Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2015 May 16

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May 16

Footnote formatting help

Hello. I think I may have used the incorrect syntax for adding footnotes at Shinhwa discography#Notes. At the time, I couldn't find instructions so I copied the formatting off another article. They seem to work fine, however, the "redirects" tool in the toolbox on the peer review page indicates some problems with them, so I may have goofed. I've since consulted WP:FOOTNOTES but I really can't make heads or tails of it (sorry!). Can anyone knowledgeable on this subject take a look at the article and help me out? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks so much! Shinyang-i (talk) 06:23, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Hello @Shinyang-i:, the article contains notes, that are used more than once. Each of such usages must have a unique ID, even if they point to the same "Notes" entry (otherwise the 2nd, 3rd and other notes will have no backlinks to the main text). See Template:note in the section "Example of label: Many to one connection" for a description of the correct usage. I have changed the second "A" note in the article to give you an example for the needed fix. GermanJoe (talk) 06:59, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Hi @GermanJoe:. Ahhh, it makes so much more sense now. Thank you so much for your help! Shinyang-i (talk) 07:03, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Amaris

Hello, The Amaris article has been deleted quite many times in the past due to lack of notable and "unsourced one-liner". Creation of this article is blocked now. Who should I contact for unblocking this article? I confident that I can create a better version of this article now to meet the Wikipedia requirements. Thank you. Amavie thien.cc (talk) 10:59, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

First, you need to make sure they pass WP:GNG, which requires that there is significant, independent coverage from reliable sources about them. If you believe that they pass WP:GNG, I would recommend creating an article via WP:Article Wizard, and submitting it via the WP:AFC process-this process involves getting feedback on your submission, and how to improve it. Then, if/when a reviewer thinks the article is ready, they can request an admin to unblock it. Joseph2302 (talk) 11:06, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Template acting oddly

If an article is deleted at AfD and it had an entry in {{Gotras of Jats}}, I delete that entry. Doing so should result in a big drop in the number of pages linking to the now-deleted article. Indeed, for other templates this is what happens but in this case it does not. All it does is remove the template itself for the list of linked pages.

I've trawled through the template itself and through the "what links here" for Toor and Didel, both of which are recently deleted articles. I can't find the problem and I don't think it is a propagation issue because the former of those articles has been gone for a while now and other entry deletions at other templates propagate ok. Can anyone spot what I'm missing, please? I'm thinking that there must be some sort of dependency somewhere. - Sitush (talk) 11:46, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

It is a propagation issue. Sometimes it is very slow or something may go wrong so it isn't added to or processed by the Help:Job queue. Then it isn't propagated automatically by the original edit but has to wait for another edit or rerendering of the affected pages. Toor was removed from the template 22 April. A null edit of an article will update the links tables. I tested this by null editing Saharan clan. It immediately disappeared from Special:WhatLinksHere/Toor. But don't spend time and server resources on null editing all the articles for a minor issue like this. PrimeHunter (talk) 12:01, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Ok, thanks. Perhaps it is not being processed because the number of entries in the template is quite high. As long as it isn't a redlink in an article or another template somewhere, I'm not fussed. That was my primary concern because these things keep getting recreated and they simply are not notable, and are highly unlikely to become so - that in itself is creating work. - Sitush (talk) 12:06, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Slow Edit and Save page

My web browser (Firefox) loads pages fast, but it's slow when I try to edit, save, preview or compare diffs. Sometimes it takes several seconds or even nothing happens. --Zyma (talk) 13:21, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

No solution? --Zyma (talk) 12:23, 17 May 2015 (UTC)

My Firefox is slow for everything, but in my case the problems are an old computer with useful processing sometimes slowed further by anti-virus software, and a slow internet connection. It is common for upload speed to be much lower than download speed. Have you tried a different browser? Have you tested your internet speed? Dbfirs 21:52, 17 May 2015 (UTC)

My internet connection is fast (I have 2 connections, dsl & broadband). I don't like other browsers. I think I should remove some entries from my watchlist and do a complete cache cleaning, or a clean-install (browser). --Zyma (talk) 05:30, 18 May 2015 (UTC)

Hmm... I don't see how that would help, but it's worth a try. I you find something that works, please let me know because perhaps I'm blaming my internet connection unjustly! Dbfirs 09:21, 18 May 2015 (UTC)

I think you don't really need to clean your watchlist, but I strongly suggest that you clean your cache and clean install, Zyma. This helps for me. By the way, sometimes it may be with your DNS (sometimes the DNS for me thinks Wikipedia is down). Another reason- if you're using WiFi and if you live in an apartment building there may be interference from neighbors. Hope my tips help. Happy editing! TheCoffeeAddict talk|contribs 10:18, 18 May 2015 (UTC)

Solved. Clean cache + disable unnecessary add-ons + remove some entries form watchlist (it was huge). Also, I've tried 64-bit ports (Waterfox and Pale Moon). They're good alternatives, but a clean and healthy Firefox works smoothly too. Try those solutions. Regards. --Zyma (talk) 13:20, 18 May 2015 (UTC)

Traffic statistics bug?

