Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2015 October 10

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October 10

Help:Cite errors/Cite error included ref

• Angela D'Amore (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)

I wanted to edit the following changes to Angela D'Amore but am doing something wrong. Could you please let me know what I am doing wrong and how I may going about making the sought after changes:

Following legal proceedings in the Courts against the ICAC's adverse findings,</ref> D'Amore v ICAC [2012] NSWSC 473, D'Amore v ICAC [2013] NSWCA 187, Angela D'Amore v ICAC [2013] HCATrans 317 Independent_Panel_Review_of_the_Jurisdiction_of_the_Independent_Commission_Against_Corruption_Report(1).pdf, at p80. httpsp://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/>Home>Hansard>Other indexes>Hansard by bill>Independent Commission Against Corruption Amendment Bill 2015, pp 3190, 3576, 3656, 3698, 3725, 3853. httpsp://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/>Home>Bills>Current Session bills>Independent Commission Against Corruption Amendment Bill 2015. Independent_Panel_Review_of_the_Jurisdiction_of_the_Independent_Commission_Against_Corruption_Report(1).pdf, at p 64. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.20.38.31 (talk) 00:03, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

This is not what you asked, but it appears that most of the content you have just linked are primary source items such as court documents which are not appropriate sourcing particularly in content about a living person. We would want materials from reliably published sources such as newspapers, books, high quality culture/news magazines. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom 00:08, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

I think the problem is that you used "</ref>" where you should have used "<ref>" and vice versa.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 20:52, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

References

Help?

I'm making an article about a boxer, and while doing the "professional boxing record" section, this happened:

Why are the small letters not working? Charlie the Pig (talk) 00:12, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Simply because you forgot the closing ]] after [[minumweight. - David Biddulph (talk) 00:17, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Open brackets can cause problems elsewhere on a page so I closed them above and nowikied all the code to display them. PrimeHunter (talk) 10:01, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

References

Any way to retrieve forgotten account password?

I created an account a few months ago, but I've forgotten the password and didn't note it down at the time. I know the username; is there any way to retrieve my password so I can use my account again? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.11.37.183 (talk) 08:13, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Yes if you saved an email address with the account, otherwise no except in some very unusual cases. See Help:Logging in#What if I forget the password? for the details. -- John of Reading (talk) 08:29, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Username policy

Hi. Can anyone give me a second opinion on a potentially controversial username? I've come across a new user called "Holy islamic state of the Germanic Nation". WP:USERNAME states that offensive usernames are inappropriate, but I don't know how this has played out in practice with past cases. Would you consider this username problematic? Cordless Larry (talk) 10:41, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

This is now under discussion at AN/I. Cordless Larry (talk) 13:53, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Cannot link footnote

Sorry for posting this question two other times without a proper header. ... I am trying to edit a page, correct mistakes, add lots more information and add footnotes. When I click "cite" in the editing window, I am able to write the footnote attached to the particular line of text, but then it does not appear in the Notes section at the bottom. I tried to fix this by creating a Notes section this way ==Notes== but that doesn't work either. The video tutorials don't answer this question and I suspect they refer to an old version. Here is the page I'm editing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/320th_Barrage_Balloon_Battalion?veaction=edit Thanks. Linda Hervieux (talk) 11:04, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Hi Linda Hervieux, according to the history of that article you have never edited it. The article already has a properly functioning references section, so it's not at all clear what the problem is that you're trying to address. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 11:16, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Hi Roger, I cannot save the edited page because I get an error message that says: "Your edit has triggered a filter designed to warn editors, organisations and companies against using Wikipedia as an advertising medium." However, I'm not advertising anything. I have researched this Army battalion extensively for a book, which it mentioned in a footnote along with many other sources. There is incorrect information in the existing article. For instance, this battalion never fought at the Battle of the Bulge. Before this error problem, I could not figure out how to link my footnotes. Do you have a suggestion as to what I should do? I've worked on this article revision for several days. Thanks. Linda Hervieux (talk) 11:39, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

