Wikipedia:Teahouse/Questions/Archive 15

This is an archive of past discussions about Wikipedia:Teahouse. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current main page.

Archive 10

←

Archive 13

→

file jpeg comes up in google

Hello Teahouse~

This page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_victoria_blyth_hill.jpeg is coming up in a Google Search under the name of Victoria Blyth Hill. How can I fix this please, anyone?

Marilyn Nix (talk) 05:06, 9 May 2012 (UTC)

Hey, Marilyn! I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you want to fix. Can you explain a little more about what you think is wrong with the picture showing up on a Google search? Thanks! Writ Keeper ⚇♔ 05:11, 9 May 2012 (UTC)

She is probably concerned that Google is returning the image as the top result rather than the Wikipedia article. Search engines have complicated algorithms (which are largely kept secret) for determining search order ranking which include things such as number of click-throughs and number of incoming links. Many companies pay good money to professionals to try to optimize their search engine results. There is not a lot you can do about this, but the article will probably end up as the top result eventually as more readers visit it. Also, if you are signed in to Google, it will try to return results tailored to you, and may well have noticed you are fond of the image. Spinning Spark 09:53, 9 May 2012 (UTC)

Well, for one thing, the article was in wikipedia space - I've now moved that. I believe wikipedia space is given lower SEO relevance than article space or even file space. I've moved the article into article space now. As for removing the file from the search all together, you could "fix" it, by changing the file name... Worm^TT · (talk) 09:59, 9 May 2012 (UTC)

Thanks Teahouse, lots to learn... Marilyn Nix (talk) 05:29, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

How notable are we talking about?

I am soooo sorry i have to ask another question here, its just....i dunno how to edit the question i did ask.

Anyways, I dont think i could get my micronation in a newspaper if thats what your saying, but i could pretty much do anything else ;)

So yeah, how notable are we talking about?Drawnmeesaki (talk) 15:43, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

Drawnmeesaki, there's not a lot that can be added to Sarah's previous answer - it needs to have been covered in reliable, independent sources. If it's your own micronation then your should read the policy on WP:Conflict of interest and why it's probably not a good idea that you edit an article on Snaowland. NtheP (talk) 16:21, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

Two pictures

I uploaded the same picture twice and left out copyright information or did it wrong for at least one of them. How can I fix this; they are up for deletion. Would like to fix this and have one posted on my article about Richard Newton.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Marilyn_Nix&diff=next&oldid=492140619

Once deleted (if I cannot untangle, help desperately needed) can I resubmit one with complete info? I messed this up, and would really like to start completely over to not get too confused/confusing, but I do want the picture (for which I have written/email permission to use on Wikipedia, no copyright).

Thanks very much.

Marilyn Nix (talk) 05:27, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

Marilyn, not to worry, worst thing that can happen is that the image gets deleted - it can always be uploaded again once the permission is sorted out. The only image still posted is File:Richard Newton.jpg where you have the permission as "Evidence will be provided on request". That evidence does need to be seen. You have an email from Richard Newton saying you can use the picture - that's great. But as it's a picture of him he doesn't necessarily own the copyright, that belongs to whoever took the picture unless there was an arrangement in place that the copyright always belonged to Richard. You need to clear this up first. Now assuming you have got permission from the copyright holder does that permission have any limitations on it e.g. for use on Wikipedia only? or can you do what you want with it and it's accepted that so can others? This is important because we need to know that the copyright holder is happy that this picture can freely be used anywhere on the internet one he has released. Ideally the permission is made under a GNU Free Documentation License or Creative commons 3.0 licence, if it's not clear then ask the copyright holder to send you an email using the suggested text here. If you can sort those two points out and then come back here and we can explain what to do to get the licence onto the image. Sorry if this sounds rather convoluted but Wikipedia needs to be sure that permission to reuse the image has been freely and properly given. NtheP (talk) 14:08, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

What do I have to do to get my article on wikipedia?

I just recently created an article about a micronation and it was deleted.

what do i have to do to get my micronation on wikipedia? Thanks!Drawnmeesaki (talk) 03:18, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi Drawnmeesaki! Welcome to the Teahouse. You're the second person who has asked us about this in the past few months, perhaps we need to have guidelines about micronation article creations ;) In order to have any article on Wikipedia, the subject, this time your micronation, has to be "notable", meaning it has to be covered rather widely in newspapers, magazines, and related media, and possibly scholarly journals. So, if your micronation isn't that famous yet, then we can't have an article about it on Wikipedia, but, in the future, perhaps we can (say, ten years down the line, or if something really epic and newsworthy happens there, or it gets added to the "map"). I hope this helps! Sarah (talk) 14:06, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

Questions about making edits to an article

Hello Teahouse! Last night and this morning, I sent some suggested edits and answers to questions to see if we can omit the inline comments on Deborah Berke & Partners Architects. I am wondering if I may make these edits (I think not, as I generated the article...), but wanted to inquire as the requests/comments seem really simple and I'd love to get the inline comments out of the article. The suggested edits and information are on the talk page of User:DoriSmith. Please advise! thank you Meredith at DBA (talk) 20:16, 11 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi Meredith! It is certainly acceptable for you to make changes to an article you created; however, I'm glad you came here. As it appears that you may have a conflict of interest, the most advisable way for you to make changes to the page is to add {{Request edit}} to the talk page. In that instance another editor will review the edit and (hopefully) make it. Still, for something simple like removing a buzzword it is usually easiest for you to do it yourself, especially if the edit is clearly designed to make the article more neutral. Ryan Vesey Review me! 20:21, 11 May 2012 (UTC)

Thank you for the advice and feedback [[User:Ryan Vesey|. I have placed a {{Request edit}} to the talk page. Thank you again. Meredith at DBA (talk) 13:07, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

Articles for creation.

