Help desk
< September 21	<< Aug \| September \| Oct >>	September 23 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Help Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current Help Desk pages.

September 22

Referencing errors on Joe Hockey

Reference help requested. I got an error on Joe Hockey's page, because I used the ISBN as given on the final page of the Tourism White Paper, which can be downloaded from the Pandora Archive at the link I provided. This ISBN isn't seen as a valid one by the robot, and so it is throwing an error. What should be done in this circumstance? Thanks, 110.20.234.69 (talk) 00:23, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

ISBNs have either 10 or 13 digits. You have provided 9, hence the error. Schwede 66 06:20, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I don't have any more ISBN numbers for that work - would it be appropriate to omit the ISBN as I have a URL? --110.20.234.69 (talk) 06:23, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The National Library of Australia site cites the same number, calling it an 'Invalid ISBN'.
http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3049758
I suppose you can do nothing about it except removing the number from the {{cite...}} template. --CiaPan (talk) 07:22, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

How disappointing! I've removed it as you suggested. Thanks, CiaPan. --110.20.234.69 (talk) 07:31, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

@CiaPan: There is a workaround for this, hard to find since its not mentioned at Template:Cite book/doc. I've added ignore-isbn-error=yes to the article to suppress the error message. -- John of Reading (talk) 06:09, 23 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

@John of Reading: That's a clever solution! And when one clicks the ISBN link and then follows to WorldCat, that one finds the publication! :) Very nice! --CiaPan (talk) 08:00, 23 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Referencing errors on New Zealand flag debate

Reference help requested. Re this edit, I can't see the CS1 error referred to. Who can help me spotting it? Thanks, Schwede 66 05:38, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

@Schwede66:, it looks like when you changed "publisher" to "work" in the citation templates, it errored. e.g. Jones, Nicholas (9 March 2015). "Govt budget allows almost $500,000 for a high-profile panel out of $25m cost to decide national symbol". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 April 2015. --110.20.234.69 (talk) 06:21, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, as CS1 errors states, this usually occurs when multiple parameters having similar meanings are included in a Citation Style 1 or Citation Style 2 template. For example, you can't have both |website and |work parameters in the same template. You can fix this by either modifying or removing redundant parameters. I fixed all CS1 errors in New Zealand flag debate for now. -- Chamith (talk) 07:50, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! Schwede 66 09:06, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

How to keep redirects from cluttering up the drop-down suggestion list in Wikipedia's search box

How do you keep a redirect from showing up in the search box suggestion drop-down list? As an example: type Arabic a into the search box, and you'll see the completely unhelpful suggestion Arabic alphabet (writing of the hamza). According to this discussion from yesteryear, categorizing an article as unprintworthy keeps it out of the suggestion drop-down list, but that doesn't seem to have worked. (Did I do something wrong?) I don't want to waste everyone's time by putting redirects on WP:RfD (at least the less bizarre ones that aren't otherwise causing any trouble), so if someone could direct me to an answer, that would be, like, seriously amazingly helpful. (Sorry if this isn't the best place to ask this, but it's been bugging me for over five years and I have finally snapped.) Fried Gold (talk) 06:18, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Fried Gold if such a thing is possible the people who might know are on WP:VPT.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 18:17, 25 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I guess that is a rather technical question. Thanks, Vchimpanzee, I'll give it shot there! Fried Gold (talk) 19:39, 25 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Philip Seymour Hoffman needs edit

Hello, just to let you know that Philip Seymour Hoffman died last year. You have it on Wikipedia as he is still walking the earth, alive at 48 years old. Just need to do an edit. That's it. Keep up the great work !! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.253.94.152 (talk) 07:40, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

That was vandalism by an IP user. Thank you for your vigilance anyways. -- Chamith (talk) 07:57, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Infobox Question

Hi, I was wondering if there is a Infobox to tell you for example if you are going to a specific country on holiday and you won't be going on Wikipedia for a certain number off weeks. D Eaketts (talk) 08:41, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Did your question lose a few words somewhere? It makes no sense. Could you rephrase it? Bruto (talk) 08:47, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, I was wondering if there is a holiday Infobox or something similar as going on Holiday in January and won't be on Wikipedia for awhile? D Eaketts (talk) 08:52, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

There are a whole range of options listed at Template:Wikibreak templates - Arjayay (talk) 08:53, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Bruto. I suspect you are looking for {{wikibreak}} or one of its relatives. If that is not what you mean, you'll have to explain more. --ColinFine (talk) 08:54, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

