Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2016 May 2

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May 2[edit]

Please help. I have stuffed up. Ref. number −45 is a disaster. Thanks so much and I am sorry Srbernadette (talk) 00:35, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The complaint is because of the year 20116. get rid of one of the 1s and it will be happyNaraht (talk) 00:52, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
With all due respect, how many more times are you going to expect other people to sort out this type of mistake for you? In the most recent of many similar instances (your third help desk request with the same section title regarding the same article in a few hours) you said "I am tired." If being tired stops you seeing what you've done wrong again, even when the help links from the error messages make it very clear, then perhaps you ought to refrain from Wikipedia editing when you are tired? --David Biddulph (talk) 07:25, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Can WP's "own" material/edits BECOME "copyrighted" and FORCIBLY removed from WP articles??[edit]

Details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People#Can_WP.27s_.22own.22_material.2Fedits_BECOME_.22copyrighted.22_and_FORCIBLY_removed_from_WP_articles.3F.3F — Preceding unsigned comment added by Curious1i (talkcontribs) 00:56, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The material does not "become" copyrighted per say. It is already copyrighted by some entity, and therefore its inclusion in a Wikipedia article goes against our policies (like this one, and this one). If the material there is protected by copyright, it needs to be removed immediately, and removed from public archives. (In which case @Diannaa: to look it over. This is a bit beyond me.) -- The Voidwalker Discuss 01:08, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
FYI, when you are curious about material that was removed as CVIO, don't post it elsewhere unless you are sure it is safe to do so. -- The Voidwalker Discuss 01:12, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Hey Voidwalker. You were right to remove the material from the talk page. We can't host it here, not on the talk page, not in the article. Some old diffs still have the conetent all the way back to 2003 and I am not prepared to revision-delete back that far, otherwise I would do so. — Diannaa (talk) 01:15, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Series on African Americans[edit]

Hi. I have noticed that Wikipedia has a policy of organizing and maintaining articles which communally relate to a single topic in a structure which is referred to as "Series" as in "a series of articles on". I would like to propose that Wikipedia link all articles on African Americans which are currently in the database into a series of articles on African Americans and African American History. I would appreciate an explanation of the criteria, methodology and policy Wikipedia uses regarding setting up series. I have noted that you currently have a Series of Articles structure uniting all articles on Jews and Judaism in the English database. In view of the importance of the history and development of African Americans people to American History and their critical role in so many important historical events, it appears crucial that current articles concerning them in the American English Database be linked together to increase coherence and transparency.VaniNY (talk) 10:21, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@VaniNY: {{African American topics sidebar}} already does exactly that. It doesn't use the word "series" but that's unimportant. Do you think the sidebar is missing from some articles or is missing links to some articles? PrimeHunter (talk) 10:55, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, I have noticed that it's missing from all the articles on the subject I have looked through - about 15. Even if this structure is already in place, I would still like to learn more about how the structure is set up and according to which criteria. I'm guessing that's it called a sidebar? How is the sidebar set up. What is the syntax. Thanks for whatever you can do.VaniNY (talk) 18:23, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
@VaniNY: If you know the name or abbreviation for a Wikipedia term then try entering it after wp: in the search box. Here it leads to WP:SIDEBAR. Can you give examples of the articles so we can say whether a sidebar or navigation template sounds appropriate? If you are thinking of biographies of individual African-Americans then we have thousands and most of them should not use these features. Categories is a more common method to connect articles. See Category:African-American society and its various subcategories like Category:African-American people. PrimeHunter (talk) 19:03, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Do you thnk that I'm asking how to search for it? Because I am not. I am asking for the Wikipedia syntax used to set it up. What I'm getting from you is that, there is NO way to set up the "Series of" structure on; it's already done automatically? Is that what you mean?VaniNY (talk) 23:28, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
@VaniNY: See WP:SIDEBAR which says: "Wiki markup documentation for navigation templates at different levels of specificity includes Template:Navbox/doc, Template:Sidebar/doc, and, at the top or bottom of the template, Template:Navbar/doc."
In addition to giving you the link, I gave a useful tip on how to find such things on your own another time. It didn't occur to me that you would apparently omit to click the given link and read the information there. Another tip: A corner of sidebars and navigational templates usually have a link on "E" to edit the code. You can click the link to see how an existing sidebar was made. PrimeHunter (talk) 23:53, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Two names for same thing; two different Wikipedia pages[edit]

