Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2017 January 20

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January 20

Sudden Basque user page

I just received an alert that someone had left a message on my Basque language user page. I didn't know I had a Basque language user page. Has something untoward happened? Has this been created by a bot? https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lankide_eztabaida:Ordinary_Person Ordinary Person (talk) 02:45, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

@Ordinary Person: Most other projects have a "welcome bot" that places a welcome notice on the user talk page of recently created accounts. At some point in the past you must have visited the Basque Wiki while logged in and since accounts are global you got an account there. They must have just brought their welcome bot online and that is why you got the notice. It has been doing that for everyone. Since notifications are now global you got a notice here. --Majora (talk) 02:48, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Yes, it was a welcome message by a bot which didn't post welcomes between 15 November 2015 and 19 January 2017. Special:CentralAuth/Ordinary Person shows your Basque Wikipedia account was created 12 May 2016 where you must have visited a Basque page (and 44 other Wikipedia languages) while logged in. PrimeHunter (talk) 03:07, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Editing My New Draft Page Titled "Jean Jepson"

I have just created my first ever Wikipedia draft page by copying and pasting the text from my source document created in Microsoft Word.

All the text has been pasted properly into the draft but it needs a lot of formatting. I was not able to do any formatting on the day that I did the copy and paste.

Now I am trying to access the draft to begin the editing. However I am not able to access the draft though I did save it.

I have been searching your Help features but I have not found anything to show me how to access my draft.

Please help me to gain access so that I can carry on with the project.

Thank You!

CableHut (talk) 03:00, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

@CableHut: This post is the only edit by your account and searches on "Jean Jepson" give no relevant results. Maybe you didn't click Save or overlooked a message about an issue when you tried to save. Try again. PrimeHunter (talk) 03:14, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Road Infobox Template help

In List of state highways in Louisiana (1100–1149)#Louisiana Highway 1143, uses {{jct}} with "city2=Oak Grove". That creates a link to Oak Grove, Louisiana - which is a dab page. This needs to be Oak Grove, Cameron Parish, Lousiana (which doesn't exist). If I just use "city2=Oak Grove, Cameron Parish", it creates the correct link - but it displays Cameron Parish which looks like another city in the list. I don't know enough about templates to get the right link here while just displaying "Oak Grove".

The same problem exists twice in List of state highways in Louisiana (900–949), however in that case both need to be Oak Grove, Ascension Parish, Louisiana MB 05:16, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

@MB: According to the template documentation at Template:Jct#Destinations, you need to add a parameter |countydab[number matching that of city parameter]= to add the name of the county to the link when disambiguation is needed. I've done so in List of state highways in Louisiana (1100–1149) here. I'll leave it as an exercise for you to fix the other article. Deor (talk) 17:52, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

@MB: Drat, it just occurred to me that Louisiana has parishes rather than counties, so that using the |countydab= parameter created a malformed link ("Oak Grove, Cameron County, Louisiana" rather than "Oak Grove, Cameron Parish, Louisiana"). The only way I can see to get the right link is to use the |location= parameter instead of the |city= parameter for the place in question, linking it with a piped link "by hand", as I did here. Deor (talk) 18:31, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Deor, thanks, I've fixed the other article. MB 22:08, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

How do we say “we don’t know”?

How do we best handle statements of ignorance, of saying we don’t know something because there are no sources available? Something that might be along the lines of, As of January 2016 [edit: I just realized I forgot it’s 2017], no further information about X is available, where the content about X would otherwise seem incomplete. Would a statement like that need to be citable? Is it acceptable? If not, what would be? I’m hoping I missed a policy or something that covers such scenarios. —67.14.236.50 (talk) 05:37, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

I would imagine except in very few circumstances (and I don't know what those might be) you just wouldn't say anything. Saying something is not known probably borders on WP:OR. Are you able to point to the exact situation in question? Triptothecottage (talk) 06:54, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

I agree with the above. If a question is raised on the talk page, respond that you can't find anything then, or, if you wish, make a pre-emptive comment there. Sometimes it's possible to cite, eg this has "no data" in the survival section Jimfbleak - talk to me? 06:58, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

(edit conflict) A situation I could imagine this applying is movie development, or similar recent future events/processes that do not violate WP:CRYSTALBALL. In those cases, silence is preferable unless there are sources that explicitly say "we don't know." Ian.thomson (talk) 07:00, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Proving a negative is (almost) impossible, and that includes "there are no sources available" - it just means the writer has been unable to find anything, not that something does not exist. Qualified negatives "as of 19 January 2017 the company had issued no further comment on its website" may be "provable", but "no further information about X is available" cannot be. Not everything is on the internet, and not everything on the internet appears in search engines - so there may well be sources available. - Arjayay (talk) 09:31, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

The context is a BLP whose subject has made fringe science claims, and there don’t seem to be any sources reporting on the science of them. Some editors have been insisting that we’re required to state that the fringe claims have not been peer-reviewed, that no published theory exists, etc., even if we can’t find supporting sources, based on the fact that we’re unable to find evidence to the contrary. But Arjayay’s example seems like a happy medium that (I hope) everyone will agree on. —67.14.236.50 (talk) 23:43, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

• This noticeboard might be the place to ask, but "X claimed Y" sounds good enough (hard to tell without the context). Tigraan^{Click here to contact me} 19:49, 21 January 2017 (UTC)
  • If I understand the situation correctly, there's no need to mention the lack of peer review and the lack of a published theory, and if some editors are demanding such, they sound as if they're outright attempting to depict the subject negatively, which is nowhere close to maintaining a neutral point of view. Nyttend (talk) 12:18, 22 January 2017 (UTC)
    • That’s been my feeling as well. As if WP is the last defender of rational science. —67.14.236.50 (talk) 17:28, 22 January 2017 (UTC)

Uploading files from a networkdrive location.

