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Dear Wikipedia,
Dear Wikipedia,


Your article on "Competitiveness" cites various of the programs I helped to initiate (e.g., the Sri Lanka Competitiveness Program.) I have a dissenting view on competitiveness, different from Prof. Krugman's. If there is scope to upload articles that seek to deliver a more balanced, experiential approach to the subject at hand, then perhaps my essay could have value? I have copied my essay here below in it's entirety, for your consideration. If it can be appended or modified to be of use on Wikipedia, please advise. If it is indeed outside the scope of consideration on Wiki, that's okay too. Thanks.
Your article on "Competitiveness" cites various of the programs I helped to initiate (e.g., the Sri Lanka Competitiveness Program.) I have a dissenting view on competitiveness, different from Prof. Krugman's. If there is scope to upload articles that seek to deliver a more balanced, experiential approach to the subject at hand, then perhaps my essay could have value? I have copied my essay here below in it's entirety, for your consideration. If it can be appended or modified to be of use on Wikipedia, please advise. If it is indeed outside the scope of consideration on Wiki, that's okay too. Thanks. [[User:Davidbflood|Davidbflood]] 10:13, 5 September 2007 (UTC)
<!--essay moved for space considerations-->Essay at [[User:Davidbflood]]





















STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT:

ADDING VALUE TO COMPETITIVENESS








by

David B. Flood

e-mail: davidbflood@yahoo.com









Draft of October 2004








STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT:

ADDING VALUE TO COMPETITIVENESS




Preface: The Mitchell Report: Learning the Wrong Lessons

Outline



I. Introduction and Overview

II. Comparing and Contrasting Competitiveness and Strategic Development

III. Building the Dialogue on Strategic Development

a. The Role of Strategy
b. Paradigms for Benchmarking
c. The Role of Benchmarking

IV. Building the Team for Strategic Development

V. Conclusion




Annexes

1. Differentiating Development Competitiveness and Strategic Development
2. Overview of a Generic Strategic Development Initiative
3. The Development Diamond
4. Examples of Pilot Projects
5. Note on the Author












Preface

The Mitchell Report, a document on USAID’s experience in the area of competitiveness, reflects general thinking as seen from the perspectives of contractors and their clients in field missions around the world and at headquarters. I recently wrote a critique of this report and I thought to include it here as a preface to an essay I wrote called “Strategic Development: Adding Value to Competitiveness.” The essay provides some context for this critique, while the critique introduces some alternative thinking about development competitiveness.

The Mitchell Report: Learning the Wrong Lessons


The “Lessons Learned from the Mitchell Report” are so far removed from actual experience that alignment of any competitiveness activities using these as guidelines will cause more harm than if no activities were undertaken.

Below I have listed the “Lessons Learned” from the Mitchell Report (MR) as summarized by a “Technical Briefing” released by USAID. * My initials (DBF) precede my observations on these “lessons.” * *


MR 1. The most important determinant of success is the “sweat-equity” investment of
the cluster participants.

DBF: Good strategy is the most important determinant of success. Only two things measure competitiveness: innovation, and investment. These variables are measurable by meaningful indicators. Sweat-equity may be measured by the buckets used to collect the sweat, but not much else. The economies in which donors support competitiveness generally are long on sweat equity and short on innovation and investment. Sweat equity does not produce investment; good strategy does.

MR 2. The private sector must own and drive the process of cluster development.

DBF: No, this force feeds the private sector to pursue cluster development and to own something they may not need or see the value of owning ( i.e., a cluster) when all they really want is good, money making strategies to lead them. Putting “clusters” before “strategy” is tantamount to a reversal of natural law, where form follows function.

Cluster terminology tends to create lots of unnecessary confusion in fieldwork, as does the competitiveness literature (or jargon) at large when and as applied to development. In fact, a focus on clusters and on clustering too often detracts from the job at hand, which is to reposition industries and sectors into higher-value activities. Clusters, to the extent they are relevant to development, should be driven by consideration of what adds value, where, by/for/with whom, and how. Too often, however, clusters and clustering become ends rather than means, and this explains perhaps why projects that focus on clustering tend not to succeed as well as those that focus on ‘getting the strategy right.’

Clustering is one aspect of the donor drive toward institutionalizing competitiveness. Another feature of this drive is seen in support for “competitiveness councils.” The drive for up-front institutionalization denies one of the key insights of much of the earlier literature on competitiveness related to the importance of the fact that clusters, the preferred organizational vehicle of the cluster competitiveness approach, were ad hoc bodies. In the political economy of the Third World in particular, where ‘policy’ and ‘institutions’ have crowded out a role for strategy, almost any attempt to institutionalize competitiveness tends to run the risk of restoring government to the role of master strategist. When issues of form become the focus before clear strategy emerges, stifling politics and bureaucratization are close behind. Also, one must be careful when adding another institution to the existing overpopulation of development institutions in developing economies.

In summary, good strategic leadership tends to induce ownership amongst those most ready to provide the leadership needed to handle issues of implementation, be they operational or policy-related.

MR3. To gauge success in assisting cluster development and economic growth impact, donors need clearly defined, meaningful performance indicators and regular tracking of implementation - but these have been lacking – to the detriment of demonstrating results.

DBF Money (and the quality of it) is the measure of good strategy.

MR4. Leadership matters. One strong leader can make an enormous difference – and
conversely, the lack of a champion can mean an effort’s stagnation or demise.

DBF Strategically-oriented leadership is the missing ingredient. Most places where donors support competitiveness have for a legion of reasons not been supportive of ‘strategy.’ The inference in this “lesson” is on the importance of local leadership, yet the need for leadership must be embodied in those who coach the exercise. They must see their role as catalysts, not merely advisors. Good strategy induces the “right” leadership to come forward.

MR5. Leadership must come from the local community – donor-funded consultants play a facilitative role and cannot be expected to substitute for local leadership. Absence of emerging leadership in a cluster is a warning sign that the cluster may fail to coalesce or progress in spite of outside assistance.

DBF Following on the above, if local leadership is not emerging, then either the strategy is not good enough to lead the way, or the consultants are not sufficiently catalytic, or the local mission is somehow unduly influencing the dialogue.

MR 6. TA should not be provided for clusters with little prospect for private sector ownership of the cluster strategy and activities.

DBF Resources are best allocated in terms of their strategic merits. Often times it is the mission that chooses the client, and distorts things by having to provide TA to “clusters” that would not otherwise be on the scene.

MR7. Cluster development is often hardest in traditional industries.

DBF This is way off-base. Indeed, working with traditional industries is challenging, but the ability to add value in these sectors is generally far more forthcoming -- and the audience far more receptive – than in non-traditional industries. In fact, ‘long tradition’ in a given industry is the opening point for rapid gains in the competitiveness approach to development.
MR8. Don’t over-water the garden. Funneling too much money through a competitiveness initiative may weaken local initiative.

DBF This problem does not occur when, in collaboration with those involved, clear criteria are established for distributing funds.

MR9. Funding activities that primarily benefit only one or a handful of companies should be avoided and funding to cover costs that would normally be assumed by the private sector should not be provided.

DBF This “problem” arises only where too limited a definition of the competitiveness opportunity delimits the audience.

MR10. It may be more challenging to implement cluster-based competitiveness initiatives in transitional economies than in others.

DBF If ‘transitional” is understood to be somewhere between “developed” and “developing,” then transitional economies probably are closer than are developing economies to being able to produce and absorb investment and innovation. Perhaps the skew factor relates to the support of “cluster-based” competitiveness, where support for ‘strategy’ might not ensnare implementation.

MR11. Cluster-based competitiveness initiatives are not a “quick-fix” – they take time to work, so expectations of results should be tempered accordingly.

DBF The competitiveness approach can, if it is strategy driven, produce remarkably fast results. Often what slows things down is the need to approach the initiatives with the baggage of clusters in tow, and the obligations imposed by many missions whereby “quick-fixes” are part of the task order and must be produced in terms of deliverables that do not begin to reflect issues of true strategic merit.

* EG Technical Briefing No.8, April 2004, USAID’s Office of Economic Growth, Washington, DC. * * 20 September 2004.


I. Introduction and Overview

Competitiveness needs to find its way as a tool of economic development. Some argue that current approaches are “too theoretical,” too academic, and too elitist. Others argue that competitiveness seems to respond to donor needs more than to the strategic needs of the productive sectors of a host economy. More likely a variety of reasons explain why competitiveness initiatives in developing countries tend not to have represented an exercise that really helps an economy to grow faster, or better, or to reposition itself into higher-value activities, nor to maximize resource allocation, nor necessarily to represent the will of the people in a community.

Strategic development represents an application and an adaptation of key tenets of competitiveness theory and practice applied to support for broad based economic growth in developing countries. It represents a means for leveraging existing investments in “economic growth” and stimulates investment in hard and soft strategic assets that represent clear value for multiple sectors often operating under diverse political and geographic influences. Investments are concentrated in four core areas that fundamentally affect any sector’s ability to reposition itself. These “four pillars” are human resources, management, infrastructure, and research & development.

Strategic development initiatives take their lead by strategizing with producer groups in a wide range of sectors. The approach builds strategic linkages in and between sectors, in a ‘community’ of interests that involves local, provincial, and federal government bodies, along with a range of other interests both large and small from the local and national scene, and other players as needed from global markets.

Many analysts suggest that by design or default, both donor and public support for competitiveness often is geared to helping low cost producers remain that way. Interventions are focused on quantity not quality, and on upgrading to standards that have long been abandoned by higher value producers. As a result, support for competitiveness ironically often comes at the expense of better paying jobs and so limits the prosperity of the surrounding community. At the same time, there is considerable external price pressure on goods from traditional commodity-based industries and on any diversified production for global consumer markets. The resulting drive to be low cost producers often precludes the possibility of being able to afford investments in upgraded assets. Partially in consequence of this state of affairs, many developing economies find themselves caught in low-cost, low-value (LCLV) traps.

Strategic development offers a possible corrective to the policy-driven approach many developing countries have followed since independence. That approach places form before function and it tends to crowd-out a role for strategy. It often has cast government in the role of master strategist for the private sector. A difficult role for many governments even on the national stage, and one for which they are ill-equipped, the role of strategy assumes even more daunting new challenges in the era of globalization. Strategic development is presented as a tool to enable developing economies to face these challenges with confidence, and to spring LCLV traps meanwhile.
I witnessed a revealing exchange between an elected Prime Minister and a leading businessman that provides an indication of the value of strategy. Upon hearing from the businessman at a competitiveness forum that ‘government never listens to industry,’ the head of state said sharply “Government would be glad to listen if industry ever said anything of value.” But for the word, the Prime Minister asked industry for its strategy. Why is this exchange so revealing? Because -- due to the legacy of command economies, industrial policy, and other influences -- very few firms {even big ones} let alone industries’ have strategies in developing countries. (In field exercises this insight develops into an exciting opportunity, and is not perceived as a negative.)

Strategic development initiatives exploit the power of strategy as defined and discussed herein. Strategy leads markets. Strategy not ‘only’ adds value, it creates value, and not ‘just’ more value, but ‘better’ value. Richer communities have better strategies than poorer ones. Good strategy signals good value and it invites new investment without having to promote the need for it. For developing and emerging economies, strategy is a tool of empowerment, because if good strategy is well implemented it creates wealth for communities, not just selected players.The wealth-creating power of strategic development is enhanced by the critical mass that a strategically focused, extended community of stakeholders can bring to bear on the exercise.

Competitiveness is driven by the “twin propellers” of growth: innovation and investment. In strategic development initiatives, the driveshaft to these propellers is recognized as consisting of four components known to be essential to higher value performance in all sectors. As noted earlier, these ‘four pillars’ include human resources, management, infrastructure, and research and development. (In fieldwork, research and development often is understood in terms of product reengineering.)

Strategic development helps to strengthen these pillars strategically as it uses key concepts of competitiveness to guide a sustained and focused dialogue about the requirements for repositioning a community into higher value activities. In keeping with key competitiveness concepts, a focus on differentiation into high value activities in traditional industries in particular is maintained in strategic development initiatives.

Strategic development offers a non-institutional, community-based approach to economic development. It focuses on ends and results, rather than means, mental models and methodologies. Strategic development focuses not on firms or clusters, but on sectors. Firms are relevant to the exercise to the extent that their involvement is seen by others to add-value to efforts to upgrade the larger sector(s) in which they operate. A focus on sectors brings needed critical mass and through it more leverage to bear in terms of influencing the allocation of private and public funds to upgrade selected strategic assets.







Measuring the Dialogue on Strategic Development

The most widespread measure of the value of the dialogue should be found in terms of increased prices paid to producers of any underlying raw material from local processors. These higher producer prices should reflect higher quality standards and greater operating efficiencies for processors and so leading to lower consumer prices, especially for goods and services traded in nearby markets. A longer-term, more indicative measure of the return on strategy as herein discussed would involve application of a multiplier effect taking into account that strategic development focuses on stimulating investment in assets that enable higher value activities to occur in several sectors simultaneously.*

The mantra of strategic development is “Show me the value.” The mandate is to deliver it. Strategic development initiatives lead to the development of pilot projects and a pattern of productive teamwork between private and public sector interests that can guide subsequent efforts to reposition an economy into higher-value activities.

Technical support is rendered over three phases of activities common to strategic development initiatives; (1) strategizing, (2) enabling, and (3) implementing. The overview of a ‘generic’ strategic development initiative is included as Annex 1. A brief description of each phase follows,

Strategizing refers to regularly scheduled dialogue sessions with producer groups in a wide range of sectors and in related and supporting industries. The approach builds strategic linkages in and between sectors, in a ‘community’ of interests that involves relevant governmental bodies and a range of other interests both large and small from the local and national scene, and other players as needed from global markets. The core activities of this phase of the initiative center on workshops and related venues. Sector specialists and others in the project will input relevant benchmarking data on the practices and policies that drive higher levels of performance in offshore models deemed relevant.

Enabling. As discussions progress and strategic dialogue emerges, clear opportunities surface for project support to enable those opportunities by providing project services in support of them (such as short-term technical consultancies, training programs, grants, and associated project ‘tools’).

Implementing. Implementation provides the only means to measure the returns on strategy. Measurement is manageable most readily when pilot projects are launched and supported by project stakeholders.



_______________________________________

* “Satellite” or green accounting techniques value assets in the tourism industry in a manner somewhat similar.



II. Comparing and Contrasting Competitiveness and Strategic Development

Several adaptations to conventional competitiveness theory and approaches render the approach more useful in developing economies. For example, initial assessments of the strategic field are more conducive to action in Third World settings when the very useful “national diamond of competitiveness” developed by Michael Porter is repositioned as “The Development Diamond” (as seen in Annex 2). This simple repositioning helps to lift competitiveness out of its industrial economics mode and renders the approach more useful -- both conceptually and analytically and especially as a dialogue tool -- in non-industrial economies. Used as a dialogue tool, the development diamond tends also to help place the responsibility for better economic performance in the hands of those closest to being able to deliver it.


Focus on Upgrading Traditional Industries

Strategic development favors a focus on strategies that result in higher quality output and higher prices for products and services from traditional industry. This often involves the implementation of strategies that link skills and technologies from “new industries” to traditional industries.


The Relationship between Investment and Innovation

In the literature on competitiveness, four stages of economic development are identified. According to this paradigm, an economy moves up the scale of prosperity from (1) being dependent on available raw materials, next (2) to an investment driven economy where a focus on efficiency becomes important, then (3) to an innovation based economy that focuses on unique values, and finally (4) into the fourth stage, wealth. Many analysts have observed that this progression is not inevitable, that is, that ‘innovation’ may precede ‘investment,’ for example. In strategic development initiatives, given that they tend to operate in poorer economies, it is generally assumed that innovation must precede investment. Strategy is used to identify scope for innovation, and that innovation then is used to invite investment. (Because good strategy communicates clear value, raising funds to cover implementation costs has never presented a problem, even in the poorest economies.)

It is recognized that the commonly required skills for implementing a differentiation (or innovative) strategy include strong product engineering capabilities, long tradition in the industry, and strong capabilities in basic research, among others. A hallmark of the strategic development approach is a focus on differentiation strategies in traditional industries rather than on those that focus on efficiency of production for mass markets. Strategic development initiatives tend to focus on how innovation may be achieved in traditional industries by investing in the ‘four pillars’ of human resources, management, infrastructure and research and development.




Strategic Development Focuses on Sectors, Not on Firms or Clusters

Strategic development is not centered on firms, as are other competitiveness approaches to the micro economy. The approach also is not focused on clusters; rather strategic development focuses on sectors and cross-sectoral strategy. Firms remain relevant to strategic development just as other actors do, that is, by demonstrating their relevance to higher value activities.

Yet, the form by which an economy chooses to organize itself, through private firms or through state owned enterprises, is less important than the strategy that guides implementation of the measures needed to upgrade an economy. In the context of development, adding-value must be viewed from the lens not of individual firms, but in terms of larger social equity considerations and the broader, more traditionally based power of sectors. Strategic development identifies and supports strategies that add value at the intersection of financial returns (to firms) and economic returns (to communities).

Competitiveness has promoted the cluster as the organizational and analytical basis for operation. Cluster formation can indeed represent an essential step in organizing a sector or industry. Yet the focus on forming clusters and their role in development is somewhat misplaced because delivery of higher values occurs not through clusters but through an informal network of Strategy Working Groups (SWOGs) that represent the real workhorses of competitiveness. Cluster formation and cluster leadership tends to involve issues of form while generally strategic development addresses matters of substance before issues of form. A central theme of strategic development is that just as form follows function in natural law, the exercise of pursuing economic growth and development may follow suit.

Cluster terminology tends to create lots of unnecessary confusion in fieldwork, as does the competitiveness literature (or jargon) at large when and as applied to development. Also, a focus on clusters and on clustering too often detracts from the job at hand, which is to reposition industries and sectors into higher-value activities. Clusters should be driven by consideration of what adds value, where, by/for/with whom, and how. Too often, however, clusters and clustering become ends rather than means, and this explains perhaps why projects that focus on clustering tend not succeed as well as those that focus on ‘getting the strategy right.’

A distinction needs to be drawn between 'industry' and 'sector.' Strategic development focuses on sectors. Just as firms are subsets of industries, so industries are subsets of sectors. Whereas "industry" refers to a distinct group of productive enterprises, any given sector may have numerous industries within it. A focus on sectors, then, allows for greater scope to achieve economies of scale in resource allocation in and between industries and sectors. This is an especially important issue of scope in developing economies where inherently thin capital markets suggest the need for greater strategic leverage in terms of resource allocations.





On the Importance of Geography

An emphasis on "geographic concentration" is a hallmark of the cluster approach. Concepts of adding value are only relevant to the extent that benefits are produced "here," so of course geographic considerations are fundamentally important.

The dialogue on strategic development tends to work from discussion of linkages between the “four pillars” at the sectoral level, then up, as it were, to consideration of policy issues relevant at, first, the local level, and then at provincial and federal levels. (For example, a group of milk producers from the dairy sector may identify that the most important way to upgrade the sector is to invest in chilling tanks, in collective collection depots, and in quality labs that will help drive the need for such tanks and for better policies to secure them. This calls forth the need for a milk policy, and the need for enforcing it, so key leads into the agriculture, commerce, and health ministries may be forged with the specific backing of the private sector to invest in a cold chain.)


Transaction Costs

Other approaches to development competitiveness force various issues (e.g., governance, gender equity) to prominence as ends, when in fact such concepts usually are already an intrinsic means of approaches to repositioning for high value performance. Higher value products or services tend to bundle such features as ‘fair trade,’ for example, into the reward structure of price premiums. A focus on means as ends raises the transaction costs of development. The approach under consideration tends to obviate this problem and thus accelerates the pace of development.


The Macro-Micro ‘Controversy’

The fact that development competitiveness in its current state of development is an amalgamated product of macroeconomic and microeconomic theory explains a measure of its controversy. In practice, the macro-micro “controversy” generates more smoke than light. The ability to “be competitive” does not depend upon any particular school of economics – whether macro or micro, market or Marxian. In fact, some leading professionals with experience in development competitiveness hold the opinion that the microeconomics of the exercise are oversold, and that too great a focus on this area of the larger picture has contributed to negative returns on investment in competitiveness. Support for this view may be read in terms of strategic development’s attempt to shift the focus from firms to communities and the upgrading of the productive activities in which they are traditionally involved.


Language Issues

The language of competitiveness is often found to be a barrier to better, community-oriented conversations on strategies for economic growth. My use of the term ‘strategic development’ emerged as an alternative reference to competitiveness as applied to development.


Institutionalizing Competitiveness

There is often a donor-driven effort to want to institutionalize competitiveness in the form of competitiveness councils. One of the key insights of much of the earlier literature on competitiveness related to the importance of the fact that clusters, the preferred organizational vehicle of the cluster competitiveness approach, were ad hoc bodies. In the political economy of the Third World in particular, where ‘policy’ and ‘institutions’ have crowded out a role for strategy, almost any attempt to institutionalize competitiveness tends to run the risk of restoring government to the role of master strategist. When issues of form become the focus before clear strategy emerges, stifling politics and bureaucratization are close behind. Also, one must be careful when adding another institution to the existing overpopulation of development institutions in transitional economies. This is especially cautioned because if they succeed (and even sometimes when they don’t), strategic development initiatives tend to provide new focus and purpose to trade associations, chambers and other bodies.


The Role of Standards

The role of standards as they relate to the subject of competitiveness is a controversial one in its own right -- often times unnecessarily so in the literature on competitiveness. Meeting and sustaining “global productivity standards” is regarded by some as the Holy Grail of competitiveness. Yet, in the context of economic development, these productivity standards may represent the “ceiling” for Third World countries while paradoxically they often at the same time represent the “floor” for sophisticated global players. Another significant problem is associated with this goal; targeting global standards as a strategy for economic development tends to extend the jaws of the LCLV trap, and, with donor assistance, to utilize scare resources in developing countries only to play a never-ending game of catch-up. (Annex 2 provides a further brief discussion of this issue, using The Development Diamond as a conceptual tool for understanding how investing in standards may not be a good strategic choice for a developing economy.)
Issues of measurement and associated informational problems run throughout the literature on management, and nowhere, arguably, is the issue more prominent than it is in the area of competitiveness. In general, strategic development differs from other approaches to competitiveness by placing qualitative concerns, such as quality itself, before quantitative concerns. (As if to make this point, the head of a central bank recently remarked that ‘the quality of lending is more important than quantities loaned.’)

Perhaps the key distinguishing feature of strategic development is that its modus operandi is catalytic, whereas other approaches to competitiveness tend to be analytical and/or prescriptive.




III. Building the Dialogue on Strategic Development


a. The Role of Strategy

The creed of strategic development is:

Strategy rules-Vanguards lead-Policy enables
Strategy, as defined by Alfred Chandler in his 1962 book, Strategy and Structure, refers to the setting of long-term objectives, the determination of courses of action, and the allocation of resources to achieve the objectives. This provides an excellent definition of ‘strategy’ as used herein. In practice, ‘strategy’ does not need a formal definition or introduction; it becomes clear very quickly that ‘strategy’ involves an on-going exercise of delivering higher value.

A commitment to strategy is what separates strategic development from other approaches to development competitiveness. Strategy leads markets. For Third World and transitional countries to signal that they are market-driven can be a signal that their economies are open for LCLV business. If an economy is strategy driven, on the other hand, then far richer and more inviting signals are sent, and returns are commensurate.

Chandler cautioned that corporations should develop strategies before deciding their structure. Moving the delivery of this message from corporations in industrialized economies (Chandler’s audience) to development planning and management in Third World countries only reinforces the importance of this point. In the context of development, this natural law (form follows function) may be stated as “strategy before policy.” The importance of this law is enshrined in the six words I have adopted as the creed of strategic development.

A focus on “strategy” as discussed here is not meant to convey the idea that “policy” is subordinate to “strategy.” We all appreciate that sophisticated policy, with effective funding and enforcement in place, can and does provide for higher living standards. In strategic development, “policy” is subordinate to “strategy” in observance of natural law and because of the tendency for policy driven-economies to crowd-out a role for strategy and a range of high-value economic activities. While it may seem misleading to developmentalists, in particular, the case for differentiating “policy” from “strategy” is a strong one. The distinction is at once methodological and contextual to the application at hand; the creed’s prioritization better responds to and conforms to conditions in Third World and transitional economies. Given this, in practice it is useful to strategize initially with corporate or private sector stakeholders because they are usually closest to appreciating where and how higher value activities may be generated, and what policies and associated enforcement measures need to be in place to support them. Benchmarking is discussed below as a means to lend direction to this task.

Strategy is about differentiation, and differentiation is about choice. To hearken back to Adam Smith, when he introduced his thinking on economic development and the variability of the wealth of nations, it is perhaps significant to note that in one short reference he used the word ‘different’ two times: “Of the Different Progress of Opulence in Different Countries (emphasis added).” While many people are under the mistaken impression that competitiveness equates with “being low cost,” true competitiveness is driven much less by cost considerations than by innovation and specialization (i.e., differentiation) that allows for premium pricing associated with better quality. Creating value for all stakeholders (who self-select to be involved) -- the key to strategic development – requires a focus on differentiation. In strategic development initiatives, benchmarking, as discussed below, helps to establish a range of options for differentiation, and in so doing, to indicate any associated investments and policies that will facilitate the repositioning exercise. Strategy is, arguably, the value-added by development competitiveness.


b. On Paradigms for Benchmarking

From at least the time Adam Smith wrote about it in “ The Wealth of Nations,” the “different progress of opulence in different countries” has been determined first by the ability of people to provide “plentiful revenue…for themselves,” or strong financial performance and secondly, upon the provision of “a revenue sufficient for the public services,” or strong economic performance. Smith’s description of what we think of today and measure in terms of economic development raises all manner of strategic linkages and gaps. One especially critical gap concerns the issue of value. Value is a prime feedstock of wealth in market economies. Many developing countries find their industries caught in low-cost, low-value traps that substantially explain their lower-than-desired levels of economic performance. Value is created by strategy in market economies. A country’s economic performance may therefore be understood partially as a function of its ability to conceive and implement strategy. Rich countries are long on value-creating strategies and poor countries are short on them.

Current paradigms of national competitiveness hearken directly back to Adam Smith and they provide a platform for benchmarking in the context of strategic development initiatives. Michael Porter’s paradigm of national competitiveness, for example, depicts the performance of an economy as a function of, first, the ability of firms to implement sophisticated operations and strategies, and, secondly, upon the support of an enabling policy environment (emphasis added). Porter’s paradigm updates Smith’s by adding the importance of a stable legal, political, and macroeconomic setting for growth. This paradigm provides the foundation for benchmarking policy and strategy in strategic development.

Benchmarking provides a way to facilitate and structure community dialogue such that a community is able to act upon opportunities to generate higher-value activities. Benchmarking provides external guidelines for development, and when these guidelines are selected on the basis of their intrinsic strategic merit (rather than handed down as policy measures) they become enduring guides to the exercise of strategic development. (Yet as the approach is catalytic and not analytic, strategic development initiatives tend to approach benchmarking not as an exercise in documentation but as an illustrative exercise to guide group strategizing.)