If you let us know the errors (with references) either here or on the talk page of the article, we can make the corrections for you, but we can see no reason why you cannot edit yourself. Try normal edits first, without footnotes. Dbfirs 11:45, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Hi Linda Hervieux, the filter is triggered when your username matches links in the article. I'm assuming the footnotes contained links to lindahervieux.com? - NQ-Alt (talk) 11:52, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

(e/c) Hi Linda. Your attempted edit included a replacement of an existing external link, to your eponymous website, advertising yourself and your book which is "On Sale October 27. Pre-Order Now!" That link does not belong, you have a blatant conflict of interest in adding it, and is apparently what is causing the problem. Best regards--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 11:54, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Cannot link to footnotes, part 3

Hi again. I deleted that link very quickly when I learned from a tutorial that a citation to a book is how to cite sources. My website has a unit overview, so I thought that was ok. When I learned it was not, I deleted it. I also have other footnotes, such as the U.S. Army history of this unit. I have a detailed bibliography to add. I'm still learning how to do this and how to cite sources. Can you please tell me how I can save this page? Or maybe I should just send you the mistakes. Thanks for your help. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Linda Hervieux (talk • contribs) 12:14, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

You might like to read Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources and remove any sources that the system does not consider to be reliable, then try saving again. You can always add more reliable sources later. Dbfirs 12:35, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Looking at your filter log, you have had 12 edits refused. 2 for "removing reference grouping tags" 5 for "link containing username" and 5 for "making large contribution with first edits".
The first two are easy to avoid, do not alter existing references and do not include your username in any links
Looking at the detail of one of your edits in the last category, you were trying to add 16 totally unreferenced paragraphs to an article which is only 2 paragraphs long. If these had got through the filter, they should have been deleted when an editor saw your massive unsourced additions. Please read verifiability and Help: Referencing for beginners before trying to add these again, and make your edits incrementally - if you add 16 paragraphs at once, and an editor disagrees with one of them, they may just revert the lot.- Arjayay (talk) 12:58, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Yes, the article I wrote is lengthy and it wasn't referenced because, as I mentioned, I can't figure out how to link the footnotes. I've read the tutorials and it's not working. Since I've been working this for 2 days without success, I suppose the only thing I can do is take the advice here and attempt to correct the mistakes without footnotes. Linda Hervieux (talk) 13:48, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Yes, don't bother with footnotes, just add good references, but make sure that they are from reliable sources, otherwise your edits may be reverted. Also, take Arjayay's advice and add the corrections one at a time. Citing your own book is not a good idea because you have a conflict of interest. Why not cite some of the sources that you used? Dbfirs 18:56, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Unsuitable user page

Isn't this and the related Used talk a promotional page of a non contributing user?--Stefanobiondo (talk) 13:55, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Aye, seems like a WP:FAKEARTICLE to me.Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk, contributions) 14:31, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

i have blanked it and left a note for the user. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom 22:08, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

styrobor waste recycling” which aim to produce more than 15 industrial materialswith multiple uses from the styrobor

