Jump to content

Wikipedia:Teahouse/Questions/Archive 196

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Archive 190←Archive 194Archive 195Archive 196Archive 197Archive 198→Archive 200

Duplicate references

When there are bare references (and also multiple in number), it is possible to merge them to avoid duplication via WP:REFLINKS. But is there any software that helps find duplicate ref's that are complete (i.e. not bare) and merge them? Kailash29792 (talk) 16:03, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

There seems to be such a tool in the RefToolbar under "Error check", but I've only used it a few times, and I am not sure how effective it is. Anon126 (talk - contribs) 16:23, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
I believe REFLINKs will merge references that are not bare. --LukeSurl t c 16:24, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
Another way is to go to Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-gadgets → Editing → tick the box for "Citation expander: Automatically expand and format citations (uses "Citation bot")." After you do this when you let the bot out of its cage it will tidy duplicate references among other things. Best regards--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 21:37, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

Is it appropriate to ask random editors to help save their article from deletion?

An editor with whom I know of know prior interaction asked me on my talk page to improve their article to help save it from deletion. Is this appropriate? It feels like an attempt to gather votes. In what circumstances is it acceptable to contact other editors?Jacona (talk) 12:46, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

Many AFD nominations are improved to fit within guidelines during the AFD discussions. What you're describing sounds like a completely normal and appropriate request. If the article can be improved to the point that it fits within wikipedia guidelines, it should and probably will be kept. Now, if he was asking you to vote to keep the article regardless of its merits, there might be an issue there, but asking for help improving the article is a normal request. You may contact other editors in any circumstance that you see fit. :-) Bali88 (talk) 13:53, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
A sincere request for help to improve an article is perfectly fine, JaconaFrere. A request to comment at an AfD debate should be neutral and should not lobby for or against deletion. If several people are asked, it is improper to select those likely to take one side of the debate. A range of opinions should be sought. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 16:13, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
Agreed. Asking for help improving the article (in my opinion, at least) is a good thing. Clearly they want the article to be kept, but they want to achieve that by improving the article. Asking someone to vote a specific way would be highly inappropriate. :-) Bali88 (talk) 21:54, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

I've been accused of being a 'clone account' made for non-faithful purposes, what is the correct response?

I got involved in an article, titled 2014 Banker Suicides, as I thought it was in bad shape and could use repair (but was still hopeful). It was under investigation for a possible deletion, so I made it my top priority to improve quickly.

The person who proposed the deletion of the article in question accused me of being a clone account, judging I created my account just yesterday. I reiterated with a response saying that he should assume good faith.

This particular article is especially controversial and I somewhat regret adopting the article now.. what to do? I still believe in the article, but I'm starting to become scared off by all the arguing going on on the deletion page.. should I continue to improve the article? Flipandflopped (talk) 02:32, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Hi Flipandflopped and welcome. Could you please point out where this allegation is made? Thanks Flat Out let's discuss it 02:58, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
Hello Flipandflopped. When a brand new Wikipedia account such as yours makes 88 edits in 24 hours, enters into a contentious Articles for Deletion debate making several comments, and also adds content to and deletes content from a variety of articles, including adding properly formatted references, then it is not surprising that other editors may wonder if you are really a newcomer as you have claimed. We don't often use the term "clone account" but perhaps someone suspects that yours may be a sockpuppet account. But all I saw was a comment that your account was less than 24 hours old. Yes, we should assume good faith, and there are legitimate reasons why a previous editor would begin contributing with another account. So, if you are truly a new editor - welcome! If not, please do not claim to be. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 03:02, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
I think the majority of those supposed edits were from the wikipedia tutorial I took, as I am fairly certain I did not make 88 real-life edits. He didn't use the exact terminology clone account either, that was my own words (sorry). If I'm linking this correctly, the allegation is made here: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/2014 banker suicides Whether I am actually incorrect or not about the article's legitimacy, I'm worried that I've treaded into deep water with the whole thing (perhaps I joined talks about page deletions and such preemptively).. should I continue to try and improve the article? Thanks for the help! --Flipandflopped (talk) 03:06, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
Is it common practice to continue to edit an article whilst it is pending for deletion? I did not realize how that I was actually THAT odd-looking for a newcomer until you summarized my activity.. golly. I did not intend to commit any form of malpractice or anything.. I just ended up arriving at the "Pages for deletion" page by clicking a series of links.. and decided to contribute (obviously I shouldn't have). But I am not a sock puppet for anyone.. in fact I'm actually a high school student aspiring to become a writer (that's how I know how to cite). Am I at risk of some sort of repercussions? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Flipandflopped (talk • contribs) 03:17, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
It is fine to edit an article that is nominated for deletion as long as the edits are constructive. Personally I would ignore the reference to your new account and continue to edit in good faith. Flat Out let's discuss it 03:22, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
Flipandflopped, you have received good advice from Flat Out. Contribute productively, continue learning our policies and guidelines, and try to avoid contentious situations for a while. Good luck with your writing plans. You can get lots of practice here. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 03:31, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
Ok, thank you! I will stop contributing on the deletion page, and make good faith edits on the article while it still exists. Thanks a bunch for the help! It's much appreciated. --Flipandflopped (talk) 03:36, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Best ways to search for sources and references

Hello! I'm curious what on-line resources other editors have found work well for finding sources and references? Obviously Google has to be the top answer, but since Wikipedia takes a worldview on its subjects (and many of its articles focus on non-US based subjects) and Google will vary its search results based on where the search originated (I have no clue to what degree), are there other search engines and resources experienced editors use on a regular basis to find sources to help improve articles? Hopefully this question makes sense. Thanks! EBstrunk18 (talk) 22:01, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

