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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 174.116.225.110 (talk) at 17:57, 28 October 2014 (Mobile Search Field Won't Accept Input: new section). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

    Welcome—ask questions about how to use or edit Wikipedia! (Am I in the right place?)
    • For other types of questions, use the search box, see the reference desk or Help:Contents. If you have comments about a specific article, use that article's talk page.
    • Do not provide your email address or any other contact information. Answers will be provided on this page only.
    • If your question is about a Wikipedia article, draft article, or other page on Wikipedia, tell us what it is!
    • Check back on this page to see if your question has been answered.
    • For real-time help, use our IRC help channel, #wikipedia-en-help.
    • New editors may prefer the Teahouse, a help area for beginners (but please don't ask in both places).

    October 25

    How to replace an erroneous image?

    I found a page that has an erroneous example posted to the page "Programming Languages". I would like to replace the image with one I created that fixes the problem. I've edited pages before, but I've never changed or updated an image used in an article. I've looked through the FAQ for an answer, but didn't find anything that helps. Is there a special trick to editing/replacing an image to an article? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Thomasadkins64 (talkcontribs) 03:36, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi Thomasadkins64, images first need to be uploaded. To upload an image, go to the Upload Wizard and follow the instructions. Make sure you give a reference to any original image you used, and make sure all images you used are either free of copyright, or you made them yourself. After uploading you can add the image to Wikipedia. For more info on adding images to Wikipedia see WP:Picture tutorial. Sincerely, Taketa (talk) 06:02, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Staff

    How can I contribute my staff as in charge — Preceding unsigned comment added by 5.108.110.171 (talk) 03:44, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi, your question is not clear. Please repost your question. Sincerely, Taketa (talk) 06:02, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    my information has been deleted

    First, i am a contributor for many years.

    Someone is editing ski wax who has not a clue of much of its origin. They are attempting to discredit our inventions that have change the industry. We are affected buy euro infrastructure as they continue to discredit me and our company and its product..

    I am reading handicap as i am extremely dyslexia .

    Reading and comprehending all the complexed text is extremely difficult for me.

    I would possibly like to hire some one who can document the truth and have it hold.

    Terry Hertel Hertel wax — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.193.195.42 (talk) 13:35, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi Terry, please post any feedback on the talk page at Talk:Ski wax. Make sure to add third party sources when making claims. That way people will accept them more easily. Anyone interested will post their feedback there as well. Since you are involved with the topic, please read our advice on how to handle a conflict of interest before proceding. All the best, Taketa (talk) 14:13, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Pending changes on?

    Hello, I tried to edit the article Super Bowl XL and I got this "pending changes" message. What on earth is going on? When did the English Wikipedia community activate this terrible unfeature? --179.25.166.126 (talk) 16:12, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    It appears that the article has had Pending Changes protection set due either to vandalism or to edit-warring. It also appears that edit requests are not being monitored in a timely manner. Can someone either turn off Pending Changes or review the edit requests? Robert McClenon (talk) 16:22, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    It appears that Pending Changes was turned on due to unsourced complaints about the officiating. I can't figure out how to approve this IP's edit request, which has to do with sponsorship and not the officiating. Can someone please either review it or change to semi-protection? Robert McClenon (talk) 16:31, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    I have accepted the "pending change", with a slight modification. (I have had the power to accept pending changes for years, without ever coming across one, so the opportunity was too good to miss.) Maproom (talk) 16:34, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    @Robert McClenon:, if you want permission to approve pending changes go to WP:PERM and apply for the right. In this case, Maproom approved it within half an hour - so super quick response actually! It's dependent on the requedt flashing up on someone's watchlist. DeCausa (talk) 16:44, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    To answer your original question:- Pending changes was trialed June 2010 – May 2011. Following much discussion, it was permanently enabled in December 2012, so we've had it for nearly 2 years.
    It is less laborious than Semi-protecting an article, as the IP or non-auto-confirmed editor inserts the text they want, (hopefully including references etc.) in the correct place, but this is invisible to IPs and recent accounts, until it is accepted, or rejected, by an editor with "reviewer rights" - for more details, please see Wikipedia:Pending changes - Arjayay (talk) 16:54, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Paraphrasing articles in the media