apparent attempt to apply for a graduate studies program, with resume
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
To whom it may concern,First of all ,let me introduce myself. I am nizar JDID from Syria and I am an engineer in printing technology and printing materials.I have won a silver medal in the Syrian Exhibition for Inventions. The Scientific Research which I put in this Exhibition is “styrobor waste recycling” which aim to produce more than 15 industrial materialswith multiple uses from the styrobor .Because of the bad circumstances in my country, I face a lot of difficulties in completing my research and fulfill the final steps.I will be glad if your university give me a chance to achieve my goal and it will be a great opportunity to take advantage of your experience in this field.I wish to continue myresearch in your laboratories under the supervision of your specialists considering my research as a PHDproject . I also wanted to work as well as academic research I hope you give me a scholarshipin order tomake an agreement to disseminatemy research according to the benefit of your university.My research has achieved a spectacular results and need few steps to fulfill it particularlyIn the paper and materials production which used in security.You can see some information in the following attachments:bist regards Liquid Styropor (A & B forms)• Producing Cardboard covered by a layer of nylon• Producing filming paper and paper for geometrical design• Encapsulating the metal wires for electrical isolation and the isolation of the dankness• Encapsulating batteries to protect it from dankness• Mixing it with materials sensitive to light to produce photographic films• Improving the inking rolls in the photocopying machines• Produce filament optic which can be used inintelligence printing and also in economic fields• Mixing theprinting inks• Produce gluing materials for metal, wood, iron, leather and glass materials• Produce painting materials• Producing materials to be used in different kinds of isolationStyropor dough (A & B forms)Pellicular or colored dough to produce slices used in composing masks, porcelain dough, thermic isolating fiber and so on. <contact info redacted> Consultant Syrian Engineering Syndicate Damascus Branch Engineer 1- universities and private of Damascus the University Lecturer at -2 3- Head of Planning and output circuit in the local newspaper 4 - News correspondent in Korea and China (press man 5- A visual artist and designer 6- The preparation of the book cycle in the center of the Arab radio and television in Damascus 7- Me three university decisions of my synthesis in the media and in the printing and imaging and communicatio 8- I got the silver medal in the exhibition Basel fifteenth creativity and production invention in Damascus for my invention: recycling waste Styrobor more than 16 new material and 9- A lot of businesses no room to be identified now Nizar Jdid — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.141.192.74 (talk) 19:51, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 4 million articles and thought we were affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this page is for asking questions related to using or contributing to Wikipedia itself. Thus, we have no special knowledge about the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the upper right side of your screen. If you cannot find what you are looking for, we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome. Best of luck. DES ^(talk) 20:09, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

help

I just started and may become overwhelmed. Is there someone who can help me start? Stewi101015 (talk) 06:04, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

I'll be glad to help if I can, Stewi101015. What sort of things would you like to do on Wikipedia? i just put some possibly helpful links on your user talk page. You can contact me by posting at User talk:DESiegel, or by posting right here -- i watch this page fairly closely. Others may help here also. DES ^(talk) 22:39, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

@Stewi101015: you can also try the Wikipedia Adventure and learn a whole lot while working in test areas that are meant for practicing.-- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom 00:19, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Did I even do this correctly? Stewi101015 (talk) 06:05, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Mostly, Stewi101015. You should sign talk/discussion page comments with four tildes (~~~~). You should use a more descriptive section title than "?". But you did post successfully, twice. DES ^(talk) 22:41, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

and also, you don't need to start a new section with every comment, just open up the edit on the existing section. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom 00:19, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Thank you everyone. I am too tired to do an ¨Adventure¨, maybe later.  :) Stewi101015 (talk) 06:11, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

upload the articles

I want to upload a few articles of my father in Telugu. I need help to do that — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dhnrao (talk • contribs) 22:43, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Hello, Dhnrao. I'm not sure what you're asking. If you're wanting to create Wikipedia articles in the Telugu, then you need to be working in the Telugu Wikipedia te:మొదటి పేజీ, which is entirely separate from the English Wikipedia. If you mean that you want to add references in Telugu to an article in the English Wikipedia, then that is quite acceptable (though it might be a good idea to provide an English translation of the referenced text - see WP:referencing for beginners. --ColinFine (talk) 10:22, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Why public thanks?

If I wanted to thank someone publicly for their comment, I would do so, on their talk page, or where they made it. What in the effing 'ell does it mean when I click "thank" on a history page, and am asked if I want to "publicly" thank the user for the edit?

Where is this coming from?

How can this be fixed?

Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth....

μηδείς (talk) 23:20, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

• "Public" thanks just means that all thanks are recorded and can be seen in the thanks log. For example, I can see that the last person you thanked was JackofOz and that happened about 15 minutes ago. --Stabila711 (talk) 23:29, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

If you don't want to be acting in public, then give thanks by e-mail. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom 00:20, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Not all users have email.

And it didn't used to say "public" thanks.

