Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2014 October 24

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October 24

how many people have their wikipedia article

Respected sir/ mam

i want to know how many person in the world (live or dead) have their wikipedia biography. Means their profile or their biography are created as a wikipedia page article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 14.139.61.2 (talk) 06:38, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

Category:Living people contains 681,235 people currently. It's not as easy to provide a tally of dead people, but I'm sure it can be done. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 07:52, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

According to Wikipedia:WikiProject Biography 1,199,840 articles within the scope, although some of these may be duplicates of sorts, some may be groups (including some which probably aren't really in scope and shouldn't be tagged but are) and obviously some stuff won't be tagged even though within scope. Also this includes stubs like Aaron (saint) & Aaron (Copt). Actually there are 674,039 articles in Category:Stub-Class biography articles but many would be better e.g. Jerzy Stroba, A-ca-oo-mah-ca-ye, Kiur Aarma, Aaron I or even better. Also while editors are allowed to have some info on them including what could be called a short biography on their user page, this info is limited and isn't normally considered a "profile" and those which may fit whatever definition you are using aren't counted anywhere specially. (In any case, I suspect their number amounts to basically noise compared to the number of real articles.) Nil Einne (talk) 13:38, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

I believe the above answers are for English Wikipedia. There are 286 other Wikipedias. They range in size from a few dozen articles to over a million. Some of the undoubtedly contain articles about people who are not featured in English Wikipedia. It would not be easy to count them all. Many duplications between different Wikipedias would go through Wikidata, but not all, I think. --ColinFine (talk) 17:01, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

Burial vs. Cremation

If I die, which is a distinct possibility as I am a mere mortal, how do I arrange that I be buried, rather than cremated? I would also like to have a simple wooden box to lie in, rather than a lead-lined one. I don't want lead poisoning as well as death to compound things further. Sorry, joking aside, how do I do this? I don't want to ask my family, and I have no idea who else to ask. This is not a joke question - I have actually been seriously pondering this for years. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (Chin Wag) 16:53, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

You normally declare what you want in your Will. MilborneOne (talk) 16:55, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

I believe you are located in the UK, but I live in the US, and here, you can use the services of a funeral home to pre-arrange what happens when you die. You can also pre-pay for the expenses involved in carrying out those wishes, so that your family or other loved ones are not responsible for those expenses. --Thomprod (talk) 17:29, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

Yeah, most homes do that now. Some may not be thrilled about selling you the simpler option, but they shouldn't push the deluxe package too hard. If they do, they're probably not the guys for the job. Most cemeteries require at least a grave liner for your cheap box, though, mainly to keep the ground flat. You're probably allowed to be buried on your own land, which can dip if you'd like, but you'll want to check with a local lawyer or government about that. InedibleHulk (talk) 18:20, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

Yes, just buy some land and you can be buried in it (provided it's sufficiently isolated to avoid pollution issues). I know several people who have been buried in their own land here in the UK. Dbfirs 08:19, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

This is a request for legal advice, quite frankly. Matters of last wishes, disposition of remains, and a will are matters to consult a licensed attorney about. —/Mendaliv/^2¢/_Δ's/ 17:30, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

I agree, so it's a good thing that the responders have suggested talking to the correct people (lawyer and/or funeral home). Sometimes the legal advice you need is where to get your legal advice. Matt Deres (talk) 19:11, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

Proper disposal of the dead is definitely a matter of law. Assuming that either burial or cremation are available, talking to a lawyer could be good, but talking to a local funeral home could be just as useful, as you will need to buy a burial plot anyway. I wouldn't simply "put it in the will", as the will is not necessarily read immediately after death and before burial. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:50, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

It's becoming more common to cremate unclaimed bodies, rather than use a pauper's grave. Saves money and space. Same might go if yours was claimed, but the claimants didn't know what you wanted and didn't want to guess (or pay). On the plus side, it's easier to bury the ashes if the will reappears than exhume and rebury the whole thing. On the other hand, you didn't want to be ashes. InedibleHulk (talk) 20:07, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

It's more than that; whether the requested method of burial actually has to be honored is a question of law, as is who would be the person to sue if it was not followed. —/Mendaliv/^2¢/_Δ's/ 23:02, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

I'm sure that your will is the place to state this - but I'm not convinced that this is any guarantee that it'll be honored. If you say that you wish to be buried in a solid gold coffin, studded with 10 carat diamonds at the peak of Mt Everest by the light of a solar eclipse - then unless you provide a significant chunk of cash, it's not going to happen. It's a common idea that you can make all sorts of silly demands in your will - but very often they'll get thrown out.