    I know this sort of issue's reared its ugly head before, but I'm wondering how we deal with a recent news article that appears to heavily paraphrases parts of this Wikipedia article (permanent link to latest version). We obviously can't use it as a source, but is there a way of alerting others in the future so that they don't think someone on here's done a poor copy/paste job? Thanks. This is Paul (talk) 17:54, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi This is Paul, thanks for noticing. See Wikipedia:Copyright problems#Backwards copying: when Wikipedia had (or may have had) it first for information on how to deal with it. If you have any remaining questions let me know. All the best, Taketa (talk) 18:00, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks, have added it to the talk page. Think I've done everything I need to, but would appreciate it if you could take a quick look. Cheers, This is Paul (talk) 18:17, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Looks good. Likely it might not work perfectly, but it is the best we can do for now. I have put the article on my watchlist for extra measure. Sincerely, Taketa (talk) 18:35, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks again, This is Paul (talk) 18:46, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Why is my drop down menu in Wiki not working? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.87.129.222 (talk) 19:20, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Which of the drop-down menus and what goes wrong? Do you no longer see the menu or do you see it but it doesn't work as you think it should? PrimeHunter (talk) 20:48, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Formatting

    I can't figure out how to fix the first word of Sindhri. The formatting has me confused. Could somebody help? Clarityfiend (talk) 22:26, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Fixed formatting (brackets and bolding ''' characters need to be exactly paired: each starting character needs an ending character somewhere). I did not try to change the Urdu text and formatting, only the bolding and template structure. PS. i used the mouse to mark the text elements, i wanted to change or move. Backspace and Space keys did act very weird within this templates. GermanJoe (talk) 22:44, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:17, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Heading background color on sortable tables

    I'm building the List of mammals of Oregon which currently has sortable tables with a background color, but it does not have the arrows pointing up and down in the column header, like most of the other sortable tables do.

    Header with color background example:

    Name Species Authority Family State distribution and notes Red List
    Virginia opossum
    Didelphis virginiana
    (Kerr, 1792)
    Didelphidae introduced early 1900s; adverse impacts on native bird populations from nest disturbances and egg consumption
    7

    Header with arrow but no color example:

    Name Species Authority Family State distribution and notes Red List
    Virginia opossum
    Didelphis virginiana
    (Kerr, 1792)
    Didelphidae introduced early 1900s; adverse impacts on native bird populations from nest disturbances and egg consumption
    7
    See [[1]].

    Header with arrow and 1 color changed:

    Name Species Authority Family State distribution and notes Red List
    Virginia opossum
    Didelphis virginiana
    (Kerr, 1792)
    Didelphidae introduced early 1900s; adverse impacts on native bird populations from nest disturbances and egg consumption
    7
    Hope that helps. GermanJoe (talk) 23:36, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Name Species Authority Family State distribution and notes Red List
    Virginia opossum
    Didelphis virginiana
    (Kerr, 1792)
    Didelphidae introduced early 1900s; adverse impacts on native bird populations from nest disturbances and egg consumption
    7

    October 26

    Check an edit please?