I have been editing for about 2 years. The following are given on two different pages but are on the exact same thing: a) ALOX12 and arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase and b) ALOX15 and arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase. I would like to merge each of these pairs into ALOX12 and ALOX15, respectively, and then update each merged page. Can I, and if so how do I, do this. Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Joflaher (talkcontribs)

Hi Joflaher the guidance for merging pages is at WP:Merging. -- Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 17:06, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Lockout[edit]

Can you help me with:

Why I apparently have been locked out of Wikipedia? Why I cannot get back to make changes to inaccurate data?

Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 73.23.235.144 (talk) 14:52, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@73.23.235.144: Hello there. Since you are not blocked on this IP address I will assume it is another address or account. You need to read WP:APPEAL and WP:GAB in order to request an administrator to look into your block. NottNott|talk 14:56, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Entry Not Visible[edit]

Good day to you all.

On 25 February, I submitted an entry for the births column of that day, namely Swedish rock musician Tomas Ledin. To date, it has not appeared. Why is this? Claretandblue1874. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Claretandblue1874 (talkcontribs) 15:59, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Claretandblue1874 - Please sign all posts on talk pages with 4 tildes ( ~~~~ ) which will add your signature and a timestamp
To answer your question, you did not submit "an entry for the births column of that day" - all you did was insert a blank line - as can be seen in the details of your edit - here - Arjayay (talk) 16:06, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
(edit conflict) Hello, the only edit you have made, from the account used to post to this page, at February 25 appears to be this one which is just a blank space. Eagleash (talk) 16:08, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
@Claretandblue1874: You only wrote his name in the small edit summary field below the edit box. You are supposed to edit the existing content of the big edit box. The edit summary is used to briefly explain what you did so others can see it in for example the page history [1]. PrimeHunter (talk) 19:08, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Need some assistance[edit]

Gobumpr (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views)

Greetings, please point out the necessary changes I need to make to this page Gobumpr inorder to avoid deletation .Other than typing a word twice and looking like a promotional page (I really didn't want to convey it that way) , please list out other reasons as well , I want to modify after knowing other possible reasons. It will help me when I try to contribute the next time . And also I lost access to my old account , had to create a new account.Created that page from my new account , I think that to added to the speedy flagging . I would really appreciate any help and thanks in advance. Mendrecipes (talk) 16:44, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, the article does seem promotional in tone. It needs to demonstrate what makes the company worthy of inclusion in a general encyclopedia such as Wikipedia. A brief description of its purpose or services is all that's required. Has it been discussed, in depth, in reputable sources such as serious newspapers or trade publications. What does it do that makes it different to, or stand out from, other similar ventures? Eagleash (talk) 17:03, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Hi, Mendrecipes. I've changed the URL in your message above to a Wikilink: one of the reasons that that is a better thing to do is that the URL you had provided was to the mobile version, so it looked wrong since I am on a computer.
A rough guide to writing an acceptable article:
  1. Find several places where people who have no connection to the subject have published substantial text about the subject. Not one of your three references satisfies this condition, because they are all obviously based on interviews or press releases. Wikipedia has essentially no interest in what a company (or person, or band, or... ) says about itself: it is only interested in what independent people have said about the subject. But those articles are obviously mainly reporting what the company or its founders have said.
  2. If you cannot find such sources, give up, as the subject is not notable in Wikipedia's special sense.
  3. If you have found several truly independent sources, then forget everything you know about the subject, and write the article based only on what those sources have said about the subject (but in your own words, so as not to infringe copyright). If there is uncontroversial factual information (such as places and dates) which is published by the company, you can add it in; but don't put anything in the article that you haven't found in a published source.
I suggest you read your first article (and in future, use the articles for creation process to create a draft rather than working directly in main space). --ColinFine (talk) 18:13, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