As powerful as it is, still the Smith-Porter paradigm falls short of delivering a useful conceptual model for development in non-industrialized regions. A minor adaptation to Porter’s “national diamond of competitiveness” adds value to the use of this powerful tool in developing economies. (The Development Diamond is presented and discussed in Annex 2.)

Benchmarking the ‘four pillars’ of development across multiple industries and sectors reveals opportunities for shared public-private investments. Such synergy contributes a highly positive multiplier effect as regards public resource allocation. This is an effect that cannot occur when each industry pursues its own agenda. Strategic development seeks to advance development by concentrating on upgrading the ‘four pillars’ common to several traditional and related industries, leading to the development of a shared platform from which a wide range of firms in different sectors may implement their own, more sophisticated strategies. Groups of firms from one or more industries and sectors often are prepared to make investments in such enabling infrastructure because, first, they recognize how the investment will help them to implement their own higher-value strategies, and secondly, it is understood that the investment will not favor one firm or group of them at the expense of another. Investments of this nature add positively to local rivalry and help to build the middle ground in the development gap as presented by The Development Diamond (see Annex 2).


Information, Please
Whereas value is a feedstock of wealth, information is the feedstock of benchmarking. The benchmarking undertaken in strategic development initiatives requires a range of micro-oriented, commercial information that is not usually dealt with in development exercises. The need for information is multiplied by the fact that strategic development is a scale-neutral exercise; it may be pursued at any relevant, operative level (nation, region, or municipality: industry, segment or cluster; small or large firms.) Building information capabilities is often one of the first shared, public-private investment opportunities that presents itself in the context of strategic development initiatives. Good primary data (on available supplies, prices, grades, etc.) is the basis for developing strategy, and so building a sector’s information capacity usually has powerful returns in terms of investments and other economic and financial indicators.

As indicated above, strategic development initiatives begin with focussed discussion and consideration of how other communities engaged in similar productive activities have managed to upgrade their community’s economic performance by securing higher value positions in the markets they serve. This process of informal benchmarking becomes more formalized as (not before) a community’s strategic development initiative moves into the three phases of activity that attend the approach: strategizing, enabling (with technical assistance and policy support and enforcement), and implementation. (Annex 1 provides the overview of a generic strategic development initiative.)




Mega-Trends

In initial group discussions of strategic development, key mega-trends are identified for each sector. Mega-trends are those trends that explain the flow of higher investments and higher-end human capital to a given group of higher-end performers. Typical mega-trends include “health,” “quality,” and “management,” for example. When discussing “quality,” for example, it is often useful to talk about the role of laboratories. When several sectors are present, it becomes evident that a good lab may service the needs of multiple sectors, in much the manner as a computer may be used as a platform for any number of applications. A lab then becomes an investment target for those present. Typically, nobody present is interested in funding a new asset like this “unless or until” government takes action to boost investor confidence by removing particular obstacles. From a political perspective it is persuasive to have several sectors from a given area argue for the likes of state-of-the-art lab, because these leaders and their sectors will represent a significant share of the area’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). And the private sector’s willingness to co-fund the lab becomes a key driver for identifying what needs to be done in the public sector, and who needs to do it in order to secure the new investment. Focussing the dialogue in this way provides some needed leverage into implementing higher value strategy.

Key to the exercise is the early identification of an investment target or asset that represents a clear stepping stone to the creation of higher value activities and that has the financial support of key players from the sectors involved.


The “4 Ps” of Marketing

When introducing benchmarking at strategic development workshops, it is often useful to review the “4 Ps of Marketing,” being; Place, product, price, and promotion. When an economic community scopes out how other competitive communities have managed to graduate into and maintain higher value performance, that richer community invariably has a higher share of its total investments in “place” rather than in “promotion.” Many of the strategies addressed by strategic development initiatives involve the need for clean water (for processing foods, or for improving feedstock), or “better” energy, for example. Maintaining a focus on “place before promotion” helps the exercise of strategic development deliver better quality for consumers in local and export markets alike.


Benchmarking ‘Strategy’ and ‘Policy’

The mission of strategic development is to help close the gap between strategy and policy in order to create more wealth and enable more rapid and widely spread gains in the standard of living in developing countries.

A first step in this enabling process involves benchmarking and comparing “our industry” and “global industry” in terms of strategy and policy, especially, as noted, in the areas that represent the four strategic pillars of development – human resources, management, infrastructure, and research and development. The comparisons enable gap analysis, which helps to establish a basis for understanding how other communities create more value for their customers and themselves.
Strategy benchmarking represents the first stage of commercial strategizing. Its purpose is to establish how global firms create higher levels of value, and to quantify those values so that they may become markers for the upgrading of “our industry.” Private firms from the same industry or sector working together lead the strategizing exercise initially, and then other stakeholders from other industries, from government, from “global industry” and elsewhere are brought into the process on an as-needed basis. Later, co-leadership emerges between the private and public sectors as strategic development initiatives forge a strategy-policy team that operates with equal effectiveness in both spheres and cross-sectorally.

Policy benchmarking provides a complementary input to strategy benchmarking and it begins the process of strategizing the role of the public sector in the context of strategic development initiatives. It involves an exercise of systematically reviewing the policy environment in competing producer countries to determine if there are any policy measures that may be consistently equated with higher growth rates in sectoral or industry-level productivity in that country or industry. Similarly, policy benchmarking tracks regulatory trends in consumer markets to establish how legislative initiatives there may open new markets or establish new thresholds of competitiveness performance.

Often times policy benchmarking includes review of what the best trade associations do –the polices they lobby for, how they do that, and the range of other services they provide their members in competing producer countries.

Policy benchmarking can advance the development of a menu of policy options that may yield some ideas for legislation to advance the dialogue on competitiveness and strategic development.

Strategy and policy benchmarking are pursued as complementary exercises and the two activities (and any people or other bodies associated with them) operate in tandem, on an ad hoc basis.

Strategic development is oriented to a focus on benchmarking information about how competitive producer’ communities of relevance to those involved have enabled their efforts to be involved in higher value activities. What infrastructure, and what technologies are available “there” that are not so “here?” What skills are in demand if one is to be hired and successful “there?” If entrepreneurs with higher value skills are effectively pushed offshore due to lack of access to better human resources, management, infrastructure and research and development in the local market, then what can “we” learn in terms of how “our” community can attract, develop, retain and upgrade those same skill sets? What investments need to be made to upgrade ‘our’ sector? How can we approach the issue of maximizing resource allocation to and between competing sectors when it is understood that upgrading is to occur amongst them? Benchmarking helps lead the way to answers of questions such as these.



An Introductory Example of Benchmarking
An example may help to illustrate how benchmarking may be applied in the context of a strategic development exercise. Consider the case of a group of firms from one or possibly several industries which has benchmarked R&D (research and development) and established that their combined R&D expenditures are, say, two percent of gross annual turnover (at whatever relevant level, e.g., national industry, regional industry, etc.) where the standard for R&D spending among higher value competitors may be fifteen percent.

Strategy benchmarking provides a means to understand how the ‘global best’ (as targeted by the group doing the strategizing) generates higher value in the R&D area, and the requirements of generating that level of R&D performance in “our industry.” The values issues implicit in identifying “the best” will always involve a substantial degree of subjectivity. This is especially the case in strategic development exercises, because offshore references may represent not a direct target but a point of departure for the differentiation exercise that is at the heart of repositioning an economy. As discussed below, strategy is ‘about’ choice and exercising it by securing higher value positions.

Similarly, from a public policy perspective, benchmarking may establish not just that the public sector’s share of R&D funding is low, but also what the public sector may do provide a more enabling and competitive environment for firms and industries. This may represent a departure from the normal approach to sector level policy formulation in developing countries, whereby policies often are implemented absent of knowledge of the effect they may have had elsewhere.


IV. Teaming for Strategic Development

Good strategy creates better value for all involved. To support the approach, strategic development introduces some new agents to the traditional cast of “doers of development.”

The catalyst. An independent contractor specializing in strategic planning for development, the role of a catalyst is to work with partners invested in activities that generate the “best” returns. On behalf of the vanguards (described below) for and with whom they work, catalysts help to initiate higher-value activities in multiple sectors. A key task of the catalyst is to help determine and maintain the strategic thread that connects these activities in such a way that resource allocation may be maximized by funding inputs that create value directly and indirectly for the sectors of importance to the vanguard. Given this orientation, strategic development has less to do with “choosing clusters” than with making sure that whatever strategies may be pursued will generate ‘the best’ returns for multiple sectors. Because of this, neither the focus nor the value of the catalyst may be understood in anything other than cross-sectoral terms.

The vanguard. In classical military strategy, the vanguard refers to groups who represent the forefront of an action or movement. Experience with competitiveness in developing countries has demonstrated time and again that strategic leadership or inputs may not automatically be assumed to be resident or available in the institutions with which donors typically work as counterparts, for example, in think tanks, at universities, in chambers of commerce, in industry chiefs, elected officials or members of the civil service. One associates with a vanguard in the same manner and spirit in which strategic development engages its constituents, that is, by self-selection, and upon recognition of others in the group that there is value to be added by those who would so self-select to engage in a strategic development initiative.

Strategic development does not seek to be “all inclusive” in terms of representation. The drive to build “rainbow coalitions” is common to development, but it is often inconsistent with the needs of a strategy-driven approach to economic growth, where the criteria for involvement stress that all those involved must add demonstrable value to the exercise of upgrading the community.

Along with the catalyst, the vanguard group must focus on one thing, and one thing only; how to secure higher value activities consistent with a community’s need to raise its standard of living. Membership of the typical vanguard group includes entrepreneurs, artists, civil servants, business people, politicians, anyone, indeed, whom others in the group deem as valuable to the exercise.


Strategy Working Groups (SWOGs)

Recent fieldwork on competitiveness in Thailand, Pakistan and other countries has been conducted successfully without having to introduce cluster terminology or cluster politics. Instead, reference was made to SWOGs (Strategy Working Groups). Because they are driven by the creed of strategic development, SWOGs are good vehicles for keeping a bead on how and where to add value, and when properly managed they lead naturally to inviting participation from related and supporting industries and from relevant related public sector actors as and when needed.

A SWOG typically will represent a cross-section of players from a variety of sectors, including;

-several firms ranging in size involved in production of at least one
of the sector’s main products

-other private firms (brokers, service providers) representing a mix
of the value chains and firms from key related industries, as
required

-a university and its Information Technology (IT) and/or engineering
staffs

-representatives of district, provincial, and federal government as
needed

-bodies from civil administration as deemed relevant by the SWOG.

SWOGs represent a means for establishing cross-sectoral linkages into other vital regional and national sectors. They serve as platforms for optimizing resource allocation at sector/industry, regional, national, and extra-regional levels. SWOGs offer the potential for diversifying sources of innovation and investment between and across sectors and they help to sharpen the focus on how to maintain a focus on maximizing resource allocation.


On Tendering for Strategic Development

The approach taken by strategic development relies on tendering in the local economy (to the extent possible) as the means for accessing upgraded goods and services from the local economy. Tendering is also a continuation of strategy itself in that the very development of a tender and the process of tendering represents both a part of and a driver of strategy.

Tendering for upgraded goods and services is central to strategic development initiatives. In strategic development initiatives, requirements for upgrading are identified by producers and producers usually in conjunction with engineers from a local university. This team then writes tender specifications that are put out to tender by SWOGs in the local/regional/national community of suppliers. The approach intends to induce local suppliers of goods and services to the sector to upgrade their output to globally competitive levels while focusing on meeting the requirements of local demand for better inputs. Tendering in this manner induces higher value outputs in the local economy, cuts down of foreign exchange expenditures, and generally builds the home “diamond” in a far more productive manner than do investments in “workforce development” as presently addressed.

Inducing performance through the mechanism of tendering presents different prospects from those that focus on producing better performance by investments in “workforce development,” for example. The donor contribution to “work force development” may produce the required human capital over the longer-term, but that approach cannot compete with the invitation to innovation that tendering by vanguards tends to induce in the context of strategic development initiatives. Nor does the “workforce development” approach as currently rendered necessarily strengthen the home market as does tendering for strategic development.


The Strategic Development Fund (SDF)

In developing economies better credit -- better lending and borrowing -- is part and parcel of better strategy. One approach to get “better” credit and to have this function also drive better strategy is to drive demand in the productive sectors for “government” support for the creation of a revolving credit fund, a Strategic Development Fund (SDF). An SDF is a mechanism that will co-finance, with private sector investors and others, a range of sectorally driven pilot projects that will serve as vanguards to second generation reforms aimed at stimulating accelerated growth with equity in the micro-economy. In addition to co-financing, an SDF will channel short-term technical assistance to facilitate the development of feasible pilot projects.

An SDF relies on ad hoc sectoral SWOGs to develop the specifications for tender bids for the development of pilot projects that meet the criteria of the SWOG and the SDF at large.

Once the winning bid has been selected, a donor-supported project on strategic development would provide selected technical assistance, in the form of expert advisories, as agreed upon between an SDF and it’s core stakeholders, the SWOGs.

Each SWOG will be required to meet the eligibility criteria listed above to engage the SDF.

Once selected, the entities or SWOG behind the winning bid would form a joint-stock company (or other legally constituted private sector entity). This company would oversee the administration and management of the pilot project.

In issuing tenders, each SWOG would be required to address the need for bidders to demonstrate due consideration of the following issues:

-clear definition of the investment opportunity and its estimated costs and benefits.

-the proposed pilot must lead to payment of higher prices to producers in the pilot project.

-the price premium paid to producers will be due to intrinsic quality improvements in the underlying product, primarily, and secondarily, to efficiencies in product marketing at large.

-the proposed pilot project must be benchmarked against a well researched industry model to guide both the operational and policy-support inputs to the pilot exercise.

-the pilot project must leverage concerns of a strategic nature from other related and supporting industries.

-the tender specifications will ask the bidder to scope-out areas for technical assistance, including, specifically, technical assistance inputs involving either public policy and/or commercial operational aspects of;

-human resources,
-management,
-infrastructure,
-research and development.


VII. Conclusion

Strategic development seeks to extend the range of competitiveness-
related approaches currently deployed with donor support in developing
countries. It identifies a lack of product development as a barrier to the
application of competitiveness products that better apply to field
conditions. Strategic development is a field-grown product that emerged
from experience with introducing concepts on competitiveness in
developing countries. The approach invokes a role for some new players,
including a catalyst, vanguards and for SWOGs. It is sector based and
value driven. With a clear bead on strategy as guided by the tenets of the
creed and with the power of the vanguard before them, the on-going
delivery of higher value economic activities becomes not just an
opportunity, but a reality.

A sustainable approach to development is a mere maintenance diet; higher performance requires a richer and better diet. Strategy is the key ingredient, and “better” development is the chief output of strategic development.

A commitment to strategy is what distinguishes strategic development from other approaches to development competitiveness. Strategy leads markets. For Third World and other transitional countries to signal that they are market-driven can, given the discussion above, be a signal that their economies are open for LCLV business. If an economy is strategy driven, on the other hand, then far richer and more inviting signals are sent, and returns are commensurate. Strategic development provides the means and ends to allow communities to break through the glass ceiling that drives down prices, wages and investment.

Hopefully, strategic development will help to put such illusive, costly, possibly unnecessary and draconian measures as competitiveness’ “absolute productivity standards” back into the shadows of core universal values.


























Annex 1. Differentiating Development Competitiveness and Strategic Development


Key distinctions between the approaches include;

a. In strategic development, form follows function; “strategy” before “policy.”
b. Competitiveness is analytic; strategic development is catalytic.
c. Competitiveness tends to promote ends as means and so inadvertently raises the transaction costs of development.
d. Competitiveness is focused on productivity; strategic development shares the concern, but refocuses the issue on inducing rather than producing ‘development.’
e. Development competitiveness is long on policy and institutional reform; strategic development favors repositioning to reform (and seeks to complement and leverage existing investments in reform).
f. Strategic development only involves any actor to the extent that they demonstrably add value.
g. Competitiveness is limited to dealing in formal markets, with formal institutions; strategic development is able to tap into vast informal markets and into the markets for natural capital, and it is able to engage them as is, that is, without seeking to change them.
h. Development competitiveness promotes dialog; strategic development promotes action (and hence is catalytic rather than analytic).
i. Development competitiveness focuses on accountability; strategic development is more focused on the short- to mid-term implementation of strategically validated pilot projects.
j. Competitiveness is focused on firms, as discussed above, and on clusters; strategic development focuses primarily on SWOGS and sectors, on the transaction as the basic unit of analysis, and on cross-clusteral resource allocation.
k. Competitiveness focuses on export economics and global markets; strategic development is more interested in helping communities to “keep the bead on strategy” as the means to tap deliver higher value, regardless if that value is resident in global markets or elsewhere.
l. Development competitiveness projects tend to be donor funded whereas strategic development initiatives are funded by the community’s where they occur (these two types of funding need not be mutually exclusive).
m. Development competitiveness is contractual in nature, whereas
strategic development is consensual.











Annex 2: Overview of a Generic Strategic Development Initiative
































Annex 3: The Development Diamond

One of the key goals of strategic development is to help countries (or regions, municipalities, or other) reposition their economies so that they participate in higher value activities. Porter’s “national diamond of competitiveness” represents a good conceptual tool for getting people to think about strategic opportunities. The tool is rendered more useful to the exercise of benchmarking when it is itself repositioned so that the diamond sits on the factor or supply side. With this facet as its base, then the top of the diamond represents global demand, and the horizontal axes are, on the left, firm strategy, industry structure and rivalry, and on the right, related and supporting industry. In this new position, Porter’s diamond thus becomes the development diamond.







In its new position, the bottom of the diamond is where the low-cost, low-value (LCLV) traps sit. The bottom half of the development diamond is natural-resources heavy, static, and its chief inputs and outputs (raw or semi-processed materials) are labor denominated. Growth is slow and investment opportunities are constrained by a lack of cash flow. Upgrading in the bottom half of the diamond, when it occurs, often proves to be relatively unproductive because it tends to be driven by social policy concerns rather than by economic growth strategy, and it usually is insufficiently funded by the state and does not involve co-funding from the private sector. Thus, the gap widens, or at least remains a fixed and permanent feature of underdevelopment.

The top half of the development diamond is dynamic; greater availability of and access to capital and technology (made possible, inter alia, by strategy) enable the application of local knowledge and this specialization, in particular, allows producers and exporters to get closer to more demanding customers. Knowledgeable producers and knowledgeable consumers are cause and effect of value-creating partnerships in the top half of the diamond.

The bottom half of the development diamond may be thought of as the “old economy,” and the top half as the “new economy.” Strategic development seeks to stimulate growth by enabling traditional, “old economy” industry to merge with and gain support from the “new economy.”



























Annex 4: Examples of Pilot Projects

A ready example of a pilot project for strategic development comes from the jewelry sector. Design creates value in jewelry, and it is a value that is missing in the jewelry sector of many developing countries. A design center may represent one component of an overall strategy for the gems and jewelry sector, yet by itself such a center may not constitute a sound, high value strategy. Many a design center has died for failure to create the other values that must be in place to support “design.”

Pilot projects often represent the opportunity to exploit any “Unique Selling Propositions” (or USPs) present in an industry. By themselves, USPs are squandered assets unless they are used as a base upon which industry adds value in the “home” market. Adding value and building competitiveness in the jewelry sector may involve assuring that intellectual property rights are in place and enforced, and that the provision of a range of other high-end trade services are in place support a more sophisticated trade – better cutting of stones, more use of newer technologies to ensure better grading and certification, and other inputs usually associated with name-brand jewelry.

Indeed, in the jewelry industry, as in other brand-sensitive industries, strategic development seeks to enable a SWOG to “bring the brand home,” that is, to add value that presently may not be obtainable in the local market due to an absence of strong linkage between strategy and policy. “Bringing the brand home” to traditional industries in developing countries means that any business operating in “our industry” must have access to the same range and quality of services as those available to the “global best” in their home market.

Another example of a pilot project comes from a traditional plantation crop. A pilot project in this sector could be based on upgrading standards for blending, grading, and technically specifying raw and semi-processed product. Where official pricing policy may not adequately reward quality-conscious producers, the installation of relatively inexpensive color separation technologies on the factory floor of more sophisticated processors may enable them to reward higher quality producers with better prices, without violating or threatening the official price policy. Such upgrading may qualify even the raw product for sales into entirely new markets, where consumers may demand technically specified products rather than ones that pose a risk because of an industry’s reliance on manual grading practices, for example, which create uncertainty about product purity, integrity or its uniformity. The addition of other upgraded trade services, such as bar coding, advanced warehouse and freight forwarding technologies and other trade services may also be integrated on a competitiveness platform. Such upgrades occur as a result of paying attention to strategy, and enabling it with policy; short of strong linkages between them, traditional industry is often constrained to justify the expense of upgrading.

There is a common strategic thread running through these examples, and indeed, throughout strategic development initiatives at large – the importance of upgrading and specialization of traditional industry, and on enabling cross-cluster linkages to leverage underlying investments into true strategic advantage.

Annex 5: Note on the Author


An independent contractor specializing in strategic planning for development, Mr. David B. Flood, an American, has been involved with competitiveness for about twenty-five years. After graduate school, he joined in 1980 one of the first management consulting firms (Strategic Planning Associates) dedicated to corporate strategic planning and competitiveness. While at SPA, Mr. Flood’s major clients were AT&T and one of the top players in the railcar industry. From there he moved to Wall Street where he worked as a commodities trader and project director of the international department of a major brokerage firm. Next he worked as a consultant to the agriculture department of the World Bank, on secondment as an International Affairs Fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, in New York. He then set-up and managed a market news service for the United Nations International Trade Centre. Mr. Flood started a “mid-tech” company to develop sensors for in-process monitoring of quality for seafoods in partnership with a venture capital firm and a state owned university. Over the last decade Mr. Flood has worked as a consultant on competitiveness to industries and governments in all parts of the world.

Flood has served as chief-of-party on competitiveness projects sponsored by USAID in Sri Lanka (1999-2001), Pakistan (2004), and Bosnia (2004). Additionally he has advised other USAID-supported projects in Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines. A range of other competitiveness-related fieldwork has been undertaken (as an independent consultant hired out by various American development consulting firms) by Mr. Flood in numerous other countries, and for a range of other donors including The World Bank, UNIDO, IDB, and others.

This essay was first drafted in November 2002.

[[User:Davidbflood|Davidbflood]] 10:13, 5 September 2007 (UTC)
*Hi David, and thanks. I owuld sugest you look at [[WP:NOR]] - Wikipedia is not a place for original research. However we also strive to attain [[WP:NPOV]] - a neutral point of view. If there are articles that are unbalanced in their view point please feel free to fix that - but remember that you should [[WP:RS|cite reliable third party sources]] and not your own work when making contributions. please click on any text in blue to find the policies. I hope that helps. <small><span style="border:1px solid #0000ff;padding:1px;">[[User:Pedro|<b>Pedro</b>]] | [[User_talk:Pedro|<font style="color:#accC10;background:#0000fa;">&nbsp;Chat&nbsp;</font>]] </span></small> 10:54, 5 September 2007 (UTC)
*Hi David, and thanks. I owuld sugest you look at [[WP:NOR]] - Wikipedia is not a place for original research. However we also strive to attain [[WP:NPOV]] - a neutral point of view. If there are articles that are unbalanced in their view point please feel free to fix that - but remember that you should [[WP:RS|cite reliable third party sources]] and not your own work when making contributions. please click on any text in blue to find the policies. I hope that helps. <small><span style="border:1px solid #0000ff;padding:1px;">[[User:Pedro|<b>Pedro</b>]] | [[User_talk:Pedro|<font style="color:#accC10;background:#0000fa;">&nbsp;Chat&nbsp;</font>]] </span></small> 10:54, 5 September 2007 (UTC)
:[[User:Pedro|<b>Pedro</b>]] has answered this question, but I wanted to let you know that I have relocated your essay to [[User:Davidbflood]], where it will remain accessible to you and to Wikipedia editors who read your note above but will not hamper the effectiveness of the help desk. I'll also suggest that you may wish to discuss your concerns at the talk page for the article in question. You can provide a redirect to [[User:Davidbflood]] if you wish to illustrate your points, but please don't reproduce the whole essay there. :) --[[User:Moonriddengirl|Moonriddengirl]] 11:33, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

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    August 30

    Image at commons overwrites?

    Image:William Gibson by FredArmitage.jpg was fine until today, when someone mistakenly uploaded it to commons, whereupon it got tagged for speedy deletion (as it's creative commons non-com/noderiv licenced). I just want to confirm that the local image will still be here once the commons image is deleted? Or does it need to somehow get "transferred back" via a request somewhere? Thanks. (tangential thread about its licencing here, at Talk:William Gibson#Gibson photo licence) --Quiddity 00:00, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It won't be here, as the one here was deleted at 20:58, 29 August 2007 by Quadell [1] for precisely the same reason it's tagged under on Commons, namely WP:CSD#I3. KTC 01:21, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Changing page title?

    How do I change the Exile Parade wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exile_parade) to a capital P in Parade instead of a lower case p?

    --Wazzalad 01:08, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Instructions are in: WP:MOVE. --Teratornis 01:11, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    how do you create the box bands wiki pages have??

    Like this one on right handside with the photo for example - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasabian. Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wazzalad (talk • contribs) 01:22, August 30, 2007 (UTC) --Wazzalad 01:23, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    That's called an infobox template. See: Help:Template, Wikipedia:Infobox templates, Help:Infobox, Wikipedia:Manual of Style (infoboxes), Category:Infobox templates, and Wikipedia:WikiProject Infoboxes. What article do you want to add an infobox to? --Teratornis 01:27, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    cheers mate, will look it up. I want to add it to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exile_parade --Wazzalad 01:31, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I see you added an {{Infobox musical artist}} to Exile Parade. It's great that on Wikipedia we can learn by examining the wikitext of existing articles (such as Kasabian) and copy the nice bits to new articles. May I suggest that you type an edit summary each time you edit a page, so other editors can easily tell what you did when they view the history of the page. Thanks. You might also look at WP:MUSIC so you can be sure Exile Parade meets Wikipedia's notability requirements for musician articles (by properly asserting the notability of the subject). I'm just trying to keep you safe from the deletionists. --Teratornis 04:31, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    notable omissions

    I know there is a lot of great that came with the creation of wikipedia along with some expected and unexcepted negative consequences. There has been a lot of discussion about staff members of elected officials editing portions of their candidate biography. But my concern is that of a certain number of conservative activists/cheerleaders whose major mistakes, all of a sudden, are not in their wikipedia entries. Number 1 is Sean Hannity. While he started his gig on a NYC radio station, a cop was accused of sodemizing an African immigrant over and over and over again. Sean defended this cop constantly so much as to have the officers' father on air defending him. Sean went as far as to say "this guy is fruitcake who enjoyed anal sex" or something to that extent. Numerous sources have this on record. This was on wikipedia last year. All of the sudden, it's not there. However, that police officer did admit guilty to brutally assaulting that man. WTF?!! Number 2 is Ted Nugent. He admitted in a newspaper interview that he purposely did not shower, bath or use the restroom for over a month in order to dodge the Vietnam War. All of the sudden, this admission of cowardly refusing your country's service is also erased from Wikipedia. Why? or better yet, How?

