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Errors in the summary of the featured article

Please do not remove this invisible timestamp. See WT:ERRORS and WP:SUBSCRIBE. - Dank (push to talk) 01:24, 29 September 2022 (UTC)

Errors in the summary of the featured list

Friday's FL

(January 10)

Monday's FL

(January 6, today)

Errors in the summary of the featured picture

Notice to administrators: When fixing POTD errors, please update the corresponding regular version (i.e. without "protected" in the page title) in addition to the Main Page version linked below.

General discussion

DYK

... that Sandomierz Voivodeship (1939), a proposed administrative unit of the Second Polish Republic, was projected to be 24.5 km² and to incorporate 20 or 21 powiats?

— And all along I thought it was 22. Sca (talk) 17:33, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

Meant for WP:ERRORS? --74.13.126.63 (talk) 18:12, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

No, I don't think it is; he's saying that the hook taught him something. That's the wonderful fun of DYK. 79.71.44.8 (talk) 20:25, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

Actually, no — I was saying that no one in the English-speaking world would have any idea how many powiats the Sandomierz Voivodeship (proposed 70 years ago) would have had, and very few would have any idea what a powiat is or even a voivodeship. A few history buffs might have heard of Sandomierz.

Sca (talk) 14:16, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

Or Sandomierzians themselves perhaps? --candle•wicke 22:12, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

Today's entry on Henryk Rzewuski is, to my mind, in a similar class. None of Rzewuski's works is available in English on Amazon, and I suspect he is virtually unknown among English speakers. It seems to me that DYK entries ought to start off with some person, place or topic of which English speakers will have some idea, however vague, and add some truly surprising or interesting fact about that person, place or topic. Otherwise, the "Did you know" question seems silly.

I don't know if Polish Wikipedia has a DYK feature, but if it does, it wouldn't make sense to ask "Did you know" questions there in relation to something in the English-speaking world that Poles will have no knowledge or inkling of.

Of course, that's not to say that Rzewuski doesn't merit a thorough treatment in an eponymous article on English Wiki, if he is indeed a writer of repute in Poland.

Sca (talk) 14:10, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

Learning things you don't know about is what encyclopedias are for. If you're looking for light entertainment, I suggest a change of venue. Zocky | picture popups 01:10, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

Indeed the whole point of the DYK section is to tell people interesting things that they probably don't know but are covered in a recent article in an attempt to attract them to read the article. There's clearly no point just featuring stuff people already widely know. Now you may argue that the hook wasn't very interesting but that's a quite different argument from the one that started this. Also by the nature of DYK, most things covered would be fairly obscure as these are the most likely to lack any article or to be stubs and therefore have a chance of being DYK. Nil Einne (talk) 02:03, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

If DYK is to be a random compendium of intellectual trivia, it shouldn't be called "Did You Know?" The did-you-know question presupposes and implies some basis for further inquiry. In the case of the first example cited above, asking the general English reader if he or she knows how many "powiats" the proposed Sandomierz "Voivodeship" would have had (had it been created 70 years ago) strikes me as absurd.

Of course encyclopedias are about expanding knowledge, but I don't think informing the reader that the Sandomierz Voivodeship would have had 20 or 21 powiats constitutes a contribution to the pool of knowledge, since the topic is from the English-speaker's point of view so obscure as to be meaningless. (I suspect it's largely meaningless from the Polish point of view as well, but at least Poles will know what a powiat is.)

I would much rather hear from our Polish friends about what was in Copernicus's library or how many horses Casimir the Great kept in his stables. In other words, give me something I can understand and on some level relate to.

I will now return to my light reading. Current selection: The Discoverers, by Daniel Boorstin.

Sca (talk) 21:41, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

I can't say that hook appeals to me either, but I am sure there are plenty of English speakers who are either Polish or have an interest in Polish history, Polish geography or whatever. As I see it, did you know is not there to provide a fact, it is there to interest you, leading you to the article. For instance (perfectly timed for me...) the top hook is currently "that the hallucinogenic mushroom Psilocybe naematoliformis (pictured) was first discovered in a tropical rain forest in the Uxpanapa Region of Veracruz, in southeastern Mexico?" Very, very few people are going to know anything about that mushroom specifically. More have heard of Psilocybe. More may be interested in hallucinogenic mushrooms, or just mushrooms/fungi in general- any of these people may be drawn to the article, whether or not they had ever heard of the mushroom. I certainly would be, had I not already read it. DYK is not meant as a list of freestanding facts, but as a list of interesting tidbits that make you want to know more. J Milburn (talk) 17:07, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Thanks +++ for your heading "On this day"