I was browsing through articles that had been put up for creation and I found this one about a museum, it has a decent amount of sources but it says it was rejected because "Article relies extensively on sources published by the Museum. Needs to verify the subject is notable using reliable sources that are independent of the subject", which made me wonder why the Queensland Museum article doesn't have any problems even though it only has 2 sources and 1 is published by the museum. Lunashy _{Friendship letters.}^{write a friendship letter} 05:04, 11 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi Lunashy. I've fiddled with your link to make things easier for those who want to know what you're talking about. The simple answer to this question is that the encyclopedia is not finished, in fact, it'll never be finished - it's in a constant state of flux. It's true that there are lower quality articles out there, which do not meet the standards that are expected at Articles for Creation, but the theory is that sooner or later (one day!) someone will either improve the lower quality article or request it's deletion. Until that time, it hasn't really had much of a peer review, and that means that it's more likely to be deleted than an article that came out of Articles for Creation. Does that make sense? It's why we don't really accept other stuff exists as an argument at Articles for Deletion. Worm^TT · (talk) 08:16, 11 May 2012 (UTC)

That makes sense, thanks for clearing that up for me :) ( Lunashy _{Friendship letters.}^{write a friendship letter} 08:28, 12 May 2012 (UTC))

Who could help me to learn more about Methane Hydrates?

I am interested in future energy sources.Anna Kwilecka (talk) 02:17, 10 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi Anna Kwilecka if you want to learn about Methan hydrates I would suggest trying here -> Methane clathrate. I hope it will help you ( Lunashy _{Friendship letters.}^{write a friendship letter} 02:32, 10 May 2012 (UTC))

Hey, Anna! A good place to ask general-knowledge questions is the Reference Desk; for this question, the science subsection would probably be best. (As with all things internet, we can't guarantee the accuracy of answers, but still!) Good luck! Writ Keeper ⚇♔ 02:35, 10 May 2012 (UTC)

We have a couple of active contributors that are also Chemists and they may know something about this. I don't know if they watch this so I left them a note in case they had time to comment. Sorry I can't be more help but that's outside my area of expertise.Kumioko (talk) 03:26, 10 May 2012 (UTC)

Not my field - but post at Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Chemistry - you may find some answers there. Ronhjones ^(Talk) 15:07, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

Different english usages

I am hesitant to ask this question as I'm sure it has been asked before but....:-)

If an article has both British English and American English spellings of common words should we attempt to standardize them to all one side? Are there wars or would this start wars between old and new English spellings/usages?

Also, what about using "according to" (a spokesman for example) phrasing when writing about a topic that only a single source would or could no; for example a business sharing about one of their internal processes or customs or histories? I'm not talking about a whole article like this but just parts of certain sections. Because I might have an upcoming "inside source" that will give me information that I will have no way to verify. I can however verify that this person is speaking on behalf of that certain entity and has the right to do so.Whoisgalt (talk) 19:45, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Hey there Whoisgalt, and welcome to the Teahouse! Yes, indeed there are massive wars about which version of English is used ... some of which can be found here. However, it is certainly recommended to standardize an article into one flavor (or flavour) of English. If the subject is decidedly British or Canadian —such as an article on British House of Commons or Ottawa, Ontario—then you'd standardize it that way, just as you might want everything in American English in an article on the Indianapolis Colts. If there is some question, you might want to work towards consensus on the article's talk page. Then, when it's set, you can add a template to the top of the article to indicate to readers/editors what version of English is being used in that article ... you can take a look here and here for examples. Hope this helps! --McDoob AU 93 20:03, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

(edit conflict) There's a few factors that help you decide this.

what is the article about? If it's about something that has a specific nationality the convention is to use the English that is appropriate for that country.
if 1 doesn't apply, what is the majority of spelling used by previous editors? Start at the bottom and work up i.e. creator of article gets first dabs.
if you make a decision to go one way of another it's polite to say so on the talk page and also to put the appropriate template from Category:Varieties of English templates on the talk page to.

There's more detail on this at WP:ENGVAR

Second part - If the information can't be verified don't use it or at least wait until it can be verified. NtheP (talk) 20:15, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Ok I can see the merit in the response the the second question. I asked them to provide me with sources that I could verify because I wouldn't be able to find them on my own (different language). But once given the information I could try to verify it. I also asked this company if they could provide pictures (the same ones that visitors of the plant would see with their own eyes) but that were much better quality and to then be used on wikipedia...If the managers of the business give me the pictures I'm assuming I have the license to use them? Or must I obtain a more formal approval. Now, these pictures would be from a different country thus further complicating the matter.Whoisgalt (talk) 20:24, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Hey, I can tell you what I know about the images, but to be safe, it is always good to ask those types of questions at Wikipedia:Media copyright questions. The people there are generally experts on the subject. I believe to use an image from somebody else, you need to be able to prove that you have permission from them to release it under one of the free licenses listed here. Ryan Vesey Review me! 20:37, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Need help in moving and shrinking a useful weatherbox but one that really scr$%s up the page.

Hello,

I am a very new user-just started a few days ago and am still learning basic editing. So please forgive me, things are a little overwhelming. I've tried to figure this out on myself but I can't find any useful strategies or tips to do it.

I need help on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhaoqing to take the weather box from its current location and put it directly under the climate heading and leave room for the city information box on the right side. Hopefully this could be done by shrinking it but other methods might also be okay. Currently the weather box is so big that it must be placed under the right border city box and thus causes a huge ugly blank space that isn't needed and whose space could be used for much more beneficial reasons. The increase in beauty and function to the page would be very large.