    `01:36, 30 August 2007 (UTC)~

    If you have a reputable source that makes those claims, feel free to add the information (with the reference) to the article. However, keep the topic of the article in mind. For example, the Sean Hannity article is about all of Sean Hannity, not one incident in his entire life. A common mistake is to write up a 3,000 word essay on a single controversial event, obscuring the subject matter of the overall article. That will be reverted, not because it is untrue or unsourced, but because it simply does not belong. -- Kainaw(what?) 03:08, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Wikipedia has many articles that are specifically about Scandals. Such articles may be somewhat less susceptible to the "it does not belong" argument, because scandalous material clearly does belong in an article which is about a scandal. Follow the links from the Scandal article to see examples of articles about political scandals, religious scandals, etc. Also see Draft dodger. Wikipedia has lots of articles about unseemly behavior. --Teratornis 04:42, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Finding target word in article

    I was looking for the meaning of the word "istle" (crossword entry)in Wikipedia. The search produced only four sources, one of which was "Madonna". This is a rather long article. I read it twice carefully and have not been able to find any reference whatsoever to "istle". Why would the Madonna site be listed as a source for this word? And if it is there, how come it is not highlighted? Many thanks. Richard —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.57.60.250 (talk) 01:52, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    There is a link to "whistleass.typepad.com/boot_george_in_2004/2004/01/madonna_support.html" on the page (click "edit this page" to see it easily. -- Kainaw(what?) 03:11, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    (Edit conflict) The search function on Wikipedia quite frankly sucks. It probably noticed a word that had those five letters in that order and thought it's what you were looking for. In any case, the search function isn't set up to highlight your search terms in the article. If you're looking for a definition, though, you're better off using Wiktionary, which doubles as a dictionary and thesaurus. It doesn't look as though they have a page on that word, however. Sorry. Hersfold (t/a/c) 03:14, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Try: google:istle for which the top search result says:
    And of course we have articles on fiber, cordage, basket, and agave, none of which apparently (yet) mention the word "istle." However, you could fix that. Having Google Search is like being a genius. --Teratornis 04:52, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Wikipedia search is based on the source of the page so a search term may only be visible by clicking edit. Your browser probably has a feature to search and highlight a string in the displayed page. PrimeHunter 10:07, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    ice and life

    if ice did not sank, there woulb be no life on earth today. pls. explain why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Toyomxxx (talk • contribs) 03:05, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    I'm not sure I understand your question, but it sounds like you're looking for the reference desk. They specialize in knowledge questions, e're only here to help you use the site. Hersfold (t/a/c) 03:10, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Actually if ice did not float, the oceans could freeze to the bottom in the polar regions, and that would cause some serious problems for animals that live in the area. "Life" could certainly still exist on earth, for example the toughest forms of life (bacteria and so on) can tolerate very harsh environments, but a lot of multicellular eukaryotes would find their environments seriously disrupted if ice was denser than water (which is the normal behavior for most materials that have a liquid phase and a solid phase - the solid phase is typically denser than the liquid phase). For more information see: Deep lake water cooling, Ice#Characteristics, Lake#Characteristics, and Water (molecule)#Density of water and ice. --Teratornis 04:19, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Deleted edit count

    I believe I saw a tool once that counts how many deleted edits a user has. I can't remember for the life of me where I saw it. I have three questions 1) does this actually exist or did I make it up? 2) If so, where do I find it? 3) How does it work? How does it now how many deleted edits I have? --JayHenry 06:09, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Have a look at the list of edit counters at WP:COUNT. And yes, Editcountitis is not healthy. ;) In your case [2]. KTC 06:27, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    That's the one! Does anyone know the answer to 3? This is the part I'm most interested in. How is it able to find deleted edits? --JayHenry 15:00, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I think it's something to do with counting server side logs rather than running a query on your contribution log (i.e. as per the "wanabee kate tool by Interiot"). I'm no php expert but there is obviously a difference in making a lookup on Special:Contributions and server side queries. Pedro |  Chat  20:25, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    globle earth

    I would like to how to get the globle earth moveing to view my home town —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.36.32.25 (talk) 06:18, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    This is a question for the reference desk - please ask there! Neil ム 08:59, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Having difficulty With what to put on my site

    I have read the licence several times, but am still uncertain what needs to go into the article, the more I read the less I understand it.

    I have put an article on my web site (Still under construction)

    [3]

    I have put the GNU Licence in thats fine.

    But what do I put in for the copyrite notice? Is it that whole page full of links that is mentioned at the bottom of the article page?

    And where and what is the licence notice?

    And what do I put on my creative commons pictures.

    If anyone can break it down to you put this and this in that would be great. (sorry the links are currently an odd colour)

    Wiki About Myself

    --Silverearth 07:18, 30 August 2007 (UTC)Can I create a wiki page of myself?--Silverearth 07:18, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Usually that's a page you should avoid creating for two reasons. 1. Wikipedia has notability guidelines and each subject must demonstrate a sufficient enough notability. 2. Subjects are often discouraged to start an article about themselves due to the possibility of conflicts of interest. However, you can create a userpage about yourself. This can be done at User:Silverearth (see WP:USERPAGE for more details as far as what is allowed on your userpage).¤~Persian Poet Gal (talk) 07:22, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Unclear Deletion of Sonic Belligeranza records

    I don't uderstand the reason of this deletion, I wrote the text in similarity of all the others about breakcore records labels, can somebody tell me what's the problem? Below details of the deletion:

    10:36, 29 August 2007 Hu12 (Talk | contribs) deleted "Sonic Belligeranza records" ‎ (WP:CSD#A7 content was: 'Sonic Belligeranza is an indipendent record label based in Bologna, Italy. It was started in the year 2000 by dj Balli and since then has released, al...' (and the only contributor was '[[Special:Contributions/Scaphandre|Scapha)

    A7 is a deletion because it was an "unremarkable people, place, organization, etc", so in essance it was deleted because it is belived that the articles subject is not notable enough.---KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 08:35, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Right, um, I'm aware of Wikipedia:Copyright problems but that only seems to be dealing with copyright issues where Wikipedia has copyrighted text that needs to be deleted: What about the other way around, where a website is using Wikipedia's contents verbatim and copyrighting it as its own? Where should this be brought to attention? Here, or is there another noticeboard, or at Copyright problems anyway? Thanks. AllynJ (talk | contribs) 09:13, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Have you taken a look at Wikipedia:Copyrights and Wikipedia:Reusing Wikipedia content? --Silver Edge 09:57, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I had, yes; but I actually found what I was looking for: Wikipedia:Standard GFDL violation letter. Thanks all the same! :) (Although I do find it somewhat ironic that I'll basically be copy and pasting something as a warning over someone copy and pasting something... Heh.) AllynJ (talk | contribs) 10:27, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    accounting

    what is store accounting —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.168.79.237 (talk) 09:14, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    You should ask this at the reference desk - this page is for help using/editing Wikipedia. Kevin 12:21, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How can I insert language link?

    Hello! I have created a Russian translation of English encyclopedia article, how can I insert a language link to the English page to let know that there is a Russian translation? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.253.76.106 (talk) 10:20, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    Insert [[ru:article name here]] in to the English article. --Silver Edge 10:28, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    edit dispute -- where do I post?

    I want to resolve an edit dispute before it gets out of hand. However, navigating through the Village Pump and its pages on dispute resolution and getting a third opinion is a nightmare! I end up going in loops; I can find pages that outline policy, but I can't find where to actually post the issue. Can somebody please provide me with the direct link? (I'm asking for the direct link because I'm afraid if you just refer me to a topic, I'm going to end up in the same navigation loop as before.) Minaker 11:20, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm going to add some policy, too, just for the benefit of other readers. :) Wikipedia:Dispute resolution is the place to start with this. It lays out the general steps for processing these kinds of situations. If it is a dispute between you and one other editor, you might start it at Third opinion. It's a good idea to read that page and its directions before requesting a third opinion here, at the direct link. If it's a more general dispute between a larger group of people, you take it to Requests for comment. You follow the instructions found here for articles, by placing the template directly on the article's talk page. Does that help? --Moonriddengirl 11:37, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Not really. I've read up on the policies and was just very confused as to how to navigate to the actual posting page. That's why I wanted the direct link. From what I understand, there is a place to post comments on SPECIFIC edit disputes rather than general policy on the subject, and a place to post requests for third opinions. Your link sent me to a new page I'd be starting; surely I'm not the first person to post about an edit dispute or request a third person, so I'm not sure if that link is actually sending me to the right place. Minaker 11:47, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I can't give you the direct link for the Wikipedia:Requests for comment, because the template is placed directly on the talk page of the article. I know it seems peculiar that the Third opinion option requires starting a new section (I thought I had mislinked it at first because it was redlinked), but that is the link provided on the policy page. In your position, I'd give it a shot and see what happens and report back here if it doesn't work. --Moonriddengirl 11:55, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Thanks, Moony!  :) Minaker 11:57, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    No problem. I hope it works out. --Moonriddengirl 12:14, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Actually, here is the right link. Don't use the redlink above. An easy mistake: The right link creates a new section in Wikipedia:Third opinion, so the edit page says "Editing Wikipedia:Third opinion (section)". The redlink by Moonriddengirl would create a new page called "Wikipedia:Third opinion (section)". PrimeHunter 13:17, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks for pointing that out! I arrived at that link by clicking on the "add your dispute here" button. Any idea what I did wrong in formatting my response? Did I just need to include the entire URL? Obviously I don't want to do it incorrectly again. :) --Moonriddengirl 15:13, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I clicked the link "add your dispute here" at Wikipedia:Third opinion#Active disagreements, and then copied the exact URL http://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Third_opinion&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Wikipedia%3AThird+opinion%2FInstructions from the browser address bar. You must have seen the headline "Editing Wikipedia:Third opinion (section)" and then copied the text "Wikipedia:Third opinion (section)" to a piped link. That would have worked if the page had been Wikipedia:Third opinion (section). Clicking that redlink gives the exact same headline and font "Editing Wikipedia:Third opinion (section)", but in the latter case the URL is different and " (section)" is part of the page name. Maybe the developers should have written " (section)" in a different way when it indicates that a section is being edited and not that the page name ends with " (section)". I wonder whether anybody has accidentally created a page with a name ending in " (section)". Pentanthera (section) is not an accident. Editing a section of that article gives headline "Editing Pentanthera (section) (section)" [4]. PrimeHunter 16:35, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks. I'll be careful of piped links in the future. --Moonriddengirl 16:45, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    User:Janu86 (section) must have been accidentally created by Janu86 in an attempt to edit a section of User:Janu86 which was created the same day. The edit pages [5] and [6] have the same heading "Editing User:Janu86 (section)" but edit different pages. PrimeHunter 18:58, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    log in issue

    Hi, I tried to create an account but used my web address as my user name(Www.cutmycarbon.biz)- note the capital W at the start. I think this has caused an issue as I cannot use Wikipedia. Can you help me sort this. Jonny

    82.43.144.99 12:11, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Your username was blocked because it does not comply with the username policy. You should probably select something less like a web address. Kevin 12:18, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    A 2nd log in issue

    If I log in as Ryan 1729, I get the successful login screen, but then if I go into any other page I am no longer signed in. Running Firefox on WinXP. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.82.9.81 (talk) 12:38, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    Make sure your browser is set up to accept cookies. If it is, click the "Remember me" button and see if that helps. If it doesn't, try clearing your cache (CTRL+SHIFT+R) when you notice you're not logged in. If THAT won't work, it might be a problem with your internet access, so try using the secure login. If it still isn't working after all that, check here to see if I missed anything, and then try that or file a bug report on bugzilla. Hersfold (t/a/c) 13:10, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Naming articles

    Hi, Could someone please direct me to wikipedia rules on naming an article. That is, what are the policies for choosing an article title? Thanks 3meandEr 12:51, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    See Wikipedia:Naming conventions -- Kainaw(what?) 12:54, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Help with pic

    hey the article on Alfonso Ribiero needs a picture. i found a good one but i need copyright status help. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Carlton.jpg i included a link to where i found it when you get to the picture The juggreserection 13:25, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It shows right on the article you pulled it from that the copyright is held by BPI. Did you get BPI's permission to use this photo in the public domain? If not, it must be removed from Wikipedia. -- Kainaw(what?) 13:27, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    No i didnt. go ahead and pull it if you must. Sorry i cant understand this copyright stuff very much. The juggreserection 13:29, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Adding photos and updating the STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER PAGE

    Hello I was just writing in concern to the Staffie page. I am a breeder and owner of many staffies. I want to add pictures of staffies in the show ring at an American kennel club event (AKC). And I also wanted to update and correct some of the comments on the page.. only a select few were miscontrued or incorrect. Thanks ~~burkeza~~ —Preceding unsigned comment added by Burkeza (talk • contribs) 13:52, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    Is your question that you would like help or advice on the specifics? I could help you on your talk page or the article's talk page if you'd like. Leebo T/C 13:54, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    CONT~ STAFFIE PAGE

    I forgot to ask. How do I add pictures? and they are my own pictures so they are not copyrighted. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Burkeza (talk • contribs) 13:54, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    Firstly, go to Wikipedia:Upload to upload the pictures to Wikipedia. Then Wikipedia:Images shows you how to add the picture to an article. Raven4x4x 13:58, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Be sure to pick the correct licensing when uploading your image. Some Wikipedians are pretty hot on licensing and copyright problems. Your image could be speedily deleted if it is identified as a copyright violation or if the licensing information is missing. Astronaut 14:35, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How To Make A Page

    A want to make a new page on for instance Maxime Foerste but I am not sure how to. Can you help. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.79.101.50 (talk) 14:52, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    See Help:Starting a new page if you have an account, or is willing to register one. Go to WP:AFC if not. KTC 14:59, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Be aware, however, that this obscure German actress would probably fail to meet our standards of notability for the English Wikipedia. --Orange Mike 15:01, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    SHE IS NOT OBSCURE! —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 14:47, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Be wary of systemic bias. If the actress is notable enough, then she should be notable enough on any language specific encyclopedia project. KTC 15:05, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Why is Wikipedia being trimmed?

    I've noticed recently that several articles that used to exist no longer do and many others have been drastically shortened. Is there a space shortage on Wikipedia? I understand removing superfluous information, but much of the information that has been removed is useful and difficult to find elsewhere. I've been looking for information about this trend, but my searches have come up useless. Could you please point me in the direction of any articles discussing the merits of a complete Wikipedia vs a concise Wikipedia? Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.192.70.99 (talk) 14:59, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    Information that cannot be found elsewhere should be removed. Wikipedia is not a source for unique information. It is a source of referenced material. Therefore, everything on Wikipedia should be readily available elsewhere. -- Kainaw(what?) 15:01, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    (Edit conflict)For deleted articles, see WP:WWMAD and WP:DP. In terms of shortened articles, it's entirely possible that the material of split off into a separate page of its own from the original after it got too long. KTC 15:02, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Could we get some examples? Articles which are advertisement, for example, are deleted every day. --Orange Mike 15:03, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I can't specify an editorial of the type you're asking for, but I will note that Wikipedia is constantly being trimmed (and expanded :)), often because information included is not Wikipedia:Verifiable or because pages do not meet criteria for inclusion. (See also What Wikipedia is not for inclusion limitations both on entire articles and sections within them.) Some articles are trimmed because they challenge article size guidelines--not so much over technical issues as issues of readability. --Moonriddengirl 15:06, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Ah, much thanks. While checking examples I did a bit more searching and found that some of the info was indeed split from the main article while others have referenced links that can help point to the info. Thanks, too, for the pointer to the sizing guidelines. I think it's more or less what I'm looking for. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.192.70.99 (talk) 15:12, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    RFA notice

    Resolved

    Can you assist me in modifying my RFA notice at User:TonyTheTiger/Header template —Preceding unsigned comment added by TonyTheTiger (talk • contribs) 15:11, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    I need it to go to the RFA3.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/tcfkaWCDbwincowtchatlotpsoplrttaDCLaM) 15:14, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    The template reads the title of the page (and presumes it's on your user page) to create the link. The only solution I see is putting it on your user page, unless you change the template. Leebo T/C 15:15, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Done. KTC 15:17, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Creating a new article

    How do I create an entirely new article in wikipedia? Meanmug64 15:43, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Read 3 sections up from this one. KTC 15:45, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How to Add

    How do you add images to the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 15:50, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    See Help:Contents/Images and media. KTC 15:54, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I was wondering.

    Can you and how can advertise that your Wikipedia pages needs picutes or more information. For instance Maxime Foerste needs ,ore information and pictures, is there a way to advertise that? —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 16:17, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    Wikipedia:Template messages/Talk namespace#Expansion requests has the details. Best. --Old Moonraker 16:24, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Power transformers question

    hello, i want information regarding some betterment in performance of power transformers so that i could make thesis on it for my masters —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.62.98.31 (talk) 17:14, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

    Hi, you could try reading the article on transformers or asking at one of the reference desks. This page is for help with using Wikipedia. Leebo T/C 17:18, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Is there a way to make a link to an edit page not show as external? I notice in the {{expand}} template, it links to the pages edit page without showing as external, but when I try to replicate it, I cannot get in to show as an internal link. LARA♥LOVE 17:22, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It's not showing it as an internal link, it's just not showing the little arrow icon next to the link. It's still a lighter shade of blue like all external links. Also, that's not actually a full URL, it's a templated edit action, so it must be slightly different than a standard link. Leebo T/C 17:27, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Use <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.example.com example-name]</span> when formatting your link. --69.118.235.97 17:28, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Okay, so how do I hide the arrow? LARA♥LOVE 17:29, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    If you use the above formatting it will come out like this, example-name, no arrow to hide.--69.118.235.97 17:32, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Just so you know, the template wraps everything in a div with the class set to plainlinks - which is why the arrow doesn't show up. -- Kainaw(what?) 17:35, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    (ec) Ah, okay, that worked great! Thanks!! LARA♥LOVE 17:37, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    On a different note, 69.118.235.97, if you're the same user who asked on User talk:69.118.235.97 about the orange new-messages bar, you may want to look at bugzilla:9213; something's gone wrong with the software and it's accting oddly for IPs at the moment. (Nobody seems to know for certain what's causing the bug at present, which is why it hasn't been fixed.) --ais523 18:15, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

    Thank you for the response, however I've already learned about Bug 9213, and yes, I am the same user.--69.118.235.97 18:48, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Update It took 5 months to finally show up, but now the new messages bar won't go away ): 69.118.235.97 19:29, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Update II: it finally went away. 30 minutes seems to be the magic number, or maybe there's no rationale behind it at all, and the bug just affects different people in random ways?!--69.118.235.97 20:01, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wallpaper

    Hi,

    Is there any kind of "wallpaper" available to put on a User Page ? I'd like something with flowers.

    Thanks,

    Vonita 19:14, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm not exactly sure what you mean by a "wallpaper", but you might be able to get something to work with HTML coding. Try looking at Wikipedia:User Page Design Center and Wikipedia:WikiProject User Page Help for ideas. Leebo T/C 19:27, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wikiprojects

    How do you participate in a Wikiproject?Alex Rossi 19:31, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Just start working on it. If there is a name list on the project page, just add your name to it, and then start working. :-) Stwalkerster talk 19:35, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    SciFi, Time Travel books

    Hi,

    How do I narrow down my search for science fiction books that deal only with time travel? What I see now is a list of alphabetical listings for science fiction.

    Thank you.

    208.127.78.28 19:53, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Go to the article Time travel in fiction. --Orange Mike 19:59, 30 August 2007 (UTC) (and please, don't call science fiction "sci fi"!)[reply]
    Sci-fi is a common abbreviation. Or were you just asking him to supplant his preference with yours? Leebo T/C 20:39, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Most active members of the science fiction community consider that other term demeaning, and eschew its use other than as a derogatory for bad films and television. --Orange Mike 20:53, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    As a fellow geek, I'll say true enough, but we also have to understand that the wider community does not adopt that standard. :) --Moonriddengirl 21:01, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Interestingly enough, this is actually briefly summarized in the article. Good thing my interest in science fiction is not intense enough that I would be upset to see sci-fi used for the sake of brevity :) Leebo T/C 21:01, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Moving pictures to commons

    What is the best way to move Image:TrumpTowerChicago 07 29 07.jpg Image:20070221 Trump Chicago at Night.JPG Image:TrumpTower92906.jpg to [7]?--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/tcfkaWCDbwincowtchatlotpsoplrttaDCLaM) 19:59, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Well, to be moved to the Commons, they have to be used in some Wikimedia project. Unless it's added to an article, it can't be uploaded to the Commons. --Boricuaeddie 20:42, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Erm, nope? commons:Commons:Project scope#Wikimedia Commons is a common central media repository of all Wikimedia projects & commons:Commons:FAQ#Questions about the project would suggest "files uploaded to the Commons have to be useful for some Wikimedia project". That is not the same as saying it has to be in use already. KTC 21:54, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    O.K. so how do I do most easily?--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/tcfkaWCDbwincowtchatlotpsoplrttaDCLaM) 22:23, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See Wikipedia:Moving images to the Commons. WODUP 22:27, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/tcfkaWCDbwincowtchatlotpsoplrttaDCLaM) 00:46, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Community Wikipedia

    Dear Sir/Madam,

    I am a user of Wikipedia from Singapore. My query is more on the note of whether we can use wikipedia for a community. I am a part of a community of 100 others who would find wikipedia useful to put up articles with relation to learnings and discussions about the same( similar to a community black book). While we are open to leaving these articles up on wikipedia for anyone to view, we would like to have control on the changes the users can make on these articles. Could wikipedia help us with this? If not, what would you suggest to be the next best option?

    Thanks in advance! Regards Rohan 21:25, 30 August 2007 (UTC)~~ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.132.3.7 (talk)

    The software which is used to present and edit Wikipedia is available under a free license; it is called MediaWiki. You can run your own copy of the MediaWiki software on your own servers, and have as much control as you like over who can add content, delete pages, and read the information that is posted. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:32, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Thanks for asking first. Wikipedia should not be used for your purpose. Subjects of pages must satisfy Wikipedia:Notability and other rules, and nobody owns a Wikipedia page. Everybody can edit it. You will have to find another website that allows your purpose, for example one of the many wikis listed at list of wikis or http://wikiindex.org. Or set up your own website. PrimeHunter 21:41, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    There is for example a wikiindex:Category:Community with a number of (you guessed it) community wikis. And see: wikibooks:Wiki Science/How to start a wiki. --Teratornis 03:30, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Contents disappeared

    I made a minor change to the article "Mannheim" (a city in Germany). Now the contents of this article has disappeared completely. --PPWen 21:39, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I can't tell what happened. The page was blank for me, too, so I made a null edit (that is, I hit 'edit this page', and then just saved the same text without making any changes). I'm guess that there was some sort of caching problem or a hiccup in the database. In any case, the material is back again. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:47, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    TenOfAllTrades, your edit was not made, as there were no changes. I however, reverted to an earlier revision, which has restored it. I have no idea what caused this. I have also re-made PPWen's edit, and it still seems fine. As I said, I have no idea what caused this. :-) Stwalkerster talk 21:51, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I have both seen Mannheim being blank and normal, and both situations both before and after your edit during a period with no edits. I don't know what is going on. Could it be one of the used templates being vandalised and reverted? PrimeHunter 21:56, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    It's discussed at Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)#Article not displaying properly. It appears something in Template:Infobox German Location causes pages using it to be blank some of the time. PrimeHunter 22:04, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    New user of en.wikipedia from it.wikipedia

    Why in it.wikipedia there is the push-button "sposta" (to move to) in top of the pages with the others "Voce" ("Articles"), "Discussione" ("Discussion"), "Modifica" ("Edit this page"), "Cronologia" ("History"), "Sposta" (ther'isnt this) and "Segui" ("Watch") and in en.wikipedia there isn't? --Noname-en 22:37, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    There is. The issue is you need to have an account that's at least 5 4 days old. KTC 22:40, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See Help:Merging and moving pages. KTC 22:41, 30 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]


    August 31

    to see the real pictures of earth on the wikipediasite

    I live in Canada and I want to see pictures of my home in my country of Origin (India),please send me the linkhow can i see ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.245.74.238 (talk) 00:15, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You may wish to try Google Earth. If that doesn't help, you could ask at the Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous‎ for that, this forum is for general questions about how to use Wikipedia. Hope that helps! Ariel♥Gold 00:23, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Also see WP:EITW#Maps. Many articles on Wikipedia have geographic coordinates that you can click on to see a page of links to various map sites, which may or may not display maps of the corresponding area. Most of the map sites have best coverage in North America and Europe. But you could try looking up your home town or state in Category:India and see where the coordinate links take you. Also see Wikipedia:WikiProject India and wikiindex:Category:Maps. --Teratornis 03:24, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Who is Orange Mike

    Who is Orange Mike —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.197.153.231 (talk) 00:24, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    The Wikipedia editor Orangemike has a signature that says "Orange Mike". PrimeHunter 00:38, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    He's just this guy, you know. Why do you ask? --Orange Mike 00:53, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    trying to correct the Blackie Dammett page

    as the person in question i tried to correct the filmography making many additions and one deletion and looked at the preview and then it disappeared?! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dirt260 (talk • contribs) 01:10, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Hello Dirt260, and welcome! If you are indeed, Blackie Dammett, then I would strongly suggest that you thoroughly review the conflict of interest policy, and instead of editing the article directly, use the article's talk page to discuss things you think are incorrect, or things you'd like to see added (always giving reliable sources to back up the issues.) In addition, you may wish to review the biography of living persons policy. However, to answer your question, unless you were using another username, you have made no edits. Perhaps you merely previewed, and did not save. I'm sure that there are people who would be more than happy to review any information you have, review the references to verify it, and then properly cite it in the article for you, just post it on the talk page. Hope that helps! Ariel♥Gold 01:20, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    fonts for viewing latin wiki

    In looking at the Latin vikipaedia my browser did not display some of the fonts there. What can I download or do so that I can read all of the special characters that otherwise just display as an empty rectangle? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.210.210.197 (talk) 01:42, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Get Firefox. --Boricuaeddie 01:51, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Install or enable the relevant font on your system. KTC 02:04, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    The html details for Wikipedia

    I am using a RTCX-346 Dell Computer, with a large motherboard (Model:83733EAK), would this be compatiable with Wikipedias html layout? My font is Ariel Black (in the longrun) and so far there is no consistency with the pages that Wikipedia displays. Thanks! --Schoolereichen 02:03, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Your hardware have absolutely nothing to do with how it render webpages. Get a modern and up to date web browser and you'll be fine. KTC 02:06, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Article not displaying

    Could someone else take a look at g-force? I see "Your continued donations keep Wikipedia running!" and then a completely blank page -- nothing else at all. All other articles seem to display fine. I'm using IE 7. Does anyone else get this problem or is it just me? Matt 02:47, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

    The page itself is fine, it's Wikipedia that's playing up. Just be patient if it's affecting you, try reloading etc. I'm sure it'd be sorted out ASAP. KTC 02:58, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes it's OK for me now. I'm well used to Wikipedia being slow and sticky, but I've not seen that particular page-specific manifestation before, so I thought it was something else. Thanks, Matt 03:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.133.247.59 (talk)
    (Pure speculation) The server responded enough that your browser doesn't display the timeout or no response or whatever page. The browser had enough to start rendering but didn't get any of the rest of the page to display or it times out waiting for the rest. KTC 03:19, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Inaccurate reference title which ridicules the source author

    To Whom It May Concern:

    The reference list for the article entitled "Catholic" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic) contains a severe inaccuracy that also ridicules the name of the source author. I am attempting to correct the error by removing the inaccuracy and inserting the author's properly spelled name but I do not see how to access that portion of the article. Could you please instruct me or make the correction yourself? The error is as follows:

    "References

    ^ J. H. Srawley (1900). Ignatius Epistle to the Smyrnaeans. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. ^ Catechetical Lecture 18 (Ezekiel xxxvii). Trinity Consulting. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. ^ Paul Halsall (June 1997). Banning of Other Religions Theodosian Code XVI.i.2. Internet Medieval Sourcebook. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. --->^ Augustine of Hippopotamus (397). Against the Epistle of Manichaeus called Fundamental. Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. ^ Pope Pius IX; Vatican (1870-04-24). First Vatican Council – Session 3: Dogmatic constitution on the Catholic faith. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. ^ Nicene Creed. The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. ^ Nicene Creed. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. ^ Nicene Creed. International Lutheran Fellowship. Retrieved on 2007-06-24."

