Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2021 November 5

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November 5

Wwiki2012 user - user page disappeared.

Hi

The Wwiki2012 user account is being used by a old school friend of mine who suffered some strokes a few years ago and they have left him with aphasia. I am Paul and have created an account for myself recently to try and figure out what has happened to his users page. He was editing this page over many months possibly years and it seems to be missing now. I don't have a Wikipedia user page so I am at a disadvantage in trying to help him.

Is it possible he may have deleted it by accident?

He recently made a donation to Wikipedia recently and it was very soon after doing that the page disappeared. Is it possible there is a connection? Maybe there was some confusion in making the donation and an incorrect instruction was given.....maybe?

Is there any possibility the page maybe reinstated somehow? There must be a period where a deleted page is still in the Wikipedia universe somewhere.

Any information will be gratefully received.

Kind regards

Paul Wwiki2012 (talk) 00:26, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Hi @Wwiki2012, no, your account is not deleted. In fact, it is impossible to delete an account on Wikipedia. You also cannot delete any page - only admins on this site can. Yes, pages can be reinstated, and admins have full access to the contents of deleted pages. Can you please tell me the username of his account? aeschylus (talk) 00:30, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Hello, Wwiki2012. Your question is confusing because your question here is the only edit ever made from this account even though the account was opened in 2018. I am an administrator and can see deleted edits. I checked and there were no deleted edits from this account. You are also implying that two people are using the same account. That is contrary to policy. A Wikipedia account is for the use of one person only. If another account is involved in this situation, then please give us its exact name. Cullen³²⁸ Let's discuss it 00:51, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Hello, Wwiki2012. To dispose of some of your assumptions and concerns right away:

1. There is no connection between Wikipedia accounts, and articles: with few exceptions, any account (and indeed, an not-logged in editor) can edit any page in Wikipedia. However, it is customary not to edit other editors' user pages, sandboxes, drafts etc, unless invited to do so.
2. Any user account may, if they choose, create a User page, which is for sharing information about them as a Wikipedia editor. It may not be made to look like an article, and should not contain significant amounts of information unrelated to editing Wikipedia.
3. It is very unusual for a user page to get deleted, unless it is contrary to Wikipedia's principles (for example, it contains promotional material, user attacks, or significant amount of material unrelated to Wikipedia. If a user page is deleted, this will have been dcne by an admin, and there should be a message about it on the corresponding User talk page.
4. Donations are completely unconnected with editing Wikipedia: Wikipedia editors (including admins) and the Wikipedia software, have no knowledge about any specific donations to the Wikimedia foundation.

I am guessing that what has actually happened is that there was once an article about your friend, (not a user page) which has subsequently been deleted, probably because it was decided that the subject did not meet Wikipedia's criteria for notability. If you give us the precise name of the article, we can investigate.

As Cullen says, you should not log in to your friend's account, but should create a new account for yourself. Whether or not you choose to create a user page is utterly irrelevant for your editing. --ColinFine (talk) 16:16, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Replacing photos

I am looking at a wikipedia page about ME and I really don't like the photo. How can I replace it with a professional headshot? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bootyup (talk • contribs) 03:45, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

@Bootyup: If you own the copyright to the photo, you can release it under Creative Commons CC-BY-SA (or into the public domain) and upload it to Wikimedia Commons. If you need any help with this, I'd be glad to guide you through the process. jp×g 03:50, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Sounds great - thank you! What's the next step in terms of uploading it to Wikimedia Commons? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bootyup (talk • contribs) 03:58, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

@Bootyup: I assume the article in question is Jennifer Hansen, which you've edited previously (and boy, is that photo terrible). If so (and if this Twitter account belongs to you), you ought to be able to just tweet a photo and say "I, the copyright holder of this work, irrevocably grant anyone the right to use this work under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 license" (the details of which can be found here). Of course, other licenses will work as well (CC 3.0 Attribution ShareAlike, or Creative Commons CC0 Waiver which is simply public domain). Essentially, what this does is permit reuse and distribution of the photo without legal restriction; as Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia, we avoid the use of fair use media wherever freely licensed content can be used. That is to say, if you use a photo, it requires you to release your copyright on it, but as long as you're willing to do that, it's fine. jp×g 04:17, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Bootyup:, your mention of a "professional headshot" suggests that you're planning to go to a photographic studio, pay a professional to take a photo of you, go home with the photo, and upload it to Wikimedia Commons. Unfortunately that won't work, as you will own your copy of the photo but the photographer or their employer will own the copyright in it. You'll need to arrange a deal with photographer so that you get the copyright in the photo as well as the photo itself. Then there's some tedious bureaucracy to do, to convince the authorities at Commons that you own the copyright. jp has kindly agreed to help you with that. Maproom (talk) 07:17, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