    I'm at work and I don't feel comfortable checking an edit due to the possibly NSFW links used for the sources. Could someone who doesn't have prying eyes watching over them check this edit? I think the editor may be using WP:SYNTHESIS to justify their claims. Thanks, Dismas|(talk) 00:22, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    First sentence is supported by first citation. Second sentence appears to be using Twitter and Facebook as evidence of absence, and does look like SYNTH. I haven't reverted. ‑‑Mandruss  00:30, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    i removed the second part, even without the SYN it is user generated site making claims about a different living person. i know we dont trust the IMDB for anything other than screen credits. does the iafd have a better rep for fact checking than IMDB? otherwise the claim about half sisters should be removed too. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom 00:39, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Yeah, I'm still looking for the WP:SOURCE RELIABILITY RATINGS LIST. ‑‑Mandruss  00:45, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Template error

    Why does Template:Types of ant say there's an error? I can't see any possible mistake in the source code for it. Blackbombchu (talk) 00:46, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    The upper left corner houses the links where you view and edit the template page. the template page name had been changed to include brackets around the word ant and the software could not find a page with that markup because the page name doesnt have brackets around the word ant. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom 00:52, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    I know what my mistake was; I made this edit clicking the E in the top left corner of Template:Types of ant while reading the Ant article because the word ant was just as bold as the rest of the title and wasn't a hyperlink in the Ant article. Blackbombchu (talk) 02:30, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Information Change

    I do not know where to go to ask a question, I searched Jason LaBarbera the NHL hockey player and the information Wikipedia has is the wrong information. He was born January 8th 1980 and he was born in Prince George BC not Burnaby BC. Just wanted to give you right information. Please forward this onto the right area. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.77.68.244 (talk) 02:10, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    The article's current information is apparently based on the NHL website. If you have different, reliable information, it's best to post such corrections on the article's talkpage (click "talk" while reading the article, then "new section" on the talkpage). Please add a reliable source for your information to the message. GermanJoe (talk) 02:40, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Tundra Nomadics

    You have at least one article up that talks about Eskimos being descended from Siberian Mongols. I have recently read a genetics study that asserts that this is inaccurate. More recent genetic studies show that Eskimos are not closely related to Siberian Mongols, but are more related to Northern Navajo Indians. There is not enough tracking information on the Thule people of Asia and the later wave of Athabascan to be certain at this point but I was talking with a Yup'ik recently and he asserts they are descended from the Athabascans, while most literature says the Inuit are descended from the Thule. We need to be cautious about making absolute statements about all of these Indigenous groups since no one has ever properly documented their origins down through the ages. I'm just a hobbiest; not an expert, but I think we need to hear a lot more from geneticists before we can unravel the truth about Arctic Nomadics and other North American Indigenous peoples. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.101.33.62 (talk) 02:36, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    This looks interesting but I would advise you to particularize! If you give details of your sources, you could raise specific issues at (1) the talk page of any article you wish to improve, or (2) the talk page of a relevant WikiProject, perhaps WP:WikiProject Indigenous peoples of North America. Unfortunately your personal discussions with Indigenous people cannot be used directly as sources, as they would be regarded as "original research". By the way, please sign your posts to talk pages with four tildes (~~~~): Noyster (talk), 09:25, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Important information

    Re: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird

    I need to add a citation to an entry that sorely needs it but don't know how. I just joined Wikipedia and don't know what's up. I tried to edit add information to this section and just got code:

    "According to Alex Constantine (Mockingbird: The Subversion of the Free Press by the CIA), in the 1950s, "some 3,000 salaried and contract CIA employees were eventually engaged in propaganda efforts". Wisner was able to constrain newspapers from reporting about certain events, including the CIA plots to overthrow the governments of Iran (see: Operation Ajax) and Guatemala (see: Operation PBSUCCESS).[9]"

    This attribution has been widely circulated but is either unattributed or wrong. I contacted Alex Constantine regarding an article I'm publishing, and he says this:

    "The Mockingbird story was a chapter in a book of mine, Virtual Government, published by Feral House in 1997. But an article in The Nation mistakenly identified it as a "book," and reporters have since made periodic reference to it. I have to roll my eyes every time it happens. I wrote to The Nation immediately after I found the error and a correction was printed. Nevertheless, I continue to find references to the "book" that doesn't exist.

    Best, Alex Constantine"

    I just want to add that citation. Can someone help me out?