    Augustine of Hippopotamus (397). <--- this is an obvious and gross error in the author's name. His actual name is Augustine of Hippo-Regius, which in English is usually shortened to Augustine of Hippo, Hippo-Regius being the full name of the ancient Northern African city where Augustine died.

    Also, his name should include the title of Saint for the sake of accuracy since he was declared a Saint (as well as Doctor of the Church) by the Catholic Church and he is most commonly referred to as Saint Augustine of Hippo (also abreviated to St. Augustine of Hippo).

    Please see the following websites to verify the accuracy of my statements :

    1. Sant'Agostino- Augustinus Hipponensis: http://www.sant-agostino.it/index.htm 2. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/augustine/ 3. Saint Augustine - Encyclopaedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109388/Saint-Augustine

    Thank you very much.

    SIncerely, VGC —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.32.20.61 (talk) 04:34, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I've changed it to "Augustine of Hippo". (I chose just "Augustine of Hippo" rather than "St Augustine" or "St Augustine of Hippo" on the basis that that's the name of his article). Thanks for pointing it out. DH85868993 07:54, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Text in footnotes are found between <ref> and </ref> inside the main body of text. The footnotes are generated automatically from those. --h2g2bob (talk) 12:49, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    New article that has been deleted multiple times already

    I intended to make a new redirect, but it appears the page was created and deleted 6 times already. I personally think the term is notable enough to deserve a page, especially since similarly pejorative variations of common internet terms/abbreviations have redirects or are included on disambig pages. For example, "noob" redirects to "newbie" and "lawl" redirects to "LOL". For those who don't know, "plox" is derisive form of "please" used to mock or disparage those who use "pls" or "plz" excessively in online chats. I don't want my redirect to be deleted immediately after creation, but many wiki admins appear to be delete-happy, especially when a precedent for the subject has already been established. However, I can't see what previous incarnations of the page contained, so I can't know if my page will simply be a repeat of something that has already happened. How do I proceed? D-Fluff has had E-Nuff 05:06, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Where did you intend redirecting it to? Kevin 08:03, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Presumably list of internet slang phrases. The procedure would be to add "plox" to that list, providing a nice reliable source, and then to create the redirect. If you can't find a reliable source, then it can't be discussed in wikipedia, so a redirect is not appropriate. Kappa 09:53, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Well I would redirect plox to please, much in the same manner as noob and lawl currently redirect to newbie and LOL respectively. There are other examples of internet terms redirecting to their more standard equivalents as well, but unfortunately I can't think of any off the top of my head. I suppose redirecting it to the list of internet slang would be acceptable as well if that's what the community prefers. However, I don't know exactly how to find a reliable source by the policy definition. Internet slang is really just a collection of language nuances and is inherently ephemeral. It takes time for such terminology to be integrated into mainstream sources, which in these cases appears to simply be lists of slang on reputatable websites and online dictionaries. However, right now, plox is indeed being used in online games, chats and forums, and is considered by many in these circles to be common knowledge. Urban Dictionary has a page regarding plox, but I doubt that counts as a legitimate source. Encyclopedia Dramatica also references plox, but I am sure that doesn't count as a legitimate source. I could find a bunch of forums posts showing its usage, but again these fail the policy. So I would imagine this means the article is a no-go? Wikipedia is content to have an incomplete index and be "behind the times" in a manner of speaking? D-Fluff has had E-Nuff 17:08, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Basically yes, wikipedia has to be "behind the times" because it is not a primary source. One good reason for this is that it isn't always kept up to date so it handles "inherently ephemeral" things very badly. Also remember that wikipedia is not a dictionary, so "please" doesn't actually define the word, it just points to a variety of things called "please". The most appropriate wikimedia project for this might be wiktionary but I'm not sure what their attitude to a word which is only found on internet forums would be. Kappa 06:53, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Oh well, that's what I get for trying to contribute. Thanks for the input. D-Fluff has had E-Nuff 00:13, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Publishing in other language

    How to publish a page in other languages?For example if I have contents in English How I can publish the page in Hindi and Tamil which will be listed at the othe languages box in the side pan? —Preceding unsigned comment added by SunderKV (talk • contribs) 06:30, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    If the article exists on that other Wikipedia, eg. Tamil or Hindi, then to add a link in the sidebar you edit the article (usually at the very end, for stylistic reasons), and add a link in the form [[lc:title]], where "lc" is the two letter language code (see m:List of Wikipedias for the full list), and "title" is the title of the article in that language.
    If the article isn't on the other Wikipedia, then you'll have to be bold and write it. Confusing Manifestation 07:02, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See Help:Interlanguage links for complete instructions. See this page for an example. The language code for Hindi is hi, the code for Tamil is ta.--Max Talk (+) 07:08, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Create an article

    I am a registered user . How to create an aricle in wikipedia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.164.127.107 (talk) 07:17, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    See Starting a new page and Your first article. x42bn6 Talk Mess 07:20, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    about BRIAN LARA GAME DOWNLOADING

    DEAR SIR,

    I AM WANT TO KNOW HOW THIS GAME DOWNLOAD ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.77.195.219 (talk) 08:37, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    We are an encyclopedia, not a PC game. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 09:34, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]


    New entry

    Am I dumb? I can't figure out how to contribute a completely new entry. Help. Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Auntyjo (talk • contribs) 10:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi Auntyjo. See Help:Starting a new page. Neil ム 10:11, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    simplex

    what is big-m method,give its step to solve problem. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.248.11.2 (talk) 11:17, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This page is for questions about Wikipedia. You may want to try the Math Reference Desk -- Kainaw(what?) 11:54, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Hide/show menus

    Someone the menus in my userpages have stopped to load in the default hidden manner I coded them for originally. I think this changed because someone changed the code for it. Can someone help me fix it or point me to the appropriate page for details? - Mgm|(talk) 11:40, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    DNS stuff

    The Special:Contributions page for an anonymous user, identified by the user's numerical IP address, contains at the bottom a link labelled "WHOIS" (and some other links) that lead to dnsstuff.com (as, for example, on Special:Contributions/24.15.28.218). These links stopped working for me; I now get a message "This type of DNSstuff tool access requires DNSstuff membership. If you would like to do any of the following, please join us for just $3/mo". They offer a limited number of free lookups that would soon be exhausted. Is there a way around this without paying $$?  --Lambiam 11:50, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You can sometimes get an idea from traceroute. --h2g2bob (talk) 12:44, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    about nano tech

    Bold textwhat is nano tech

    what should i study to be nano tech


    i am a diploma mechanical student

    where should i study

    what should be my marks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.92.84.139 (talk) 12:11, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Ask at the science reference desk. --h2g2bob (talk) 12:30, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Number of system messages

    What is the total number of system messages? I think they are more than 2000 but how many exactly? Thanks. --196.202.91.155 12:14, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It's a strange thing to ask. If you really want to know can't you just count them all up yourself? ::Manors:: 15:25, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    371 that have been customized, and 1813 at their default values, for a total of 2184. --ais523 16:14, 31 August 2007 (UTC)
    Thank you very much, ais523. You're the best! --196.218.135.199 13:44, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Who is Orange Mike

    Who is orange Mike and why does he have a page about himself. I relise that he is a editor but that is not fair. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 12:49, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Please see Wikipedia:User page. As for your other question, I believe Orange Mike's user page covers that amply. :) --Moonriddengirl 12:52, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I've seen new users confused by user pages before, especially when it's a new user trying to create a page about their non-notable band or something. I guess I should put the user page tag on my page just to be extra clear. Leebo T/C 13:17, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I think they're probably a good idea. I've got one on mine, even though so far as I know nobody ever asked. :) --Moonriddengirl 13:28, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Okay, so I slapped one on mine (but down at the bottom, as I think they're butt-ugly). --Orange Mike 13:56, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    What is that supose to mean!?! and can I basic person like me create a user lookup page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 14:36, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You already have one at User:GoogleandYahoo. Mike has one at User:Orangemike, and I have one at User:Kesh. Every user gets a userpage, separate from the main Wikipedia articles. You can always tell a page isn't one of the actual Wikipedia articles if it has a name in front of it with a colon, like here at Wikipedia:Help desk or Help:Categories. -- Kesh 15:22, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Zig Ziglar

    Hello, One of our customers brought it to our attention that the official site Wikipedia has listed under Ziglar Training Systems is a site in Korean and it is definitely not our official site. Our official website is www.ziglar.com and our company name has actually changed to just Ziglar. Another FAQ that is incorrect would be Zig's Sunday school class. He no longer teaches his own class, however, he is the host for the Encourager's Class at Prestonwood Baptist. If you need to verify this information or contact me please call 1.800.527.0306 and ask for Katherine Witmeyer or you may call me direct at 972.383.3235. Our office is located at: 15303 Dallas Parkway Suite 550 Addison, TX 75001 We appreciate your attention to this matter,

    Katherine Witmeyer Project Coordinator kwitmeyer@ziglar.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.198.191.130 (talk) 13:04, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I have changed the website information. As far as his contribution at Prestonwood, I'm afraid that a phone call to you would not satisfy Wikipedia's verifiability. Since the current fact is unsourced, I will remove it. But I wanted to point out to you that you can also edit this page, if you see misinformation on it, as long as you are careful to avoid the pitfalls that arise from conflict of interest. If there is third party reference, information can be included. If there is not, it should not be. --Moonriddengirl 13:15, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Change a page title

    Can You change a title if it is incorect. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 13:44, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Yes, that is called moving a page, but you have to have been registered for at least 4 days to use this function. You registered yesterday, so in a few more days you can move pages if you need to. Leebo T/C 13:48, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    If you think it needs chaning quickly, you can request it and an admin may change it for you. ::Manors:: 14:43, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Blackberry access

    Having trouble accessing Wikipedia from my Blackberry. Is it Blackberry compatible? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 162.83.185.6 (talk) 14:01, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    A couple of people have asked about this before. Also see: TomeRaider, this previous discussion about Wikipedia on PDAs, and this previous discussion about WAP. --Teratornis 15:02, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Can I delet

    Can I delet A page that is empty. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 14:32, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Add {{substr:prod|reason}}, replacing "reason" with the reason you want it deleted. An admin will likely delete it. -- Kainaw(what?) 14:37, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Only administrators have the power to actually remove a page through deletion, but any editor may initiate the deletion process on a page that is eligible. There are 3 processes: speedy deletion, proposed deletion, and articles for deletion. If an article page is empty (blank, or with no other content on the page) it would fall under criterion for speedy deletion A3 and you could place a {{db-empty}} tag on it. An administrator would later come by and delete it, assuming there was no other version of the page to revert to. Leebo T/C 14:39, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Basic

    Can a basic perosn like me create a user lookup?--GoogleandYahoo try yoogleandgahoo.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 14:42, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Can you explain what you mean a little more clearly? What do you mean by "user lookup"? Leebo T/C 14:46, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I mean a post of myself for instance I am in 17 Bollywood films (that is not true) —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 14:49, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I take from your above question about Orange Mike, you mean "Can I create a user page?" And the answer is "Yes, everyone can." Yours is at User:GoogleandYahoo. I would hope you don't lie about yourself though, as that would defeat the purpose. Leebo T/C 14:50, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Click on this link, and start typing.--69.118.235.97 14:52, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Why wuold I lie? —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 14:54, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I didn't say you would, but you asked if you could create a page saying you did something you didn't actually do. Perhaps I misunderstood your intent. Leebo T/C 14:55, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Thank-you and yes you did. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 14:59, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Just a note, please sign your posts using 4 tildes (~) x4 Thank you, Perfect Proposal Speak out loud! 15:24, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    As to why a person would Lie, we have a nice article about that. As to why a particular person would lie, we would need specific data about that person before we could propose plausible hypotheses. Of course we know that nobody gets all the way through life being 100% honest at all times. Sometimes, lying appears to be necessary to fight tyranny, as in the Double Cross System used by the British in WWII. --Teratornis 19:39, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Reasonable Sig Length?

    Can someone provide me with a guideline on the length of an acceptable sig? I fear mine is much too long, as with some other editors.

    Thanks, Perfect Proposal Speak out loud! 15:25, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi! See WP:SIG :-) Stwalkerster talk 15:30, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I've seen much longer, don't worry. Yours should be fine, it doesn't use all that much code, like mine does. Mine might need some shortening, we'll see. Hersfold (t/a/c) 15:32, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks! Perfect Proposal Speak out loud! 15:37, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Try Hersfold (t/a/c) (which is 224 characters long, still long but shorter). If you want it still shorter, you could try leaving out the 'awards' link, or creating User:Hersfold/a as a redirect and linking via that. --ais523 16:08, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

    Bashing

    Is there a report sytem for users who incorrectly edit or bash you and or you articles. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 15:38, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Please put your questions under new headings. There is an article telling you about your problem, I can look for it, but I'm sure a more experienced user will find it first. ::Manors:: 15:42, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    View this page: WP:NPA ::Manors:: 15:44, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Report

    Can you report people for bashing you or your articles or saying or portaying bad things. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 15:45, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I just answered this above, view this page: WP:NPA. Also, please sign your comments by typing '~~~~' ::Manors:: 15:49, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Sorry that me not signing my comments is bothering you but I cannot do that because it does not work. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 15:57, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It does work for everyone, have you typed out ~~~~ and saved the page? Leebo T/C 15:59, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Or just click the button above the edit window with an icon intended to represent handwriting. (It's the 10th from the left, the one between the red nowiki slash and the heavy horizontal line icons.) --Orange Mike 16:01, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Well to let you know the reason it does not work is because the computer that I am using is not mine and when I use mine I will try it but for now the computer I am using has broken keys and that key happens to be one of them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoogleandYahoo (talk • contribs) 16:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    In that case, do what Orange Mike described. Leebo T/C 16:06, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    fine --GoogleandYahoo 16:08, 31 August 2007 (UTC) Happy GoogleandYahoo[reply]

    Koooool! Glad we could help. (A hint: if you need a character that is represented by a busted key, cut and paste from something that has that character; that's why all the letters with diacritical marks on them are displayed below your edit window, in case you need to put a Ł or a Þ into an article.) --Orange Mike 16:13, 31 August 2007 (UTC) (who's had a busted key or two in his time)[reply]

    Hello,

    Is there a way I can upload powerpoint presentations from a conference? I would like to post a wiki link on our website where all presentations can be accessed.

    Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 205.211.160.1 (talk) 16:09, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It's not possible to upload Powerpoint (.ppt) files onto Wikipedia I tried an example one to find out and it was rejected. ::Manors:: 16:15, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    They'd have to be used in a Wikipedia article. You may not use Wikipedia as a free webhost for your presentations. Leebo T/C 16:12, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    You're right, I just tested it, but please don't edit my comments, Manors. If I'm wrong, just tell me. Leebo T/C 16:20, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I think powerpoint presentations are not considered encyclopedic content, and thus are not accomodated by the software. If this is for an article, simply put the information in as text and images in the usual manner. --Orange Mike 16:22, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I remember seeing a Microsoft Excel (.xls) file once... did they change the upload function to avoid getting unwanted ones, or am I just crazy? :P Leebo T/C 16:25, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    flickr images

    if say "public" under them, does this mean they're in the public domain?Sortitouty 16:13, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    No. It means that the public may view it (as opposed to private view only). -- Kainaw(what?) 16:14, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    new article re: biography

    Hello,

    I have created an account and want to post a biographical article about a person who wants to run for US Congress. This is not intended to be an advocacy piece, only a biographical sketch. I have read the entry on the current officeholder and plan on penning something similar. The subject of the sketch is notable in his own right per the dirctive in your tutorial materials. I was wondering if it is both allowable and appropriate to publish an entry when the subject has not yet declared a candidacy.

    Thank you,

    Dealsdealssmith 16:21, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    IF the person is notable (incumbent Congressmembers are inherently notable; candidates, not so much), simply create the article according to the usual guidelines. The possible candidacy could be mentioned in the last line of the article, IF there is a published source saying that he is thinking of running. If you are involved with him or his potential campaign, though, please be aware of our stringent rules about conflicts of interest. --Orange Mike 16:27, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Can someone...

    Can someone edit your article with a virus.--GoogleandYahoo 16:27, 31 August 2007 (UTC)GoogleandYahoo[reply]

    There's no such thing as an "article virus," since an article is just a collection of text and can't get viruses. There may be nefarious things people can do to articles to make them less useful or whatnot, but I'm not going to mention those. Leebo T/C 16:28, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    If someone mananges to put a virus in your article, they would almost certainly be banned permanently. You have nothing to worrry about. ::Manors:: 16:30, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    If someone managed to put a virus on a text article, they would certainly deserve an article on Wikipedia mentioning the achievement. :D KTC 16:33, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I did not mean the artical itself I meant the user who posted it. Does wikipedia have virus filters if not then they should invest in some. --GoogleandYahoo 16:36, 31 August 2007 (UTC) WHO WINS THE FIGHT BETWEEN GOOGLE AND YAHOO CHEEK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF[reply]

    What do you mean by a Virus filter? You mean a user giving Wikipedia a virus? Again, they're a skilled hacker if they can do that and we're not going to discuss such activities. Leebo T/C 16:39, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I don't know what that stupid thing on the end means. I would assume Wikimedia has strong security anyway, but you don't need a virus to edit an article, you can just click a button. ::Manors:: 16:41, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    1. Arh this is point less I mean a hacker or whoever goes on wikipedia see your article and edits it with a link many people click on the like to find out that it is a virus. 2. Or the hacker just sends a virus to that user. 3. A virus filter filters all hackers from send a virus the virus is sent but is ditroyed by the filter many websites have then for a small out of pocket fee.--GoogleandYahoo 16:45, 31 August 2007 (UTC)well arh[reply]

    I'm sure a lot of links that would contain viruses could be blacklisted and the user blocked. The filters you're talking about wouldn't prevent the damage you're referring to. Leebo T/C 16:48, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    1. Any link leaving Wikipedia is marked with a little arrow like this http://shaunwagner.com - so users know it is going offsite. If it is a corrupt or virus laden link, other editors will quickly remove it.
    2. A hacker cannot just "send" a virus to a user. They can email a virus as an attachment if they know a user's email address - but it is up to the user to know not to open email attachments.
    3. Hackers cannot send a virus to a Wikipedia article. The articles are ONLY text. There's no code - nothing to put a virus in.
    I hope that explains it well. -- Kainaw(what?) 16:49, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Articles are only text, but see this:
    A malicious editor can invisibly hijack all the links on a page, redirecting them to a malicious Web site. --Teratornis 17:03, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I'm pretty sure that type of javascript has since been disabled. Such a hijack should no longer be possible. I think. --69.118.235.97 17:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes, it has. -- Kainaw(what?) 17:09, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Do you mean on Wikipedia specifically, or does the new version of MediaWiki plug that hole for all MediaWiki wikis? Do you have a reference for the notice, if any, that whoever plugged this hole might have given? I would like to add the reference to my personal notes. It would also be nice to add an update to the archived question to give the current status of this security hole. --Teratornis 17:40, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    generally, how can I ask a question about an entry?

    Let's say I was investigating gravity and was looking at the Rothschild solution or equation.

    I am NOT an expert, but I am a scientist with good math and physics skills (I can understand equations in general). I DO NOT wish to edit the answer, or make any correction to what has been written. I would like to know how the equations would apply to calculating the gravitational force inside of an atomic nucleus (between nuetrons and protons) given what we know about their mass and density (radius of the nuclear sphere).

    1) Is it appropriate to write in my question as an edit, leaving it there for others to answer and then edit out in completing? 2) Is there an alternative way of contacting authors of articles? Or of posing such a question relevant to an article to the visitors who may arrive at that page?

    Thank you, —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.87.166.72 (talk) 16:32, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Generally, discussion occurs on talk pages, not the articles themselves, which you can reach by clicking the "Discussion" tab at the top of any page. Be warned, however, that discussion should remain strictly focused on ways to improve the article, not general discussion on the subject itself. You may want to find a science/mathematics forum to ask such questions, or go into the History of the article, find an editor who you'd like to ask, go to their user page, and click "Email user" to send them an email question. Leebo T/C 16:38, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    You could also try asking at the reference desk. --ais523 16:44, 31 August 2007 (UTC)
    The answer to your particular question seems pretty straightforward. Try reading some of these links:
    for example:
    which says:
    • Especially at the scale of elementary particles, the gravitational force is many orders of magnitude weaker than other fundamental forces, so it is customarily ignored when talking about the nucleus.
    You can also search for the same keywords on Wikipedia with similar results. --Teratornis 16:51, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How do you program a link to open the destination in a new window? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 159.83.168.254 (talk) 17:11, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    There's no markup for such a link available; this is apparently a deliberate decision by the developers. On most browsers, you can open a link in a new window even if it's set up to open in the same window by holding down 'shift' and clicking on the link. --ais523 17:15, 31 August 2007 (UTC)
    If your question refers to how to do it in general in terms of HTML and not in reference to within Wikipedia, try the Wikipedia:Reference desk. KTC 17:16, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Helper

    Hi, I saw somewhere I could apply for help from an experienced user, like a buddy thing. Where is this? Phgao 17:20, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wikipedia:Adopt a user. KTC 17:21, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Dealing with a cut-and-paste page

    Hi there. I've come across an article that seems mostly constructed by cut and pastes from other articles in Wikipedia, but no links are provided in the edit history. This violates the GFDL. How do I rectify this? Tim Vickers 17:24, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Remove copyvio materials. Add references to claims that are unreferenced. What page are you referring to? -- Kainaw(what?) 17:30, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I mean the page (Evolutionary history of life) is constructed from sections taken from other Wikipedia pages. Tim Vickers 17:33, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    There's no problem with copying Wikipedia. Anyone can copy it - which is why you find Wikipedia articles all over the Internet. However, the article should be written so it reads well and not like a bunch of copied paragraphs herded into a new area. -- Kainaw(what?) 17:36, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    The edit history should say where the paragraphs were copied from, if they were; if the history doesn't say that, and it doesn't look like it does to me, it would be best to give the information on the talk page (you can find the edit history in these three pages/redirects...). If the original pages have been deleted altogether, they probably need to be undeleted (which would be uncontroversial at WP:DRV). --ais523 17:38, 31 August 2007 (UTC)
    Thanks, would it be best to put the links on the talk page or do a blank edit and put them in the edit history? Tim Vickers 17:40, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    The talk page is more usual for after-the-fact correction in my experience, but either would be fine. (You could even do both, I suppose.) --ais523 17:49, 31 August 2007 (UTC)
    Thank you, will do. Tim Vickers 19:00, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How To Reference a School Pamphlet/Handout

    In the article Stillwater Area High School I have a list of state championships that has been without a source for some time. Reason being is that this information is not on the internet and I am not familiar with how to reference something like this. I got it directly from a school pamphlet. The list was among other information mailed out to all students. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mientkiewicz5508 (talk • contribs) 17:38, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    See Wikipedia:Citation templates. I think you will want the press release one - but feel free to choose a different one if it looks better. -- Kainaw(what?) 17:48, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Well I like that, but it doesn't exactly have a URL...will it still suffice? It's not somethign that could be easily checked as a reference, and I'm wondering if it's still reliable as a reference. Or if people would consider that not good enough. Haha.Mientkiewicz5508 06:53, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    If it can't be checked by other people, it has no value as a reference. I think the test is "available from libraries", eg via interlibrary loan. Kappa 16:44, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Colored Text

    How do you make text a certain color? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 159.83.168.254 (talk) 17:46, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Use <span style='color:red;'>your text</span> -- Kainaw(what?) 17:48, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Or, <font color="color">TEXT</font> ::Manors:: 17:57, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Fair Use Photos (part 2 bottom)

    I've read Wikipedia's imaging policy in pretty good detail but I'm still a little confused. If an image is copyrighted elsewhere, it can be used if no substitute can be found and under various other conditions. From the guidelines, it looked as if the conditions state that the photo cannot be of a living person unless other conditions are met. Yet, I have found several politician pages that include Gray Davis and Shirley Horton, who are both living people, yet they have copyrighted photos submited under fair use. There are a lot of California politicians that are living without photos. My question is can I upload copyrighted photos for each of those politicians? User:calbear22 08:51, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You can not. And those pages you cite should not have non-free images (all "fair use" images are, by definition, non-free). See our fair use criteria. All articles on living people should not have any fair-use photos on them that are just being used to show what they look like; a free one can be obtained. There can be exceptions (for example, an image of someone playing a role in a movie - no free alternative could be obtained). Neil ム 09:53, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    The pics in those 2 articles have a claim of public domain in their edit summaries, so I think the copyright tags are probably in error. Kevin 13:55, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How would one go about obtaining a free one? As long as any photo is from an area with that little c on the page, than a photo can't be uploaded. User:calbear22 15:48, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    If they're living, I'd suggest requesting one that comes with explicit permission to post. --Orange Mike 18:21, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Uploading photos of living people confuses me to the max. I would suggest doing what I'm doing and wait until you've had a bit of experience here before even attempting to upload them. ::Manors:: 19:18, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    My external link won't open from within our wiki... http://planning.lacounty.gov/doc/form/form_CUP_checklist.pdf How do I get the link to open the pdf file? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 159.83.168.254 (talk) 19:22, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    That link worked for me, but you should code the link like this: "[http://planning.lacounty.gov/doc/form/form_CUP_checklist.pdf]" which will produce: [8]. The "20" will change depending where it is in the article. ::Manors:: 19:24, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    how to handle a troublesome user

    Looking for advice on how to deal with a user who has done the following (on a single article):

    • removed a "speedy deletion" tag from an image in the article
    • changed a cleanup tag to read "This article has been tagged for cleanup since July 2009"
    • reinstated material which had a personal essay style/buzzwords/unencyclopedic material and tone, without any comment or discussion
    • has made all of their contributions to only this one page (sockpuppet?)