Either 2015 in spaceflight suddenly became by far the most popular topic worldwide, or the statistics page got a bug. 900,000 views per day - to be compared with 2 millions for the main page. Is this a known bug? Or some bot gone wild? --mfb (talk) 15:51, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Something similar but far more extreme happened with Undefined about a year ago when several days had millions of views, the highest day being 28,471,106.[1] Dustin (talk) 15:53, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Telugu actor

Header inserted, and duplicate question removed, by ColinFine (talk) 16:35, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

I want to create a page on an actor. He is pretty known in telugu films. but his name has only been in websites. And now he has been on an official website of a movie. Is it enough to create his profile. What do i need to create an actor's page. (Veena Uppalapati (talk) 16:14, 16 May 2015 (UTC))

Do they have significant, independent coverage from reliable sources, as required by WP:GNG and WP:BIO? If not then no. If it's Rakesh Varre, who you've written about before, then it definitely needs to show lots of notability, or it'll likely be deleted again. Joseph2302 (talk) 16:39, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

(ec) Hello, Veena Uppalapati. I'm afraid not. Wikipedia does not have an article about every possible subject, only those which some reliable sources (such as major newspapers or magazines) have already written about. The general criteria we need the subject to meet are shown at WP:GNG. For actors, there are also alternative criteria at WP:NACTOR; but these too need to be referenced to reliable published sources independent of the subject. It might help if you don't think about a 'profile': Wikipedia does not contain profiles, but encyclopaedia articles, which are 100% based on published information, mostly based on information from sources which have no connection with the subject, and written in a neutral, non-promotional tone. The sources do not have to be in English, but they must be published by reliable sources. -ColinFine (talk) 16:47, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Hidden comments

Is there a "quick button" to hit in the edit page screen (edit mode) when I want to add a hidden comment? In other words, I do not want to manually type the code of <!-- Comment -->. On the following page (Help:Hidden text), it states: "How to enter hidden text. Enter <!-- Comment --> either manually or by clicking the second-to-last link at the bottom of the text box (above "Please note"), and replace the word "Comment" with the hidden text you wish to enter." I cannot seem to find the second-to-last link at the bottom of the text box (above "Please note"). Where is that exactly? What are they talking about? Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 16:45, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Hi @Joseph A. Spadaro: If you look below the editing window, you'll see a dropdown menu labelled "Insert". Select this dropdown, and select "Wiki markup". You'll then see all the various markup tags, including the one for hidden comments. ~SuperHamster Talk Contribs 19:43, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

OK. Thanks. Yes, now I see exactly where it is located. So, is that page that I cited (Help:Hidden text) completely incorrect? Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 19:47, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

@Joseph A. Spadaro: Unless I'm missing something, it looks like it! Those instructions have been there since at least 2012, so there must have been a change at some point. I've removed the incorrect instructions for now, and I'll try to re-add the new way when I have time (or feel free to yourself if you'd like!). ~SuperHamster Talk Contribs 19:50, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Thanks. That (Help:Hidden text) is a page that I am unfamiliar with, so I'd rather not edit it. Thanks for your help. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 20:36, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

How to restore previous image file version?

Uploaded image here, however, how do i restore the previous image version? Reuploading the previous version seems to be not the ideal solution, since the previous image is still accessible. Thanks. prokaryotes (talk) 17:12, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Hi @Prokaryotes: If you scroll down and look at the 'File history' section, you should see a table of the previous versions of the file. In the left-most column will be a 'revert' link; click that for whichever image you want to revert back to. ~SuperHamster Talk Contribs 19:12, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Thank you. prokaryotes (talk) 19:14, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Misattributed quotation

The Wikipedia biography of Clare Boothe Luce attributes the quotation No good deed goes unpunished to her. This was, in fact, first coined by OSCAR WILDE. I would be willing to edit this but am not sure how to do so. Please advise.

Regards

Louise Izzard — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.152.216.236 (talk) 17:55, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Opinions differ on the original source of this quotation. I have failed to find anything convincing, but this page provides some possibly useful links, which I don't have time to check. Maproom (talk) 18:56, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Louise, if you pick the blue number next to the quotation in the article Claire Booth Luce, it leads you to a footnote "This famous quip was first quoted in print by Luce's social secretary Letitia Baldrige in Roman Candle (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1956), 129: "When I would entreat her to engage in resolving a specific case, she replied, 'No good deed goes unpunished, Tish, remember that.'" Oscar Wilde, Billy Wilder, and Andrew W. Mellon have also been cited as sources, but without written evidence." So we have a reliable (though not independent) source that says that she said this, but as I read it, it does not claim that she originated it. If you think the text (either the main text or the footnote) is misleading you could edit it. --ColinFine (talk) 22:04, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Bot removal of my article: Transaction Coordinators

The bot says I copied contact from ntadvisors. that person is my husband . What do I do to submit proof so I can get on with my article?