    Thanks,

    Shawn Sacramento — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hyperpolysyllabic (talkcontribs) 03:11, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    I've confirmed and corrected this citation. Thank you for pointing this out: Noyster (talk), 09:39, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Someone here to help?

    I use the What links here tool. I usually know what I'm typing in. Recently I have noticed that search suggestions have come to the tool. I do not need its help. Any way to disable it? (It can get annoying, too.) I posted on another page and no one responded. A Great Catholic Person (talk) 03:54, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    • Click "Preferences" at the top.
    • Click "Gadgets".
    • Scroll down to "Appearance".
    • Check "Disable the suggestions dropdown-lists of the search fields".
    • Log out and log in.
    Should do the trick. ‑‑Mandruss  04:09, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    (edit conflict) Go to Preferences > Gadgets > Appearance > Disable the suggestions dropdown-lists of the search fields. Dismas|(talk) 04:11, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Mandruss (talk · contribs), Dismas (talk · contribs), I did that, but I still want the dropdown lists for the search, not what links here. A Great Catholic Person (talk) 04:17, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Now you're above my pay grade, but perhaps someone else knows a way to do that. ‑‑Mandruss  04:18, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Yep. Fairly sure that would take some custom JavaScript added to your common.js file. And I'm not sure where to go for someone who can write that. Dismas|(talk) 04:47, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Preventing education by Wikipedia

    Whatever,

    I really do not care who sees this.

    I cannot print any of your information-CRAP???? This is not how people learn. They have to read, comprehend, compare, examine. That is what books are for.

    This system is hopeless. My children get 30 mins a day of television or movies, another 20 minutes on a device. They read books every night, and have inherited my love of history. My youngest-she is six- asked me to look upon the computer and PRINT about James Stewart, Earl of Moray, Scotland. I have found what she wants but your company does not allow printing.

    This is not the first time I have encountered this problem. It is appalling. Some of us want our children educated properly so unless I get confirmation that your site will be printer friendly-with a fee if that is necessary- I will be doing all sorts of nasty notifications about your site's greed, indifference to education, indifference to basic learning etc.

    That is not a threat, a fact.

    Samantha Ward — Preceding unsigned comment added by 49.183.57.38 (talk) 05:44, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Firstly, Wikipedia is not a company - it is an online encyclopaedia, funded by a charitable organization. Secondly, if you are having problems printing out Wikipedia articles, you will almost certainly find that, as with most things, a polite request for help is more likely to provide positive results than threats. Have you read Help:Printable? And if so, what happens when you follow the instructions there? AndyTheGrump (talk) 05:51, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Every article has a "Printable version" link on the left bar menu. --NeilN talk to me 05:55, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Don't hesitate to be WP:BOLD. Feel free to edit or improve whatever "CRAP" you find so offensive. Your contributions will be appreciated! Just so you know, this is not a "company" but an almost entirely volunteer driven endeavor. As far as your inability to print an article, that is not a problem that I have ever encountered. Cheers! Gaff ταλκ 06:08, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    To print any article, simply use the print feature of your browser as you would with any other web page. The printable link is mainly for older browsers that do not support CSS. For a more featured set of print options, create an account and install User:TheDJ/Print options. --  Gadget850 talk 10:50, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    i want to update the article but....

    i want to update the article List of manned spacecraft, if you see this article List of manned spacecraft there is section called Current manned spacecraft section, in that USA country is missing, i want to add the manned space-craft belongs to USA, & also i want to remove Space stations in Current manned spacecraft, because space stations don't return to earth like manned space-crafts does. how can i do this changes or any wikipedia editor please modify the changes which i am asking, i don't want to spoil wiki articles in any form i want to update the wikipedia articles, so i am posting this section. Ram nareshji (talk) 07:37, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hello, I think the reason there are no USA manned spacecraft listed in the Current manned spacecraft section is because the USA does not currently have any manned spacecraft. The U.S. space shuttle program ended in 2011.
    I don't think you should remove the ISS from Current manned spacecraft because manned reentry is not part of the definition of manned spacecraft.
    I see that you have started a discussion on the article's talk page. I would recommend NOT making either of these changes unless you have reached a consensus there. ‑‑Mandruss  07:50, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Edit title ?