    Thanks. --- Taroaldo 19:52, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    The user should have recieved warnings for each of those actions as vandalism. If they've hit their limit on warnings (at least one level 4 warning) recently, report them to WP:ANI and they'll get a block. If they only do this once in a while, then it's something that needs to be handled through dispute resolution. -- Kesh 19:55, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Taken individually, those are all quite minor instances of unconstructive editing. If it's happening all at once, that's a bit different. Anyway, each situation is different, so it's hard to say what the best course of action is without looking at the user's contributions. Leebo T/C 19:58, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    All happened today on "Stress (medicine)" page. Since I am still not familiar with all of Wikipedia's policies, I want to make sure that I follow a process which is appropriate in this case. Thanks. --- Taroaldo 20:08, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How to add info box

    How do add an info box. I want to add one to My Fountain of Nations ArticleCheyenneRulz 21:06, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Check out Wikipedia:List of infoboxes to find the appropriate infobox, and then follow the instructions on the infobox's template page.--Max Talk (+) 22:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Math Symbol Rendering

    Reading Matrix Mechanics, Lagrangian's etc, leads to Math Symbol/Font Wiki searchs. The tables returned fail for about 50% of the Glyphs rentered on my systems Win 2000 and Win 98SE.

    IE 6.0+View.encode.Auto-select and all other such options fail also for me.

    Please recommend Win Fonts, or Style Sheets commonly used Wiki Articles.

    It would be nice to be able to key in alt + Decimal number in your search window to find a symbol related article.

    Your content is super, and has me chasing my tail with great delight.

    Yours 23:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

    If the math symbols aren't rendering correctly, you can try setting in your preferences to render math as an image (Under the Math tab, select "Always render PNG" and save. You must be logged in for this to work.) A much better solution, however, would be to Get Firefox. (And upgrade your OS. But not to Vista. It doesn't work right yet.) Hersfold (t/a/c) 00:07, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Would like to see "zipper merge" entry

    I searched for "zipper merge" and couldn't find it. Your entries are great and I'm hoping one of your contributors might help me out. Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kloftin (talk • contribs) 23:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Excuse my ignorance but what exactly is a zipper merge? What articles is it most likely to relate to? Woodym555 23:17, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    A Google search [9] shows that "zipper merge" is a way for drivers to merge vehicles in two lanes into one lane when the other lane is about to end. Wikipedia is not a dictionary and it doesn't sound like a thing we should have an article about. PrimeHunter 23:40, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    It could still have an article, just you would need to find a way to stretch that information to a few paragraphs. ::Manors:: 01:10, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Adding a column on the right for a movie title which includes an image of the poster and specs

    Hi. I'm trying to add a column for several movie titles which show the movie poster, principals, and additional info. Most films on the site have these columns but I can't seem to figure out how to add this.

    Thanks,

    Jaked —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jaked4 (talk • contribs) 23:47, 31 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You're looking for {{Infobox Film}}. Copy the code on that page and fill out the information. Hersfold (t/a/c) 00:08, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]


    September 1

    Playboy Magazine Covers

    I thought only a Free photo could be used on the biography of a living person.

    It seems to me that the magazine cover used on Bethany Lorraine violates WP:FU and WP:NFCC.

    In fact all the magazine covers in Category:Playboy magazine covers seem to be violations.

    Am I right ?

    If I am, I'll start removing them.

    Please advise.

    Tovojolo 00:23, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    On that specific page, it probably is. Playboy covers are copyrighted, but they should only serve to illustrated commentary on the model in the issue indicated. For instance, if the articles explains "Miss X's fame was cemented when she appeared on the June 1987 issue of Playboy" then an image of the magazine would probably be acceptable. However, without any commentary, or with commentary unrelated to the issue, such as "Miss X is a former Playboy centerfold" they probably fail our content criteria. --Haemo 00:52, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Also, just so you know, to Wikilink to a category or image you can just put a colon in front, like [[:Category:Playboy magazine covers]]

    I'm confused.

    Excusing copyright violations only harms Wikipedia.

    Look at Marliece Andrada, the commentary in the article is that she was the playmate for that particular month – is that enough to justify the use of the magazine cover ?

    Tovojolo 01:04, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    No, it's probably not. What are you confused about? You brought up a good point, and I'd say most would agree that those covers are used in ways disallowed by our fair use guidelines. Leebo T/C 01:10, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Firefox spell-check on Wikipedia

    G'day. I'm using Firefox 2.0.0.6 and loving the spell-check function that, similarly to Microsoft Word and Thunderbird, underlines misspelt words in Red. It is working right now in this little window, but numerous times when I'm editing a large Wiki article it doesn't appear to be working. I'm guessing this might have something to do with their being too many words and it timing out or something? Does anybody know a way to get around this? Cheers, Rothery 02:04, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Hrmm, I'm using the same version, and I have never noticed this issue, and have edited many very large pages. It might be some sort of conflict with another add-on, or some other software issue. Perhaps if nobody here can figure it out, you may wish to ask at Wikipedia:Village Pump (technical) and see if those very smart folks can assist you. Ariel♥Gold 02:10, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I just opened it on this page, which is quite large, and it was working. Leebo T/C 02:41, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    It's a Firefox problem, not a Wikipedia problem. Sometimes, when editing large amounts of text, the underlining spellchecker doesn't work. I've noticed it on several different sites. Why? I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the amount of RAM your computer has, and the size of the page you're editing. --Haemo 06:56, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wikipedia Compactabilty

    Hello, I am using a 736JD Microchip (Dell make 2003 November) with a processer that uses a 9 voltage adaptor. Would this combination defect my Wikipedia page display or would it create a meltdown in the lower motherboard? My motherboard detail logs are : 63H-4403-N/FE4. For The Americas the 9 voltage adaptor would be a 12 voltage adapter with compactability to the motherboard (in this case with the Dell Microchip). Furthermore, Would these adapters also damage my screen of my computer when viewing Wikipedia? As for the screen, it is a 1997 (old) make by Hartwell Glass Co. (now defunct). Thank You. --Frenton Complex 02:14, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Firstly, I would recommend you ask this question at one of the reference desks, since it's not about using Wikipedia specifically. Secondly... how could Wikipedia have any effect on your hardware? Leebo T/C 02:43, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I did, and Wikipedia specifications (loose browser, older interface) can have a significant impact on lower motherboards versions HD77-J8 thru to HD98-H7 if the 736JD Microchip is used in an 9v adapter situation. That is how it affects hardware. --Frenton Complex 02:56, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    That makes no sense whatsoever. -- Kesh 03:06, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    If it makes no sense to you that means you dont understand my question. Its a very experienced question you see. --Frenton Complex 03:11, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Is English a second language for you? I think that is part of the problem: the way you are writing does not make a lot of sense in English. Further, you aren't explaining how in the world Wikipedia could possibly cause a hardware problem. . It sounds like you're either talking about an adapter for the CPU or motherboard (which is a very bad idea) or a power adapter for the computer itself, which can't hurt the computer at all. None of the component numbers you've given show up on Google at all, so I'm not sure what you're referring to. -- Kesh 03:37, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    The things you are listing as Wikipedia's fault are not actually caused by Wikipedia, they'd be caused by you providing the settings necessary to view Wikipedia. There's a difference, and as I said before, this is not a question related to using Wikipedia. It's a hardware question. It belongs on one of the reference desks, and if you are saying that you asked at one of the reference desks, you did not do it with this account. Leebo T/C 03:42, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Html suppliment

    Can anyone recommend a HTML supplement for a Firefox Web browser? My downloaded version is 3.4 Beta . Any supplement by original standards wont work, however I need to find one with HTML SHD77 support for Windows 98.. Of course this is essential for viewing wikipedias front page, --Missingthefuture 02:41, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This question more properly belongs on the Computing Reference Desk. They specialise in computing related questions Raven4x4x 08:30, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Contacting Janke

    I am trying to reach Wikipedia contributor Janke. I do not have a "talkpage" and don't know how to leave a message on his. 74.61.73.217 03:29, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Just click here. That's the same thing as going to his talk page and clicking the "+" tab at the top. Also, you do have a talk page, it's at User talk:74.61.73.217. Leebo T/C 03:39, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    An unregistered user may access Wikipedia from more than one IP address, or may share a given IP address with other users. For the questioner to have a unique user talk page, he or she should create an account. --Teratornis 23:55, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    1 Suggestion and 1 Problem

    Dear Wikipidea,

    Suggestion I am a regular user/reader of your website. However today(1st September 2007) while reading a thought came into my mind. What if the online material (page) available on the website can be downloaded in the form of a PDF document? It will save a user's time to search the same article everytime he needs it. Also if a user access the same page multiple times he might put different keywords and would get a different result each time. Also he will not have to log in to the internet each time he needs the same. This is beneficial for users in countries like mine where there are more dial up users and who are not connected on 24X7 basis. Whenever needed the PDF can be accessed from the hard disk.

    Problem Regarding the same i decided to drop an e-mail to Wikipidea so i clicked on the "Contact Wikipidea" link. However after surfing through lots of links i finally came across this page. Life could have been lot simpler if you could have published a simple e-mail id like feedback@wikipidea.org and users like me would have sent an e-mail to the same rather than surfing through lots of pages to find the feedback/contact us. I am not even sure if i am writing on the correct page since the link said "Contact a Wikipidea user". I assume that this information will go to a Wikipidea official. If not please forward the same on my behalf.

    Regards, Manish Gangal manish_gangal@rediffmail.com New Delhi, India —Preceding unsigned comment added by Manish gangal (talk • contribs) 07:07, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    well Wikipedia will be released as Version 1 some time in the near future which is the closest thing to that PDF suggestion in the pipe line (to my knowledge), and wikipedia has an email address: info-en-o@wikimedia.org, although you could suggest that they could add on wikipedias email address to the Wikipedia:Contact us, by placing your suggestion on Wikipedia talk:Contact us.--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 07:26, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I fear that "sometime in the near future" might be similar to "Real soon now." In the meantime, I would direct the attention of M. Gangal to TomeRaider, which provides text-only downloadable versions of Wikipedia for offline reading. The relatively low hardware requirements of TomeRaider should make it helpful for those who lack fast, continuous connections to the Internet. --Teratornis 23:48, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This whole article has been taken down due to some bad choices in wording with contact numbers, personal information, a non-wikipedia related event or problem and some unsecure wording. Please understand that this is typical if you post information about you, your family or friends, or other silly event on this page and note that is dangerous. In any event please use this taken down article as a example of what not to do on wikipedia's help desk if any questions about this do happen then contact wikipeda's HELP section or post something bellow and me or some one of this backround will help you. --72.79.101.50 20:13, 6 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    printing

    Hi, I hope you will help please with the following:

    > I have recently looked at a page BIG DIPPER & wished to print off the > details, unfotunately only the text prints & not the 2 maps included in the > article. I have looked closely at FAQ's & all other options to find a > solution including trying to ask a wikipedia user, having created an account > & logged in. However, I don't know any wikipedia users so can't type in a > name, so again I'm stumped !! > What am I doing wrong, & how can I print the images as well as the text? > Thankyou, I look forward to your reply, > Harry---- —Preceding unsigned comment added by Herisson (talk • contribs) 08:09, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Have you tried clicking the "Printible version" link in the side menu? It's in the list of links titled 'toolbox'. Clicking that link will bring you to this page. Printing this page will print both the images and text. Raven4x4x 08:18, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Request for article

    I'm not sure if this is the place for it, but I've been searching for a good while, and I'm not too good with computers. I was running through the list of the current American third parties and noticed that the one I belong to is missing. Perhaps it is because I've only seen it here in Arizona? It is the International Dreamist Party. Their website is down I believe, but here's an unofficial one http://www.myspace.com/dreamistparty . I don't know if it'll get an article or not, but I do believe it's worth noting in the wikipedia.

    Thank you! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.107.128.50 (talk) 08:40, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You can request it at Wikipedia:Requested articles. The 10 Google hits [10] on "International Dreamist Party" are all to MySpace. Unless much better reliable sources are found, the party does not satisfy Wikipedia:Notability (organizations and companies). An article about it would probably be deleted. PrimeHunter 11:05, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Slight talkpage problem

    I know I should be able to do this by now, but the things I've tried aren't working. I've recieved a Wikiproject invitation which used a colour-background, which seems to be carrying on all the way down the page. When I typed the reply, the green background remained behind my text. Can somebody sort it out please? Lradrama 09:37, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    1 hour later and no reply... Lradrama 10:46, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    1 hour! and i have removed the sky blue for you. Woodym555 10:48, 1 September 2007 (UTC)(amended) it needed the |} closing brackets. Woodym555 10:57, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thankyou very much! Lradrama 11:16, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    The Sound of Music

    I don't understand why, but to the left of this article, below the toolbox, the list "in other languages" does not appear, but if you tick the button "edit this page", down at the bottom of the edit window various languages are stated. Why doesn't the list appear in "normal" view? Pdeege 10:23, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    There was a rogue <ref> tag that wasn't closed. All of the text below this moved into the reference including the categories and the notes section istelf. Fixed now. Woodym555 10:45, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How u get such a Large Information

    How u People get this timely and relevant information across Globe.Do you have research team in every countries —Preceding unsigned comment added by 221.135.192.118 (talk) 11:20, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    this is the encyclopedia that everyone can edit, so anyone around the world can start editing. We are all individuals (5,219,363 at last count) who want to contribute to the encyclopedia. There are no Research teams, just a wikipedia community. | Wikinews] has up to date information. So there you are, you too can become a contributor if you want. Just click the edit tab at the top and start editing Woodym555 11:30, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Question

    Ed Redlich is my mom's cousin. Am I still allowed to edit his page if I have some facts to add? Smartyshoe 12:04, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    If those facts are properly verifiable and if the information presented is neutral, yes. Conflict of interest posting is discouraged, but not disallowed. If you think your changes are likely to be controversial, you should probably discuss them at the article's talk page first. --Moonriddengirl 12:31, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    thanks for claryfing. Smartyshoe —Preceding unsigned comment added by Smartyshoe (talk • contribs) 13:02, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Renaming

    If I wanted to change my username would "I want to change because I like the other name" be allowed and do all your subpagess etc. move yet remain unaltered-- Phoenix 13:23, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    See Wikipedia:Changing username. KTC 13:38, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks but I've been there. I followed a link and found it Wikipedia:Changing usernames guidelines-- Phoenix 13:43, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    And the second part of my question; does my userspace stay the way it is apart from a different username-- Phoenix 14:02, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Yes, it is like a page move, all of the content and edit history of the username gets transferred to your new username. Woodym555 14:07, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks!-- Phoenix 14:11, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Image loading

    I am having an issue - images on wikipedia articles are not loading - its happening in IE and Firefox and I was wondering whether this issue is specific to me, and how I could rectify it?--Flymeoutofhere 13:53, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Well, Have you got a slow connection? I've got a 26Kbps dial-up and images take a while to load. I can see them eventually though-- Phoenix 14:07, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    No - its never been an issue before - it just started a few days ago...Thanks.--Flymeoutofhere 14:08, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How to go back 20 revs and malicious changes ?

    A group focused on a IEEE standard 1902.1 wrote a comprehensive summary and plan English explanation - heavily supported by cross-references and back up material and reviewed by many users. The Standard was just passed unanimously by work group (Epson, Motorola, Microsoft, Bearing Point, GM to name few of 17 companies in work group)

    These standards can become political and competitive (eg 802 has been explosive...) Someone not well identified deleted most of the WiKi core and removed all references over course of several weeks - he did it by making many small changes - eating away core with each -- makes it very difficult to go back 20 revs... think it was done this way intentionally and malicious.....

    Question

    1. How do we go back to original version - do I have to undo each of his revs (about 20). or is simple way to go back to original ...

    2. He offered no explanation for changes in discussion - I have made it clear glad to change anything if specifics are addressed - have done that consistently - can I put him on list or something so blocks ability to make future changes ?? This is second time this has happened ...

    Thanks Very Much

    John Stevens Chair IEEE 1902.1 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.142.130.24 (talk)

    I can't find which article you're talking about. KTC 13:59, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    (edit conflict):First, this may be a slight WP:COI, but as long as you back things up with references and discuss changes on the talk page, you should be ok. What is the exact name of the article so i can have a look? Thanks Woodym555 14:02, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I guess it's about RuBee which has been edited by Jkmstevens who is "John K Stevens", but the article history does not match the description. PrimeHunter 14:22, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wiki table in wrong place in article ... cannot move it

    Near the end of the Railway station layout article, the Railway station layout#Large stations section contains a wikitable. However, the Railway station layout#See also section is shown before the table, even though its text is physically after the table when I edit the page. I have tried to correct this without success. Could someone take a look at it please. FYI, I am using Mozilla Firefox version 2.0.0.6, which has given me no problems on other Wiki pages. Thanks. Truthanado 14:46, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I believe I've repaired it. This is not my area, but the problem seemed to be in the table's closure. It was |-}. Changing it to |} seems to have worked. Why? I have no idea. :) --Moonriddengirl 15:11, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Many Thanks! That was driving me nuts. Truthanado 15:14, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Images

    Do our images get indexed by Google? So if I were to look up a person on Google images, would their wikipedia portrait show? Dev920 (Have a nice day!) 15:19, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Images do get indexed, because if you search for certain terms, you'll find images from Wikipedia. As for your second question, probably not. First off, most people don't have a portrait, and there is no such thing as a "wikipedia portrait" in the same sense as a Facebook profile pic. Second, most users don't register with their real names, so would have to now their pseudonym on Wikipedia, and thirdly, my picture does not turn up despite the fact I have an account under my own name and a picture on my userpage, so I doubt it is the most reliable way to search.--Max Talk (+) 17:01, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    gamecocks

    is 92.7 the same radio station carrys the south carolina football? another question could i possible get the radio sound for games online like for tonight football game?

    This page is for questions about Wikipedia itself. Sorry, we can't help you with that one. -- Kesh 17:35, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Try Yahoo or something to answer your question this Help Desk is just alone for question about editing in wikipedia. --GoogleandYahoo 19:28, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    There's also the Reference desk here on Wikipedia. --Tkynerd 19:32, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Another Bug

    There's a bug on the main page again. When I view the main page, it says on the top that I have to log in or register but I'm already logged in.--Hundred-Man 15:44, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    The main page is protected as a preventative measure. You'd have to be an admin to edit it. –Animum 15:46, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Cant Find The Right infoBox

    Hi,

    I wrote the Fountain of Nations article and i can't find the right infobox to do it

    Can somebody help me??

    CheyenneRulz 15:51, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Articles don't have to have an infobox, but maybe you can use {{Infobox building}} and ignore parameters which don't apply to Fountain of Nations. PrimeHunter 16:33, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Picture of the Day

    Can you E-Mail the pictures of the day? If so, how —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.60.74.91 (talk) 17:05, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    As far as i know, you can't. You can add {{Pic of the day}} (version with text). Or you could use {{POTD}} which is a non-text version. More information can be found at Wikipedia:Picture of the day. Woodym555 19:01, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I think you can, but you have to do it manually. If you click on the picture, and keep doing so until all you see is the picture (no text around it) you can then right click and click save image as you then chose where to save it onto your computer. You can then email this as an attachment. Hope this helps, Tiddly-Tom 20:15, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    About the 'Dead By April' page.

    Hello, I created an article on the band Dead By April, as the band directly wanted me to do so. The article i created included a link to the main singer's myspace page, where it says he is in the band. The singer also sings for the band Nightrage, who DOES have a wikipage. This band artice is important for people who want to find out about the sideproject of this person. I have seen many band pages with very little info and about 2 sentances, with nothing else. The article i created was elaborate, had pictures, links, links to articles, and appropriate credit, dates, and info. It was equal to all other band pages unless i made a tiny mistake upon which i should have had more time to correct before "speedy deletion" took place. I looked at the codes of other band pages and nothin seemed different from the one i created, so i dont see the problem. There is a article about the band from a reliable site, which i could have also put in the references section, if i had had more time to do so. So I'm wondering what i could have done to make my page correct? because i still have the full code i can paste to re-do the page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.112.69.187 (talk) 18:14, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Did you write about copying something from someone elses page because if so then you will be up for speedy deletion because you "stole" the article even if you had the permission. Try the wikipedia Criteria for speedy deletion. If it does not pop up as a link then type it in the search bar. --GoogleandYahoo 19:23, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Since whoever nominated your article for deletion did not notify you per custom, I'm afraid I don't know what reason was tagged on the page. Pages are often deleted for not meeting requirements for notability. I see the band does not yet have an entry at All Music. Perhaps that's the case here? If you feel the band meets the notability requirements per the guideline, you need to assert that within the article so that new page reviewers can see instantly why the band needs an encyclopedia article. If the band is notable and you did assert that, it may also be that since you did not include the third party article you have there was a problem with your third party sources. Lack of sourcing is usually dealt with through different avenues, though, than speedy deletion. --Moonriddengirl 20:05, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Your article was deleted because the Admin felt the article did not assert enough Noteablitly. As I cannot see the deleted page, I cannot comment. Please contact the deleting admin here he/she should be able to help you. Thanks, Tiddly-Tom 20:12, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Error in Host

    Everytime I try to have a company send me an email it says Host Herman Dunn cannot be found. I am the Host not herman, how can I solve this problem?

    This help page is for people who are having problems editing wikipedia. You might want to try the Reference desk. Woodym555 18:55, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Bible Translation

    There is a small group of islands off the east coast of the US which have been isolated for many years. A diolect similar to english has evolved and a translation of the KJV was produced in their language. I cannot find this translation because I do not know the name of the people (sounds like "Nyuan") Can you help?

    Dennis Cuchiara email removed —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.18.89.59 (talk) 18:34, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This help page is for people who are having problems editing wikipedia. You might want to try the Reference desk. Woodym555 18:57, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See List of dialects of the English language#North America. You may be thinking of Harkers Island English. I remember seeing it featured in The Story of English. --Teratornis 19:14, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    RADIO TALK SHOW HOST AND ROMANCE NOVELIST SKYLAR STONE

    HOW DO I SUBMIT INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST AND PHILANTHROPIST ROMANCE NOVELIST, SKYLAR STONE?

    —Preceding unsigned comment added by Affairsexpert (talk • contribs) 19:00, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Before creating an article, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject. Please also review a few of our relevant policies and guidelines which all articles should comport with. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite to reliable sources which verify their content and must not contain unsourced, negative content about living people.
    Articles must also demonstrate the notability of the subject. Please see our subject specific guidelines for people, bands and musicians, companies and organizations and web content and note that if you are closely associated with the subject, our conflict of interest guideline strongly recommends against you creating the article.
    If you still think an article is appropriate, see Help:Starting a new page. You might also look at Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:How to write a great article for guidance, and please consider taking a tour through the Wikipedia:Tutorial so that you know how to properly format the article before creation. :) --Moonriddengirl 19:56, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Skin Problems

    I am having huge problems with wikipedia! This has never happened before!
    Many wikimedia sites including wikipedia and mediawiki site will not display the site skin at all. I have never have had this problem before, i checked settings and the skin is on monobook i tried flipping around, the other skins don't work as well. I went back to monobook and it still doesn't work,It isnt just my account, I was not loged in when I discoverd this. when I saw this I immediately logged in and it is still like it! Is anyone else experiencing it, is it a global error/change, if it is just me how do I fix it. there have been no recent browser changes at all and no recent downloads except for a developer zip file from yahoo! . DeSalvionjr Talk | Contribs 20:02, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This isn't a problem anymore! it is working again. but i still have the question, why was this happening? DeSalvionjr Talk | Contribs 20:02, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Ausralia, Mareeba

    Australia, MAreeba, current status population industry if any —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.217.60.185 (talk) 20:33, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi. You may wish to ask your question at the reference desk. The help desk is for specific issues with how to use Wikipedia. Good luck. :) --Moonriddengirl 20:51, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I think you are looking for This. Hope it helps! DeSalvionjr Talk | Contribs 20:55, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    For a more recent population estimate and other statistics, head to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Census Data site which has all the currently released data from the 2006 census. (The Australian Wikipedians are waiting on a particular release before updating all the articles.) Confusing Manifestation 23:37, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    WP commons distinct from WPde ?

    I'm puzzled to see that one of two images from this article I translated displays, and the other doesn't. Does Image:Hans Bethge2.gif need to be moved from WPde to the English WP, or is some kind of external link possible? And why did Image:Grabmal Hans Bethge in Kirchheim u Teck.JPG come thru without anything done on my part? Sparafucil 21:32, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Yep, the first image probably needs to be moved to English Wikipedia or Wikimedia Commons. The second one moved properly because it is at Wikimedia Commons where all pictures can be used on any language Wikipedia. --Hdt83 Chat 22:41, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    construction heading

    How do I put a heading on a page such as "under construction"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gyaos (talk • contribs) 22:03, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I use {{inuse}} Checking your listed number of edits, I'm guessing you might not have used a template before. You edit the page as normal, but put that chunk of text at the top. It will put a notice up asking people not to edit the page while you are doing so. Please note that sometimes people don't notice it and edit it anyway. It's always good to be prepared for edit conflicts. :) And please let me know if you need me to clarify further.. --Moonriddengirl 22:07, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See also Wikipedia:Template messages/Maintenance#Articles undergoing major edits. PrimeHunter 02:29, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    embedding content

    Is there an easy way to embed Wikipedia content into a web page on a website much like one would embed a YouTube video? Is there any copyright restrictions to be aware of? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.3.223.42 (talk) 22:38, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Resolved
     – See below

    Public domain

    Alfonso IX of Leon contained material verbatim from the eleventh edition of Encylopedia Britannica, which the article does state is in the public domain. Does this mean it can be copied directly or does it still need to be rephrased. (I've done a bit anyway, just for style considerations.) Clarityfiend 22:43, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    See Public domain for a description, but simply yes it can be copied verbatim. KTC 23:04, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See also Wikipedia:1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica. PrimeHunter 02:24, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How do you embed Wikipedia Content into a webpage

    Sorry I didn't put a subject before or sign my name...