L.s.,

In our business wiki location we have created a page with links to multiple documents. When we enter the EDIT page we select the option 'External File' link to create a link to a certain document. The documents are located on one of the networkdrives.

When we test the link in Internet Exlorer, Chrome and FireFox, we get different results. The Links doesn't work in FireFox. When I use Internet Explorer and adjust the setting 'Internet Local' (Security option in Internet Explorer. The link works for me, but when my colleagues are trying this option, then it doesn't work for them. The same goes for Chrome. I have installed a extension and the links are working fine for me, but when my colleages are trying this, then it doesn't work.

Can you help me with this issue? How can we make the links works so that we can open the documents from the wiki page.

This is a forum for dealing with questions about Wikipedia itself. You could, however, try asking at WP:Reference desk/computing where I expect someone may help. (Hint: files you link to cannot merely be on a network drive, they must be in an area made available by your web server). Thincat (talk) 09:46, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Deletion of Page Recovery

Hi,

Can you please help me to recover the page "R systems international"

Thanks R Systems Team — Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.34.117.5 (talk) 09:38, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

User:JamesBWatson deleted the page[1] so you should ask him at User talk:JamesBWatson. Thincat (talk) 09:52, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

The article was clearly written from a promotional point of view, and, despite edits by numerous editors over the course of its history, it was no less promotional than it had been when first created. Wikipedia is not a medium for companies to post advertising pages for themselves. The editor who uses the pseudonym "JamesBWatson" (talk) 11:30, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

IP user, please understand that Wikipedia has essentially no interest in anything that a subject (whether company, person, band, charity, or anything else) says or wants to say about themselves. If you decided to try writing the article again (discouraged because of your conflict of interest, but not actually forbidden), you would need to forget every single thing you knew about the company, and every single thing that the company had published (including articles by other people based on interviews and press releases from the company), and write it entirely based on what people with no connection to the company have published. --ColinFine (talk) 18:31, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Creature

Is there a creature like the Wiki Dragon, but making smaller edits? Benjamin (talk) 10:29, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

There are Wiki Gnomes. Is that what you mean? Maproom (talk) 10:56, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

There is a whole menagerie of creatures on Wikipedia - please see Wikipedia:WikiFauna for a brief catalogue - Arjayay (talk) 11:03, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

No, bigger edits than a Gnome, but smaller than a Dragon. Perhaps more controversial than a Dragon, even, but lacking the grammar mistakes. Perhaps some kind of serpent? Benjamin (talk) 14:51, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

"Smaller than a dragon but bigger than a gnome" is almost all of the other Wikifauna. See the page on Wikifauna. Any conclusive answer to your question would be based on that page or one of the pages that it links to. Ian.thomson (talk) 15:02, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

I meant the size of the edits. I looked through that page and didn't find any creatures that fit. Benjamin (talk) 15:24, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

I would guess that species of Wikipedia:WikiFauna are not subject to very strict WP:V standards, so if you feel that an addition is needed... Tigraan^{Click here to contact me} 19:48, 21 January 2017 (UTC)

School badge

Hi,

Is it possible to transfer a copy of the Strathallan School badge from its twitter page to its Wikipedia page? Could someone do this for me, if not, how do I do it? Thanks.Gomach (talk) 14:02, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Userpages

Is there a guide to formatting userpages? Benjamin (talk) 14:49, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

@Benjaminikuta: See Wikipedia:User page design center. PrimeHunter (talk) 15:36, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Ole Paus (General)

The photo purporting to be that of my father, General major Ole Otto Paus, is very definitely that of another to me unknown army officer (a colonel) and has no connection with my father. My father was dark haired and never bald for starters!

Please delete the photo as misrepresenting my father - who had a completely different facies.