    Hi, I have created a page on Henri Bol, but in the heading Bol is bol. I would like to change the b into a capital B. How do I do that? Thanks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_bolGesinamartina (talk) 13:26, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hello, I moved the page for you as uncontroversial spelling error. See WP:moving a page for more information. You can do uncontroversial moves yourself, once your account is autoconfirmed after a few days. The "move" option is on top of the article, a bit hidden behind the "more" tag. More complex moves would be better requested - see the guideline for details. GermanJoe (talk) 13:37, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Which which?

    Dear editors: Which template should be added inline after a link to a disambiguation page, if I can't disambiguate because I don't know which item was intended? I found one called "which", but it appears to be intended for use on weasel words. —Anne Delong (talk) 13:59, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    {{disambiguation needed}}?
    Trappist the monk (talk) 14:06, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Anyone with free access to the New York Times online?

    Apparently you only get around 10 free page views at the NYT's online, and I don't want to subscribe. Does anybody have free access to this article here and the NYT's in general? Thanks. SW3 5DL (talk) 15:31, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    @SW3 5DL: I have access. What do you need? --NeilN talk to me 15:35, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    This here Thanks. SW3 5DL (talk) 16:06, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    @SW3 5DL: I've emailed you. --NeilN talk to me 17:11, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Brilliant, thanks @NeilN:. SW3 5DL (talk) 18:43, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Can good articles be deleted?