    Is there a way to embed Wikipedia content into a web page on an external website much like one would embed a YouTube video? Is there any copyright restrictions to be aware of? Pointers to information related to this is appreciated. Thank you. alfitz, wheeling, wv —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.3.223.42 (talk) 22:48, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It's not possible for you to just embed any particular article no. For copyright's, see Wikipedia:Copyrights. KTC 23:06, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See WP:MIRROR, and particularly WP:MIRROR#Remote loading which describes the appropriate procedure for mirroring Wikipedia's content. --Teratornis 23:33, 1 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    September 2

    Reverting on Template:Pirates

    This is the first time I have asked a question here because I can usually figure things out on my own. The template in question is Template:Pirates. Just wanted to give the link because it is then easier to explain. An IP added a privateer to the notable pirates. I reverted it because I don't think the privateer was notable enough. The IP also added a link to the list of female pirates. All of those pirates were listed in the main list of pirates (which also included a link to the list of female pirates) so I also took that back off. Now the IP has added it again. Since I want to avoid an edit war, I was confused about what to do so I came here. Thanks! Deflagro Contribs/Talk 00:53, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This is not a concise answer, but here is where to find all the documents describing how to handle content disputes: WP:EITW#Conten. Good luck. --Teratornis 02:18, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks. I'm gonna try and talk with the IP and see why they are adding it. I dunno if they will respond or not. Thanks again! Deflagro Contribs/Talk 02:37, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    New entry?

    Hi, I want to add an entry! How do I do this? Thanks, Kate Suisman

    <email removed to prevent spam>—Preceding unsigned comment added by Ksuisman (talk • contribs) 03:32, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Before creating an article, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject. Please also review a few of our relevant policies and guidelines which all articles should comport with. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite to reliable sources which verify their content and must not contain unsourced, negative content about living people.
    Articles must also demonstrate the notability of the subject. Please see our subject specific guidelines for people, bands and musicians, companies and organizations and web content and note that if you are closely associated with the subject, our conflict of interest guideline strongly recommends against you creating the article.
    If you still think an article is appropriate, see Help:Starting a new page. You might also look at Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:How to write a great article for guidance, and please consider taking a tour through the Wikipedia:Tutorial so that you know how to properly format the article before creation.--Fuhghettaboutit 05:05, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Other name for existing article

    If a subject already has an article but the same topic would stand alone (eg acronym for an organisation that is the same as another) how should that be addressed?

    Mishahu 03:44, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi Mishahu. We do this by creating a redirect at the alternate name. That link has a lot of useful information but just as an example, say you wanted to make R.O.U.S. link to an article named Rodents of Unsual Size: you'd create the page R.O.U.S. with the text: #REDIRECT [[Rodents of Unsual Size]].--Fuhghettaboutit 05:05, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Merging

    I would like to merge two articles which have been tagged for suggested merging. However, I do not wish to upset people by merging them if the consensus is not to. But in the talk pages, there is maybe only one or two people's opinions on it. This is the same for many articles tagged for merging.

    Is there a time limit after the articles have been tagged when it would be okay to go ahead? Otherwise, how do I know if it's okay or not to go ahead with the merge? -- Matthew Edwards 04:12, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Well, it depends on how long the suggestion has been there, and if the comments support or object to the merge. Links? i said 04:14, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    For instance List of notable Chicanos and List of Mexican Americans which has been tagged since October 2006. Most of the articles listed at Category:Articles to be merged since October 2006 to be honest.-- Matthew Edwards 04:17, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    For those examples, since the discussion is way old, I would make a brief comment asking if anyone had any objections, and after maybe three or four days, if no one does, I would merge. But I'm just over cautious like that. i said 04:27, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Then that is what I shall do :) Thank you. -- Matthew Edwards 04:29, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    1973 comet

    hi my name is cheri i am looking for an article the was wrote in 1973 around may. my uncle passed away on the comet boat that sunk his name was ralf nickerson my mother once has the book with this article in it and i would like to know how i myself can get this seeing i was very close to him and it would mean alot.

    thank you cheri —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cheri1967 (talk • contribs) 04:24, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wikipedia wasn't around in 1973. Do you have any other information? -- Matthew Edwards 04:27, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Try: google:comet sank 1973. That finds Foundering of the Motor Vessel COMET Off Point Judith, Rhode Island on 19 May 1973 with Loss of Life. "Comet" is a common name for boats and ships, however, so you would have to be more specific about where this sinking occurred to narrow it down. Wikipedia has a Point Judith article, but it is only a stub at the moment. --Teratornis 10:05, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Signature

    My signature doesn't appear to be working. Why would this be? --BrianFG 06:30, 2 September 2007 (UTC)

    In "My preferences", under "User profile", you have "Raw signature" checked - this is a slightly more advanced feature, and your signature will work if you uncheck it. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 07:39, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks. BrianFG 23:06, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Problem with editing a section

    I would like to add a more complete note (a link to the article referenced) for a note (footnote) in the article about J.S. Bach, but the text shown on the main page does not show up when I press "edit this page". What should I do? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Michelle Rasmussen (talk • contribs) 08:29, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Most likely the problem is that you forgot to close a <ref ...> tag with a matching </ref>. (This is a very common mistake, and one that in my opinion the MediaWiki software should check for, instead of just blanking everything after the unmatched <ref ...> tag.) See WP:FOOT. --Teratornis 09:56, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm sorry, but you misunderstood me. When I clicked on the "Notes" there was nothing -- Then I figured out that you have to change the footnotes in the section of the text above where the reference comes. So, now I have solved my problem. Thanks for your response anyway. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Michelle Rasmussen (talk • contribs) 12:53, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    agricultural land

    definition of "net sown area" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.95.113.137 (talk) 10:17, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    try the reference desk.--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 10:20, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Try a Google Search. I found this page which says:
    • Net Area Sown: This represents the total area sown with crops and orchards. Area sown more than once in the same year is counted only once.
    • Total Cropped Area: This represents the total area sown once and/or more than once in a particular year, i.e. the area is counted as many times as there are sowings in a year. This total area is known as gross cropped area.
    When I first read your question, and before I googled, I was puzzled about what the net sown area could mean, since it seemed to me that land would either be sown or not sown. I wasn't thinking about multiple sowings per year. I wonder what terms "they" use for similar areas in aquaculture? --Teratornis 03:36, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Disambig query

    There are two persons named Michael Grant who are authors, and there is already an article titled Michael Grant (author) - what is the correct way to title an article about the other author named Michael Grant?

    Salmanazar 13:19, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Find something else that is different, maybe nationality, genre, or a middle initial. Without knowing who the other is, I cannot give more precise advice. PrimeHunter 16:09, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    The disambiguation at Michael Grant suggests there is a Michael Grant (crime writer), is that him? Kappa 16:34, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes, I decided to just add "(crime writer)" bearing in mind that both Mr Grants are devoid of middle initials. Salmanazar 19:26, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Birth date and death date

    I saw this in the biography of Gregory Peck

    birthdate = birth date|1916|4|5|mf=y

    deathdate = death date and age|2003|6|12|1916|4|5|mf=y

    What does "mf=y" mean ?

    Tovojolo 13:20, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You may know that users can set their preferences to display (linked) dates using particular formats such as day, month, year versus month, day, year. In these templates the default was month, day, year so they came up with "df=y", which apparently stands for "day first=yes" and use that for articles where the subject is from a region that uses that date formatting. Since "month first=yes" ("mf-y") apparently results in the default, I'm not clear why it's needed at all, but the result is that it displays month, day, year.--Fuhghettaboutit 13:40, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Word

    how to find the meanings of any word..? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.167.248.111 (talk) 14:45, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Please start a new question to have it answered in the future. Wikipedia is NOT a dictionary. For definitions of words please use Wikipedia's sister project, Wikitionary. Thank you, Perfect Proposal Speak out loud! 14:47, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    In addition to Wiktionary, you can try Google Search for word definitions. For example: google:define:numinous, google:define:irredentism, google:define:zymurgy, google:define:fatuous, google:define:ineluctable. --Teratornis 18:26, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    GKMilner

    GRAHAM MILNER (GKMilner) b. 3/12/1952 Lancashire, England. Arrived in Perth, Western Australia 1967. Socialist activist and writer.

    Began revolutionary activities in final year of high school in Perth, Western Australia. Published underground journal 'Sacred Cow' and distributed in school.

    Continued to publish underground magazine 'Revolt!' in 1971, and distribute in high schools in Perth. Arrested in Perth for protesting against South African rugby team during tour of 1971. Jailed for one month in late 1971 for throwing a shit bomb in St George's Cathedral in Perth.

    In 1972 experimented with hallucinogenic drugs and attracted to counter culture for a while. Magazine co-edited 'King Mob'.

    1973 travelled to Melbourne and Sydney. Joined the Young Socialists (youth organisation of the Socialist Labour League) in Sydney. Met Jim Percy at a Socialist Youth Alliance national conference and waspersuaded to join SYA (youth organisation of the Socialist Workers League - supporters of the United Secretariat of the Fourth International).

    Returned to Perth WA in early 1974, where there was no branch of the SWL/SYA. Having not resolved the political issues involved in the dispute within the world Trotskyist movement I remained unaffiliated after I resigned from the SWL and SYA. I edited and published a journal, 'The Socialist Bulletin' in late 1974, which declared its solidarity with the United Secretariat of the Fourth International.

    I was active in a SYA club at the University of Western Australia alongside the current National Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Perspective, Peter Boyle, and two other comrades. However, there was no branch of SYA or the SWL in Perth and I chose to concentrate on study.

    In 1977 I attended an SYA Conference in Melbourne with Anthea Parker. When the Socialist Workers Party (as it had become called) decided to establish a branch in Perth I joined the party after returning from a year overseas and was active in the branch for nearly two years. For most of that time I sat on the branch executive and held the portfolios of education director, 'Direct Action' sales director, and 'DA' copy director. I also organised two subscription drives for the weekly paper (DA). I worked in industry in 1980, in a tractor factory and a foundry.

    Towards the end of 1980 I transferred to Sydney branch and worked briefly as a journalist on 'Direct Action'. I suffered a breakdown in my health and spent time in hospital, and returned to Perth at the end of 1980. I hoped to be able to return to active involvement in the struggle and returned to Sydney in early 1981. I felt obliged to resign membership of the party but continued to write articles for 'Direct Action'.

    In 1982 I returned to Perth and decided, when my efforts to rejoin the SWP (DSP) proved fruitless, to prepare to go back to university and finish my Honours year. My health was pretty unpredictable, but I finished my Honours over three years with a dissertation on Lenin's 'The State and Revolution'. I won a University scholarship to work on a Master's degree in History, and chose for my topic 'Trotsky's Analysis of Stalinism'. I completed the thesis in 1993 and received a pass.

    In 2003, during the mass mobilisations against the invasion of Iraq, I saw the opportunity of rejoining the revolutionary movement, in the form of the Socialist Alliance, which was organised to regroup the far left at the beginning of the new millennium. I was accepted as a member and continue to be active in the Alliance.

    - September 2, 2007 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Graham MIlner (talk • contribs) 16:01, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    That's nice. Do you have a question for the help desk? --Fredrick day 16:51, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    See Wikipedia:Autobiography. Also see WikiBios, where anyone may write an autobiography, without the bother of Wikipedia's notability requirements. --Teratornis 03:18, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Unlocking attachments

    I have important document's that I have been trying to unlock, however i'm having no luck. I have tried everything possible and just don't know what else to do. Please Help!!!!!!!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.233.128.154 (talk) 19:04, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    If you mean documents on your own computer, then you need to ask on our reference desk. The Help desk is for questions about Wikipedia itself.
    Now, if you're asking about unlocking pages on Wikipedia, then your best bet is to first ask on the article's Talk page. If you post there about the changes you want to make, someone should be able to add it in for you, provided it's relevant to the article and properly cited. -- 68.156.149.62 19:46, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How do I place the "biassed article" warning label on a page?

    I think the entry for Sir Arthur Bryant should have the same warning label that appears above the entry for Douglas MacArthur.

    Philiphurst 19:34, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    That particular template is {{NPOV}}. In case you aren't familiar with templates, you go in to edit the article as you would any other article. You place that text at the top along with any other templates. It will automatically expand into the warning. --Moonriddengirl 19:42, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    But just putting the template on the page won't do the job. You then must go to the article's Talk page and explain why you feel it's biased. If you don't somebody will come along and remove the tag without actually changing anything. Corvus cornix 17:11, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    citation question

    I have a question on which of two formats is preferred. I asked at WT:FOOT and nobody seemed to know. Please only answer if you know which format is correct. Both are in use in different places.

    • Version 1: Blah blah (blah blah blah.1) blah blah.
    • Version 2: Blah blah (blah blah blah.)2 blah blah.

    I know they go after the sentence punctuation, but should it go inside or outside the parentheses? Does it matter? --JayHenry 19:44, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I've not been able to find a hard-and-fast rule on this. My personal feeling is that if the footnote/citation only applies to the content inside the parenthesis, then it goes inside the parenthesis. If it applies to the entire sentence, then it should go outside the parenthesis.
    That said, I'd have to actually pull out a style handbook to see what they say, but even those are likely going to contradict each other. - 68.156.149.62 19:54, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    If you happen to have one, Wikipedia follows the Chicago Manual of Style on notes. I don't have a CMS. I do have Turabian, but can't put my hands on it at the moment. I believe you're correct, but somewhere in the manual it will probably say. --Moonriddengirl 20:01, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    In that case, we have an answer!. The footnote goes after the closing parenthesis... most of the time. D'oh. -- 68.156.149.62 21:44, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I've always gone by what looks better.  :-) --Max Talk (+) 00:05, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Flagging for style

    I've forgotten the template to flag something for having unwikilike style. Could someone please flag Bioregionalism for me? Capitalization, style, etc., is all off, and I'm afraid I don't have time to go through and do the editing myself. Cheers, samwaltz 20:10, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    done. The template is {{wikify}}, btw. Cheers. --דניאל - Dantheman531 20:29, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    WP:BLP interpretation requested

    Interpretation requested:

    • WP:BLP talks about "unsourced or poorly sourced contentious material" and some of the templates refer to questionable material which is unsourced or poorly sourced. How do you assess what is "contentious" or "questionable". For example, I came across an article on Clifford Olson, a serial killer. Everyone knows he brutally killed a number of people: this is neither "contentious" nor "questionable" material. But when dealing with a BLP, should not such statements still be credibly sourced?
    • The most innocuous example I found in this page was the statement that Olson killed 11 people. This statement is unsourced so the correct number could be fifteen or five, for all I know. In my opinion this material should be removed until it is sourced, but because WP:BLP uses words like contentious, the intent of the policy becomes unclear: i.e. it is not contentious that Olson is a murderer, and most people would readily agree with the statements that he was "rumoured to torture and kill animals" or that he was "known as a bully and a show-off", but all of these statements are unsourced.
    • I picked this example because I believe all Wikipedia BLP pages should maintain the same Wikipedia standard, even when they are written about the worst "scumbags" on earth.
    • Advice on how I should interpret this bit of WP:BLP would be appreciated. Thanks. --- Taroaldo 20:49, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
      • I 100% agree this is a major problem. However bad someone is, we must not say anything derogatory about them without demanding solidly reliable sources. I'll look at the page and report back. AndyJones 20:54, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
        • Much of the article seems referenced by "external links"--needs clarification, to be sure. --Moonriddengirl 21:08, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
          • Reporting back. I've looked through the history and this page has never had a reliable source. Someone may have seen your question as they added a {refimprove} tag to the article. That is not good enough. I have removed it and put a {db} tag. Whatever this guy may or may not have done, wikipedia accusing him very publicly of very serious crimes with inadequate sourcing is not acceptable. The article must be removed until it can be restored with adequate sourcing. AndyJones 21:13, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Is CTV Television Network not a reliable source? That was the one inline citation I found when I tagged it refimprove and began looking for more verification. --Moonriddengirl 21:34, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
          • Wikipedia is only supposed to contain information that is verifiable. There have been famous Wikipedia hoaxes, such as one in which an innocent man was stated to be suspected of involvement in the John F. Kennedy assassination. Therefore, even if someone remembers sitting through the trial, or reading about it in the newspaper, an article that says someone was a mass murderer, serial killer, rapist, drug addict, wife beater, syphilitic, pedophile, adulterer, prostitute, criminal, gang member, suspicious character, or professionally incompetent MUST be sourced to WP:RS reliable sources. Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons is an official policy of Wikipedia and bears reading. An article with defamatory material about a living person (and some would say also a recently deceased person) which lacks reliable sources, may be stubbed down to just basic verifiable facts, unless and until someone takes the time to find references to prove the allegations. This article presently has an external link to a website operated by Court TV, an operation of Time-Warner, with a signed article outlining the murders. That is not a bad source. It has two Canadian TV sites as other sources. It does not read like an attack page directed at an innocent person, or like a hoax. It could be improved by inline citations to shown which allegations are sourced to which reference. I would go with improvement rather than deletion at this point. It should not take too much editorial time to match up many of the statements with the appropriate sources and add the needed inline citations. If anything, it should be stubbed rather than deleted. Edison 21:19, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
            • It seems reliable sources have been added in the last few minutes. I think the article has been saved. However WP:BLP should always be applied mercilessly. AndyJones 21:25, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
              • This is the wrong place for BLP concerns. Suspected BLP violations are best taken to the Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons/Noticeboard as well as the talk page for the article itself. The article really needs the Court TV material brought in via inline citations. Then any allegation of wrongdoing that is not backed up by any of the present the 3 reliable references should be deleted if a serious allegation of wrongdoing or at least tagged with {{fact}} if a less contentious statement, so that someone might check Newsbank, Proquest, or newspaper backissues on microfilm (the imprisonment occurred before the era of most newspapers having electronic archives) to see if the claim can be documented. Exculpatory information, if any, from reliable sources should also be added. The same standards apply to someone one might think was railroaded or someone one thinks is satan's own disciple. It is also better as a matter of NPOV and style to say someone was a "convicted" or "admitted" murderer rather than flatly stating he was a murderer, since there are literally hundreds of well documented cases of "murderers" who were later shown to be falsely convicted. Wikipedia is not a tabloid with lurid headlines about "fiends." Edison 21:37, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
                  • I think it is the right place to ask a general question about an interpretation. The Olson article was used as an example. There has been no dispute with another editor which would require posting on the Noticeboard. Also, I do not believe that CourtTV is a solid source. I have seen a few of their crime articles, and many of them read like articles from tabloid rags. Can you write salacious statements about someone in a WP:BLP as long as you cite a media source which contained the same salacious statement? I think media sources, for one, need to be used judiciously. --- Taroaldo 22:03, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    • I'm very uncomfortable with the CourtTV information. It's shockingly lurid. I have neutralized the tone of the "murders" section sourced by it and am considering clipping the "early life" section out, as CourtTV is the only source for much of that. --Moonriddengirl 22:11, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I really don't think the Help Desk is the place for this discussion. If it needs continued, please do so on the Village pump policy page. -- 68.156.149.62 23:32, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    September 3

    Why is my IP address blocked?

    I was trying to access the help desk when it was said that my ip address was blocked as it was believed that i was using a zombie computer. Also, i was banned from editing pages. To what i know, i haven't edit any pages in wikipedia, so why am i banned and also, why do i keep on receiving messages saying that i have been posting nonsense on wikipedia? One example given is the odex page. I had not visit that page before till just now, so how could i possibly have edited and posted nonsense on that page? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.120.68.69 (talk) 01:33, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Your IP address is shared by multiple users, and one or more of them were vandalizing. You can avoid receiving these messages by creating an account.--Max Talk (+) 01:36, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Replacing fictional bio with more important actual person's bio

    The page on Peter Reilly is currently about a fictional character from a television show. I feel that the main article related to this name should be on the real-life Peter Reilly who was falsely arrested for the murder of his mother after police extracted a false confession from him after 16 hours in custody.

    I have more information on the actual case regarding the false imprisonment of the real life Peter Reilly. I feel that the main article for this name should be on the real person, not the fake. How would I set that up? Coolgamer 01:37, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Other than a single news event, what is the real-life Peter Reilly known for? WikiNews is for news events (and people who are notable for a single news event). -- Kainaw(what?) 01:44, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    This is more then notable enough to be worth a bio on Wikipedia. The case made national news and played a part in changing how confessions were allowed in court cases in the future. 86,600 Google hits, and books regarding the landmark trial and re-trial were made. A documentary was made about his case, as seen at http://www.truthinjustice.org/peter-reilly.htm . Coolgamer 01:47, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    ec - If the case itself is notable, make a page about the case. Our guidlines on Biographies of Living Persons are very important, and someone only known for a single event in their lives is often not going to satisfy that policy. A neutral article on the case itself may be worthwhile, however. Focus on the article about the case, not the person. -- 68.156.149.62 02:00, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Be sure that the information is reliably sourced. The sources must prove either that he was improperly arrested, or that there is a movement to release him because of the belief that he was improperly arrested. Wikipedia can't say "he was improperly arrested". Blogs, campaigns to free him, personal opinion won't work. Corvus cornix 17:14, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I have sources. This was not just one news event, this was a series of major news events that added together warrant a proper bio. All I need to know is how to create the page without deleting the article on the fictional character. Coolgamer 17:25, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I need help in creating a new account

    69.137.95.35 01:58, 3 September 2007 (UTC)It keeps telling me it does not recognize my user name. eileenhargis and password redacted. Please help me get on this site. email redacted[reply]

    Considering anyone who can view this page (and its history) now knows the password to that account, I suggest you create a new one. -- 68.156.149.62 02:00, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    From the look of things you were trying to sign into an account that you never actually created. User:Eileenhargis has never been registered. Were you trying to enter your name and password into this page? That page is only for logging into existing accounts. To create an account, you need to go to this page and follow the instructions. And yes, 68.156.149.62 is right, please don't use the password you told us. It is an extremely bad idea to let anyone else know your password. Raven4x4x 04:35, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Removing Speedy Deletion Templates

    Are admins really the only ones that can do this? I removed one (from a page I didn't create, mind you) because the article didn't meet speedy deletion criteria (my edit told the other editor to submit to AfD) and was warned for it, being told only admin can remove speedy deletion criteria?

    In addition, the warning told me that "as the originator of the article" I could not remove an SD template. I didn't originate the article. Or even care about it. I just noticed it didn't meet SD criteria.

    So...it's really a two parter...can only admin remove Speedy Deletion templates...even if the article doesn't meet SD criteria? And...can I remove a faulty warning from my page? Smashville 05:01, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Anybody but the creator can remove Speedy tags if they have a legit reason.--Max Talk (+) 05:28, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    yes, you can. Tell the person that told you that that it only applies to the creator of the article, and that if they want it gone that badly WP:AFD is still there --lucid 05:35, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    The above are correct. Anyone but the creator can remove CSD tags from an article, provided they are not CSD. As for your second question, you can remove anything you wish from your talk page. i said 05:39, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Article sections for biographies

    Okay, I'm looking but not finding...

    Here's the issue: The Joe Nathan article includes a couple pieces of personal information (seen here). It's been worked into the sections of the article where chronologically appropriate.

    Here's my question: The sections, as you will note are all titled "career" in some form or another. It's been my experience that biographies include "Personal life" sections or the like. Is this in a guide somewhere or is it just sort of a standard? Does it not really matter? I like the way it's been worked into the article. It reads very well, but I don't like that it clashes with the section titles.

    Anyway, this is part of a GA review, so I welcome the opinions and help of others. I've looked over the relevant guides, but I can't find anything. Regards, LARA♥LOVE 05:01, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Anarchism

    How the heck did this article get deleted? Murderbike 06:52, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It's coming back, not permanently gone. Some moronic vandal went and made a heap of mess (he didn't delete the article, though) and so deleting the article (which can be restored fully, with the whole edit history and talk page) was the only option. Sebi [talk] 06:56, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Webpage is not displayed properly after login.

    Hi,

    I have an account with Wikipedia. I am facing a problem when I log on to Wikipedia site. After logging on the website, the page is not displayed properly. I think this is a problem with the "Skin". I was playing with changing the GUI display from SKIN,and after that I was getting this error.

    After logging to the Wikimedia page, the website has white background and link in left size. The fonts on the page (for link as well as for other contents) is quite big.

    However, I am able to see the proper Wikipedia GUI if I log out. So, it seems that there must be certain settings (skin, color or font settings) associated with my account.

    Can you please restore this settings to default.

    Regards, Ashish Patel Login Name: zoom2ashish Mail: (removed to prevent spam) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zoom2ashish (talk • contribs) 07:12, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    We cannot change your skin without your password (and don't give that to anybody). Go to Special:Preferences. Click "Skin", then "MonoBook (default)" and "Save". PrimeHunter 11:23, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How to make a userpage

    how do i make a userpage? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Iamjohnnie8 (talk • contribs) 07:41, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Click on your username and add what you want to the blank space, you should also look at WP:USERPAGE--$UIT 07:51, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    ghargaon and pathwada

    i cant find out my village named ghargaon and pathwada. Please tell how can i find it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bishtjayvir (talk • contribs) 08:00, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    The articles don't exist. You could create them if you want--$UIT 08:20, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Suppressing summary

    Hi, how do I suppress the content summary in a page? I read somewhere that I can do it, but can't find out how... thanks -- Outspan [talk · contribs] 10:36, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm not quite sure what you're referring to; what part of a page is it that you don't want to see? --ais523 10:45, 3 September 2007 (UTC)
    You need to put __NOTOC__ in the top of the page. See WP:TOC for more info. Kevin 10:46, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Renegade Consulting

    Hello Wikipedia

    I have recently opend an account so I can put information re my company, Renegade Consulting Pty Ltd (Australian based). To start with I have tried to edit the 'Renegade' page but it keeps getting removed. I assume this is because I am doing something wrong, can you help me please.

    Thanks,

    James Hutchins Renegade Consulting

    Renegade consulting 10:38, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Creating an article with info on the company you own/working at is regarded as violation of neutral point of view (see WP:NPOV). If your company is notable, someone will create the article for you sooner or later. Remember Wikipedia is NOT an advertising space. -- Outspan [talk · contribs] 10:42, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    It is also a conflict of interest. :-) Stwalkerster talk 10:45, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Responded at length on user's talk page. --Dweller 10:47, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Does he get the orange "new message" thingy even if he's not a registered user? hmm -- Outspan [talk · contribs] 10:52, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Unfortunately, the answer to that is 'sometimes'. See bug 9213 for information about the new-messages-to-anons bug. (The answer ought to be 'yes', but something's wrong with the code and the bar doesn't always come up.) --ais523 11:11, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

    Creating an article that has the same name as one that already exists

    I'm wanting to create a Biographical article about the British Jazz Pianist Matthew Bourne. Unforchunatly there exists an article on a British ballet and dance choreographer of the same name (Matthew_Bourne). How do I go about creating a seperate article for the Pianist? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mattroberts66 (talk • contribs) 13:24, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You create the new article under a name like Matthew Bourne (pianist), then place an {{otheruses4}} template at the top of each of the two conflicting articles, so that people who find the wrong one can navigate to the right one (see Template talk:Otheruses4 for instructions). --ais523 13:29, 3 September 2007 (UTC)
    See also: Wikipedia:Disambiguation. --Teratornis 15:06, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Status Bot Help?