(ColinFine, you're pinging me but I didn't ask the question). Bruto (talk) 09:00, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

That's what I mean and Thank you very much ColinFine and Arjayay. D Eaketts (talk) 08:57, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

ABA champions 2000

Hi I have seen a few reports on the net now that Craig Docherty won the ABA's in 2000, this is incorrect as I Nigel Wright won them beating Michael Lomax in the final, can you please check and change this as this is a huge achievement you are taking from me and is my Legacy thank you,

Nigel Wrigh. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 5.67.37.133 (talk) 08:45, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Is this the match you're talking about? If so, it contradicts what you're saying. Do you have a source that shows this is erroneous? Also, could you provide us with the titles of the Wikipedia articles you're specifically having an issue with? Bruto (talk) 09:04, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I can find no mention on Wikipedia of Craig Docherty winning the ABA's in 2000, it doesn't even appear on the Google Knowledge graph, which is a common confusion.
Without a specific reference to where this is stated, I am afraid we can't help you - Arjayay (talk) 09:22, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for reporting this, Nigel. I've made the necessary corrections to the "ABA Championships" statistics article. Somehow, Francis Doherty had been listed as winning both the Welterweight and Light Welterweight divisions at the ABA's in 2000. It may have been an accident while copying & pasting; we may never know. It's now corrected to reflect your winning the ABA within your weight division (light welterweight). I also took the opportunity to add details of your am. career achievement into your own biographical article: "Nigel Wright".
Best wishes, 84.92.129.87. 00:43, 24 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Cheapflights

Header added by ColinFine (talk) 13:02, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Wikipedia Help desk I work at Cheapflights HQ in London and have noted our entry (Cheapflights) is quite out of date. I believe someone here before my time may have tried to make some amendments and subsequently been blocked. Please can you explain how we can have the content updated please as it's not something we should be attempting to do internally. Many thanks P Bloomfield Cheapflights.co.uk Pbloomfield74 (talk) 13:01, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Pbloomfield74. Thank you for coming here and asking, rather than just doing it. As you say, because of your conflict of interest you are strongly discouraged from making changes to the article. The best way to proceed is to find reliable published sources for every single change you want made (sources independent of the company, if possible, though for uncontroversial factual information like places and dates, the company's own publications are acceptable), and post the specific changes you would like, with citations to the references, on the article's talk page Talk:Cheapflights. (If you want to see something removed, then provided it is not cited to an apparently reliable source, you can just ask for its removal. But if there is something you don't like in the article that is nevertheless cited to a reliable source, it will probably not get removed just because you don't like it). Then an independent editor can decide whether the changes you hare suggested are acceptable, and apply them if so. It helps to avoid promotional language and marketing speak.

If you add the template {{edit request}} to your suggestion (with the double curly brackets), that will put the article on a list of those with edits waiting, bringing it to more people's notice. --ColinFine (talk) 13:09, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I would also recommend that you read this article WP:PAY and make the appropriate disclosure of your conflict of interest on your userpage. Tiggerjay (talk) 15:15, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Deletion message

On my newly created page about a person, a very rude deletion message is posted by the reviver. I understand it is an encyclopedia but this was my first article. How can i remove that delete message on the page. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Aniruddha0505 (talk • contribs) 13:36, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Assuming you are referring to Dr. CN Ramchand that has already been deleted for "Unambiguous advertising or promotion: Was a résumé but full of copyright violations which I started removing but they're very integrated"
Wikipedia takes copyright very seriously, and it is also not the place to post promotional material. May I suggest you read WP:Your first article which explains many of the do's and dont's - Arjayay (talk) 13:54, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

You asked about Dr. CN Ramchand at Wikipedia:Teahouse/Questions#My first article, and received an answer there. You don't need to worry about removing the remark from the article, because the article has been deleted for the reasons explained to you at the Teahouse and on your user talk page. - David Biddulph (talk) 14:00, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

HELP

apparent prank
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
I AM KIDNAPPED — Preceding unsigned comment added by DoctorWhoLover11 (talk • contribs) 18:53, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

DES ^(talk) 19:05, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Correct a typo in an article title.

I started the page "3 intelligence Company", but it should have been "3 Intelligence Company", with the "I" capitalized. How do I correct this?

Thanks!

Kanuk82 (talk)

First read: [1], then google your question and you will find yourself at Wikipedia:Moving a page.--Aspro (talk) 23:15, 22 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

@Aspro: Your response is hostile as hell. I am not the civility police but some level if tact is the norm here.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 14:14, 23 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]