@EBstrunk18: Hey EB. If by Google you are talking about its main search, of the web, I don't consider that even high on my list of things to check first because it does not tend to concentrate reliable sources. But Google Books, and Google News archive (before it went down for rejiggering lo quite a number of months ago now) are go-to spots, and you may have meant that but spoke loosely. Anyway, other places I try (free) are those I've gathered and listed at Wikipedia:Free English newspaper sources. For paywall/subscription sites, Newspaperarchive.com is rather awesome. Ancestry.com is okay. Then there's JSTOR which is great, and other databases listed at Wikipedia:The Wikipedia Library/header. Often if I'm looking for a subject that's region specific I will Google (yes, regular Google but just as a means to an end:-) something like largest welsh newspapers or list of newspapers aberdeen and thereby find these types of websites that have a list of links to the websites of local newspapers. Then you open a bunch of them up in tabs and do searches in each (that has a search facility) for some specific subject in quotes. I also target a number of magazines even if they are behind a paywall (e.g, The New Yorker], Time], etc.) to see if I can locate a good prospect, which I can then ask for access to at Wikipedia:WikiProject Resource Exchange/Resource Request (WP:RX). Best regards--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 22:38, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
@Fuhghettaboutit: Awesome! You interpreted my loose speak correctly:) This is a whole new world of specificity. Thanks for the resources. Appreciate it! EBstrunk18 (talk) 22:48, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
Anytime!--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 04:02, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
@EBstrunk18: If you are looking for sources that have that scholarly reliability, use scholar.google.com. You won't be able to access everything (unless you are working from a college campus that subscribes to relevant databases), but it's better than a blanket Google search. Also, why not develop a relationship with your friendly librarian? She or he will always point you to authoritative information. And, most libraries now have a chat function on their home page so there is no need to go in (though then you miss seeing all the great books you can be reading :)). There are a number of academic search engines that bring up more scholarly results. Go to livebinders.com and search on a binder entitled Google Alternatives, then use the Deep Web tab to see a great listing to try! Good luck! Ms. Vibrarian (talk) 09:44, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Is it legitimate to ask a City Spokesman (or other interested party) to upload photos taken by that person.

I want to use photos that a City Spokesman took as part of his job and gave me permission to upload to WikiCommons. I would prefer that he upload them himself and give permission for public use (Select "This file is my own work" in the WikiCommons Wizard)? Or is that a violation of COI? Is this the correct or most appropriate way to deal with this?

If it is more appropriate that I upload the photos, how should I fill in the Release Rights fields in the Upload Wizard?Unclefeet (talk) 07:03, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Hello, Unclefeet, welcome to the teahouse. Yes it's fine for them to upload the photographs themselves, if they wish to freely license them. It doesn't constitute a conflict of interest unless there is some problem like the photos being a large number of purely promotional images that have no informational value at all (which seems unlikely). --Demiurge1000 (talk) 08:10, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
Note that because the person took the photographs in the course of his job duties, it's possible that the city, not he, owns the copyright to them. See Work for hire. One would have to investigate the specific situation to determine who can claim copyright. Deor (talk) 11:51, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Making an animated gif file run on mediawiki 1.20.2

Hi, I've created a .gif file using Lunapic. On Lunapic it works as an animation but on our wiki (version 1.20.2) it just displays the first frame. Does anyone know how to make it work?

Thanks

Angela [Jenninan]

95.131.110.104 (talk) 09:04, 24 March 2014 (UTC)

Hi Angela, welcome to the Teahouse but questions about unrelated sites running MediaWiki actually belong at mw:Project:Support desk. It's hard to tell when you don't give a link but let me try a guess anyway. Are you trying to scale a file which breaks mw:Manual:$wgMaxAnimatedGifArea? PrimeHunter (talk) 13:41, 24 March 2014 (UTC)
Hi PrimeHunter, thanks for your response. I actually managed to get this animation working by removing some frames so thanks, you were spot on! My next challenge is to be able to size the image on the page. The statement I'm using is [[File:BP MODEL Ani.gif|left|alt=Blueprint|Putting the puzzle together]] and if I put a size into the statement ie. [[File:BP MODEL Ani.gif|left|200px|alt=Blueprint|Putting the puzzle together]] the image becomes static again!!! I'm sure users of Mediawiki everywhere have, or had, or will have a similar problem so any help would be most appreciated! Many thanks, Angela Jenninan (talk) 08:28, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
If it animates at the uploaded size but not at other sizes then it could still be the scaling problem I mentioned. Can you post a link to the image? If you are trying to display a caption "Putting the puzzle together" then you need |frame or |thumb, but that's unrelated to scaling problems. PrimeHunter (talk) 13:09, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Articles deleted and blocked account

Hi,

I created articles for the company I work for, which were flagged as "unambiguous advertising" and deleted straight away. There was no specific mention as to what was advertising or considered advertising so I had no chance to change it before deletion, which is really annoying considering that's three weeks of work thrown down the drain. How am I supposed to get my account unblocked and retrieve what I did and prevent deletion in future?