    Can someone help me on my userpage please? I'm having a bit of trouble adding statusbot to my userpage.

    Thanks, Perfect Proposal Speak out loud! 14:43, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wait 5 minutes, and then check again; StatusBot doesn't have a perfect reaction time, and it takes it some time to react to a user signing up. (By the way, you had two status indicators on your userpage; I've removed one of them for you.) --ais523 14:49, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

    LogMeIn, Inc

    My company, LogMeIn, Inc. used to have a presence on Wikipedia. A search last week, however showed that the page no longer exists.

    We can, of course, recreate a page, but we would like to know why the original entry was deleted. Is it possible to find out who deleted the original entry. There is little point in doing something only for it to disappear again.

    Thanks in advance. —Preceding unsigned comment added by LogMeInAndy (talk • contribs) 14:53, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Just click on a link to the page (here's one: LogMeIn), and you'll get information showing you which administrator deleted it and why. It seems there was a deletion discussion about the article (Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/LogMeIn), and then it was recreated and deleted after that. If you disagree with the deletion, or think you have new evidence, see Wikipedia:Deletion review to request a review of the deletion. --ais523 14:57, 3 September 2007 (UTC)
    See also: Wikipedia:Why was my page deleted? --Teratornis 15:04, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Development of three germinal layers

    development of three germinal layers —Preceding unsigned comment added by 221.135.238.95 (talk) 15:20, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Do you have a question? PrimeHunter 16:13, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    It sounds like you're trying to research something - if this is the case, you'd be much better off asking a clearer question at the Reference Desk, which specializes in research. We're mainly here to help you use Wikipedia. Sorry. Hersfold (t/a/c) 17:07, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    renaming account

    I used to be Francesca Allan of MindFreedomBC. However, there is currently no MindFreedomBC. Therefore, I'd like to change my account name to Francesca Allan. I can't remember my password -- do you have a prompt question? Mother's maiden name, etc.? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.69.67.136 (talk) 15:50, 3 September 2007 (UTC) 24.69.67.136 15:51, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm guessing you mean User:Francesca Allan of MindFreedomBC. If you don't know your password, Wikipedia should provide you with a mechanism to recover your password (using your email account registered with it). If that isn't possible (say you forgot the password to your email), you're kind of stuck. In this situation, you may as well just register User:MindFreedomBC. If you can regain control of your account, then see WP:CHU and follow instructions there to request a name change. x42bn6 Talk Mess 16:12, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I've sent a password reminder to the email you originally used when signing up for that account (for security reasons, we can't send a new password anywhere else); if you receive it, you should be able to log in and will then be able to request a username change at WP:CHU. Hope that helps! --ais523 16:37, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

    Q-zar

    I did a search on Q-zar, and your web site was second in line. I am the sole owner of Q-zar Systems. JR Robles. The history section claims that JR Robles, and Tim Foster purchased Q-zar equipment from John Jarvis. I Purchased the equipment from Mr. Jarvis soley. Tim Foster was merely contract labor for my company. (Q-zar Systems) I'm the sole owner of the DBA, bank accounts, leases ect... I purchased over one thousand vest with network units, and charging systems, score boards, and timers from Mr. Jarvis. The information published on your site claims we only purchased 180 vest. Please make these changes to acurately reflect Q-zar Systems.

    I can be reached (contact details removed to protect you from spammers) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.200.224.218 (talk) 16:38, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'd suggest posting your concerns on the article's talk page, where you're more likely to attract the attention of someone active with the editing of that page. Thank you for not making these edits yourself, as being the owner you would have a conflict of interest which we work to avoid, however we do greatly appreciate your help in pointing out mistakes such as these. If you can provide some easily verifiable source for this information, I'm sure someone would be happy to correct the information. Thanks! Hersfold (t/a/c) 17:06, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Free use the any powerfull telescope for euducation.

    Hello wikipedia support team, I beg to drow your kind attantion that i want to free use the any powerfull telescope for my won exprience or euducation. I am indian so pleace hallp me. My E-mail-<email removed for privacy>

    Thank you —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sukdevadhikary (talk • contribs) 16:58, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm sorry, but I don't think you're at the right place. Wikipedia doesn't own any powerful telescopes, and certainly none in India. I've removed your email address so you don't get spam, but I'm afraid that's really all we can do to help. If you had a specific telescope in mind, I would suggest contacting the owners of said telescope and checking with them. Hersfold (t/a/c) 17:02, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    • However, if you mean you want permission to use an encyclopedia article on Wikipedia for educational purposes, please do. You may copy, modify & redistribute all Wikipedia content as long as you grant "the same freedoms to others" and acknowledge the authors of the article used. See Wikipedia:Copyrights for more about this policy and how to satisfy its requirements. --Moonriddengirl 17:09, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Try: google:online telescope; several of the search results look interesting. Also see: National Virtual Observatory#Public Access. Bear in mind that astronomy these days is mostly astrophysics and data analysis rather than just peering through telescopes. If you want to be an astronomer, you should study all the mathematics that you can. --Teratornis 16:43, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Information box

    There is an information box 'STUCKISM' at the bottom of the page Stuckism. I want to add to it, but when I click edit, you can't see it. How can I edit it? Kipof 17:36, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It's at Template:Stuckism. KTC 17:40, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Thanks. Got it. Kipof 17:51, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I think someone is hacking into my account.

    I have noticed VO pages I've never heard of on my watchlist. I think someone is hacking into my account. What should I do? Henchman 2000 17:43, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Check the move log for the pages you've never heard of. It's quite possible that someone decided to engage in some page-move vandalism, in which case both the original page and the page it was vandalise-moved to will end up on your watchlist. (If they were page-move vandalism targets, you can safely just remove them from your watchlist.) --ais523 17:47, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

    Reading Old Deleted Articles

    Is there any way to access an archive of deleted articles? I'm guessing the answer is probably no. 68.54.42.126 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.54.42.126 (talk) 18:10, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This is something that in most cases only admins can do. But if you had your article deleted and for some reason it is believed that in the future the article could be included in Wikipedia, the admin who decided to delete the article will usually create a copy of that page on your userspace for you to store and improve until all requisites (e.g. notability req. for people) are satisfied. -- Outspan [talk · contribs] 18:32, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Oh, it's not my article, it's just something from last year a class apparently made mocking a teacher titled the "Doc Roc Theorem" or something along those lines. In any event, are you saying I could ask a mod for that deleted article and just keep it for myself without posting it?68.54.42.126 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.54.42.126 (talk) 19:29, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I don't really know, it's possible, especially if you know what the exact title was, although admins are AFAIK usually very busy and may not have time for something that's not meant to improve Wikipedia ;). -- Outspan [talk · contribs] 19:58, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Editing to a page not having an 'Edit' tab

    How can we add the name of our business, Moses Carbon Graphite, for inclusion in this page on 'guitars', specifically to be included as a major producer of C/F composite necks?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar

    Steve Mosher President Moses Carbon Graphite —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.215.183.238 (talk) 18:11, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Please see Wikipedia is not an advertising space and conflict of interest before you edit any article. Thanks. KTC 18:20, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Cities on Wikipedia

    This is more of a curiosity: does Wikipedia aim to cover EVERY SINGLE town / city / municipality in the world and to have an article for each and every single one of them? -- Outspan [talk · contribs] 18:27, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    No. Only notable towns should be included, but it is difficult to remove non-notable towns. For example, there is absolutely nothing notable about Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, but there is an article about it - complete with history. -- Kainaw(what?) 19:28, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    At least it has 60,000 people in it... it's very common to find much much smaller cities like Pancalieri, Pavarolo, Quagliuzzo, Claviere etc., and I also found many others with ~500 inhabitants that state no notability at all... is there a notability guideline for cities? I couldn't find it... thanks -- Outspan [talk · contribs] 20:08, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    As far as I know, there has not been any adopted notability guideline for cities/towns. It is my opinion that there should be. However, it would certainly result is the deletion of numerous articles. Then, it would carry over to the notability of roads, parks, buildings... So, I can understand why there has been no push for notability yet. -- Kainaw(what?) 20:12, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    According to Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Common outcomes, there is a consensus that "every city and village is notable, regardless of size." You msut still have two reliable sources, of course. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Arch dude (talk • contribs) 06:57, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Why wouldn't we want to create an article on every town and village in the world? Kainaw's response is personal opinion (as is mine). I think we should have an article on every single one of them, so long as they're sourced. Corvus cornix 17:20, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    pronouncing non english words

    It would be great to set as a standard any time that a word is used, a pronunciation next to it in order to help the reader. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 159.121.130.84 (talk) 18:33, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Why (hwī) would (wood) we (wee) want (wŏnt) that (thāt) ? -- Kainaw(what?) (kānô)(hwŏt) 19:32, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    *pokes Kainaw* We do offer pronunciations for the subjects of many articles - see, for example, Mahatma Ghandi, which offers the pronunciation of Ghandi's name in the IPA. For more information, you may want to check Wikipedia:Manual of Style (pronunciation). Hersfold (t/a/c) 20:39, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes, but the OP said "any time that a word is used" - not "any time that a new, possibly difficult to pronounce word, or the subject of an article is used". -- kainaw™ 20:45, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Good point. Ok, poke revoked, you're forgiven. :-D Hersfold (t/a/c) 00:07, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How to create a wiki page with Tabs

    Hi , How do I create a wiki page with tabs. e.g. the tabs on all pages like project, decsription, history etc. . Thanks Obelixwiki 18:52, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This is for questions about using wikipedia, but I have a wiki on Editthis.info you just select a name and press create. Cheers,JetLover (Report a mistake) 18:53, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but you might be looking for Help:Starting a new page. If not, please come back and let us know. Hersfold (t/a/c) 20:35, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Do you mean like the tabs on Wikipedia:Tutorial (Editing)? --Teratornis 02:19, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Searching

    Dear Wikis , how can I find the origin of the phrase "out of true" without ending up on the page for a , for chrissake , Nightingales album ? I'm thinking it's term from carpentry , levels , that sort of thing. Thanks . —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.53.67.101 (talk) 20:27, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Please add a new header when asking another question. Thanks.
    You could try looking at the article for "true" on Wiktionary, the Woodworking glossary here, or asking at the Reference Desk. Thanks. Hersfold (t/a/c) 20:35, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wikilink in Spanish language article

    Could someone please take a look at the recent edits on the Spanish language article. I reverted an edit because it added a red wikilink to an article that had been deleted earlier as a transwiki. My revert edit has, itself now been reverted so that the red link is back. Before I get into an edit war (which I really want to avoid), I would appreciate some comments on what the appropriate action should be. I have not started a discussion with the person who made these edits because both their user and talk pages do not exist. Thanks. Truthanado 20:57, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Red links exist in many articles. Because the links are usually about something people would like to know, the red link shows that it doesn't yet exist and that it should be created. If the red link is removed, the article it linked to might never be created and could cause confusion to people who don't know what it is. ::Manors:: 23:10, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Battle of Los Angeles

    The Battle of Los Angeles refers to an unidentified flying object event which took place from late February 24 to early February 25, 1942 in which eyewitness reports of an unknown object or objects over Los Angeles, California triggered a massive anti-aircraft artillery barrage.

    My Dad was an eye witness to this event and would like to add some details from his own observations to the article Battle of Los Angeles. Would this conform to the edit guidelines? 208.176.157.168 21:02, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm afraid not, we do not accept original research. Material must be verifiable and referenced to reliable sources without further analysis. KTC 21:23, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Absolutely not (but thank you for asking first). See our policy against original research, which includes eyewitness and other unpublished accounts. (Sorry, but we have no way of distinguishing between what is true and what is made up - or simply mistaken - unless we restrict the content of Wikipedia to information from reliable sources.) -- John Broughton (♫♫) 21:24, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This

    can someone fix the redirect? it was redirected instead of moved.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Shushi_Pogroms&action=history

    thank you --Hu1lee 21:06, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    What would like moved, and to where? i said 21:14, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes, please clarify. Shushi Pogroms now is a redirect to Shushi Massacres, which looks correct to me. The older version of Shusi Pogroms seemed to be a shorter, less-developed version of the Shushi Massacres article. If there was any content or text in the Shusi Pogroms article that is NOT in the Shushi Massacres article, that content should be moved, by hand (cut-and-paste), with attribution (put "Adding content from the Shushi Pogroms article, now a redirect, that isn't in this article" in the edit summary box). -- John Broughton (♫♫) 21:21, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Andranikpasha made a cut-and-paste move from this version of "Shushi Pogroms" to this version of Shushi Massacres, and then redirected Shushi Pogroms to Shushi Massacres. This should not have been done. You can request help at Wikipedia:Cut and paste move repair holding pen. By the way, "Shushi Pogroms" has a single (selfpublished) Google hit [11] outside Wikipedia, and "Shushi Massacres" only has 4 [12] (at least 3 of them selfpublished), so none of the names look good. Is this known in English with another name? PrimeHunter 22:08, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    yes it is also spelled shushi, shousha, sushi and has many other variations, in french, Armenian, and Azeri mostly popular in Armenian or Azeri script. --Hu1lee 22:47, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Losing login

    I just logged in and came to this page to post a question. It already says I'm not logged in althopuight the previous log in page said I was. I'm new to "trying" to be a contributor. After I log in and attempt to navigate the site to contribute I get a message that says I'm not logged in. After re-logging in and receiving a message that again I'm logged in, again it tells me I'm not logged in when I navigate and another page. This is becoming redundant and I never get to the page allowing me to contribute. Seems simplier to just be announymous. John —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.142.130.45 (talk) 21:25, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This is a common problem with satellite internet. Using the secure site will solve your problems, although it's a little slower.--Werdan7T @ 22:03, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Use of Image in article A. Baldwin Wood

    This document has a photo of A. Baldwin Wood. Is there any problem with using the photo in the article? Raasgat 21:35, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Yes the copyright appears to be held by the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans who are not a federal agency so the image is unlikely to be PD or under a free licsense.Geni 21:41, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I don't remember my Username and I would like to recover it - can it be sent to my email?

    I don't remember my Username and I would like to recover it - can it be sent to my email? I don't see any alternative except to guess my username until I get a new password sent to my email address - but that would accidentally reset other peoples passwords...

    Is there a web form for entering my email addresses so that my username can be sent to me? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.41.46.178 (talk) 22:17, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Did you edit articles with the old username, and can you remember which articles. if so you could check the article history and try and find your username. Just a suggestion Woodym555 22:30, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Good thought - thanks but I made s few edits without logging in - today I corrected a typo also without logging in. Seems like "every website" lets registered users recover an account by supplying their email address so that users won't create multiple accounts unnecessarily. I figured there must be a wikipedia webform for doing it. Maybe this is a future feature? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.41.46.178 (talk) 22:59, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Why not pick a new Username? Since you can't remember the old one, it must not have been memorable, so go for a new one that means something to you. Then all you'll have to worry about in the future is your password (which WP does have a process for emailing that to you).
    Jim Dunning | talk 00:24, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Help with adding a photo to an article.

    I enjoy photographing buildings and I would like to add some of my photographs to articles that don't have photos.

    My question is, what information do I put in the "file destination" block that appears on the upload images form?

    Also, once I upload the photo, how does it get into the article?

    Thanks in advance. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GTV6 (talk • contribs) 23:16, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Destination file name is what you want the image to be called. After uploading the image, you put
    [[Image:(Image name goes here)|px (pixel size)|(right, left or center)|(You can add a summary here)]] On the page that needs an image.
    Sorry if it looked confusing.--$UIT 23:20, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    You may also want to check Uploading images and Using images out for some additional information.
    Jim Dunning | talk 23:56, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I uploaded the photo. Here is a link to the uploaded photo page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Luhr_i.JPG
    My question is, how do I get the photo into the article? I read your response to my question and I read the Uploading Photo Page, but afraid I still don’t understand how to do it. Would you please provide step-by-step instructions? Forgive my ignorance, but I am totally new at posting on the Internet. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GTV6 (talk • contribs) 00:02, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See Help:Contents/Images and media for more information on inserting images into articles, specifically Wikipedia:Picture tutorial and Wikipedia:Extended image syntax. --Silver Edge 00:12, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    No problem -- we've all been there (and will be again). Go to the article and click on the edit this page link. Find the location in the text where you want the picture and enter:
    [[Image:Luhr i.JPG|thumb|right|Picture of Luhr's Towers or whatever]]
    The "right" indicates alignment on the page, so you can do left if you wish. The description is the caption. Hope this helps. (I noticed you need to add copyright info to the image)
    Jim Dunning | talk 00:15, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]


    When I "upload" an image, how do I find its location after its uploaded? (The only reason I know its location right now is because I book-marked the webpage.)
    How do I know what the image name is? You said it's "Luhr i.JPG". How did you know that? Is the image name coming from my harddrive or from the location on the Wikipedia server?
    In response to your suggestion, I want to fix the copywrite issue before I try to add the photo to the article. So, where do I add the copywrite info? I read the Wikipedia copywrite info page, but I don't understand how to edit (or find) and already-uploaded image.
    Thank you for your help.
    Image Location: When you upload an image you choose its name (when you complete the "image destination" information). I knew your image's name because you provided a link to where it had been stored in Wikipedia; that link included the image name, "Luhr i.JPG". I'm assuming that's the name of the image as it exists on your hard drive since Wikipedia defaults to that (although you can change it when you complete the destination info during the upload process; for example, you could have called it "luhrs_towers.jpg").
    Placing the Image in the Article: The image name (in this case, "Luhr i.JPG") is used to display it in the article. Just put this name as part of the image tag ("Image:"), like this: [[Image:Luhr i.JPG|thumb|right|Picture of Luhr's Towers]]. Wikipedia knows where the images are stored (so you don't need the complete url, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/"). Look at some examples of other pictures in any article you want. Here's one of mine: look at Big Moose Lake and click on any of the images to go to their image pages, such as this one, Image:Big_Moose_Lake_NY_USA.JPG. For help with copyright info, look at what I put in the Summary and Licensing sections (click on the edit links for those sections and feel free to copy/paste/modify the wiki-markup for your own pictures, assuming you own the copyrights). Here's the markup for my Big Moose pic --
    == Summary ==
    {{Information
    |Description=Big Moose Lake NY USA
    |Source=own work
    |Date=August 17, 2004
    |Author=James H Dunning
    |Permission=Own work, attribution required
    }}

    == Licensing ==
    {{self|cc-by-sa-2.5}}
    I hope this helps. Good luck.
    Jim Dunning | talk 03:48, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thank you very much for sharing that infomation.
    I think now I have the image properly uploaded and copyrighted. Here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luhrs_Tower.
    I tried to upload another image (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Bank_Center_Phoenix) and it's not displaying. Any idea what I did wrong?GTV6 23:47, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I repeated the suggested steps and the second link seems to be working now. Thanks again for the instructions.GTV6 23:54, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How do I respond to an answer on this page?

    I asked a question (above), someone answered, and now I want to respond to the answer. How do I do that without creating a new topic?

    Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by GTV6 (talk • contribs) 23:54, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Go to Special:Preferences (while signed in), click on the "editing" tab, and click the first box, the one for "Enable section editing via [edit] links" to edit a specific section. Then respond by editing in that section.--Chaser - T 23:57, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Find the [Edit] link to the right of the topic you want to add a response to and click on it. Then just add your response under the existing text in the Edit window. You should put a colon (:) at the beginning of it to indent your contribution. It's just like editing any article in WP, so feel free to review How to edit a page for more info. Have fun!
    Jim Dunning | talk 00:06, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    September 4

    To know better about using Wikipedia.

    I am new to Yahoo! 360. How do I pull a content from Wikipedia onto my FEED box? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sal salaz (talk • contribs) 01:50, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Your question is a real stumper. Are you talking about an Xbox 360? --Teratornis 02:15, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Could you specify your definition of a FEED box too? ::Manors:: 02:29, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    No, Yahoo! 360 is a new Yahoo website tool, I think. Sebi [talk] 07:34, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Qingming Festival painting by Qiu Ying

    I was searching for an image of Qiu Ying's Qingming Festival painting, and found none. Is there one on the Internet? I bought a copy of the painting. If legal, I would like to upload a segment of the painting for teaching purposes. The book contains no copyright statement, and I am not familiar with China's copyright law. Is it legal to upload a portion of the painting?129.186.33.19 02:03, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    If you're talking about this Qiu Ying, then the painting should be in the public domain, as he died several centuries ago. In general, a published work enters the public domain when the last surviving author has been dead for at least 70 years - as far as I am aware, this includes China. You are free to scan and upload the image to Wikipedia (or the Commons). When uploading, make sure that you either type the code {{PD-art}} in your summary or select the option that reads " - Photo of a two-dimensional work whose author died more than 100 years ago" in the Licensing section. Thanks for your contribution! Hersfold (t/a/c) 04:18, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Moving an Article

    The article "Midwest Council" should be renamed (moved) to be "Midwestern Council" to reflect the correct spelling of the organization's name. The "help" page regarding "moving" an article states that if the "move" tab is not presented when editing an article, then I am not allowed to move it, and I should request an editor to make the move. Where and how does one make such a request?

    Thank You, Martinwj53 02:51, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You need to be registered for an amount of time to move articles. I have performed the action for you. ::Manors:: 02:55, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    To answer your question of requesting moves, that would be at Wikipedia:Requested moves, where administrators can help with simple and more tricky page moves. Leebo T/C 03:00, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Go to end

    Is there a way to add a clickable link at the top of a page that takes you to the end of the page? I suppose that I could just add a section at the end and link to [[#lastsectionname]], but is there a better way? —Moondyne 02:52, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    As far as I'm aware, there isn't. Mainly because it wouldn't be of great use and there wouldn't be a need for it in an article. ::Manors:: 02:57, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    You could hit the "End" key to drop to the bottom of the page rather than physically adding a link to do it. Leebo T/C 02:58, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    You could also use the achor tags, like putting a line at the very bottom: <span id="End"/>, and then at the top put something like [[{{PAGENAME}}#End|go to the end of this page]]. --YbborTalk 03:02, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Wikipedia:New contributors' help page already incorporates links that takes you to the bottom of the page. Wikipedia:Help desk#footer would take you to the bottom of this page. --Silver Edge 03:55, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Actually, there is already a link at the top of this page that takes you to the bottom of this page. --Silver Edge 04:04, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    The question was not specific to this page, it was any page. Leebo T/C 04:45, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Thanks, Silver Edge answered my question. #footer takes you to the end of the current page without the need for a specific target. —Moondyne 05:17, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    error message...

    Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Lost connection to MySQL server at 'reading initial communication packet', system error: 111 in /home/leon/public_html/source/Wikicharts/web/index.php on line 36 Couldn't connect to mysql: Lost connection to MySQL server at 'reading initial communication packet', system error: 111 Appears when clicking the link: "WikiCharts: 100 most viewed articles (09/2007)" In the article: Special:Statistics Why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.232.211.130 (talk) 03:29, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

    This is a temporary error with the MYSQl database where the

    information is stored on the server. There is nothing wrong with your computer. These things happen for a number of reasons, too many people viewing it, it installed wrong and so on. Technical Wikimedia staff will fix it soon, so you will need to sit tight until it is solved, which will most likely be soon. ::Manors:: 03:43, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

    Thank you. 71.232.211.130 04:15, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Film page style

    I am attempting to create a page for an independent film (and the page does not yet exist). I have noticed that the film pages tend to have a kind of template, or at least that they are all formatted very similarly. Is there a specific way to create a page for a film? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mayo943 (talk • contribs) 04:09, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You're looking for {{Infobox Film}}. Click that link for more information on how to use the box. Make sure that you don't have a conflict of interest in making this article and that you have enough verifiable, reliable sources to back up the information and establish the film's notability. Hersfold (t/a/c) 04:20, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See also Wikipedia:WikiProject Films/Style guidelines. PrimeHunter 04:43, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How do I add a page I'm already a user??

    How do I add a page I'm already a user?? and How can I contact Wikipedia??


    thank you, Cameron King —Preceding unsigned comment added by Huntington Beach (talk • contribs) 04:47, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Before creating an article, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject. Please also review a few of our relevant policies and guidelines which all articles should comport with. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite to reliable sources which verify their content and must not contain unsourced, negative content about living people.
    Articles must also demonstrate the notability of the subject. Please see our subject specific guidelines for people, bands and musicians, companies and organizations and web content and note that if you are closely associated with the subject, our conflict of interest guideline strongly recommends against you creating the article.
    If you still think an article is appropriate, see Help:Starting a new page. You might also look at Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:How to write a great article for guidance, and please consider taking a tour through the Wikipedia:Tutorial so that you know how to properly format the article before creation.--Max Talk (+) 04:57, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Contacting "Wikipedia" is a bit vague, since Wikipedia is a website. To contact an individual editor, leave a message on their talk page. To contact the Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia's parent organisation, you can check the contact page on their website, located here. Confusing Manifestation 05:47, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Purchase

    Dear sir,

    I want to know the Job Duty of Purchase Officer and also want to know the nature of work.

    Regards,

    Jignesh Panchal (Purchase Executive) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 60.254.31.230 (talk) 05:20, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Erm, we're an volunteer encyclopedia. KTC 05:25, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I don't understand what your asking, but the only job opening the Wikimedia Foundation has is for the COO ::Manors:: 16:37, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I want to get my own page.

    Hi, I'm a music artist, and i want to know if its possible for me to make my own page for my fans. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Djvu07 (talk • contribs) 05:52, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm afraid definitely not. Within Wikipedia, article inclusion is based on criterion on encyclopedia suitability, such as notability, and verifiability. Wikipedis is not a place for advertising, or blog, webspace provider, social networking, or memorial site. Please also see our article on conflict of interests if you're considering editing Wikipedia, which you are of course most welcome in doing. KTC 06:03, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    You are welcome to put your information for your fans on your user page however. ::Manors:: 16:31, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    There are several other wikis that allow you to create articles about your own music, without Wikipedia's requirements for notability and so on. See for example wikiindex:Category:Music. --Teratornis 16:46, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Why was the page Inside Sport Forum deleted?