    Is there a policy in Wikipedia in which good articles should not be deleted? I was wondering this when I thought about how much work it takes to write a good article. PointsofNoReturn (talk) 16:27, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    As far as I'm aware, there is no policy that states that any article cannot be deleted. Clearly though, if an article has been correctly assessed as meeting the good article criteria deletion is less likely - though I note that the criteria don't specifically include meeting relevant notability guidelines, the usual grounds for deletion. As for the amount of work going into an article being relevant to deletion discussions, I'm not sure it should even be a factor - I've seen well-written and extensive vanity articles about non-notable subjects deleted before, and I'm sure I'll see them again. AndyTheGrump (talk) 17:08, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    There have been good articles that have been deleted, such as Justin Bieber on Twitter (AfD). This is highly unusual though, and I doubt a good article would be deleted unless it was an ultra-niche topic like the one above, or if there were copyright issues over the text and such. Altamel (talk) 17:13, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Anything on a wiki can be deleted, a good article being one of them, question is why ? Mlpearc (open channel) 17:15, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    This is a question that is worded as a hypothetical question. When a seemingly hypothetical question is posted to this help desk, there is often some background in which the original poster is trying to get a blanket statement in order to wikilawyer an argument, so I will ask what the context is. However, an article will only be deleted if it has gone through speedy deletion, proposed deletion, or the articles for deletion process. I have a hard time imagining an article that meets the Good Articles criteria being deleted through speedy deletion or proposed deletion, so the question is whether a Good Article can be deleted through AFD. The answer is obviously "yes, but ....". Yes, but only if the Good Articles reviewers and the AFD reviewers had different consensus views. Deletion review would be an option. In some cases, nominating a good article for deletion could be considered disruptive editing or disrupting Wikipedia to make a point, but it could be a good faith disagreement as to whether the article was good. Why is the original poster asking this question? Is this really a hypothetical question, or is there a specific article involved? Robert McClenon (talk) 17:29, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    I guess it relates to this where the statement "Good Article status is not reason enough to keep an article" was made, - Arjayay (talk) 17:36, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Thank you. Unfortunately, it does appear that the OP was attempting to get a general answer in order to wikilawyer a merge issue. Unfortunately, my skepticism about the seemingly abstract question was well-taken. The real question doesn't appear to be whether to delete a Good Article in the usual sense of a true deletion, but whether to merge it into another Good Article. Please don't pose seemingly hypothetical questions at the Help Desk in order to try to get statements of policy in order to win a content dispute. Robert McClenon (talk) 18:02, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    I wasn't trying to use this in a policy argument more as it was simply curiosity. Of course it had relevance to my argument, but I was not going to use anything here in an argument. In reality, I was just trying to see if there was a policy I could use. My apologies for wikilawyering if that is what I did. PointsofNoReturn (talk) 19:43, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    If you weren't trying to use the answer in the merge question, then you weren't wikilawyering, only asking a useless hypothetical question. (Hypothetical questions are useless because Wikipedia isn't rule-bound.) Apology accepted anyway. Robert McClenon (talk) 19:53, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Wikilawyer (like regular lawyer) is a pretty flexible term, anyway. It can apply to to the weaselly ones as well as the productive ones. Whether you're being weaselly or productive is often entirely up to whether you're working for or against the editor who calls you it. InedibleHulk (talk) 20:36, October 26, 2014 (UTC)
    Yes. However, when someone asks a hypothetical question at the Help Desk, it is often an attempt to get a statement of policy in order to wikilawyer some sort of issue. In this case, the real question wasn't about deleting a good article so much as merging two good articles. Interestingly, the question was about whether to merge an article on a highway with an article on the merger of two highways, a meta parallel. Maybe I shouldn't be so cynical of hypothetical questions, but I often assume that a hypothetical question is a trick question. Robert McClenon (talk) 20:43, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Fair enough. But isn't every question some sort of trick, crafted to gain useful information or influence a discussion? (Hint: Don't answer that.) InedibleHulk (talk) 20:56, October 26, 2014 (UTC)
    If you can't come to the Help Desk with a general question anymore, where can you go? Please assume good faith. USchick (talk) 21:00, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    If the purpose for asking is general then it's fine but we do get a lot of generally formulated questions from posters who are only interested in a specific page. It doesn't have to be bad faith from the poster who may think we don't need more info to give the appropriate answer, but if we don't know what they really want then the answers will often have low relevance to them. We waste time writing irrelevant answers and the poster doesn't learn what they need. There are good reasons Template:Editnotices/Page/Wikipedia:Help desk says: "If possible, please be specific in your question rather than general and link to any page or article your question involves, or at least tell us the title of the page." PrimeHunter (talk) 21:21, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes they do, and if they thought they could get an unbiased answer on that page, they would ask it there. That's why they come here instead. USchick (talk) 21:51, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    In my opinion, the fourth word of the original post should have disqualified it for this page, anyway. This page is for help using and editing Wikipedia. Granted, that's a very general description, but I would think it would exclude things that are better suited for Wikipedia:Village pump (policy). Or, WP:Noticeboards says, "Noticeboards are not places to advocate for change to Wikipedia's existing policies. Instead, such suggestions should be taken directly to the talk page of the applicable policy or guideline." One could interpret that as suggesting that page as a good place for clarification of policy. Either way, Help desk doesn't seem the appropriate place for such discussion. ‑‑Mandruss  22:25, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    I don't think that asking questions about what Wikipedia's policies are is an inappropriate use of the Help Desk. It is for help using and editing Wikipedia, and knowing what the policies and guidelines are is an important part of knowing how to edit Wikipedia. Proposed changes to policies of course should be directed to Wikipedia:Village pump (policy). The original post asked whether there was a policy, not whether it should be changed. Some of us are wary of hypothetical questions, but that doesn't mean that questions about what the policy is shouldn't be asked here, only that they should be as specific as possible. Robert McClenon (talk) 22:40, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    (ec) Agreed. Harking back to earlier questions/points made above, an alternative venue would be for the person to ask at the WP:Teahouse, which is supposed to be friendlier. --Demiurge1000 (talk) 22:52, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    The original question was clearly related to Wikipedia:Deletion policy, and could be viewed as a request for clarification of that policy. You may be right, but I see a lot more policy clarification questions elsewhere. And this is a very different animal from, How can I fix the formatting of this table?. ‑‑Mandruss  22:47, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Help with article

    Hello

    I have created and saved a draft article on mypage called Cleaview (house). Can someone please check it is ok and whether it can be put on Wilipedia. Also, I wanted to add some photographs of the house but don't know how so if someone can please help me with that too.