Many thanks,

Wikikokoba (talk) 13:45, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Welcome to the teahouse Wikikokoba. First of all, regardless of how you edit the article you should never work on an article if you have a wp:conflict of interest If you have a personal interest or stake in a topic you aren't supposed to edit articles about that topic. It's not always black and white what is a COI but if you work for company X in any way than by wikipedia standards you have a conflict by definition and should never edit articles about X. So when your account is restored you should not go back to work on that deleted article. Sorry. The second thing is that when an editor said the article was "unambiguous advertising" that doesn't necessarily mean it was written the way a commercial advertisement would be, what it means is that the tone of the article wasn't encyclopedic, so for example even a nice conservative corporate web site's overview information from that standpoint would be "unambiguous advertising". If the tone is to promote the subject of the article, as opposed to present both the good and the bad that is considered promotional. If you still want to edit other wikipedia pages, and I hope you do, then I think your account becomes unblocked after a certain period of time. I noticed that on your talk page there is a comment from User:Eingangskontrolle about deleting the article in question. If you want more input on why the article was deleted I suggest you leave a message at Eingangskontrolle's talk page --MadScientistX11 (talk) 14:16, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Wikipedia talk:Articles for creation/Voice to skull awaiting review

Can someone kindly take a look at my article and give it a review? Comments are welcome too. Best regards,Synsepalum2013 (talk) 13:44, 22 March 2014 (UTC)

See also Microwave auditory effect, which is where Voice to skull redirects to. --Demiurge1000 (talk) 13:48, 22 March 2014 (UTC)
Note that an article under the same name has already been deleted [1] - and note that this article seems to suffer from exactly the same problems (poor sourcing, synthesis, promotion of a fringe POV) that led to the deletion. AndyTheGrump (talk) 14:27, 22 March 2014 (UTC)
well thanks just for attention :l

Martynas Šalčiūnas (talk) 19:14, 24 March 2014 (UTC)
Thanks everyone for your contribution. FYI, my article has been reviewed and declined by User:LukeSurl, with whom I failed to reach a consensus. As a result I have resubmitted my article for review. - Synsepalum2013 (talk) 15:22, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected change requests

How long does it usually take for these to be read and answered? I posted a few days ago on a pope's page and have a few agree-als but am curious what the turn-around time usually is. Zkbt (talk) 15:55, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Currently, there are a number of editors dealing with Semi-protected edit requests, so the list which can be seen here, currently (see timestamp) there are only two requests, the oldest one was at 02.35 this morning. The time taken usually depends on the type of request, and the familiarity of the editors with the subject.
However, I suspect you are referring to your edit at Talk:Pope Francis. As you did not follow the Semi-protected edit routine, but just added a request on the talk page, this was not flagged as a semi-protected edit, so did not appear on the list. This could have sat there for months, if not years, however, two editors have already come along and agreed with you, although they appear not to have make the changes.
The good news is that as your account should now be WP:autoconfirmed, you can make the changes yourself - and refer to the consensus on the talk page. - Arjayay (talk) 17:56, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
Done I have implemented the change per the talk page discussion. As Arjayay pointed out, in the future, you can make edits to semi-protected articles yourself since you are now autoconfirmed. Happy editing! Mz7 (talk) 19:14, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
Oh ok. Thanks for the information Arjayay, is informative. I'm glad I asked and got an answer both. I'll research the templates. Thanks for making the change Mz7 :]. Zkbt (talk) 19:43, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

GA bot

Because I have decided to become a regular GA reviewer, I would like to get a bot that notifies the nominator of the article. But I don't know how to. Help please? 14:52, 27 March 2014 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kailash29792 (talk • contribs) 14:52, 27 March 2014‎ (UTC)

@Kailash29792: Hey Kailash. Why not just use "pings", through the relatively new Wikipedia:Notifications system? A ping is any post or template that links someone's username, resulting in a notification at the top of the page of a new post mentioning them and where. I have used one here, at the beginning of this post (@Kailash29792:) that should have notified you; what you saw is what other people would see if you pinged them. You can simply post the person's linked username, but we have a number of templates that provide this facility. What I used here was the template {{tping}} (by typing {{tping|Kailash29792}}), a form of the template {{ping}} but with a smaller footprint. Thses templates can be used to inform multiple people in a single shot. For example, {{tping|user1|user1|user3|user4}} would result in those four users receiving notification. Best regards--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 00:35, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
Hi, Kailash29792, and welcome to the Teahouse! After years of existence, portions of the GA process have become somewhat automated, including the nominator notification system. If you follow the regular steps for starting a GA review, Legobot will automatically notify the nominator on their talkpage. If the nominator doesn't respond after a week, you may wish to leave them a personal followup message, but Legobot has you covered when you 1) begin an article review, 2) put an article on hold, and 3) pass or fail an article. Hope this helps! BobAmnertiopsis∴ChatMe! 00:40, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Feral House used as a source

I was looking up The Lemon Pipers Green Tambourine and Feral House is used as a source to call Green Tambourine Bubblegum, but Feral House is kind of problematic. Bubblegum is a negative term. The second album by the Lemon Pipers was bubblegum, but Green Tambourine is Psychedelic. I can't check the source, since I am not likely to wish to go out and support Feral House by buying their stuff. Since I'm from San Francisco and married to Hippy, Feral House far from a neutral point of view. I would prefer all music or Rollingstone be used. Apriv40dj (talk) 14:26, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

Found something better that is still online if one clicks on it. http://www.waybackattack.com/lemonpipers.html Apriv40dj (talk) 15:46, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