Whoisgalt (talk) 16:29, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Howdy! I'm not that good with templates, but I'll look into your request. Give me a moment or two. Thanks, Nathan2055 ^talk 16:32, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

It looks like this has been discussed recently (see Template talk:Weather box/Archive 4#Request for Narrower Width) but with no apparent resolution, you might want to re-raise this topic at Template talk:Weather box. NtheP (talk) 16:46, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Is there a DIY template/format I could use to replace the current bloated one so I can improve the page more expediently? Because I don't really dare take it out of the article. Is it allowed to used different templates for monthly temp/rainfall and the such?Whoisgalt (talk) 18:58, 13 May 2012 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Whoisgalt (talk • contribs) 16:50, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Oh, forgot to thank you for the quick response...Are you sure you're not a six sigma trainer in your day job :-) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Whoisgalt (talk • contribs) 16:52, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

If you change to a custom template then it's likely that someone will come along and revert you telling you that the template exists. I'd discuss first your proposed change at the article talk page as well as re-raising the issue at the template talk page.

Thanks for the compliment but no 6σ isn't my day job :-) NtheP (talk) 17:06, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for your help...A friendly wikizen helped me out though, apparently the format was non-standard causing the weather box to interfere with the right hand box. Now it looks very beautiful. Can I expect this sort of helping hand behavior normally or is it just because I'm a new airheaded editor?Whoisgalt (talk) 18:29, 13 May 2012 (UTC) 71.51.141.113 (talk) 18:28, 13 May 2012 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Whoisgalt (talk • contribs) 17:56, 13 May 2012 (UTC) Whoisgalt (talk) 18:58, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

We'll be here whenever you need us, new or old. NtheP (talk) 19:30, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

What needs to be cited, really?

I was adding a quote to this page, Beverly Cleary, and I noticed that someone has put a citation needed note on this statement: "She has also written two autobiographies, A Girl from Yamhill and My Own Two Feet." Honestly, does this need to be cited? Will anyone argue that she hasn't written these two books, or that they aren't autobiographies? They are listed in her bibliography, though it doesn't have publishers, etc, in it. And if it is needed, what sort of citation should be added to this sentence?

This isn't an article I'm especially interested in working on much. It has regular contributors. But I'd like a better idea of what really needs citing. Thanks.Tlqk56 (talk) 15:58, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

It's a fine dividing line and there are a number of essays which argue both for and against. I'd start with Wikipedia:When to cite including, specifically the first two sections. I don't think too many people have a problem with not citing things like "Paris is the capital of France" and in my opinion as long as the bibliography on Cleary shows the publishers of the two autobiographies then I don't think a citation is needed. NtheP (talk) 16:17, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

(edit conflict) Really, I disagree with the person that added the {{cn}} to that comment. It's sort of impossible to argue that she didn't write those books. I fully agree with Nthep above. Reply if you have any more questions. Thanks, Nathan2055 ^talk 16:30, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for sending me back to that page. I knew I'd read it, but couldn't find it again. (I never call things by the same name WP does, it seems.) I've been working on articles by writers, and I don't cite a plain statement about a book being written or published because I'm always careful to put it in the bibliography. It helps to know that's probably enough. I appreciate your response. Tlqk56 (talk) 16:27, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

OK, I added one ref elsewhere and removed that particular tag. None of the other instances of books she wrote had been similarly tagged, so it seemed especially out of place. (I left a note on the talk page.) I did add publishers and checked dates. I appreciate the feedback.Tlqk56 (talk) 17:08, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Using Creative Commons Photo

How do I use a Creative Commons picture that a friend posted there? He will send me a URL, so how is this written by me to embed the picture, and place it left or right. Thanks a lot. One step at a time over here! Marilyn Nix (talk) 00:57, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Marilyn - so you can start playing and do it one step at a time - I have found a couple of ways to embed an image. I found that if you use the bar above your edit space and select "help" you get a drop down list. Then you select File and find some of the code you embed a picture. Just copy the file name from the commons and it works. The left and right bit may need a bit of extra work. The other option is to go to the file in Wiki Commons and there is a button for Wiki above the images - click that and you get the code. Copy and paste it over - Wiki genius! I found a tutorial too WP:PICTURE - it seems to know about the left and right thing .... and more ... it can get daunting! Media-Hound 'D 3rd P^) (talk) 02:38, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Thanks MediaHound, you are a genius! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Marilyn Nix (talk • contribs) 04:07, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Moved from Sandbox to Article Status

My next question is.. I created an article and it was deleted for a couple of reasons. Since the deletion on 5/9 I have had help from several editors to improve the content and structuring of the article. Today, I moved the improved article from the Sandbox to Article status..but my User Page does not reflect the move for DJ Mell Starr. I am just wondering is everything I did correct? Please, if you have a moment please take a look and advise me on what I have done wrong and what my next steps should be. DJ Mell Starr (talk)

This account has been blocked. That person is now editing under their original account QTPepsi. I've invited them back to the Teahouse, so I guess we'll see! heather walls (talk) 23:19, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Not sure what is going on - but if you check the pages

you may be able to figure it all out.

Also check out - Talk:DJ_Mell_Starr for some help on citation number 6 and scratching. Media-Hound 'D 3rd P^) (talk) 23:30, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Making an image bigger?

Is there an easy way to make an already down-loaded image bigger? Both of the pics on Doris Gates seem very small for the spaces they are in. But I know nothing about photo manipulation and have no idea how to make them a bit bigger. Thanks.Tlqk56 (talk) 18:56, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

You can adjust the displayed image size by giving the "image_size =" a number. The number is in pixels. Your original image is only 75 Pixels which is small and makes blowing the image up quite hard. You loose quality. I would try 150 pixels and 120 and see how it looks. I have googled and Doris Gates seems elusive. If you can find a better quality image from another source I would do that too.

As for the image of the plate there you have this line "Plate with Willow-pattern.jpg|thumb|**200**" The 200 is the image size in pixels so that is where you would alter the image width and overall size. Have fun. Media-Hound 'D 3rd P^) (talk) 23:05, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Thanks. I will play around and see how it goes.Tlqk56 (talk) 23:30, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

CSS broken on my user account??