So besides objecting to the fact that this is made public, I want to know when "public" was added to the thank function.

For example, I used to occasionally (not that I minded) get "thanks" from people who were IBANned from communicating with me! Is this now public record? And did this ever actually change, or was "thanking" someone always public? I would like a link to the discussion that changed the thanks from mere thanks to public thanks, or a link to the original discussion that established "thanks" without letting us know that it was public. It seems like a huge violation of transparency and trust to do this without either public comment or a warning in the first place that such "thanks" were public.

I expect discretion when I edit here, and, frankly, even as the recipient of "thanks" I feel violated. Thanks. μηδείς (talk) 01:37, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

@Medeis: According to the documentation the feature was introduced on May 30, 2013 and from what I can tell from the doc page the action was always logged and always used the word "public." The feature was discussed quite extensively on the Wiki Talk page associated with the documentation. It can also be turned off in your preferences, although I don't know if that just turns off the notification or the logging entirely. --Stabila711 (talk) 01:43, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Thanks, Stabila711. I am not so upset about this per se as I am that it has never said "publicly" until recently, at least not on monobook and with safari browser. Given that I was technically subject to an IBAN, I could certainly have opened myself up to punitive action, and since I was actually thanked by the other party in my IBAN during that time I find this quite negligent; that is, was he even aware he was inviting the wrath of the gods? I can accept the explanation "it was public, we just didn't tell you" without further ado, but I really must say that such issues should be handled with a lot more transparency. μηδείς (talk) 02:16, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Medeis I can't speak to Safari since I have always used Chrome but as to the IBAN situation a "thank" would definitely by a violation since it is, by definition, an interaction. Assuming the other party was not trying to get in trouble I assume he was not aware of the thank logging. --Stabila711 (talk) 02:26, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

I am pretty sure the logs have always been public. Sometime a few months ago, the notification that the "thanks" is public was added. I am also pretty sure that the specific notification that the " thanks" will be publicly logged is a feature not a bug and will not be changed. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom 02:47, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Thanks, Stabila711. The real issue is that I am not upset that the IBAN was 'technically' broken, but that the person who apparently sent me thanks in good faith could have been found liable for his actions without notice he was 'violating' the IBAN by making public "thanks". I am still wondering if there was some point recently that this changed. I am disturbed by the idea that people who use minority affinity browsers might discover they have inadvertently done something someone with Chrome on Windows 10 would have been warned about, while someone on Windows 7 using Safari would not have been. I wonder if there is some sort of Beta Committee that can be informed of this issue, since I'd have gone apehsit had someone indeffed me for violating an IBAN under such obscure circumstances. μηδείς (talk) 02:47, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Medeis Alright, so I went through the edits for the documentation page and I found when the phrase "Send public thanks for this edit" was added. It was added on May 23, 2015 according to this diff. So we know it has said "public" since at least May of this year. It very well could have been there since the beginning but we know from the documentation that it has said "public" for the last 4 and a half months. --Stabila711 (talk) 03:01, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

FWIW, WP:IBAN was updated March 13 of this year [1] to clarify that thanking is not permitted. OTOH, what actions *aren't* assumed to be public here on Wikipedia, other than those explicitly otherwise? Rwessel (talk) 03:49, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Thanks, Stabila711. I am used to finding out that Windows users of Safari do not get updates right away. The bottom line here is that had both my computers not crashed for separate reasons in the beginning of October, I would probably never have discovered this change, and it most certainly was not obvious to safari users of windows 7 before this September. Again, the thanks from the other user was never really an issue, except that it could have been, had a third party seen the publict issue and complained. Since I assume whoever does this stuff watches this page, they should be notified they are potentially causing real problems for real editors with long histories. Again, my thanks for the gruntwork. μηδείς (talk) 03:57, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

The mention that it's public was added in March 2015 after phab:T90486. I don't know whether any developers watch this page. They have more reason to watch Wikipedia:Village pump (technical). PrimeHunter (talk) 09:15, 11 October 2015 (UTC)