It learns us a lot ans unfortunately we don't get the same on WP:fr...Too much work , maybe... Truly yours Arapaima (talk) 09:45, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

Erm, you're welcome, I guess.  GARDEN  20:04, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

I assume he is referring to the fact that here on EN.wikipedia, there is always 5-6 new events listed per day on OTD, unlike the version on FR.wikpedia where there is only one new event per day (if you are lucky). Zzyzx11 (Talk) 05:06, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

Yes, that's exactly what he did Arapaima (talk) 07:39, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

If you're really happy with SA/OTD, please give Zzyzx11 the SA/OTD manager a barnstar! :-) --PFHLai (talk) 12:36, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

"Barnstar" ? Rather a "castle star", if I could bestow it on ( & knew what it is...). What makes me so admiring of his (their?) work , and of its persistence : I lately tried for some days ( 22,23,24,25, 26 of Marsh) to write in "Le Bistro du Port" ( "The Port Pub", = our "Village Pump" section dedicated to sea affairs) a rubric which I called "Ephemerides at sea (and on the shores)", but was soon put off, for 2 reasons . First : it takes such a long time each day to gather ( and check) the items. Secondly : it doesn't please everybody to be served with news about the first satelite of Saturne being discovered in 1655, or James I being crowned king of 3 realms and the Jacobean era beginning in 1603 , or Ist battle of Gaza in 1915, or IOO 000 people being forcibly removed from the Baltic shores (Priboi Operation in 1949) , since "it's cumbersome and has nothing to do with sea...". So typically french a reaction ...But as goes our saying : "when you are sitting at a table, better not to spit in the soup-tureen" .... So again thanks a lot, and please go on Arapaima (talk) 07:26, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

America?

There's more than one America! 67.160.183.192 (talk) 19:49, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

Which section of the main page are you referring to here?  GARDEN  20:01, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

Hazarding a guess I'd say ITN... yes, for the first time this month, "America" has two ITNs at once... although the thought of two Americas does make me feel a bit queasy... --candle•wicke 21:37, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

Try not to eat lunch before looking at an atlas. APL (talk) 16:53, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

Probably this, from DYK:

... that the future of American newspapers is in doubt: as of 2005, an estimated 70 percent of older Americans read a newspaper daily, while fewer than 20 percent of younger Americans did? Dreaded Walrus ^{t c} 21:34, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

Ah yes, that makes a bit more sense. --candle•wicke 21:38, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

I've disambiguated it to the following:

... that the future of newspapers in the United States is in doubt: as of 2005, an estimated 70 percent of older Americans read a newspaper daily, while fewer than 20 percent of younger Americans did?  GARDEN  22:28, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

This should be in the news column on the Main Page eh?

[1] 142.35.236.67 (talk) 15:55, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

Maybe indeed. Feel free to nominate the updated article on WP:ITN/C. --Tone 16:01, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

I did, but I'm not sure if I put in in the right place.142.35.236.67 (talk) 16:14, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

I hope this site can provided more to help the learners to study language

I hope this site can provided more to help the learners to study language . —Preceding unsigned comment added by 211.137.163.107 (talk) 04:47, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

I'm not entirely sure what you mean? Is this a separate topic? --candle•wicke 11:58, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

Pretty sure it is a separate topic, so I am putting in a new section header. Not sure if this topic belongs to this talkpage, though. --74.13.131.158 (talk) 13:19, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

If you want to study English as a second language, the Simple English Wikipedia (simple.wikipedia.org) is a better website to use than the main English Wikipedia, at least when you are starting. -- 76.204.102.79 (talk) 17:16, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

Manitoba is Western Canada, not southern

Comments moved to errors, above. Random89 21:02, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

The Boat Race

Is this main page news worthy? Also why does the current events page say it is Monday the 29th? Jeff24 (talk) 15:21, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

How odd. I was intending to suggest that for a recurring item on ITN and then it actually happens... --candle•wicke 15:38, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

Early AFD? Well done! --candle•wicke 15:47, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

risquee

the "risque menage" a trois should be a risky menage a trois? it's not proper french either so i would think that.24.132.170.97 (talk) 16:47, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

"Risque" in the sense of "wink wink, nudge nudge" innuendo... it's effectively an English word borrowed from French, as is "menage a trois," since they don't necessarily carry the literal definitions of the original French words (or maybe they do... my French is very, very poor). 168.9.120.8 (talk) 17:35, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