So, I am brand new to Wikipedia and when I log in to my user account the formatting for it is completely different than the rest of Wikipedia. After speaking with my Professor it was determined that it seems the CSS is broken. Everything functions there is just no style and there are no images present. No idea how it happened or how to fix it. Please help! IvyAlyse (talk) 22:08, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

I don't know if the CSS is broken or if you have tried this already, but if you go to your preferences page and then appearance check it isn't just the theme or if the theme is playing up, I have a problem which I think might be similar where now one of my themes has a pale blue background but all the buttons are still white... so I changed theme and everything is fine now Lunashy _{Friendship letters.}^{write a friendship letter} 23:05, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Thank you so much for your feedback! I went in and changed it to the default and everything appears to be back to normal and is easier to operate. I must have accidentally changed it when I was playing with my page and as soon as I read your comment I remembered playing around with it in the past. Thank you again for your prompt response and I am thankful Wikipedia has users who are able and willing to help one another out. (: IvyAlyse (talk) 23:40, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Persondata use

Persondata is not to be used in anything but an article about one specific person, right? AutomaticStrikeout (talk) 20:25, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Correct! :) Sarah (talk) 21:26, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Nominating good articles

Is it considered poor form to nominate an article for good article status if you have not really done any work on it yourself? AutomaticStrikeout (talk) 19:03, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Nope! If you find an article you think deserves to go through the good article peer review process, go ahead and nominate it. Just be prepared that you and those watching it will be asked to do edits suggestions provided by the peer reviewer if necessary to gain the GA status. Also, be patient, there is a pretty big backlog. You can make a nomination here: GA nominations. Good luck :D Sarah (talk) 19:21, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Proper format for persondata name

I know that generally the proper format for a persondata name is: Last name, First name. However, I would like to know if that is the correct format for cases where a person's given name is in the form of: (Name) of (place). AutomaticStrikeout (talk) 16:38, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi, AutomaticStrikeout! You're right to be suspicious, for indeed (Name) of (place) stays exactly the same. For any more help, see WP:PERSONDATA. Rcsprinter (gas) 16:43, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

That's a relief. I wouldn't want to have had to fix all my edits or something like that. AutomaticStrikeout (talk) 16:44, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

How to find Chinese articles in need of work

Hello,

I'm interested in china topics but was wondering if there was an easy way to search for articles and proposed articles that were short,stubs,deemed insufficient, low quality, etc. I only want to find these for China english version and not the rest of wikipedia. Also is there a way to search for articles that need more pictures and/or simple beautifying for a beginner, because I have thousands of pictures from my travels there which don't need a license and that would be easy to scan!

I'm currently going to some of the subjects that I'm interested in and finding short or otherwise information lacking articles but it's kind of tedious...I just want a way to have all the articles rated as to if they need a lot more work (not just a little work) and then I can see if I'm interested in improving them. Does this function exist? Whoisgalt (talk) 12:56, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Hey, Whoisgalt! (Or can I just call you John?) A useful thing for these kinds of efforts are the stub categories, which are lists of articles flagged as stubs by subject type. This link will take you to the "Ch" section, which looks like it has a bunch of stub categories related to China; click any of these, and it'll take you to a list of the stubs related to that topic. Hope this helps! Writ Keeper ⚇♔ 13:21, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Thanks,

I will look into that and see what I find, Thank you. whoisgalt is fine, hehe. I'm a soft moderate objectivist unlike Rand and that phrase has stuck with me so many years after reading the book...So, I thought wow I'm actually writing articles on Wiki? Who is John Galt? I had that kind of feeling (if you've read the book you know what I mean) in a good but strange way.Whoisgalt (talk) 14:01, 14 May 2012 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Whoisgalt (talk • contribs) 13:35, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi Whoisgalt! Also check out WikiProject China, it's a group of Wikipedians from around the world who collaborate or have interest in writing about China related subjects. You can find lots of opportunities there. Check it out here: Wikipedia:WikiProject_China. Sarah (talk) 14:30, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Here are some category trees you may be interested in:

Click on "►" below to display subcategories:
China stubs

Click on "►" below to display subcategories:
China articles needing attention

These are maintained by WikiProject China and as such are part of Category:WikiProject China. benzband (talk) 14:33, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

This can be fun, too: User:SuggestBot. You can use it once or sign up to get regular suggestions from it.Tlqk56 (talk) 15:51, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Welcome thingy

how do I remove the "Welcome to Wikipedia" banner from the top of my user page? Lunashy _{Friendship letters.}^{write a friendship letter} 01:37, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Hey Lunashy! It isn't too difficult, all you need to do is remove {{new user bar}}. It appears on your userpage as

{{new user bar|image=[[file:Lunashy avatar.jpg|200px]]}}

It is the second thing from the top. Ryan Vesey Review me! 01:40, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Thank you, also... is there a way to center a userbox? Lunashy _{Friendship letters.}^{write a friendship letter} 02:02, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

I don't know exactly, you could try playing around with {{align}} or {{Center}}. I have a ton of markup on my userpage you can see if copying anything is useful. Ryan Vesey Review me! 02:39, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

The wiki markup for centering is using <center> </center> tags (like the <small> </small> tags, <big> </big> tags, <code> </code> tags, etc.)
So <center>centered text</center> should produce:

centered text

For centering your userbox just surround it in these tags and that should do the trick. Alternative is {{center|centered text}} (mentioned by Ryan), which uses <div> tags like this:

<div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;">centered text</div>.