I got a reply in my email this afternoon, but then I go here and there is nothing, so I click on history and see something, but no way to see what someone posted as a message to me. I also wanted to add that Adam Parfrey is not an authority on music. But, I don't go to the website to look, I just think that the reference is a bad one, without looking to check, because I don't wish to visit a bad website. It is impossible to "put down" Green Tambourine as bubble gum without any credentials in the music industry. It is just personal opinion and should be deleted therefore, unless someone wishes to find and cite a creditable reference. Now if I got ahead and do it, I don't want to be jumped on as being a bad editor later on, which is why I am asking now. Apriv40dj (talk) 04:19, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Last night got another reply in the email and nothing is here today either, but I have save this post for future references. I can find it again. I think the way it seems to work is you have to use "reliable" references unless you find an article that no one notices or cares about, then you can use any reference even if the reference is wrong or not even about the subject, and it can stay for years and years like this one did, as long as it not noticed by anyone. It is hypocritical to require such sterling references for some articles and then on other articles anything goes. Wikipedia should just make one standard and have all articles adhere to that standard. I was told ABC Go Local is not a good reference because its local, but at least ABC is on TV every night at 530 and has a national news center. That should count as important. How does Feral House trump ABC in importance? I am not checking back here again if I get a reply, since it will be a mistake so you will have to leave a message on my talk page if you wish to discuss it. Next thing you know we can use Vice Travel as a Travel Guide for tips on how to talk to foreigners in their countries. That is the slippery slope. My perfectly true with real referenced articles got axed in favor of the collected works of Feral House. Apriv40dj (talk) 15:19, 27 March 2014 (UTC) If no one is going to bother to change that article reference, I think it should stay there since it is weak if I found some strong proof from Rollingstone, it would be more against what I wanted to say. The singer was really hurt every called him Bubbblegum and he quit the Lemon Pipers after the second album came out. It only says in the article was compared to bubble gum by Feral House which not as conclusive proof, as if Joel Selvin declared the song bubblegum. 23:54, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

I was able ascertain this one book is an exception to the rule about Feral House. Most all of the books from Feral house are about serial killers or satanic killings of people, but they did publish this one book on Bubblegum music which is sold on Amazon. I still can't say if the author is a music critic or not. The book is a series of essays about bubblegum music by different authors. Is the essay which mentions the lemon pipers is written by someone with music credentials? I will just leave it all that then. Apriv40dj (talk) 01:29, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

User Analysis

Checking out my User Analysis page, on the top it says "not opted in". how do I opt in? VladDroid256 (talk) 20:17, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

@VladDroid256: Hey VladDroid256. Directly below where it says you are not opted in it should say "To opt in please create User:VladDroid256/EditCounterOptIn.js on your local wiki". So, click on User:VladDroid256/EditCounterOptIn.js, add anything to it, maybe a commented out note like <!-- opt in --> and then click save page. Best regards--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 00:17, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
ok got it. Thanks.

VladDroid256 (talk) 02:28, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

How do I present an idea to the Wikipedia scientific community?

I would like to suggest a new category for the scientific community. When learning electronics, physics, and science you have lab class. This is where you do experiments to learn and reinforce concepts in the class room and text. What if Wikipedia had short videos which demonstrate scientific and electrical principles. A list of principles could be submitted by the community. A request for video would be issued and one or two would be selected and offered on the EXISTING topic article. Electovert (talk) 03:31, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Welcome to the Teahouse, Electrovert. Personally, I think that your idea is a good one and is worthy of discussion. However, it takes a lot of work to produce even a brief, high-quality educational video, and the video would have to be made freely available under a Creative Commons license. How to you propose to assemble a team of skilled people to make these videos for no pay at all, not even reimbursement of expenses, knowing that other people could freely re-use these videos for any purpose they chose? Cullen328 Let's discuss it 03:49, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
A good place to discuss this idea may be WP:Village pump. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 05:40, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

How to make multiple sandboxes?

I have one article in progress, but I would like to start another one. Is there a way to make multiple sandboxes?

Zolotoi kryzhovnik (talk) 05:23, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Welcome to the Teahouse, Zolotoi kryzhovnik. Yes, you can have as many sandbox pages as you want. Just open your main sandbox, add a slash "/" after your main sandbox URL at the top of the page, add a working title that you can remember after the slash, and hit "enter". A message will come up saying that there is no such page, which will also ask you if you want to start that page. Click on that link, and a new blank sandbox page will appear for your use. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 05:34, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
Hello, welcome to the Teahouse. Yes, you can create multiple sandboxes. Simply create the page User:Zolotoi kryzhovnik/sandbox2 or User:Zolotoi kryzhovnik/New article name, by typing the name into the search box and selecting the option to create the page. Anon126 (talk - contribs) 05:34, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
Sweetness! Thank you so much Cullen328 and Anon126. Whole new world opened up now! Zolotoi kryzhovnik (talk) 05:55, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Hi

Hi, I'm studying woody plants in Ukraine. We have many different kinds of trees grow. They pile up a separate category. But hto permanently deletes otuda trees. I do not understand why? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Impuls666666 (talk • contribs) 08:08, 25 March 2014 (UTC)

Hello Impuls666666. I'm afraid I don't understand what you are asking, but I think that it is not a question about editing Wikipedia, which is what this page is for. Perhaps you could post your question at the Wikipedia Reference Desk, but you will need to be clearer: "hto permanently deletes otuda trees" does not convey any meaning to me. --ColinFine (talk) 10:18, 25 March 2014 (UTC)
Please do your own homework.
Welcome to Wikipedia. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misinterpretation, but it is our aim here not to do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn nearly as much as doing it yourself. Please attempt to solve the problem or answer the question yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know. --Nahnah4 Any thoughts? Pen 'em down here! 06:49, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Templates for Agency Reports....