If that sounds a bit daunting, then just take a genuine "selfie" and upload that instead. You will be the copyright holder, as its photographer. Mike Turnbull (talk) 18:32, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

UPE/SPI suspicion help

Hi all, I'm an low-intermediate wikipedian (in my own estimation, at least) but I have no experience dealing with UPE / SPI issues. I recently ran across a user who I suspect may be a sock of a previously-blocked farm. I'm capable of following instructions for how to file reports, but since I'm inexperienced with this I'm wondering if someone with SPI experience would be willing to put a second set of eyes on the situation and give input before I make an accusation. Due to the nature of the matter I'd rather take the discussion to my talk page or to email rather than attempting to air dirty laundry here. Anyone available to take a look, or to recommend someone with experience I could ask to do so? Retswerb (talk) 05:34, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Pinging the illustrious @Blablubbs: jp×g 05:58, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Thanks @JPxG :). @Retswerb: I'm a little busy these days, so I can't promise that I'll get to it immediately, but my email is always open. --Blablubbs (talk) 12:21, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Thanks! I'll shoot an email later tonight then. Retswerb (talk) 02:44, 6 November 2021 (UTC)

Can i delete my Draft？

I create a Siege of Borovsk and i noticed i need to wait 2 month or more for my article. It take TOO LONG. Can i delete my Draft and create it to article directly？--折毛 (talk) 12:15, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

If you create it directly in the same condition as the draft, it will simply be deleted or turned back into a draft, and your work and edit history will be concealed. There is no deadline for articles here; we take as long as necessary to get it right. --Orange Mike | Talk 12:24, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Oh, I see, my only choice is waiting--折毛 (talk) 12:33, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

What's behind the recent assessment activity?

I'm a bit curious as I haven't been following centralised discussions, but have noticed a sharp increase in article assessment activity since probably mid-year. Has there been a huge assessment drive of some sort going on? --Paul_012 (talk) 13:30, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

New Wikipedia page

Please let me know how can I get a Wikipedia profile . I m a PhD holder from Harvard University — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rajesh K B Rasiah (talk • contribs) 16:21, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

If you wish to create a userpage for yourself as a registered Wikipedia editor, there is a description of how to do so at Wikipedia:User pages. If you are trying to get an encyclopedia article written about yourself, there needs to be sufficiently in-depth writing about your life, written by people unconnected to you, and published in reliable sources. You can read more about this at this page here. It is also generally a BAD idea to write articles about yourself. However, you can include personal information on your userpage to introduce yourself to other Wikipedia editors. --Jayron32 16:25, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

We don't do "profiles" as Wikipedia is not social media but an encyclopaedia. If your only purpose in creating an account was to promote yourself, then please find another website to do that. If, on the other hand, you wish to add to this important project with your time and knowledge, then welcome. Mike Turnbull (talk) 18:23, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Hello, Rajesh K B Rasiah. It sounds as if, like many people, you have a fundamental misunderstanding of what Wikipedia is. It is an encyclopaedia, not a directory or social media, and it does not contain profiles. If at some point Wikipedia has an article about you, the article will not belong to you, will not be under your control, will not be for your benefit except incidentally, will not necessarily say what you want it to say, and should be based almost entirely on what people unconnected with you have chosen to publish about you, not on what you say or want to say. --ColinFine (talk) 18:23, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

About in use template

Hello how to remove the in use template — Preceding unsigned comment added by محمد خالدد (talk • contribs) 17:08, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

You would edit the page in question, and remove the text that says {{in use}}. --Jayron32 17:20, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

no longer valid website link on this wikipedia page - the link now links to pornographic material

the website listed on this page is no longer valid and links to pornographic material. Please remove.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_Environments_Magazine — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.235.54.70 (talk) 18:02, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

 Done I was unable to find the correct website for this magazine. This tends to happen when a company goes bust (pun intended) and another takes over the web registration. Mike Turnbull (talk) 18:16, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