That should also work. benzband (talk) 07:53, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Recieved Babel notice now user page is erased

Hello,

I just received the notice to personalize some things including adding languages with Babel and now my user page is missing. I added a new little blurb but what happened to the old one? I could of sworn it was there before I got the Babel notice. Thanks Whoisgalt (talk) 01:05, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

It turns out all of my info has been erased, contributions, preferences, watchlist....I need some help Whoisgalt (talk) 01:11, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Nevermind, it seemed to fix itself...I guess this must happen normally sometimes.Whoisgalt (talk) 01:20, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi. There are occasional glitches in the system, but I don't recall seeing anything like what you describe, myself. As it seems to be now fixed, never mind (as you say). -- Trevj (talk) 09:27, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

How would you tag this?

When I have extra time I try to assess the unassessed articles related to children's lit. I think I have a pretty good idea by now on how to evaluate class and importance (on TALK page). However, I often encounter stubs about living writers like this, Charmian Hussey, where it would take more time than I want to spend to find out if the person is really notable and there are multiple problems with the article.

Is there a quick way to tag such an article for someone who knows more than me to look at it? It can take me forever to read down the whole list on this page, Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup, and try to decide how it should be tagged. I frequently end up just leaving it because I don't want to make a mistake or spend too much time. Any suggestions?Tlqk56 (talk) 01:48, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Hey Tlqk! You can use the {{Expert-subject}}. If use use Twinkle you can find it there also. You can use that template to alert an expert to evaluate the article. You can also leave a note at the associated WikiProject to let them know. I hope this helps! -- Luke (Talk) 02:10, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Using the same source

What is the protocol for when one uses the same source numerous times in the same section, in my case, adding quotes to an article? Should I cite the source after every quote? AutomaticStrikeout (talk) 23:52, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi! By and large, yes, but use common sense. For example a whole table can be attributed to a single source. Using named references will help. The problem with, for example, citing just at the end of a paragraph, is that if another sentence is inserted, form another source, it all goes crook. Rich Farmbrough, 00:03, 16 May 2012 (UTC).

(e/c)Hey Strikeout, and welcome! It certainly would be good to add citations after quotes. When using the same source multiple times, you can use the <ref name="name of source"> code. You'll use this at the start of a normal citation template for your reference, then close it as normal with </ref>. For subsequent uses, you would just use this instead: <ref name="name of source"/>. For name of source you can use a simple one word name or abbreviation; for instance, if you're citing an article from the Wall Street Journal, you can use "WSJ" or just "WallSt" or something similar. I hope this helps, but if you need additional explanation, please let us know and another Host or I will expand on this or offer other ideas! --McDoob AU 93 00:05, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Everything seems to be working fine. Thanks for the help. AutomaticStrikeout (talk) 00:32, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

How to cite non-English references

Hello, I'd like to know how exactly to cite references that aren't in English. They are the only ones that can support some of the information in the article. What exactly is the method for doing so?

Thanks

Idoshlomo (talk) 19:48, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hello Idoshlomo! You cite them the exact same way you cite English sources, there are no special rules. The standard citation templates (see Wikipedia:Citation templates) even includes a "language" parameter you can fill out with the language of the source. If English sources are availible they can be cited alongside the foreign language sources, however if all that is availible is the foreign language source, just cite it as you would any other source. Was this helpful to you? --Jayron32 20:14, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi there Idoshlomo. You've asked a question I have been dealing with recently. There is a guideline you should find helpful. Its "Verifiability - Non-English sources". Basically, if you are "quoting" from a None English language text, you need to provide a translation. If you are citing a none English language source, you add a foot note explaining what the source is about and why it's relevant - a translation is also seen as helpful. Of course, if you are able to cite a relevant independent translation that is best, but not absolutely necessary. Hope that helps! Media-Hound 'D 3rd P^) (talk) 20:20, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

I was also curious about this. Thanks for the helpful responses guys! Sarah (talk) 20:43, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

What kind of sources do I need for a page about a school?

My page, here: Wikipedia_talk:Articles_for_creation/The_Congressional_Schools_of_Virginia was rejected for not being adequately supported by reliable sources. My source was the school website, which I had noticed was done by many other schools with published pages on wikipedia, such as Norwood_School_(Bethesda,_Maryland) ...what should I do?

Thanks.

NLellenberg (talk) 19:34, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hello NLellenberg, sorry that you are running into trouble. What you need is independent reliable sources, that is, sources which have no connection to the subject of the article. Newspapers, journals, books, stuff like that is very good, so long as the source isn't published by the subject itself. Wikipedia generally holds that a subject is only worth creating an article about when other people have also written extensively about the subject of the article; a subject writing about itself is not an indication of this. See Wikipedia:Notability for a general guideline. Yes, there are other substandard pages at Wikipedia: you shouldn't aspire to create an article that can be compared to the worst at Wikipedia, instead try to get the article up to a high quality standard, and that starts with high quality sources. Does that help answer your question? --Jayron32 20:20, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Clarifying text in the article per an inline comment

Hello Teahouse! There is an inline comment "clarify" regarding the firm organization and leadership in the Deborah Berke & Partners Architects article. Here is clarification: Deborah Berke & Partners Architects is a New York City-based architecture and interior design firm founded by Deborah Berke and led by Berke, two partners: Maitland Jones and Marc Leff, and two principals: Stephen Brockman and Caroline Whartone. For more information about the partners and principals of the firm, Deborah Berke & Partners Architects, one can look at the leadership bio's on the firm website: http://www.dberke.com/office/profile_pp.htm

In addition, a secondary source of this information is the American Institute of Architects (AIA) NY Chapter Directory: http://aiany.aiany.org/index.php?section=firm-directory&cmpid=3227&filter=type&typid=2037

Thank you

Meredith at DBA (talk) 13:34, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi Meredith. I think when they are asking for clarity might be referring to the different titles. I don't know what the difference between a principal and a partner is. And of course, telling them in the article that they can go to a website isn't kosher on Wikipedia. Perhaps you can work on re-writing that sentence to make it easier to understand without the lingo of partners and principals? I'm not really sure what your question is, I suppose! Sarah (talk) 15:31, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi there Meredith. It does look like it could do with some clarification. Partners and Principles may make sense to the "informed" reader, but would not make sense to a lot of other people reading - some may not have English as a First Language. It seems like Industry Jargon. There are four names to deal with. As it says, "Clarify"!