I am writing a series of articles on major agency reports that were the result of reviews and audits... is there a template or suggested format for these ... see my article Board_on_Infrastructure_and_Constructed_Environment#Project_Management_at_Department_of_Energy_.28DOE.29 ...

Thanks Risk Engineer (talk) 00:49, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

@Risk Engineer: I think you can take the lack of replies to mean that there is no template. This is not the end of the world. You are free to create one. Help:A quick guide to templates will be of some use to you. If you get stuck then deploy {{Helpme}} on your talk page and ask for the help you reuire immediately below it. There is always someone who will come along and help you, often far faster than you think, and definitely faster than this has been answered. Fiddle Faddle 08:54, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Being Useful

Hello, While I await for my article to be reviewed and edited, what can I do to be useful on Wikipedia? ThanksAthenaathena07 (talk) 12:34, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Hello Athenaathena7, and welcome to the teahouse! There is no specific job for you to do on Wikipedia. You can do whatever is allowed! You could improve articles, revert vandalism, or get involved in a wiki project. Hope this gets you involved in improving the encyclopedia. Happy Attack Dog (you rang?) 14:17, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Athenasathena, there are lots of things you can do besides creating a new article. This is just one editor's opinion but I think there is a bit too much emphasis in some of the Wikipedia help material on creating new articles. Wikipedia is already huge and there is so much to do on existing articles and IMO it's much better for new editors to get experience improving existing ones first. To start with look for articles on topics you are interested in that have tags such as "This article needs better inline citations". Also, check out this page: Wikipedia:Community_portal page. Scroll down that page and you will see a heading that says "Help Out" and under that sub-headings for "Fix spelling", "Fix grammar", "Fix wikilinks",... Each heading has a link next to it that says "Learn How" that will give you info about how to make those kinds of changes and beneath the heading there will be links to specific articles that need that specific kind of help. Another thing that I find very useful is something called user:SuggestBot SuggestBot is a program that you can ask to look at your edit history and suggest articles you might find interesting that need editing. If you haven't edited much the suggestions will be fairly random but the more you edit the more SuggestBot has to work with and it will customize the suggestions it gives you to be a good match to your previous edits. Hope that was useful. Feel free to leave a comment on my talk page if you would like additional info or clarification. --MadScientistX11 (talk) 15:10, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Please give your opinion on an AfD article.

Please help. Can you take a look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Attacks , which was AfD'd, tagged "Keep" and then AfD'd again; and give your opinion whether it meets notability requirements? I think it does but I will let you draw your own conclusion. Right now it's between me and another guy who are basically saying, Yes it is! No It isn't! Before we get to "Nanny nanny boo bah" I'd like some outside voices! Thanks! Sanshuimom (talk) 15:20, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

Hi, Sanshuimom and welcome to The Teahouse. I made a couple of minor improvements to references, but I can't say for sure whether the topic is notable. If there was more information from the proper sources, it would clearly be notable. It looks like it might have potential.— Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 17:44, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Can I make this request?

I recently created a WP page, Médecins_de_nuit translated from the french wikipedia. It is about a Tv medical series which ran for about 5 seasons in france. I want to expand upon the page and create pages for the tv series, highlighting season itself but I need to have the films with me. They can be downloaded on the Internet but from my end in Nigeria, it would cost me in much time and resources. So, I decided to throw it on this forum. Can I request for the films from wikipedia so I can create pages from the seasons? Thanks Emekadavid (talk) 17:38, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Hi, Emekadavid and welcome to The Teahouse. Are you saying you would like another Wikipedia user to download or otherwise obtain (such as on DVD) episodes of a TV series that ran for five seasons so you can create articles about the series? That sounds like a lot of work for someone. It might be better if others who could get the series wrote the articles themselves.
But you never know what Wikipedia editors are willing to do.— Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 18:56, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Article

Moved to top of page for better visibility.— Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 19:00, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

I want to know ho w an article is like 41.220.68.46 (talk) 21:40, 27 March 2014‎ (UTC)

Signed— Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 19:05, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

? Unsigned, and I don't know what you're talking about. ? --Nahnah4 Any thoughts? Pen 'em down here! 06:51, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Making sand boxes

Can one make a sandbox that is a template, for instance taxobox, weatherbox etc... that can be used as a template on another sandbox page? I know how to make another sandbox but not to be a template. Thanks in advance, the reedman (talk) 19:46, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Hello Reedman72, and welcome to the Teahouse! Templates use what is called transclusion. Transclusion displays the entire contents of a page within the body of another page when invoked. For example, if I create a page User:Mz7/sandbox/this is a transclusion with the content "Hi", and type the code {{User:Mz7/sandbox/this is a transclusion}} into another page, then that page will display "Hi" in the place of the code. User:Mz7/sandbox/this is a transclusion. You can transclude any page by including double curly brackets {{ }} around the page name, like I did above. If I am unclear or if you have any more questions, feel free to leave a reply below. Best, Mz7 (talk) 20:11, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
That's exactly what I needed. Thank you very much!!!!! the reedman (talk) 20:48, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Isn't a TV episode good as a first rate source?

