Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2024 March 1

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March 1[edit]

Help[edit]

How do I request two articles to be merged Maestrofin (talk) 01:04, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Per Proposing a merge,

If the need for a merge is obvious, editors can be bold and simply do it. [...] Articles that have been separate for a long time should usually be discussed first, especially those on controversial topics. [...] Create a discussion [...] usually done on the proposed destination page's talk page.

There are instructions on the exact steps in said guidance. Sincerely, Thinker78 (talk) 01:38, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Ref. number 5 does not have a page number - is this a problem? Thanks for any advice or repairs to this page that you might consider necessary. 115.70.23.77 (talk) 04:26, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Political issues aside (speaking only with regard to general page numbers), it probably doesn't because Google Books usually doesn't show page numbers and that appears to be where it's accessed from. It having a quote is better than nothing but it would be better if it had one, yes PARAKANYAA (talk) 04:52, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
PARAKANYAA, the book in question is a 2023 ebook published by Rutgers University Press. Ebooks by their very nature lack page numbers. If Google Books displays content of a scanned paper book, then page numbers will be shown. Cullen328 (talk) 06:02, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, but sometimes there's a print copy which you can get numbers from. PARAKANYAA (talk) 06:06, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
PARAKANYAA, you are correct. The book in question was also published in paperback. Cullen328 (talk) 20:57, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

DRAFT: Francsico R Adriano Sr.[edit]

Hello, I have a draft and I want to submit for approval Francsico R Adriano Sr. I clicked publish but it does not seem to be submitted, please advise. Abehonest (talk) 07:55, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Abehonest, I submitted the draft as you requested. However, it is likely to be declined because it is poorly referenced. Please read Your first article and improve the draft accordingly as soon as possible. Cullen328 (talk) 09:43, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
"Publish" doesn't mean "publish to the main encyclopaedia", it just means "Save my work" - it was changed to emphasise that everything in Wikipedia (including drafts, user pages, talk pages) are publicly visible to those who know look for them. ColinFine (talk) 12:40, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Spammer claiming to be wikipedia administartor proposing to boost my page[edit]

Hello, I just want to alert you that there is a spammer targeting academia, which is claiming to be a Wikipedia editor and proposing to spice up your biography (I guess for a fee). I'm not sure it is a good idea to post the full text of the spam or the name of the person in question (maybe a pseudonym), I'll do it if you confirm it is ok. Otherwise, you can contact me at 18bkbm5lf _at_ mozmail.com (or via talk page, if I get a notification) and I'll provide the full mail.

cheers

08:34, 1 March 2024 (UTC) 18bkbm5lf (talk) 08:34, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

It's almost certainly a scam. A lot of this happens. See, for example, Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-02-13/Disinformation report.   Maproom (talk) 08:43, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Scams happen everywhere, very little that can be done about it. When we find users like this, we block them, but usernames are cheap so they easily come back. The most important advice that can be given is to always be sceptical about anyone you do not know offering you stuff. Wikipedia, Internet, ice cream truck alike. —TheDJ (talkcontribs) 09:22, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hello, 18bkbm5lf. Please read Wikipedia:Articles for creation/Scam warning and provide complete details to paid-en-wp@wikipedia.org as soon as possible. Cullen328 (talk) 09:34, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you, do not worry about me, I'm not going to get scammed this time. I have transmitted the message as requested. 18bkbm5lf (talk) 09:38, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

See all my logged in sessions in different devices[edit]

There is a way to see all my current logged in sessions in different devices and to log out of them? Yilku1 (talk) 12:34, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Yilku1,
At least for me, when I am logged in on multiple devices and then 'Log out' on one of them, I no longer logged in on the others either. DMacks (talk) 06:37, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I looks like that worked. Yilku1 (talk) 16:04, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

How do I report a user?[edit]

. 109.166.132.227 (talk) 15:18, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

There are lots of different answers to that question, depending on the circumstances. Sometimes, the answer is "you don't report them, you open a discussion with them, to try and reach consensus". Sometimes the answer is "you don't report them, you put a user warning on their talk page". And sometimes you do report them, but there are different places to do this, depending on what the issue is. ColinFine (talk) 16:29, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I agree with ColinFine, and the general principle is to be specific and provide a reasonable level of detail when asking for advice anywhere on Wikipedia. Cullen328 (talk) 20:49, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Old version of the image is displayed instead of the new one[edit]

Hello, I've recently uploaded a new version of File:Linguistic map of Italy.svg, but in that page's "Suggested Legend" section the previous version of this image is still displayed. How can I fix that? Cosocosa (talk) 15:34, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Purge the cache: ctrl + f5 Yilku1 (talk) 15:36, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Do I use the via or publisher parameters for this?[edit]