    I'm just wondering why the page Inside Sport Forum was deleted. It just doesn't make sense to me. Could you please explain why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Scottrulz89 (talk • contribs) 07:00, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    "06:47, 4 September 2007 Jimfbleak (Talk | contribs) deleted "Inside Sport Forum" ‎ (content was: '{{db-spam}}Category:Web{{notability}}Is an Australian sports forum website started in Victoria in June 2007. It's based mainly on Australian Rul...')", next time see wikipedia:why was my page deleted.--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 07:20, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    (Edit conflict) Deletion log. From what you see on Inside Sport Forum now, "please see Wikipedia:Why was my page deleted?". KTC 07:21, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Inflection

    listing of all the inflected forms of a word —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.109.156.109 (talk) 07:42, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Do you have a question about Wikipedia? -- Kesh 12:59, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I think he's suggesting we add inflected forms of a word, but that's a job for Wiktionary. Rigadoun (talk) 17:01, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How do you spell the religoun brevlenes

    how do you spell the religoun brevlenes no tv no radio tht type 220.237.148.39 10:42, 4 September 2007 (UTC)please help10:42, 4 September 2007 (UTC)220.237.148.39[reply]

    Have you tried the Humanities section of Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in answering knowledge questions there; this help desk is only for questions about using Wikipedia. For your convenience, here is the link to post a question there: click here. I hope this helps. There may be better chance of an answer if you can give more information. PrimeHunter 12:25, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    mga batas sa pilipinas

    ano ang ibat ibang batas sa pilipinas? batas sa karapatan ng babae sa maga hayop sa kalikasan —Preceding unsigned comment added by 222.126.76.83 (talk) 10:44, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    how to change an article in a desired language —Preceding unsigned comment added by 60.243.64.85 (talk) 10:53, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Single newlines within a paragraph?

    Jpritikin asked an interesting question:

    I know that paragraphs are separated by 2 newlines. Is it proper or improper to use single newlines within a paragraph? It doesn't seem to make a difference when rending the page as HTML. However, which convention does the "diff" view prefer?

    I have made example of this in my sandpit. I couldn't find anything in the Manual of Style, what is the answer? Cheers, --Commander Keane 11:10, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It doesn't matter in terms of rendering the text. But I wouldn't recommend newlines in a block of paragraph text except for good reason, such as possibly while using a cite template for reference. Newlines otherwise would probably confuse people and does not aid readability. KTC 11:34, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Location Distances on City/Town articles

    Hey everybody, i just want to ask when you click on a town or city it says in the right box location then distance. Is this distance by road, or the shortest as in by plane or how the crow flies. You get me?Roadrunnerz45 11:24, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I don't see "distance" as a parameter in the city/town infobox, can you show me an example? I see "coordinates" below location. Leebo T/C 11:32, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    From your user page I guess you are interested in Australia. {{Infobox Australian Place}} has optional parameters to specify distances. The distance is not computed automatically but must be written by the editor using the template. Template talk:Infobox Australian Place#distances says: "We've traditionally used road distances, although air distances can be noted in the article, or in cases of islands where there clearly is no road distance." It's not certain all editors use this convention, and distances can be wrong. PrimeHunter 12:58, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Hey thanks for the quick reply my fellow wikipedian. Now that you told me, it looks like only Australian cities have pop in the info box, so whenever the page was set up it had it. I guess because of how vast the country is. Im going to stick with road distances, its just common sense i think. I mean if your flying, i dont think you worry to much about the distance, you care about the time. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Roadrunnerz45 (talk • contribs) 13:13, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    iller clothing company not mentioned

    when searching for iller i found that the explanation does not include the organization i represent. iller clothing company is an independent hip hop collective and clothing company based in Seattle WA and Glasgow UK. information on the company can be found at www.illerclothing.com. we have both us and uk copyright and trademarks both in place and pending.

    it would be great to see either a mention in your iller article, or better still a linked article about the clothing company / team / history.

    thanks for your time and interest.

    sincerely,

    iller uk —Preceding unsigned comment added by 163.244.62.123 (talk) 12:41, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    wikipedia isn't for advertisment, so unless there is something in there which would benefit any current article, or is notable enough for a new article, I would advise against it. see wp:not.--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 12:48, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Definition of "Tranche"

    HOw would I suggest an additional meaning of the word, Tranche, as it relates to energy supply portfolio? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.99.185.50 (talk) 13:10, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    make a discussion about it on the tranche talk page.--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 13:13, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Problem with wikipedia search: Glasgow

    Hi, 

     Try to search "Glasgow" or go to the page "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow". The page is getting redirected to another page quickly and nothing can be displayed

    -- Subhendu —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.197.96.51 (talk) 13:16, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I did try your link and it worked perfectly fine but because you say you are having a problem try refreshing or keep searching also you may just want to click your link to see if it works. --72.79.101.50 13:23, 4 September 2007 (UTC) I am not logged it but if I was which I am...[reply]

    Definition of "Tranche"

    As realted to energy supply portfolio, "tranche" is a supply commitment for a slice, fraction, or percentage of total requirements, often a third or a fourth of total requirements, for a future period, such as one or two years. Buying future requirments in tranchesaavoids the usual timing risk in a volatile price market associated with buying all requirements at the same time.

    This is for editing wikipedia questions only but even if it was a place to post questions you do not have a question. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.79.101.50 (talk) 13:20, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I believe this has to do with a question a few sections above. They were supposed to post this to the Tranche talk page. -- Kesh 15:20, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Malayalam version of wikipedia

    How to go into the Malayalam Version of Wikipedia —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.164.159.7 (talk) 13:16, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    [13].--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :)

    Who are the best article writers on Wikipedia?

    Those who write lots of FAs and GAs (exceptionally prolific DYK writing is also counted)? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.156.11.5 (talk) 13:27, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    One of the best writers on Wikipedia is User:Clio the Muse. Unfortunately, she rarely edits articles. -- kainaw™ 13:43, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    It would also be interesting to know which writers on Wikipedia think they are the best. --Teratornis 16:49, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Not necessarily the best, but the most prolific can be found at:

    I don't know that there are any equivalent lists for GA's. —Moondyne 02:39, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    earth tones

    What colors are considered earth tones? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.123.69.168 (talk) 13:36, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    See Earth tone. -- kainaw™ 13:44, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    How do I delete an blank article that I created by accident?

    I'm terribly sorry! I was creating an article on British Jazz Pianist Matthew Bourne under the title of "Matthew Bourne (musician)" when I accidently (don't ask me how) created an article called "Editing Matthew Bourne (musician)". —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mattroberts66 (talk • contribs) 13:47, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Relax! You've created the proper article, so I've signed the wrong one up for deletion. x42bn6 Talk Mess 13:56, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    up to date

    For any article why you did not put the date in the first line to make sure that the article content is up to such date. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.249.76.34 (talk) 14:08, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    The last edit date is at the bottom of the page. Articles on topics that change often are usually updated often. Click the "history" tab on any article and you can see how often it is updated. -- kainaw™ 14:11, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Page deleted without Consultation

    Dignitas Ltd is an IT Consultancy based out of the UK, working across Europe.

    There are however several other companies named either the same or very similar, such as Team Dignitas the British eSports Team and Dignitas the euthanasia group.

    I understand and agree with the no commercialisation or advertising on Wikipedia, however it should be a forum to provide clarity where confusion may arise. Confusion is arising, people search Google, Wikipedia and other such tools for Dignitas Ltd are finding the examples above and others, but cant find what they are really looking for.

    I attempted to put this right by adding a brief article about Dignitas Ltd and referencing it from the disambiguation page. The article avoided marketing speak, talking primarily about history and market sector.

    Within 24 hours my edit of the disambiguation page has been reversed by Eve Hall and the page created for Dignitas Ltd seems to have been deleted.

    I appreciate you have your rules, but it would be useful if there was some form of communication to explain the reasons for reversing my additions/changes out, I can find none. There is nothing in the deletion log.

    I am sure I read somewhere that you have a policy of improvement as opposed to removal without consultation, but that does not appear to have been the case here.

    Can someone advise what the situation is please so at the very least I can understand where I went wrong.

    Craiggolby 16:07, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    The link on the disambiguation page was deleted because it pointed to an article that did not exist (red-linked as the person deleting it stated). As for the reason the article was deleted, go here and you can see the deletion notice. It states that the subject made no claim for notability. I suggest finding third-party sources of notability, recreating the article with them, and then adding a link on the disambiguation page. Of course, avoid conflict of interest. It is often the case that a company will insist that they need an article on them, but then get upset when anything negative is added to the article. -- kainaw™ 16:14, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Also see: Why was my article deleted? and: Wikipedia:Business' FAQ. Creating new articles on Wikipedia and getting them to "stick" can be surprisingly difficult for contributors new to Wikipedia, because Wikipedia has incredibly complex policies, guidelines, and procedures. It would be nice if the administrators who delete articles could take the time to provide a detailed explanation to each author, but the volume of deleted articles precludes this. I happen to believe that Wikipedia's user interface has an ergonomic shortcoming in this regard: Wikipedia makes it too easy for new users to create new articles, without first ensuring they understand the virtual minefield they are venturing into. However, Wikipedia is almost entirely a volunteer project, so nothing gets fixed unless someone volunteers to do the work necessary to fix it (which includes not only fixing things, but selling the ideas to everyone else who has an interest). Would you like to help us redesign the process whereby new users create new articles, to help eliminate the pitfall that just claimed you as its latest victim? Unfortunately, the problem is hard, and a person would have to spend months learning enough about Wikipedia to be able to address the problem. --Teratornis 17:27, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Adding an article relating to my company

    I would like to submit an article on behalf of my company as an entry of notability (not an advert) so that we have entries in line with some of our peers. I can provide references to numerous articles and coverage by analysts and journalists.

    I believe the place to do this is using the 'Articles For Creation' wizard and I have run through this (will test in Sandbox first). It allows me to do this either as a registered or unregistered user.

    Questions. Is the 'Articles for creration wizard' the correct route in for this entry to be submitted ?

    Does it matter whether I do so as a registered or unreigistered user, which is preferred ?

    In my submission do I submit both the independant articles reference material AND the proposed entry information on my compaany, or do I just submit the independant material in order to meet Wikipedia submission criteria and THEN (if successful) submit the company information entry.

    217.196.251.188 16:18, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Assuming this is about Citigate Dewe Rogerson, there are already links to that page. The page does not exist. Starting it with a brief note about what the company does and references would be nice. Others should see it and expand it as necessary. I would avoid editing it too much yourself to avoid conflict of interest. -- kainaw™ 16:26, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Ensure the article is kept neutral. Don't present the company from your point of view. Describe the company as if you know about it but aren't connected to it. ::Manors:: 16:40, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi - no it is not about Citigate Dewe Rogerson but about Huntsworth plc (Citigate Dewe Rogerson area wholly owned subsidiary of Huntsworth. My objective is to get an entry for Hunstworth plc similar to that of our peers (see Chime Communications as an example).

    Ill follow your tips (thanks) and submit article and various reference sources via the artciles for creation wizard. 217.196.251.188 16:44, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I am having problems adding content.

    I tried adding content to a topic and it was marked to be deleted. The reason was not very clear. I am trying to write it in a manner where it will be accepted, but I don't know how to word the information correctly I guess. Is there a place on this site where I can get help writing the post correctly?

    Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Vdavid23 (talk • contribs) 17:57, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    The problem is that the article Cripple Sites makes very little sense. For example, http://www.microsoft.com does not allow customers to change the website. Does that make it a cripple site? If a site is completely separated from the Internet, it is not a site. It is a set of web pages on a LAN or intranet (or whatever buzzword you want to use). Where's an example of a notable reference using the term "cripple site"? -- kainaw™ 18:04, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    New to Wikipedia

    How do I delete a page? I meant to create an article tab but have created a page tab. What do I do? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Interactive Intelligence (talk • contribs) 18:04, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    It looks like you created the page User:Interactive Intelligence, and I have deleted it because it was advertising and eligible for speedy deletion under criterion G11. Please do not recreate the page as an article, as it would be eligible for the same deletion. I would advise you to review our neutral point of view policy before considering writing about your company. Leebo T/C 18:08, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    You cannot delete pages yourself; an admin must do it. Please see the deletion policy page.--Max Talk (+) 18:10, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes. Only Wikipedia Administrators (such as Leebo) can delete pages. I would also suggest that you don't write an article about your company. If you want to learn more, please read Wikipedia:Conflict of interest. Cheers, Arky ¡Hablar! 18:31, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Acceptable articles

    I created the page PhysicsCorp. I know that it was deleted, but I do not know why. I provided a neutral article, with nothing that relates to advertising (by the way, I am not in any way related to anything related to PhysicsCorp). So, please, tell me, what can I do, while still creating the article, to stop my page from being deleted?--Physicscience 18:40, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Your article, PhysicsCorp, was deleted under criterion for speedy deletion A7. This means that the article did not assert that PhysicsCorp met Wikipedia's notability guidelines for companies. It didn't have anything to do with it sounding like advertising. Review those guidelines and let us know if the company meets them. Leebo T/C 18:44, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Uploading pictures

    I have taken quite a few pictures in Poland while I was there in July. I have tried to upload some of the pictures, but they are being deleted. In addition, I have pictures of Bobowa and of the synagogue of Bobowa. (All these pictures have been taken by me and there are no copyright issues.) Thank you,

    Simone Clay —Preceding unsigned comment added by Simone Clay (talk • contribs) 18:49, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Which license are you choosing when uploading them? ::Manors:: 18:50, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    bees stung

    ive gotten stung by bees. how many stungs shuold i worry about befor going to the doctor —Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.145.176.2 (talk) 19:30, 4 September 2007 (UTC) oh waite i asked this in the wrong place.sorry —Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.145.176.2 (talk) 19:31, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    That's okay. But I must tell you that no one on Wikipedia is qualified to give you medical advice. Don't ask at one of the reference desks, call a doctor instead. Leebo T/C 19:33, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    You shouldn't have asked this in this section either, Wikipedia questions only. ::Manors:: 20:24, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    The Bee sting article looks interesting, though. --Teratornis 20:56, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Adding an Article

    How do I add an article page? I don't want to add a user page and that is the only option I see when I log in. Please advise. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Interactive Intelligence (talk • contribs) 20:42, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Since you are a registered user, you can create pages. Just type the name of the page you want to create in the Search box. Then, if the page does not exist, click the "create this page" link near the top of the search window. A blank editing window then appears. Type whatever information you want in the article, provide an Edit summary, and then click the "Save Page" button. Cheers, Arky ¡Hablar! 20:51, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Please note that if you are recreating the content that was deleted at User:Interactive Intelligence, it will be eligible for deletion as advertising. You didn't respond to my comment above at Wikipedia:Help desk#New to Wikipedia concerning that issue. Leebo T/C 20:56, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    need help finding information

    im trying to find out as much information about the artist Dr.Alan M. Lubeski Aka:Alin Raven as i can he has alot of good work but can you create a page about him where information can acumliate? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.177.247.130 (talk) 20:47, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    This is the page for questions about using Wikipedia. For factual questions, please go to the reference desk. Cheers, Arky ¡Hablar! 20:52, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes one create a page about him, but you have to make sure before creating he met the policies at WP:BIO. You would also have to create a account before doing so. --Tλε Rαnδom Eδιτor (tαlk) 23:23, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Size of Wikipedia

    What is the size of wikipedia encyclopdia(english) only? and what the size of all wikipedia

    With thier branch (wikibook,wkikmedia,.......) and with the language (french,hebrew,.....)? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.42.21.156 (talk) 20:50, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    For factual questions, and not questions that pertain to how to use Wikipedia (such as the question you just asked) see the reference desk. By the way, the English Wikipedia has around 1,985,000 articles. Cheers, Arky ¡Hablar! 20:56, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See: Special:Statistics, and Wikipedia:Technical FAQ#How big is the database?. There are also some magic words that expand into the number of articles (6,938,218) and the number of registered users (48,532,633). --Teratornis 01:33, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Some information about the other language Wikipedias is at: List of Wikipedias and m:List of Wikipedias. --Teratornis 01:36, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Please help with my username password.

    hello. I have an account with the name koneesha. i have forgotten the password and i didnt leave an email address to get. in. So could some one please give my my password plaese. If you dont belive me. i have a uswename koneesha on gamespot. konesha on n4g, and koneesha on google and many others.so could you please help me thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.192.161.38 (talk) 21:37, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    If you did not list an email with your account, I do not think there is anyway to get you your password. You may be telling the truth, but there is no way for us to verify and no mechanism to give you the password securely. Sorry. Looking at your contributions with that account, any articles you created were subsequently deleted. It would make sense to create a new account, since that one does not have existing contributions. Leebo T/C 21:46, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Yep that is about all you can do. --Tλε Rαnδom Eδιτor (tαlk) 23:19, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wikipedia code changes

    How can we find out if there were any code changes to Wikipedia today? Several of us started experiencing this problem today about three or four hours ago, I was wondering if it was the VP program or with the rollback code. thanks! Dreadstar † 22:29, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Special:Version tells you the MediaWiki version number and the installed extensions. However, that page has no history of the MediaWiki version, analogous to the history of an article. That is, I don't see anything on Special:Version to tell you when the installed version number last changed. I will look in the Editor's index to see if it has anything about tracking the MediaWiki version history on Wikipedia. --Teratornis 01:23, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I'm not finding a lot. There is a mw:MediaWiki roadmap. If what you seek is available, the index should list it under WP:EIW#Techni, but it doesn't seem to be there now. Hopefully another Help desk volunteer will know more. You might need to ask at the Village pump (technical). --Teratornis 01:30, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks for checking Teratornis! I appreciate the info, and I'll post to the Village pump! Dreadstar † 01:32, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Find word from meaning?

    how do i find a word when i know the meaning —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.241.138.50 (talk) 23:09, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wikipedia is not a dictionary. For future reference, please use WP:RD for general knowledge. What it sounds you are looking for is a thesaurus.

    Perfect Proposal Speak out loud! 23:30, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    You want a reverse dictionary. This question came up on the Help desk before. Try this search of the Help desk archive. --Teratornis 01:18, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    September 5

    Starting my own Wiki.

    I see all kinds of different types of specialized Wiki's all over the internet. How would I go about making my own Wiki for an individual topic? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mofuggin bob (talk • contribs) 00:14, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wikipeda uses MediaWiki so all you have to do is to download MediaWiki software and install it on your server. Another way which is easier would be to create your own Wiki on Editthis.info. --Hdt83 Chat 00:38, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    See: b:Wiki Science/How to start a wiki. But first check WikiIndex to see if a public wiki already exists for your topic of interest. --Teratornis 01:16, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Archiving

    Hi, is there any reason why archives should be chronological only, as some people maintain? I'd prefer to archive by topic and/or type. Regards, Guido den Broeder 00:38, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Nope. Have a look at Help:Archiving a talk page, some people do do just that. KTC 00:42, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm Wondering....

    How do I propose a WikiProject? 75.90.79.209 00:50, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Proposals looks to be a good starting point. :) --Moonriddengirl 00:54, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Slightly Mispelled Article Title

    I'm trying to figure out how to approach fixing the title of this article: Ruben Ortiz Torres The corrrect spelling of the Artist's name is Rubén Ortiz Torres and is dead-linked elsewhere in Wikipedia with the correct spelling. what is the best way to handle this? I was thinking maybe I should start a new page with the correct spelling and have the new entry linked from the old one at the omission of the accent is a minor mistake and a common one. Is there a way to edit the title only? Any opinions on the best way to handle this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.43.192.57 (talk) 01:08, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    The best way to handle it is probably to move the page. You do have to log in to do this. If you don't want to create an account, I'm sure that there are editors who would be happy to help. --Moonriddengirl 01:18, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    WP: Lawsuits?

    If there is not already a category for this, I believe it would be helpful to compile a public list of lawsuits against Wikipedia. The reason simply being: this will be a better encyclopedia if we have examples of how we have failed to observe copyrights or biographies of living persons, to name a couple of examples. Wikipedia is the way of the future. Let's all come together to ensure that we are doing everything possible to honor trademarks, copyrights, and non-libel articles.

    BadMojoDE 01:18, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Lawsuits against Wikipedia are handled behind-the-scenes (due to the fact that they are lawsuits), and should not be aired on the encyclopedia itself. Further, this page is not for proposing new projects. -- Kesh 03:08, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Mc/Mac; etc.

    Can someone provide confirmation that for auditing/counting purposes surnames starting with "Mc" should be default sorted as "Mac", and surnames starting with O' (say O'H, O'S, O'M or O'N) should be default sorted as, for example, Oh, Os, Om, On, etc., as this is my understanding.

    I don't want all my meticulous default sorting reverted by the diligent, yet unenlightened on this point.

    Then we should spread the word to the wider Wiki community via WP:FOOTBALL as per User:Dudesleeper.

    Thanks.

    Ontheveldt 01:43, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    translate from Dutch to English

    How do I translate a Netherlands page written in Dutch to English? 24.147.132.211 01:47, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    If you mean that you'd like a page translated and incorporated in the English Wikipedia, check out Wikipedia:Translation. :) --Moonriddengirl 01:51, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Aligning text right

    I can't seem to find any info on how to align text right. It seems like it should be simple to find, but it's not. Anyone know how to do this? -- LGagnon 02:11, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Sure. It's a tricky formatting trick; nice question! Just type <div style="text-align: right;">Text to align right goes here.</div>. For example,
    <div style="text-align: right;">Hello world!</div>
    Becomes:
    Hello world!
    Hope this helps, and happy editing, Arky ¡Hablar! 02:24, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    benefits of larix decidua

    what are the benefits of taking larix decidua? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.59.94.235 (talk) 04:14, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    We don't dispense medical advice and the article on European Larch has no information. I suggest google.--Chaser - T 05:07, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    West Siberian Laika

    I would like to write a new page concerning West Siberian Laika.The page will be based on best in the world study concerning this breed - the book Hunting Laikas written by family Voilochnikov in Russia.Most important of all I would like to post two Pictures of real pure bred West Siberian Laika in this page. Please let me know how to do this? With Best Regards Madmadamim —Preceding unsigned comment added by Madmadamim (talk • contribs) 04:38, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Before creating an article, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject. Please also review a few of our relevant policies and guidelines which all articles should comport with. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite to reliable sources which verify their content and must not contain unsourced, negative content about living people.
    Articles must also demonstrate the notability of the subject. Please see our subject specific guidelines for people, bands and musicians, companies and organizations and web content and note that if you are closely associated with the subject, our conflict of interest guideline strongly recommends against you creating the article.
    If you still think an article is appropriate, see Help:Starting a new page. You might also look at Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:How to write a great article for guidance, and please consider taking a tour through the Wikipedia:Tutorial so that you know how to properly format the article before creation. --Silver Edge 05:04, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Starting Essay Pages

    I am almost finished writing an essay about Wikipedia (a wiki-essay) in Microsoft Word. I obviously wish to put it up here, but I am not sure how. I know to use the {{essay}} after it's up, but I'm not sure what to do before that. Any help would be appreciated. --Sharkface217 05:59, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Replied on user's talk page. Sebi [talk] 06:06, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Commons images in Wikipedia

    Can one use a Commons image in wikipedia?--Donrub 06:37, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    yes, in just the exactly the same manner as images uploaded to wikipedia.--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 06:40, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Correcting information

    Just noticed the date of birth for the Chemist "Anselme Payen" is wrongly stated as the date of his death acording to the encylopedia Britanica he was born on the 6th of January 1795, in Paris, France. not 1871 which you also have as his date of Birth and death they cannot both be correct or he would not have had time to achieve anything.

    Dont know how to correct this just thought you would like to know.

    Anthony Baker. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.133.247.146 (talk) 07:39, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Thank you for your suggestion! When you feel an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes. Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the Edit this page link at the top. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons why you might want to). The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes — they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills. New contributors are always welcome. As far as this specific change is concerned, I would be glad to help out, but I'm not sure at which page his birth date is incorrectly given. At the Anselme Payen article, the date you provide for birth is the one listed. If it is still incorrectly listed at another article, please feel free to update the information yourself. :) --Moonriddengirl 11:18, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Page deletion

    I don't understand. Wikipedia is supposed to be a Free Encyclopedia. I wanted to learn more about the history of my last name. I can't get any information anywhere else. I know 12 Moroniak's, and they're all family of mine in the US. I Can't Find Anymore (Unless they're in Poland) and I don't speak the language.

    I simply wanted to open the door to anyone who could help me, and possibly others, gain more knowledge about the name. I thought Wikipedia was the perfect place to let that happen, then I found my page deleted.

    I read the terms, and I thought I was clearly within them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Moroniak (talk • contribs) 07:59, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    I'm sorry. I'm sure that's discouraging. Presuming that the information that you're discussing is now posted at User:Moroniak, I wonder if Wikietree would be of any service to you. Unfortunately, Wikipedia is not a tool for furthering research in that way, but for presenting previously written, verifiable facts. It strives to be an encyclopedia something along the lines of print encyclopedias, though more comprehensive. If the contents of your current user page do duplicate your absent article, I think that it might have been moved because it is not encyclopedic. Good luck tracing the history of your surname. --Moonriddengirl 11:18, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Path to Adminship

    I am a moderately experienced user and contributor of Wikipedia, and I would just like to know if there's any program out there that can assist me in my goal of becoming an administrator someday. I am familiar with the RfA process, but am afraid to nominate myself due to my low edit count and lack of contributions on the talk namespace.

    I thought there was some page where you could do something like a "test run" of the RfA to see what your chances would be. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Paradoxsociety (talk • contribs) 08:18, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Meaningless redirect

    Thomas Cook TV is a redirect to Thomas Cook AG (former), but there is no mention of Thomas Cook TV in that article. I assume there is some connection, but for all I know there may not be. I know nothing about either company, but some elucidation would seem to be called for.--Shantavira|feed me 10:40, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Thanks for pointing that out. I added a mention to the "companies" list in the article. According to the corporate website, it's a British travel channel owned by Thomas Cook AG. There's plenty of room for expansion, but at least "Thomas Cook TV" searchers won't be scratching their heads in complete befuddlement. :) --Moonriddengirl 11:25, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

    Any scope for adding an essay with dissenting views on Wikipedia's entries under "Competitiveness?"

    Dear Wikipedia,

    Your article on "Competitiveness" cites various of the programs I helped to initiate (e.g., the Sri Lanka Competitiveness Program.) I have a dissenting view on competitiveness, different from Prof. Krugman's. If there is scope to upload articles that seek to deliver a more balanced, experiential approach to the subject at hand, then perhaps my essay could have value? I have copied my essay here below in it's entirety, for your consideration. If it can be appended or modified to be of use on Wikipedia, please advise. If it is indeed outside the scope of consideration on Wiki, that's okay too. Thanks. Davidbflood 10:13, 5 September 2007 (UTC) Essay at User:Davidbflood[reply]

    • Hi David, and thanks. I owuld sugest you look at WP:NOR - Wikipedia is not a place for original research. However we also strive to attain WP:NPOV - a neutral point of view. If there are articles that are unbalanced in their view point please feel free to fix that - but remember that you should cite reliable third party sources and not your own work when making contributions. please click on any text in blue to find the policies. I hope that helps. Pedro |  Chat  10:54, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Pedro has answered this question, but I wanted to let you know that I have relocated your essay to User:Davidbflood, where it will remain accessible to you and to Wikipedia editors who read your note above but will not hamper the effectiveness of the help desk. I'll also suggest that you may wish to discuss your concerns at the talk page for the article in question. You can provide a redirect to User:Davidbflood if you wish to illustrate your points, but please don't reproduce the whole essay there. :) --Moonriddengirl 11:33, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Help_desk&oldid=155819274"