Your request seems kinda modest - but burial plots are getting really expensive in some places - and you may find that at time of death, there isn't enough money on hand to do that - so you're going to get cremated no matter what.

You should certainly talk to a lawyer and be prepared to set aside money specifically for doing this. But even if you've paid for a burial plot and pre-purchased the headstone and coffin - should you happen to die while on vacation on the far side of the world, the cost of transporting your body might prove to be too much. So I think it would take considerable effort and preparation to be 100% certain of anything you might decide. SteveBaker (talk) 20:33, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

It might go without saying, but if you die in a particularly hot fire or heavy explosion, you may have to settle for less. Not much the courts can do about you being lost at sea, either. InedibleHulk (talk) 21:04, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

This site gives excellent independent general guidance. Most funeral directors (even in the backward old UK, like this one), now offer pay-in-advance funeral plans in which all details can be specified. Re the OP's " I don't want to ask my family" - one answer is to give your family a sealed envelope to be opened in the event of your death. That should contain all the details that you would wish your family to adhere to. Ghmyrtle (talk) 21:12, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

If I got an envelope like that, I'd fully expect to spend one night in a haunted house. InedibleHulk (talk) 21:25, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

In short, you need to shop around, sort out a funeral plan with a funeral director (the Co-op are a good starting point) then contact a solicitor to sort out your will. Your executors need to be aware of the funeral plan - then all ought to go smoothly. Fiddlersmouth (talk) 00:51, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

• Multiple people have said they think that the will is the right place to give instructions regarding your remains. This may vary by jurisdiction, but my understanding is that they are wrong. Wikipedia's article on wills says that a will is about disposition of your estate and makes no suggestion that it is also for instructions regarding your remains, and this does fit with my understanding: only if you wanted to bequeath money for some special way of dealing with your remains would the will be relevant. Please do talk to a laywer to learn about the law where you live, and a funeral director will have practical advice about making your wishes known. --174.88.134.249 (talk) 04:46, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

In the UK then there are a number of organisations who can advise you about a simple and ethical burial. According to the information on these sites the rules covering burials in the UK are surprisingly relaxed. Natural Death Centre, Sun Rising or The Druid Network for example. Another (probably less likely) option is to join the Society of Friends who will take care of your burial in a simple, economic and dignified way in one of their burial grounds. The less complicated your burial wishes the more likely they are to be followed. Richard Avery (talk) 07:20, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

174 is correct in saying (at least as far as the UK is concerned) that a Will is not the right place to give instructions about one's funeral and burial/cremation. This page has a suggested document for such requests; but, as it says, they are not legally binding on friends and relatives (in contrast to a Will, whose instructions are legally binding). It may be a morbid topic, but if you have strong views on how your remains should be dealt with then it would be a good idea to discuss your wishes in advance with those who might have to put them into effect. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 09:00, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

In general, a funeral plan lodged with the funeral director and indicated in the will should (in the United Kingdom) get the job done. For a start, it's all pre-paid, so that tends to put people off arguing. That's as much as I can say without giving legal advice. Your funeral director will tell you the ins and outs of the legal process. We've just been through this with a neighbour, and all the local funeral directors offer this service (we're just outside Leeds). It was surprisingly painless. Fiddlersmouth (talk) 11:42, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

Burial on family property is still done in America. Such burials have to comply with local laws, of course, so you would need to see a lawyer about the particulars. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:12, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

In the UK, burial on your own property is legal, but the title deeds of the property have to be amended to include your remains. Fiddlersmouth (talk) 14:33, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

You will usually have to be buried at least around 150 feet away from any water supply, at least in North America. InedibleHulk (talk) 19:46, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

In the US it can vary, and it may depend on case-by-case factual determinations. And there are other reasons why a state or local government might enjoin use of certain areas as a burial ground. See generally, Cemetery or burial ground as nuisance, Annotation, 50 A.L.R.2d 1324 (1956) (discussion on where a cemetery might be declared a nuisance or public nuisance). —/Mendaliv/^2¢/_Δ's/ 20:19, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

This is why cremation is such a good choice. It's sanitary, portable, much smaller and generally cheaper. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:21, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