PUBLISHING MY USER DRAFT PAGE GLENDA DEL E[edit]

Dear Staff,

I would like to know if my USER DRAFT PAGE is ready to publish or if I have to improve or delete any subject

Here the link to my Glenda del E page

User:Glenda del E

Thanks for your attention

All the best! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Glenda del E (talkcontribs)

<Copy of article removed.> --Majora (talk) 21:44, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Your article has been deleted. I suggest that in the future you use the Articles for Creation process to have the article reviewed in draft space before being accepted into mainspace so that it can be declined, and still be available for you to work on, rather than deleted. We can answer any questions about how to use Articles for Creation. Robert McClenon (talk) 07:48, 3 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Also, Wikipedia doesn't have staff, rather it has volunteers. Joseph2302 (talk) 13:23, 3 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

re-editing article[edit]

Hi -

There are several issues with this entry:

Matthew Greenbaum

A different editor wants to correct it and make substantial changes. Can he/she replace the original editor and resubmit?

Thanks - — Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.75.16.99 (talk) 21:55, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I hope so. The current article is excessively promotional. Maproom (talk) 23:08, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
That article is editable by anyone. There is no owner to the article. That's how Wikipedia works, many people editing an article to improve it. Dismas|(talk) 14:18, 3 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I need help in uploading images[edit]

I didn't upload non-free images on Wikipedia before.

I need help in uploading this image for Lawrence Watt-Evans. I need this image for the Spy-Fi article and I need this image for the Space Western article (scroll down). Can anybody help out here please?--Taeyebaar (talk) 22:14, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Taeyebaar I'm not convinced that those images meet the guidelines of Wikipedia's non-free content policy, particularly criterion 8, which says "Non-free content is used only if its presence would significantly increase readers' understanding of the article topic, and its omission would be detrimental to that understanding." The image of Lawrence Watt-Evans is definitely not permitted, as Wikipedia does not allow non-free images of living people, since people could just take a free image of them instead. Joseph2302 (talk) 22:58, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks Joseph2302. What are the alternate options?--Taeyebaar (talk) 23:01, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@Joseph2302: Other options are to contact the subject (or their agent) and request that they provide a photo with a free license. I've done this successfully dozens of times.--S Philbrick(Talk) 01:06, 3 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Quick access to WP functions[edit]

I was wondering how much customisation functionality exists in regards to adding a quick access sort of shortcut button to either the WP general sidebar, i.e. how Lupin's anti-vandal tool is linked from there, or the bar of functions near the search box at the top of the page, i.e. how Twinkle is used.

I'd love to be able to add a drop down menu or something in order to gain quick and easy access to the content of this template.

Many thanks,

Feedthepope (talk) 23:45, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@Feedthepope: Something like User:NQ/links.js? (Screenshot) It shows up on the sidebar. - NQ (talk) 23:55, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
@NQ: Perfect, thanks. Feedthepope (talk) 23:59, 2 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
@Feedthepope: An easier way to do this is to add an instance of mw.util.addPortletLink('p-tb', mw.util.getUrl('WP:SHORTCUT'), "placeholder text"); to your common.js for every shortcut you require(replacing values for WP:SHORTCUT and placeholder text) and it will show up on your sidebar under the 'Tools' menu. For eg. mw.util.addPortletLink('p-tb', mw.util.getUrl('WP:AIV'), "Vandalism");. If you're going my way you need to put importScript('User:Feedthepope/links.js'); into your common.js - NQ (talk) 00:21, 3 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]
@NQ: Much appreciated. Feedthepope (talk) 00:32, 3 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]