. A link to an external website would do a better job of that, but external links are specifically prohibited by the sig policy, so I can't do that either. Well, at least I got the answer to my question. --A guy saved by Jesus (talk) 00:38, 14 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Where is my deleted / missing page "Victor Kalin"[edit]

I am searching for a deleted or missing draft for VICTOR KALIN, American illustrator.Reba-kaye (talk) 17:32, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

There is a draft article at Draft:Victor Kalin. You created it with the account, Rebakay. -- GB fan 17:33, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Educational project articles in mainspace[edit]

Can anyone advise how to deal with articles like this one? It is part of Wikipedia:School_and_university_projects/Universitat_Jaume_I_-_E-translating but seems to have made its way into mainspace too early as the article is now covered with suggestions for corrections. My instinct would be to move it into project space somewhere, where people can work on it until ready as right now it looks really messy, but I wanted to ask here first as I'm unfamiliar with procedures in these cases. Valenciano (talk) 22:09, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I have moved it to Draft:Francesc Miralles. I also am unfamiliar with the relevant procedures – but it was clearly unfit to remain in mainspace, being full of boldface comments, apparently from teacher to student. Maproom (talk) 07:26, 14 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Wortendyke, New Jersey[edit]

Could I ask a favor? Could you please add Wortendyke, New Jersey to Template:Bergen County, New Jersey. I currently have an interaction ban with the last editor there which prevents me from making this edit. Thanks a lot. Magnolia677 (talk) 22:26, 13 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Done here. ―Mandruss  00:42, 14 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]