Wastes a lot of nutrients, though. Some people like the idea of being recycled in earth. Some people like the idea of loading up on formaldehyde and waiting in a triple-sealed coffin with a glass window, just to impress whoever moves their body when space runs out decades later. Definitely cheaper to burn, but no fun. InedibleHulk (talk) 20:35, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

No fun? The Crems round here run on Linux, and the computer won't open the doors until the furnace is up to temperature. Round the back there's the Cremulator (quick, Crem Man - to the Cremulator) grinding up the ashes and spitting out coffin nails, handles, and artificial hips. High tech, and not cheap. But fun. The expense of cold funerals is mainly buying the plot and the headstone. The really cheap funerals are Do-It-Yourself woodland burials (there is a registered plot a few miles from here). The coffin is replaced with a hessian wrap, which goes round the body which (recommended) has already been placed on a plank to assist lowering. I officiated at such a funeral where the departed arrived laid out in the morgue's body bag in the back of an estate car (station wagon). Fiddlersmouth (talk) 22:16, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

I was thinking more about the customer. Running a crematory sounds like (relatively) expensive fun. And yeah, shouldn't forget the plank for a natural body. Nothing ruins a solemn mood like a fart from beyond. InedibleHulk (talk) 22:28, 25 October 2014 (UTC)

I get the distinct impression this thread is about to turn into the Undertakers sketch. —/Mendaliv/^2¢/_Δ's/ 05:41, 26 October 2014 (UTC)

It would have, if you hadn't made us prove you wrong. Probably for the best. Thanks! InedibleHulk (talk) 01:47, 30 October 2014 (UTC)

Resolution of copyright-free images downloaded by Wikipedia

Hi,

For a book I have written I have included some images which I downloaded from Wikipedia.

The publisher has got back to me to say their resolution is too low for their printers (about 70 dpi when they require 300 dpi).

Is there any way I can download these same images in higher resolution?

God bless.

Best wishes, Doug — Preceding unsigned comment added by Douglas Wardrop (talk • contribs) 17:25, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

It depends on the images. It's possible that the image you wish to use is not available in a higher resolution. —/Mendaliv/^2¢/_Δ's/ 17:31, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

If you're using the Chrome browser, you can right-click on any image and select "Search Google for this Image". If the image is found anywhere else on the Internet, Google will say:

Find other sizes of this image:

All sizes - Small - Medium - Large

Click on "All sizes" and you'll see a bunch of copies of the image at different sizes. Click on them to see where on the web they are stored. The problem now is whether you have permission to use the images. Even though they are used on Wikipedia, they may not be free for all uses. Wikipedia sometimes uses the "fair use" provisions of the copyright laws to display certain copyrighted images - and very often, we restrict the resolution of the image to comply with those laws. You have to check for yourself whether you have permission to display them - and at some higher resolution.

Failing that, all of our images have information about who uploaded them - and sometimes where they came from. You may be able to send a message to the original uploader from their Talk: page or an 'email this user' link in the left-side menu on their user page. Of course, they may or may not be able to help...but it's worth a try. SteveBaker (talk) 20:21, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

While the above answer are good, it's not clear to me you've actually made sure you received the highest resolution version from wikipedia as you didn't describe how you retrieved them. Just saving images directly from the wikipedia page they are in will often mean you're getting a lower resolution version. Even clicking on the image and saving the image you see will likewise mean you may not get the maximum resolution.

To get the maximum resolution verison, if you're still using the Media Viewer feature, when you click on an image you should see the image upon a black background. To the right of that background there should be a download icon (downward arrow pointing to a flat line). Click on this and you should be able to download the original file. If this still isn't large enough, it pays to check out the details. If you take a read of the details or click on 'more details' which will take you to the Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia page for that image, look and see if there's any mention of the work being a derivative work or similar. Sometimes, cropped images or other modifications are uploaded which may be lower effective resolution than the original image on wikipedia/wikimedia for various reasons. (If you aren't using the media viewer you'll go directly to the same page, nearly. You can save the full resolution version by saving the link to "original file".)

BTW, even in the case of non fair use NFCC) images, if the images aren't in the public domain (many aren't), you should make sure you comply with the licence terms (which may include attributing and perhaps even including the licence with your work).

Nil Einne (talk) 17:30, 26 October 2014 (UTC)