The article itself probably would not survive an WP:AfD but that's not my call. Mike Turnbull (talk) 18:19, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Michael D. Turnbull I have created an AFD. See Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Controlled Environments Magazine. --Wxman28 (talk) 18:32, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Question about footnotes and dashes

Could anyone please tell me if a footnote should come before or after a dash, if the information cited ends in a dash?--Thylacine24 (talk) 18:25, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

@Thylacine24: You might want to refer to MOS:CITEPUNCT, which says to place the footnote before the dash. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 18:29, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

@Tenryuu: Thanks. Sorry that I didn't think to look there earlier.--Thylacine24 (talk) 21:33, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Reference

Can i use resume as reference for an actor filmography? And also how many words is Sutible to publish an article for review? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mac O'Donnell (talk • contribs) 20:00, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

There's no standard word count - but we do perfer if it can be compherensive as possible. For mere objective reporting, a cv or resume, posted online by their agent or company, is suitable. DMT Biscuit (talk) 20:43, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

A resume, if published, may be used in limited ways, as a primary source, Mac O'Donnell. It does not contribute towards the subject's notability, and such sources should be in the minority in any article. --ColinFine (talk) 23:24, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Visual Technical Issue

Not an issue for Help desk/Archives. Referred elsewhere

 – Beeblebrox (talk) 21:57, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Hi, for whatever reason, I've encountered a technical issue pertaining to content tables: for the most part, they're not showing up. I've cleared my cookies and that had no effect. Clearing the white space between the lede and the first heading has proven to be the only remedy. Simple enough, but a hassle to do for lots of articles. And having to make those official edits could ruffle some feathers - don't want to appear grandstanding. Best to find a way to nip this in the bud; especially, if this problem affects others. Thanks. DMT Biscuit (talk) 20:51, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Same here.. I thought I screwed something up! It's only on my account! When I log out and view the same page, the content tables magically come back. It's happening on too many articles. D= -Oluwatalisman (talk) 21:30, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

I am also experiencing this issue. Οἶδα (talk) 21:50, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

@Οἶδα This is resolved now for me. =) -Oluwatalisman (talk) 02:19, 6 November 2021 (UTC)

• You all are not alone. A discussion has been opened at Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)#Missing TOC?. I've infomred that thrad that it has also been reported here, it would be best if everyone participate in/follow that discussion as VPT is better equipped to handle technical matters like this. Beeblebrox (talk) 21:57, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Help - Biased page, not sure what to do

Hi, I'm new to this and I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask I am trying to edit a Wikipedia page because it takes a particular point of view. Three users with a particular political bent have repeatedly blocked my edits. They appear to have written the bulk of the article across its history. What am I supposed to do? They have long editing histories and authority over me, and are keeping the article how they want it, but I know it breaks Wikipedia's standards! What do I need to do? Can someone please walk me through this? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wackword (talk • contribs) 22:25, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Wackword It appears that you have already attempted talk page discussion, that is where you should work towards a consensus instead of edit warring. That is where you should spell out the specific policies you feel are violated and why. If discussion fails to resolve the matter, you should move to dispute resolution. No one has authority over you, but everyone needs to collaborate. 331dot (talk) 22:37, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

331dot I understand this, but these editors have consistently removed even POV tags on the article, despite conflicts in the talk page! How do they not have power over me, they're going to ban me if I change the article again! They'll probably report me if I try to do dispute resolution, and nobody will believe me because I haven't edited nearly as much as they have. I don't edit Wikipedia often, the dispute resolution process is really arcane and confusing. I don't want to mess something up and be disregarded again! I didn't even totally understand the edit war rules. Please, I just need someone to help me do this, its so confusing and I have other things in my life I have to do. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wackword (talk • contribs)

Wackword Using legitimate processes to resolve a dispute is what is supposed to occur; there is nothing to "report" in that instance. But you cannot edit war because you think your edits are correct, as everyone in an edit war thinks they are correct. "They" can't block you(blocks and bans are different), only administrators like me could. There is no reason to if you engage in legitimate dispute resolution after first attempting to discuss the matter.

It is, of course, completely up to you how much time to invest in this, but either way, you cannot edit war. See WP:EW. 331dot (talk) 00:10, 6 November 2021 (UTC)