You could add a new section heading (at position 1) and call it "Partners & Principles" which gives you space to report the facts and use both sets of sources for citation - or if it looks better you could add the three missing names in the lead where it says Clarify. You are having to deal with the conflict on interest issue, so it is necessary to consider if the names will add to the information for readers or if it will end up looking like a Promo! You may have to remove the references to Partners and Principles all together. Often you have to try out the options to see how it looks and how it reads. Wiki has Rules - and rule number 1 is there are no rules! It's about making a great encyclopaedia and the rule book on that one is still being written.P^) Remember, the page is about information for all readers and not an advert.

I was looking for a Parallel and had a look at the Starbucks page. Could the side bar let you list key people and offer a better solution? I don't envy you the High Wire act! Media-Hound 'D 3rd P^) (talk) 16:00, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Not reliable source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Articles_for_creation/Quick_Cliq Can someone help me on this? I don't understand whats wrong with sources. Do i strongly need some "encyclopedic" reference for this?Deowhite (talk) 05:35, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi Deowhite. Some of the references you are using are blogs. These are not considered reliable sources because there is no editorial oversight or peer review process. Others are just adverts or the product's own website. Wikipedia needs reliable third party sources which discuss the subject such as scietific journals, books or newspaper articles. To establish notabilty of the subject there needs to be significant coverage in secondary sources.--Charles (talk) 08:14, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Citation not working

For some reason the fifth reference, to ALA Annual Report, isn't displaying correctly here: User:Tlqk56/sandbox. I can't figure out why it's showing the long URL.(I'm hoping to track down the actual journal, but this is all I have so far.) I'm sure it's a cut-and-paste error, but if someone could check it out, I'd really appreciate it. I've stared at it so much I can't see what I did wrong. (While you're there feel free to fix anything else you notice, though that's not required.) Thanks! Tlqk56 (talk) 03:43, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hwy Tlqk56, I would suggest checking the link for the annual report because for me it only come up as this, the Google home page. Lunashy _{Friendship letters.}^{write a friendship letter} 04:02, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

P.S. it looks like a good article you have got going there.

Hi there Tlqk56 - had a look at the link and the citation entry/code. It's just a bare html link. The link has noting attached to it that can tell the Wiki Wonder Code how to display it. You can sort it out easily by using the Cite Web template. Just use the tool bar on top of the edit window - select cite - used the Template drop down menu and select "Cite Web". Fill in the blanks and off you go.

I also did a quick google and found that the reference is also in Google Books http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tdraVusLf9AC - if you search for the award it's in there. I found a nice tool for referencing google books - it's on the Citations tool pages Wikipedia:Citation_tools - works wonders and does all the hard work for you. Hope it helps. Media-Hound 'D 3rd P^) (talk) 04:48, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Isn't it better to reference the organization's official site than a book someplace? I assumed the official Newbery site was considered a better source.Tlqk56 (talk) 15:10, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi there again! Well in many ways it's six and a half dozen. It can depend on a number of factors. If you reference a website that changes often, the citation links are subjected to what is known as Link Rot. They break easily. If you are able to reference on a book in Google books and use the tool for that - you get a full citation and a link to the book at Google books - Both. It guards against Link Rot. It helps to keep down issues with broken citations and page maintenance. None of us are here forever - and neither are web pages! Media-Hound 'D 3rd P^) (talk) 20:46, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Whoever fixed the fifth citation -- thanks, it's working now. (Albeit with the wrong code. I will fix that.) What did I do wrong? Thanks to both of you for helping.Tlqk56 (talk) 15:10, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

It took some study but I managed to work out what was causing it to display as a long url but not why. In the url you had (partial showing only) ved=0CBYQvwUoAQ&q= A+Committee+on+Planning+, note the space in the middle. This seems to be the culprit, get rid of the space and the cite displays correctly. That aside I think the cite is wrong as it just links to a Google search not a specific result. I think that what you want is the specifc page within this JSTOR article. I don't have a JSTOR account but if you ask at Wikipedia:WikiProject Resource Exchange/Resource Request somebody who does have an account may be able to get you the specific page number and text. Then you can use a full specific cite to the article using {{cite journal}}. Hope this helps. NtheP (talk) 21:29, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Use of Primary Sources Questioned

Hello Teahouse, The article, Deborah Berke & Partners Architects cites thirteen (13) specific examples of the firm receiving an award. These awards are listed as a statement of fact, without any interpretation or exceptional claim. The Policy on using primary sources is as follows: "Unless restricted by another policy, primary sources that have been reliably published may be used in Wikipedia, but only with care, because it is easy to misuse them.[4] Any interpretation of primary source material requires a reliable secondary source for that interpretation. A primary source may only be used on Wikipedia to make straightforward, descriptive statements of facts that any educated person, with access to the source but without specialist knowledge, will be able to verify are supported by the source."

In conducting additional research on Wikipedia, I have found the following articles list awards with only primary references, and in some cases, no references at all:

Can someone please verify that the citations, as currently listed on the Deborah Berke & Partners Architects article, meet the requirements of the Primary Sources for references? Thank you. Meredith at DBA (talk) 17:35, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Meredith - you seem to have been working hard - so I checked every reference to see just how hard you had been working. Fair's fair. It looks as if all is in order, present and correct. As for the question about other articles and links - I'm staying agnostic! Media-Hound 'D 3rd P^) (talk) 23:19, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Meredith, I've had a look too and the way in which you are using those sources doesn't worry me at all - they are simply factual and you are not trying to interpret them in any way.