When I'm using citation templates, and there's a news source that was republished elsewhere (not about news agencies, ik the agency parameter) by a different source, do I put the republishing organization in the "via" or "publisher" parameters? I'm aware that if the non-aggregate news source is available that is preferred, but the one I most often run into this case with is an African news website (allAfrica) which has a lot that isn't accessible elsewhere anymore. PARAKANYAA (talk) 19:10, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I would use via. Firefangledfeathers (talk / contribs) 19:12, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you :) PARAKANYAA (talk) 19:13, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Add Only Verified Data[edit]

Do not write and add unsourced data to any page or article Harman Godara (talk) 19:34, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Harman Godara Agreed. That is a core policy explained at WP:V. Do you have a question related to this? Mike Turnbull (talk) 20:17, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

How can I become a moderator[edit]

Hi. I’m booking for watching out for an appropriate changes to articles and then misuse of editing 1f5g56y (talk) 20:47, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Blocked for disruptive editing. Mike Turnbull (talk) 20:56, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Guideline on name changes[edit]

I'm writing an article on a German who immigrated to Latin America in the early 20th century. As was customary at the time, they took a Hispanicized version of their birth name – by which they are more well-known – without making any actual legal name change (that I know of). In that case, how would one go about writing their name in the article lead? I've dotted down a few forms:

  • Spanish, born: Pablo Busch Wiesneer (born Paul Busch; 4 November 1867 – c. 1940)...
  • Spanish first: Pablo Busch Wiesner (German: Paul Busch; 4 November 1867 – c. 1940) ...
  • Birth name first: Paul Busch (Spanish: Pablo Busch Wiesner; 4 November 1867 – c. 1940) ...
  • Both bold: Paul Busch (4 November 1867 – c. 1940), also known as Pablo Busch Wiesner, ...

Which would you go with, or is there a different form you prefer? Let me know. Krisgabwoosh (talk) 21:55, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Put the better-known name first and as the article's title per WP:COMMONNAME. Bolding the other name is IMO preferred. Definitely no italics though. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:17, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Another question would be if there's any precedent for individuals with multiple legal names. It's not a common occurrence, but happens occasionally when one has two nationalities. Krisgabwoosh (talk) 22:36, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Per Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography § Changed names,

In some cases, a subject may have changed their full name at some point after birth. In these cases, the birth name may be given in the lead as well, if relevant:[a]

  • From Jack Benny: Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) ...
Regarding multiple names,

Multiple former names may be mentioned in the lead, boldfaced if they redirect to the article. However, it is not always appropriate to list every previous name of a subject, only the birth name and those that were in use during the period of notability.

  • ☒NBill de Blasio (born Warren Wilhelm Jr., May 8, 1961)  is a politician .... He was briefly known as Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm ...

The names should be distributed throughout the lead to mark major transitions in the subject's life:

  • checkYAugustus (63 BC – 14 AD) was a Roman emperor .... He was born Gaius Octavius Thurinus into a wealthy family .... He assumed the name Octavian after his adoption ...
Incidentally, regarding the language template, per Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Accessibility § Other languages,

If text should not be italicized—such as the names of places or people—it is possible to add italic=no to override the default behaviour.

Sincerely, Thinker78 (talk) 04:02, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
That makes sense. In my case, though, I'm dealing with an individual who would have regularly used both names, dependent on which country they were in. He would use "Pablo" in Latin America and "Paul" in Germany, throughout his life.
The closest example I can approximate of one article using multiple translations of a given name would be the German monarchs William/Wilhelm I and Frederick/Friedrich III. In such a case, perhaps?:
  • Pablo Busch Wiesener or Paul Busch (4 November 1867 – 3 May 1950).
I think I've just answered my own question. Krisgabwoosh (talk) 04:13, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
According to the guideline, the key is their birth name. There is different guidance for monarchs though. Regards, Thinker78 (talk) 04:21, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Would the birth name take precedence even if the translated name is the common name? Krisgabwoosh (talk) 04:25, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Actually in the examples above, the birth name does not take precedence. It may be good to follow this guidance in order to note which was the birth name, highlighting thus that the other name is not the birth name. But in this case for changed names. Sincerely, Thinker78 (talk) 05:05, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I think I'll just go with: Pablo Busch Wiesener (born Paul Busch) and add an explanatory note. Can never go wrong with explanatory notes! Thanks for the help.
Uh... Sincerely Krisgabwoosh (talk) 06:33, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]


Notes

  1. ^ Wikipedia may consider that marginally notable living persons (e.g., subjects in the public eye only due to a single event) have privacy interests in their birth names. Such concerns are not raised by biographies of the deceased, nor in most cases those of major public figures who are still living.