Jean Pierre Paus Eldest son of General major Ole Otto Paus Brother of Ole Christian Paus (Entertainer) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Peterpaus45 (talk • contribs) 15:19, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

I've removed the link to the photo, pending further investigation. Do you have a genuine photograph? Dbfirs 15:24, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

The photograph was added in this edit by Msbmt who might be able to explain where it came from. The claim is that it is from "Ole Paus family photos". Dbfirs 15:36, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Even if I add references to my article, there is still a warning

Even if I add references to my article, there is still a warning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Altanpurev Please help me — Preceding unsigned comment added by Masha.altanpurev (talk • contribs) 15:57, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Hello, that is not a 'warning' as such, but a proposal that the page be deleted through lack of references. Some have been added as noted, but notices and 'tags' such as that are not deleted automatically. It requires the involvement and opinion of the community (other editors). The page however, has other issues as Wikipedia discourages the writing of an autobiography (see WP:AUTOBIOGRAPHY and WP:COI). Wiki requires that entries are created by editors with no direct connection to the subject based on what has been written in reliable, independent sources (See WP:RS). Please also note that it is not 'your' page, it is a page within Wikipedia about you and you should not edit it yourself. You can request edits be made via the article talk page. Eagleash (talk) 16:11, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

@Masha.altanpurev: There must be at least one reference to a reliable source. YouTube is not a reliable source for references, because anybody can post something there. So that only leaves one, and when I go to that link it bears no resemblance to the description. Please supply at least one independent, reliable source that supports the article. --Gronk Oz (talk) 16:34, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Well, reliability depends on context. YouTube has so far been considered as a reliable source for "X said Y" if it is a video of X saying Y. But that never proves notability. Additionally, in an era where an actor "performed" in a film that was shooted 21 years after his death, I am not sure even "X said Y" will remain Youtube-sourceable for long. Tigraan^{Click here to contact me} 19:45, 21 January 2017 (UTC)

Dr. Sam Sheppard Article

Twice I have posted additions to the Dr. Sam Sheppard article and twice it has been taken down. I referenced the specific page numbers in Tailspin that support the new evidence with photographs. Why has this new information been removed?

I lived in Bay Village at the time of the murder. My mother was a Cleveland newspaper reporter at the time and knew some of the principals. The inquest was in my elementary school. I have also interviewed some of the principals. I have an extensive collection of material on the case. I read portions of the ten volume trial transcript when it was being stored in a janitor's closet at the courthouse.

So, I ask again, why were my references removed? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Max Rays (talk • contribs) 16:20, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

This refers to article Sam Sheppard. If you look at the history tab for that article there is an edit summary for the edit following yours where it is removed where the editor stated a reason. You can discuss this on the article's talk page or contact the editor who made the change. RJFJR (talk) 16:25, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Ah, I see you did post a comment on the article talk page. RJFJR (talk) 16:26, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Shore Capital Partners Page

Dear Wikipedia,

My draft Wikipedia page has recently been moved to a deletion page on the grounds of sounding too much like an "advertisement," apparently because of PR references. However, if you look at my page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Shore_Capital_Partners, I have not included any press releases and included references from highbeam.com, cnbc, WSJ, among others. If the references are deemed inappropriate, I can always work with Wikipedia to improve my page. I don't understand why my page has to be deleted when I am perfectly willing to work with the administrators to make improvements. Is there any way I can talk to one of the Wikipedia guys on the phone? Please shoot me an email to <redacted>. I'm not saying that I have done everything right, but all I am asking is for chances for improvement.

Thank you for your consideration. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mjiangscp (talk • contribs) 17:53, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

@User:Mjiangscp It would help us if you can say what connection you have with Shore Capital Partners. Are you merely an employee of a Capital Partners or Social Strategy Consultant etc. --Aspro (talk) 18:26, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

@User:Aspro I am an employee of Shore Capital, and I work closely with everybody on the team, so feel free to talk to me. Mjiangscp (talk) 21:02, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

@user:Aspro I was wondering if there is customer service or any contacts for Wikipedia where I can talk to a live person. That would be really helpful! Please feel free to e-mail me or talk to me via whatever method most convenient to you. Mjiangscp (talk) 21:15, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

This is it. Also wikipedia has no customers and is not to be used for advertising purposes. Please read WP:COI before proceeding further.74.70.146.1 (talk) 22:45, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

• @Mjiangscp: you received some feedback from new article reviewers on the draft page (Draft:Shore_Capital_Partners). To elaborate on what they said, the topic of any article has to be shown to be "notable" which has a specific meaning on Wikipedia. That meaning is, basically, that there should be sources that simultaneously (1) are reliable, (2) are independent of the subject, and (3) give significant coverage to the subject. (There are tons of exceptions, counter-exceptions, and interpretative limitations, but that is the gist of it.) Tigraan^{Click here to contact me} 19:28, 21 January 2017 (UTC)

Well! There you go Jimbo Wales. If you should be wondering what else WP needs... It is a Customer Service Desk and a few dozen/hundreds of liveware hanging on the end of a telephone. </sarcasm>. Actually, thinking about it. That is not such a bad idea! Think... If the we charged all the COI's $70 an hour for editorial guidance by a 'live person' we would no longer need to ask for donations. </joking>--Aspro (talk) 00:15, 22 January 2017 (UTC)

Paragraph break not displaying

Check out the Roland TR-808 article. Under "Impact and legacy", the sentence beginning "By the time..." should begin a new paragraph (it's in the source), but the paragraph break isn't displayed. Doesn't seem to be a resizing issue. I'm sure this is a minor thing but I can't figure out the cause. What's happening? Popcornduff (talk) 19:25, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

@Popcornduff:  Fixed with this edit. Floated images and paragraphs of prose should not be on the same line. --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 19:44, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Thank you! Popcornduff (talk) 04:04, 21 January 2017 (UTC)