The other articles - I would try and avoid comparing what you are working on against other articles on similar topics. With so many articles on WP a lot go unnoticed so they might be brilliant, they might be rubbish, but nobody has taken a neutral eye overthem since they were created. Now you've put them on my radar I might go and have a look and tag them accordingly (that might attract other editors who will put in time to improve them) or if I think they are failing to meet notability list them for deletion (my least favoured option). There is a wikipedia essay called Other stuff exists which talks about this and leads onto other essays on the broad topic. The only articles I would make comparisons against are articles that are Good articles and Featured articles as they give examples to aspire to. Look forward, not back. NtheP (talk) 11:58, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Thank you NtheP! I hope your comment will help get those flags off the article. Meredith at DBA (talk) 13:33, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

policy on posting pictures from public tours of manufacturing facilities

Does anyone know the policy on posting pictures from public tours of manufacturing facilities, in particular a brewery with free tastings and facility tours and the like? Or is this a question better asked of the picture copyrights people; not sure exactly what wiki department they are? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Whoisgalt (talk • contribs) 05:03, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Did you take these photos yourself? If not, who did? In what country? --Orange Mike | Talk 18:49, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Hey Whoisgalt! Welcome back :D I have uploaded images from my visits to wineries with no problems. If you took them yourself and you decide to release them under a Wikipedia-friendly license then you should be good to go. Mike does ask a good question - it could depend on what country you took the photos in. I have only taken photographs of breweries and wineries in the United States and I've never had a problem. Here is an example, this one I uploaded from my Flickr account: File:Bartholomew Park Winery Hallway.jpg. It's of the Bartholomew Park Winery and is used in the article. I hope this helps! Sarah (talk) 19:13, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for the info...Taken all by myself and all in China...The laws there I'm assuming are much less strict than here, if they are followed..Okay I'm happy then. Thanks for the help.Whoisgalt (talk) 20:34, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Hey! You should be fine, China has virtually no freedom of panorama law, so you can upload your images. Thank you for sharing them with the world! Sarah (talk) 20:40, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

(edit conflict)As it's China you're ok as long as the shots are outdoor shots. It's an area of copyright known as "Freedom of panorama" and sadly varies from place to place. You can check out the laws as they apply to each country at Commons:Freedom of panorama. NtheP (talk) 20:44, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

They are not outside...They are inside...IN a brewery that I was given a tour of and they let us take pictures and touch the machinery. Hope this doesn't disqualify them.Whoisgalt (talk) 21:03, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi! I'm 95% sure that if they allowed you to take photos it is fine. Sarah (talk) 21:16, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Did they have a photography related statement on the tour? I've been given behind the tours less than public access to facilities and we need to make sure we clear all indoor coverage with the people in charge of the particular facility, be escorted around, etc. It totally depends on, in this particular case, the policies of the institution. --LauraHale (talk) 21:15, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

I didn't see any photo signs and even if there were I wouldn't of understood them because I didn't understand chinese then...But it's china, moreover its china 1999 before that brewery got big and famous. Now they are very famous (the 44$ dollar a bottle beer company) and might be sensitive because they might have updated the factory or just don't want the consumers to see how shi**y it is or was. I did email them already and told them I was creating a wiki article and asked for official pictures. I told them I had my own but I preferred to use the professional ones..They haven't emailed me back yet. So if they dont respond that's their problem I gave them fair warning. And I will be uploading them in a few minutes.hehe take a look it's my first created page after 5 days on wiki. China Pabst Blue Ribbon..Sorry, I just had to plug it. I'm shameless. And what about the law...I mean I'm not under chinese jursidiction and the U.S hasn't signed on to many of those international law thingys. Or if it's illegal in one country even if I'm not there I am held to those laws by wikipedia standards? Thanks Whoisgalt (talk) 22:44, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

WOW. I can't believe they use the same name, basically, than ours. I've had quite a few non-$44 PBR's in my day. Perhaps someday I'll have a CBR :D Thanks for sharing your work. And yes, I'm sure the photos will be fine. Perhaps in the future they will email you with photos. Great work. Sarah (talk) 23:10, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Ready to be published?

Hi there!

I published a wiki article on the company Numi Organic Tea a couple months back and it was quickly deleted after 4 days. This time I created the article in my userspace so I could get feedback before publishing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Taracd/Numi_Organic_Tea. I've made some changes after receiving feedback that it sounded too much like 'advertising jargon' and now I would like to know if my article is ready to be published. I've compared my article to other tea companies that have similar info and are even under-cited compared to mine, so I'm not sure why the article keeps getting flagged.

Also, I'm having a hard time figuring out the proper copyright tag for my logo image. I read through the image use policy/copyright tags, however I still find it confusing on which template to use and where I would find out the copyright info for the image I found.

Thanks for your help!