Hi I tried adding information to the page for Gilligan's Island. However, my information was taken out because it did not have a third party source. However, I cited the TV show episode to support my claim. My claim is that Gilligan's first name could be Robin because Gilligan was hypnotized and called Robin in the episode Ring Around Gilligan. You can view the episode for free here: http://www.tubeplus.me/player/954573/Gilligan's_Island/season_3/episode_9/Ring_Around_Gilligan/%22 Isn't the direct TV episode good enough as a first rate source because it is a direct content source? To verify my claim, readers just need to watch the episode. Thanks! (Jvincentsong2 (talk) 04:10, 29 March 2014 (UTC))

You need a third party source because what you are claiming goes contrary to what multiple third-party sources state. After watching the episode, it's clear that you heard it wrong. The doctor refers to everyone under the influence of the ring as his robot - which due to his heavy accent, you appear to have mis-heard as "Robin". --- Barek (talk • contribs) - 04:37, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Malfunctioning box "modern impact events"

I have come across a technical problem, and I hope somebody more experienced can help.

Near the bottom of the page 2010_Jupiter_impact_event are a couple of expandable boxes.
One of these is labelled "modern impact events" but it does not work properly.
Clicking on the first word "modern" takes the reader to modern history.
Clicking on "impact events" goes to the top of the page for impact events, rather than to the Modern heading on that page.

Can somebody suggest how to repair this link (it also appears on other pages, I just use this one as an example). --Gronk Oz (talk) 04:14, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Welcome to the Teahouse. Thanks for reading so carefully, but it isn't something that needs repairing. That's the way the links were set up: "modern" to explain what is meant by modern history and "impact event" to explain what an impact event is. The template itself is at Template:Modern impact events. StarryGrandma (talk) 06:01, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
Thanks for such a quick response, StarryGrandma (that's a great user name, by the way!) Personally, I found the link to modern history confusing because it concerns Earth-based historical events (wars etc) rather than describing, say, what is meant by a modern era in astronomy. But if it was set up that way intentionally, then of course I accept that.--Gronk Oz (talk) 07:41, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
Hello, Gronk Oz. I agree with you: I think linking the word "modern" is entirely inappropriate, and I have removed it, leaving "modern" as an unlinked word. You could have done this as well, by editing the template (pick "E" at the left of the bar). Because templates are used many times, it is often a good idea to gain consensus before editing them, by starting a discussion at the talk page, in this case Template talk:Modern impact events. But since this change affects only how the template is displayed and not its contents or mechanics, I felt it was OK to just make the change. Of course, somebody else might disagree with me and restore it: then we can have a discussion about it on the talk page! --ColinFine (talk) 09:40, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Need someone to teach me Image Mapping

I have been editing here for more than last 2 years, but I can not handle "Imagemap". Can someone teach "Image mapping"? Tito☸Dutta 12:42, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

@Titodutta: Welcome to the Teahouse. Have you tried using this tool: http://toolserver.org/~dapete/ImageMapEdit/ImageMapEdit.html ? It seems pretty easy to use. --Jakob (talk) 12:52, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
  • Agree with Jakob. Just remember: it may take a while to load, particularly if you are mapping a large image. — Crisco 1492 (talk) 12:55, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
  • Oh thanks. I did not know about this tool. I felt, those "poly 133 343 124 287 159 224 189 228 195 291 222 311 209 343 209 354 243 362 292 466 250 463" need to be coded manually. --Tito☸Dutta 12:59, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

How to fix a broken reference link?

How to fix broken links in body, but also in the bottom reference list, please. Thx. Lectradaze (talk) 22:25, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

@Lectradaze: Please be more specific? The article name would help Fiddle Faddle 22:41, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
Welcome to the Teahouse, Lectradaze. You will probably find the details you need in Referencing for beginners. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 23:52, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Question about adding a picture to an article

I want to add some updated information to this article, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_oxygen_concentrator. In particular, the pictures are of models that were considered "portable" about 20 years ago but would not be classified as such these days. We have a few different models in our lab that I could photo and then upload. However. I am not sure about the picture size/resolution I should use. In addition, can I call a picture a "commons" if I took the photo myself, though it is of a product made by Philips or Siemens? I don't have to get their permission, do I?MarcoPolo419 (talk) 09:21, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Hello, MarcoPolo419 and welcome to the Teahouse. That's a good question, and one that I am not confident of answering. Certainly if you take a picture of a work of art, then it is a derivative work and you do not own the copyright. I would think that this would not apply to the equipment you are talking about - they will have it protected by patents, and particular aspects of the design may be copyright (such as their logo) but I would not think they would claim copyright on a two-dimensional representation of their equipment. But I am not an expert. I suggest you ask at Copyright questions. --ColinFine (talk) 09:54, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
I am pretty sure pictures of equipment (even that has logos on) would not fall foul of copyright rules, but it's fine to check at the Copyright questions page as well.
As for resolution and image size, to a large extent it doesn't matter. You will mostly likely be uploading the image as a JPEG, and anything between 300px wide and 3000px wide would be fine. If you upload a very large image (3000px wide) then Wikipedia will display a smaller version in the article, and allow people to choose what size they'd like to see if they go to the image page. So it causes no problems. And if it's just a piece of equipment, even a relatively low resolution (small) image will normally depict all the relevant aspects of the equipment, so that causes no problems either. I normally just use whatever image size my camera is set to at the time, which is often between 1000px and 2000px wide and a megabyte or two in size. (But, as mentioned, something like 600px wide and a hundred kbytes in size would normally be quite adequate too.) --Demiurge1000 (talk) 17:36, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
The only ordinary equipment you have to be careful about photographing is Harley Davidson motorcycles, as far as I know due to their design being registered for the purpose of producing posters or some such tommy-rot.
I always use the best resolution I have, on the general principle that it can always be reduced, but it can't be increased. (Sometimes a detail may be of interest to future generations.) All the best, Rich Farmbrough, 09:20, 30 March 2014 (UTC).