OTD: Selena

Not a problem, just a curiosity. The 14th anniversary of Selena's death doesn't seem to be a significant anniversary; I was wondering why it appears in OTD. I don't really have a problem with it... I just thought it was odd. 168.9.120.8 (talk) 12:09, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Probably there for variety's sake. WP has loads of pop culture stuffs. --76.64.77.116 (talk) 16:54, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Mmm, I didn't mean that the anniversary of Selena's death is insignificant; I meant that the 14th anniversary specifically isn't really a special anniversary. I had thought that OTD events were supposed to be a little more... landmarkish. (In 2015, for example, we'll feature the 20th anniversary of Selena's death, and that will be a significant anniversary.) 168.9.120.8 (talk) 18:57, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

How is that more significant? If anything, it's less significant, since fewer people will care --NE2 19:11, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Wait wait wait, I thought the rule was deaths/births are only noted on centennials. What's the deal here? howcheng {chat} 19:57, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

So did I... I guess it doesn't matter much now as there are literally hours left of today...  GARDEN  19:58, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

First, the amount of significance or importance is not the only factor in determining what is posted each day. We also have to consider whether the chosen bolded article is a relatively complete and well-formatted article (i.e. not a stub and does not contain cleanup problems like {{POV}} and {{unreferenced}} tags; whether there is a mixed variety of topics; and whether there is a mix of events spanning the centuries. As the cards played out, it just so happened that the Selena article got to be the one of the events posted, especially when it is a current Wikipedia featured article.

Lastly, the rule about "deaths only noted on centennials" is sort of relaxed when dealing with events like assassinations, executions, natural disasters, civil accidents, or some sort genocide/extinction/mass murder. Otherwise, for example, an article about a notable actress murdered by followers of a cult leader, or an article about three notable musicians dying in a fatal plane crash, might never get on there. Cheers. Zzyzx11 (Talk) 20:27, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

April 1

I would like to invite users to help with ITN design for tomorrow. Most material is gathered already, what needs to be done are some fixes of the articles and modifications of wordings so that we get the effect we want. Appreciated. Wikipedia:April Fool's Main Page/In The News. --Tone 14:38, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

The rough design is here. Due to go live in a few hours. --candle•wicke 21:04, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

April fools modification

{{editprotected}} In order for the Main Page to transition automatically on April 1st, I propose that the following change be made:

{{#ifeq:{{CURRENTDAY}}|1|{{Wikipedia:April Fool's Main Page}}|(regular contents of the main page)}}

The cascading protection will prevent vandalism. Just say if it won't work. --Ipatrol (talk) 19:39, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

All of the components are already set to change automatically. –Juliancolton | ^Talk 19:44, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

It's one day a year, we'll cope. Plus what Julian says.  GARDEN  19:53, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

April Fool's a day early?

"Did you know . . . that the cap of the thimble fungus, Verpa conica (pictured), resembles a thimble?" Genius! --AdamSommerton (talk) 20:02, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Plenty of funny fungus around. I've just written coprophilous fungi ("dung-loving" fungi) and we actually have a featured picture of a member of the Phallus genus... We really are fun-guys over at WP:FUNGI... J Milburn (talk) 20:14, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

See, is it just me who doesn't see a thimble, but something else... ;)  GARDEN  20:17, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

I repeat, you wanna take a look at some of our examples of Phallus... A featured picture, and a not so featured picture... J Milburn (talk) 20:23, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Please add a link directly going to the discussion of 'in the news'.

People deserve to know how this is done more easily. --AaThinker (talk) 23:01, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

There's links to all of the sections above... §hep^Talk 23:11, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

April fools day

This day may be April 1 but this is a serious home page and the main page shroud retain its professionalism.--134.225.179.44 (talk) 00:07, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

While I would've originally agreed with you, everything's pretty accurate, just with slang and humour thrown in. Don't worry, only 23:57 left. –  LATICS  talk  00:13, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

The slang is incredibly misleading and highly off putting also the Henry Allingham calimis not sourced adequately.--134.225.179.44 (talk) 00:44, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

Irish Guy Hanged?

You might want to reword the passage on the Taoiseach in "In the News". The way it is phrased right now implies that the man himself was hanged, not the portraits.  Marlith (Talk)  00:16, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

I suspect that's the point. --Bencherlite^Talk 00:17, 1 April 2009 (UTC)