Taracd (talk) 18:33, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

I couldn't tell you if it's suitable for publishing or not, but it couldn't hurt to add some appropriate categories. AutomaticStrikeout (talk) 18:44, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Taracd, welcome to the Teahouse. Looking at your article, it seems to meet the notability criteria to me, it has reliable, verified sources so I'd say publish it. You can either move your sandbox page to Numi Organic Tea or copy and paste the contents to the new page. Remember to remove the {{userspace draft}} template from the top and as AutomaticStrikeout suggests add some appropriate categories. Incidentally you don't add articles to categories while they are in a draft area like you sandbox. I've looked at the licence you used on the logo and that's fine too it's non free because it is a company logo and you have correctly completed the non free use rationale template. NtheP (talk) 20:02, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for taking a look Nthep! Congratulations Taracd :D Sarah (talk) 20:09, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Statistical updates

I have been doing statistical updates for MLB players and managers. I want to know what is the proper method to use in updating the date for the stats. I use Baseball-Reference.com as my source and I am pretty sure that their info is from the previous day, so I have been using the previous day as the date. However, it seems that most other editors have been using the current date. Which is preferable? AutomaticStrikeout (talk) 18:26, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Help with references

Hi Sarah or another Teahouse member. I am a newbie and created this article here Articles_for_creation/Urban_and_Regional_Information_Systems_Association Sarah you noted that the references aren't good enough. I thought I added a healthy mix of references that go to the organization's homepage and also external ones. Please advise and thank you, (BigFields 14:17, 16 May 2012 (UTC)) PS - i couldn't get the Question Box to work, the 'Ask my question' button stayed grey in the dialog box. — Preceding unsigned comment added by BigFields (talk • contribs) 14:17, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

BigFields, hi and welcome to the Teahouse. I've had a look at the sources and the issue as I see it that virtually all are either from the URISA website or are based on URISA news releases or are columns by URISA staff/officers. There don't appear to be any that are independent of the organisation. What you need are people writing or commenting about URISA who are not part of URISA. Accepted that GIS isn't a huge field so quite a lot of people who work in this field might well be connected to it but there must be someone e.g journalists who aren't. The references for the maturity model are an example, if the maturity model is accepted by local government as a measure of their progress then I would expect there to be reports, news stories from those organisations or third parties saying so. Instead we have a couple of insiders saying "our maturity model is great" - ok I'm paraphrasing wildly but you would expect them to say that anyway.

A couple of other things I'd like to suggest - firstly tell us where URISA is based, we've all fallen into this pit at some point and forgotten that WP has a wider audience than our own country. Secondly if you are referring to another website like cogo.pro you should direct people to the exact page that supports what you're saying http://www.cogo.pro/Organizations.html not the cogo home page and people have to navigate from there.

I'm sure the information is out there but you have to go look for it. NtheP (talk) 14:48, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Thank you NtheP, I understand and will revise! — Preceding unsigned comment added by BigFields (talk • contribs) 14:55, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi Big Fields! Regarding your issue with the question box, did you sign your post with 4 tildes (~~~~)? The box won't let you submit your answer until you do. If you have to ask another question some time, try it and see if it helps. Good luck with your article! heather walls (talk) 15:15, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi heather walls, I did try adding the (~~~~) and the button won't activate. Right now though I did a test. As I type the (~~~~)in, the button activates after the fourth '~' is typed, but as soon as i add the ')' at the end, it deactivates again! Does this happen for you? I am using Chrome. (BigFields 16:25, 16 May 2012 (UTC))

Hey BigFields! When you type the tildes, don't use the parentheses. Just the four tildes like this: ~~~~. Try it out :) Sarah (talk) 16:31, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Sorry to be confusing! heather walls (talk) 16:52, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Dee Hannigan

why is there nothing for Dee Hannigan, the actress that was in the movie "late Bloomers"? 98.237.104.147 (talk) 13:10, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi, do you mean Dee Hennigan? Only because no one appears to have thought of writing an article about her. If you want to create an article about her, click this link - Wikipedia:Articles for creation and follow the instructions but before you start please read the guidelines regarding the notability of people at Wikipedia:Notability (people) and Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons. NtheP (talk) 13:31, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Why was it refused?

Hi I just tried to start a page for the first time and have no idea why it was declined. Everything in it is factual and I added links at the bottom to back them up as well. Please help

Thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.28.233.235 (talk) 07:07, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi, weclome to the Teahouse. If this was an article that you created at Articles for creation could you post us a link to it so we can take a look at it. There is nothing showing in the contribution history for 2.28.233.235 (talk · contribs), thanks. NtheP (talk) 08:17, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Picture help

I want to upload a picture to help out with the John Sebastian Marlowe Ward article. The picture is here. I can't find out who took the picture and I'm not sure if I am still able to upload it. Lunashy _{Friendship letters.}^{write a friendship letter} 05:50, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi Lunashy. No. If you do not know who owns the picture you cannot upload it.--Charles (talk) 07:55, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

If the picture is past a certain age am I able to upload it? I remember reading something somewhere on here about if a picture is a certain age or older copyright changes Lunashy _{Friendship letters.}^{write a friendship letter} 01:48, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi, Lunashy. I believe anything published prior to 1923 is automatically in the public domain. Also, I'm not entirely sure that it's true that you have to know who owns the copyright to use a picture. FWIW, under non-free fair use rational, I often put "unknown" for who took a photo, when it was taken, etc. Clearly we can't always know those things, especially when someone has been dead for decades. Sometimes I've used a photo that might be copyright free, but I can't prove it, so I go the fair use route anyway. Here's the page that explains it: Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria. The photos I've used like that have not been challenged so far. Again, FWIW from another newbie.Tlqk56 (talk) 03:01, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

Recent Change Patrol

I've been surfing the RC board, looking for vandalism and other problems, clicking the diff tags ... and wondering whether there's some good way to recognize a potentially problematic recent change, or whether I just have to click and click and click until one turns up. Hong12kong (talk) 22:40, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hey Hong12kong! There is a perfect tool for you at User:Lupin/Anti-vandal tool. It requires you to create a javascript page. You could also consider using Twinkle. Ryan Vesey Review me! 22:43, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Thanks Ryan! Hong12kong (talk) 22:49, 15 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi, there are also clues, new articles about a person where the last name doesn't have a capital are good candidates. Big reductions in size, also, and "ref removed" tag against the edit. Rich Farmbrough, 00:06, 16 May 2012 (UTC).

Editors with a red talk page link or red username are likely to be new and either be trolls or make honest mistakes.--Charles (talk) 21:21, 16 May 2012 (UTC)