Change a page`s address (link)?

Is it possible to change a page`s link? I`m going to add as much info and history as I can find to this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon_Thani_F.C.

But it`s not easy to "promote" the page as Facebook don`t include the .(dot) at the end (after the C), so those following the link comes to a page that don`t excist. SveinFalk (talk) 04:09, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Hello SveinFalk, welcome to the Teahouse! It is possible to move a page to a different title, but that right is only granted after your account is four days old and has made at least 10 edits. Furthermore, Wikipedia has a policy for article titles, and we want to make sure our titles are consistent and accurate. As an alternative to renaming the page, I have redirected the title "Udon Thani F.C" to "Udon Thani F.C.". Does that help? Best, Mz7 (talk) 04:32, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
An SveinFalk, please make sure that the information you add is referenced to reliable published sources: information that is only from your own knowledge, or from unpublished private material, is not acceptable on Wikipedia and may be deleted. See verifiability for more information. --ColinFine (talk) 10:22, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
I don`t know what "article" you mean. Everything I have added to the page is translated from various wikipedia pages in thai language, and from persons in or around the footballclub. Nothing is from my own knowledge or private material. If you talk about some specific info, please tell me what and I will answer. Thanks! SveinFalk (talk) 11:04, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
The article was originally at Udon Thani FC so https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon_Thani_FC is now a redirect. I don't know how Facebook's link generation works but maybe the period can be percent encoded as %2e: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon_Thani_F.C%2e. PrimeHunter (talk) 12:33, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
SveinFalk, I don't understand your first comment as I didn't use the word "article" (Mz7 did, but just in the context of article titles). Wikipedia - any Wikipedia - is not a reliable source (because anybody may edit it), and information "from persons in or around the footballclub" is not a verifiable source. If the information you want to add from the Thai Wikipedia is referenced to sources, then you should add those same sources to the English Wikipedia (it is acceptable to use sources in Thai, though it would probably be best to translate the bit of the source that supports the information in the article). If the information in the Thai Wikipedia is not referenced to reliable sources, then it should not be added to the English Wikipedia. Please read the link to verifiability that I gave above. --ColinFine (talk) 18:21, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
The redirected link works perfect.

I have added info to the page the same way as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buriram_United_F.C. and all other thai clubs I have visited on wikipedia. Also a lot of my added info are linked to other English wikipages. There is also not-linked info from the club`s and their supporters` FB-pages (in thai). I have only done this for a couple of days now and will try to add more links as I go on. If there are any specific info you need to be linked right now, let me know and I will do my best to do it.Thanks! SveinFalk (talk) 00:24, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

More on JFK's health

I would like more information on JFK's health.

Betty Cummings (184.17.72.232 (talk) 03:41, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Welcome to the Teahouse, Betty. This is a place for asking questions about editing Wikipedia. However, there is a section in John F. Kennedy#Health that discusses his health issues. The cited references go into greater detail. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 03:46, 27 March 2014 (UTC)
Resisting the temptation ot say "not very good" - you can ask fact based questions which aren't covered in the article at WP:REFERENCE DESK. All the best, Rich Farmbrough, 09:44, 30 March 2014 (UTC).

Speedy Deletion Issue (Importance)

Hello, I made a few articles about Georgian composers/directors/singers etc.. Next day article was deleted (Article about a real person, which does not indicate the importance or significance of the subject.)

So the question is, how should I indicate the importance of the "subject" ? What should I do or how to prove the importance. I saw a lot of foreign people articles (in same industry) with (maybe for me) less importance as well but they are still had articles.

Georgianposter (talk) 02:41, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Welcome to the Teahouse, Georgianposter. Please read the sections of our notability guideline for people that describe what is expected for articles about creative professionals and entertainers. Feel free to write articles about people who meet those notability standards. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 02:49, 30 March 2014 (UTC)
Hello, Georgianposter. In ordinary English, "notable" means "important", but Wikipedia uses the word in a special way. "Notable" in Wikipedia means that reliable sources (such as major newspapers, or books from reputable publishers) have written about the subject. There are many artists, performers, business people who in retrospect will certainly be seen as important but have not yet been written about much and so are not yet notable in Wikipedia's special sense. (There are also plenty of subjects which have been written about, but are not, in the grand scheme of things, very important). --ColinFine (talk) 10:25, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

how to make an article be in the stub class

I started Pater Sato the artist article today, and I want to put it in the stub class. It may not be enough, but maybe someone can add more if mark it as a stub, then maybe someone will notice it. I thought he may have done the cover art on the duran duran record called rio, but I am not sure yet, so I did not put that part in the article. It looks like his work, he does art brushed faces. Apriv40dj (talk) 05:03, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Welcome to the Teahouse, Apriv40dj. According to WP:STUB, "A stub is an article containing only one or a few sentences of text that, although providing some useful information, is too short to provide encyclopedic coverage of a subject, and that is capable of expansion." So, a stub is the lowest possible rating of an article. In my opinion, although stubs are better than nothing, experienced editors should seek to go well beyond stub rating for all their articles. At least I do. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 05:53, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
Hello, Apriv40dj. Well done for not adding the information to Pater Sato if you do not have a source for it. Properly we should never add information even that we are sure of if we haven't got a reliable published source, because a reader next week or next month or next year will have no way of verifying that the information is correct and not a mistake or a hoax. Even more, we shouldn't add information that we have only deduced. --ColinFine (talk) 09:47, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

@Collin, I was wondering how in terms of technical issues to make place an article in the stub class, if you look at the page, it is really short. Such as designating it, or placing it into a class. I found out he did not do the Rio Cover after all, that was patrick nagel, but they have a similar style. I may not see this if you don't pink me back, because I have an issue with getting replies at the tea house, either I get all replies for all issues, or no replies, and if I get all replies my mail box is overwhelmed. @ColinFine: Apriv40dj (talk) 15:43, 30 March 2014 (UTC) I seem to have done it by copying the text I found, under the link. I think it is now an artist stub. @ColinFine: Apriv40dj (talk) 15:49, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Am I in the right place?