Marti Scott — Preceding unsigned comment added by CallMarti (talk • contribs) 18:13, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Hi @CallMarti: Wikipedia's text is licensed under the CC-BY-SA 3.0 license, which means that anyone can use it for pretty much any reason, provided that attribution is given. If you'd like to use another person's work here, that person (the copyright holder) has to release that work under the same (or compatible) license. See Wikipedia:Requesting copyright permission for how you can do this.

That being said, I see the page the text came from is http://www.ntadvisor.com/transactioncoordinators/blog/. It looks like the article is by Elizabeth Weintraub from About.com, so unless she completely released the rights to her work to your husband, I imagine she'd be the copyright holder. On another note, rarely is text copied from elsewhere appropriate for Wikipedia, as Wikipedia articles need to be based on a variety of reliable sources, contain no original research, and have a neutral point of view. Hope this helps. ~SuperHamster Talk Contribs 19:10, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Asking specific questions about Wikipedia

Where can I ask questions about Wikipedia itself (about its history and principles)? I cannot use these three places: the Reference Desk is for asking about factual information except about Wikipedia; the Teahouse is for new editors to ask questions about editing; the Village Pump is for policies and proposals. 76.176.28.235 (talk) 18:40, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

If you want information to help you understand how Wikipedia works so that you can contribute here, then either the Teahouse or this page would be appropriate. If you are looking for background on Wikipedia's history and structure for some reason other than a personal interest in editing (e.g. maybe you are writing a term paper about Wikipedia), then the Reference Desk would be appropriate. Dragons flight (talk) 18:48, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

If I choose to do so in the Reference Desk, should i do it in the Miscellaneous Section? 76.176.28.235 (talk) 19:23, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Depends on the nature of the questions, but Misc is probably fine for most questions. If you also want info on traditional encyclopedias, the Humanities section might do better. If you are looking for previously published research and academic studies about Wikipedia you might also consider the Science desk. Use your best judgment, choose just one desk, and ask your questions. If it turns out the questions might have been better handled by a different section, someone will help you move them there. Dragons flight (talk) 20:07, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

If you have access to a modern encyclopedia, you could look up Wikipedia in it. Maproom (talk) 18:59, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Help

i would want your help on how to wright a good article on football especially the EUFA Champions league and Europa league,i just love football and your assistance would be very needed to wright good article not for the champions league alone but the world cup and other leagues in the world like the African league,your help would be much appreciated.(Jwale2 (talk) 19:22, 16 May 2015 (UTC))

Thank you for your enthusiasm. We already have articles on UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. You might like to create your new proposed articles in your own user space first, and pay attention to spelling, punctuation and capitalisation as you write them. There is some advice on your talk page. Dbfirs 20:07, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Copy

Hi,

By now I am absolutely FURIOUS! You must have SOMEBODY who isn't "On the Spectrum"! Since everybody is "On the Spectrum" it will be EASY to make a tab right next to the "Move" tab called "Copy" which copies an article to the user's Sandbox as a Subpage with Links and References generalized! This seems like such a no-brainer that I can't believe that I am the first to suggest this! (BTW for the sensitivity Nazis, I'm "On the Spectrum")

Bdwomack (talk) 22:44, 16 May 2015 (UTC) is going to spontaneously combust!

There are reasons why there isn't a Copy tab. In particular, it would encourage editors who don't understand how redirection works to create multiple articles with the same text with slightly different titles that would then diverge in content, and where the copied article would not have the history of the parent article. Shouting isn't going to change those issues, although it may annoy other editors. (If I have misunderstood what you want, then please explain what you want without shouting.) Robert McClenon (talk) 22:55, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Hello, Bdwomack. Please have a cup of tea (or whatever your tipple is) and calm down! I have no idea what "On the Spectrum" means, or whether I am. But copying is very rarely the answer to anything in Wikipedia. As well as the point that Robert makes, the licence under which almost everything in Wikipedia is released allows it to be freely used for any purpose provided it is properly attributed. Copying it, unless somehow the attribution is arranged, is actually a breach of that licence, and is in a sense illegal. And that applies to pretty well any text in Wikipedia.

He means (on the) Autism spectrum. IOW, we all suffer from some form of Autism/Aspergers/etc., and he'd like to find someone here without such a mental deficiency to address his concerns. Rwessel (talk) 20:47, 17 May 2015 (UTC)

I thought he meant "On the Spectrum"... =) JIP | Talk 06:04, 18 May 2015 (UTC)