I'm a music producer with one-sheet info I wanted on a wikipedia page. How do I?FloydKelly (talk) 15:54, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

I just googled "how to" and see that somebody (not me) needs to write about me; but I don't know a single wikipedia user IRL. My opener is (verified by stats at RadioAirplay.com and partnership with Jango Radio and Nimbit) - In 2014, my music I composed and sound-mixed has played one or more times in 100 countries. Nielsen Soundscan entry March 2014.

How can I find someone to write about me? I only have one review [1]

References

  1. ^ Spalding, Alex. YIKIS http://yeahiknowitsucks.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/floyd-kelly-the-doorway-a-sonic-journey-none/comment-page-1/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

FloydKelly (talk) 16:15, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Welcome to the Teahouse, FloydKelly. Please read our notability guideline for creative professionals. If your work has only received one review, then I am sorry to say that you do not yet qualify for a Wikipedia article. If your career is successful going forward, then that may change. Good luck. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 17:27, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Do we need to remove the "\{\{User draft\}\}" string before submitting a draft for review?

Hi, at the top of draft articles (in the Edit page) is the string "\{\{User draft\}\}". Should this string be manually removed before submitting the draft for review or does the act of clicking on the "Submit your draft for review!" button automatically take care of this? (NOTE: Apologies for the backslashes but the string would not show up in the question if I didn't embed them.) Thanks. --FGuerino (talk) 17:01, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Hi FGuerino, welcome back to the Teahouse. Technically, you don't have to remove the {{User draft}} template. The "Submit your draft for review!" button adds a "Review waiting" banner to the bottom of the page, and eventually, either a bot or a reviewer will come and remove the draft string for you as part of their regular clean up tasks. That said, it is perfectly fine to remove the draft string yourself if you don't feel like waiting for someone else to do it for you. wink Best, Mz7 (talk) 18:14, 30 March 2014 (UTC)
And to get the string to display, you can use either nowiki or the tl template. <nowiki>{{User draft}}</nowiki> displays as {{User draft}}. {{tl|User draft}} displays as {{User draft}} (with a link embodied). --David Biddulph (talk) 18:22, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

How does one de-orphan a biologcal article, specifically a species.?

I have an article Luprisca incuba, which I created a few days ago. And It's still an orphan. But it's too specific to be mentioned in the main page of their genus or phylum, even as a 'see also' link. Besides, it's a first in its genus, which makes it even more segregated from others and thus more tricky to find. What do I do ? Abhinav (talk) 19:51, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Hi and welcome to the Teahouse. Its a very nice article. It may be an orphan until the genus article is created, and then the genus article may be an orphan for a while. I added the page to Wikipedia:WikiProject Arthropods by putting the template on the talk page. Ask your question at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Arthropods for a more knowledgeable answer than mine. Happy editing. StarryGrandma (talk) 20:27, 30 March 2014 (UTC)
Hi I have added a link from Lucina (goddess) so it is no longer an orphan. Theroadislong (talk) 20:53, 30 March 2014 (UTC)
... and there was already a link from 2014 in arthropod paleontology. --David Biddulph (talk) 21:12, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

I am brand new to Wikipedia. How do I create a profile page for a person? Thank you.

I rep a high profile person in the entertainment production industry. Where do I look / go to create a profile for that person? Thank you.Terri Hartman (talk) 22:12, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Please read WP:COI, Terri Hartman, and step away from even thinking of doing it. If they are notable them someone will write about them. If not, then not. If you do then please be aware that these things have a habit of biting those who represent the people they write about in the backside. Fiddle Faddle 22:24, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Some details are incorrect

6th of october war has some incorrect details? shouldn't it be fixed? Ali Osama (talk) 21:19, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

@Ali Osama: If you have correctly cited facts to make the corrections please do so. But please, first, read WP:TRUTH to understand a little more about how Wikipedia articles work with real facts. Fiddle Faddle 21:22, 30 March 2014 (UTC)
will read it now! thanks ! :D — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ali Osama (talk • contribs) 22:42, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Referencing Question

I have assembled a list if references for my article, each with an Internet link. My article is in the Sandbox. Where do I go from here?! Your guidance will be much appreciated. Alex AlexMcCallum (talk) 23:06, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Hello, welcome back to the Teahouse! You can add the code {{subst:submit}} to the top and save the page. That will submit it to articles for creation, where someone will review it and decide if it is good enough for an actual article.
In the meantime, I suggest that you go through the editing tutorial to learn about formatting. Anon126 (talk - contribs) 23:53, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Reference sourcd

I'm editing an article about this company. Is it alright if I use the company's webpage (ie. their about section) to write about them in wiki? Candicedelacruz (talk) 23:55, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Hello, welcome back to the Teahouse. Yes, this information can be used, but only in limited cases. Most importantly, it should not be the majority of the article; Wikipedia prefers what others have said about the company. Anon126 (talk - contribs) 00:09, 31 March 2014 (UTC)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Teahouse/Questions/Archive_196&oldid=1138267794"