    Kind regards Paul (moulash)Moulash (talk) 16:40, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hello, Paul, and welcome. User:Moulash/Clear View (house) is a good start, but there's a long way to go yet. The main problem is referencing: it's not enough to put a list of references at the end: Wikipedia policy requires that pretty well every statement in an article be referenced to a specific reliable source: as it is, we can't tell what in your draft comes from the sources, and what you may have added. The article should be in your own words (otherwise it will infringe somebody's copyright), but should not go beyond what the sources say, either in factual data or (more importantly) in interpretation. You place references throughout the text, where they apply, using the tags <ref>...</ref>, and the software numbers them and collects them at the end of the article. See referencing for beginners for more on this.
    As for adding photos: this is unfortunately not the easiest area of Wikipedia. You need to do this in two steps: first you upload a photo to Wikimedia Commons (or in certain circumstances to Wikipedia itself); then you link to it in the article. First you need to know the copyright status of the photos. If you took them yourself, then you almost certainly own the copyright, and are free to license them in a manner suitable for Wikipedia. If you did not, then you will probably need to find the copyright owner and get them to release them. Please see Upload wizard and Image tutorial for the two steps.
    One final point: your working title is "Clear View", but you refer to the house as "Clearview". When the article is reviewed and accepted, it should probably be moved to Clearview (house) - the '(house)' being needed to distinguish it from other Clearviews. But I wouldn't trouble to move the page at present.
    When you think the article is ready for review, please edit it to insert {{subst:submit}} at the top, and that will request a volunteer to review it. Happy editing! --ColinFine (talk) 18:36, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    I want to request a page

    I think their should be a page called 'DC Shared Universe' (DCSU) for man of steel and the 10 new films. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have a page, and now dc have a similar theme going on. They used to have the DCSU but because there was only one film, 'man of steel', it was deleted and i think the page should be re-made, just take the same idea and layout as Marvel's MCU page. It would be much appreciated thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.43.108.80 (talk) 16:56, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hello, please check out the Articles for Creation page for information how to request creation of an article if you do not have a Wikipedia account. RegistryKey(RegEdit) 17:22, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    DC Cinematic Universe (DCU) is a redirect now but the page history [2] shows it was previously an article. PrimeHunter (talk) 20:55, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Requesting advice on Politecnico di Studi Aziendali

    Politecnico di Studi Aziendali is an unaccredited Swiss school (see also its talk page), but some editors, chiefly anonymous apart from a brand new account, keep writing that it is accredited. The latest valid revision is http://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Politecnico_di_Studi_Aziendali&oldid=631064576 by User:Sfan00_IMG. Is it possible to stop this vandalism? Thank you.--Bianbum (talk) 17:20, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    The usual way to do this is to request semi-protection, which prevents the page from being edited by unregistered editors and by editors who are not yet auto-confirmed. I have gone ahead and requested this for you. If an editor who has been auto-confirmed edits the article inappropriately, then the alternatives are dispute resolution if the edits appear to be good faith, or the vandalism noticeboard if the edits are obviously bad faith. Semi-protection may be sufficient here. Robert McClenon (talk) 17:37, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Thank you very much for the clarification.--Bianbum (talk) 18:27, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    How can I change my e-mail address?

    I recently changed my e-mail address. Despite searching (I found out, for example, how to change my password), I don't see an option for changing the e-mail address. This must exist so if someone can point me to where it is, I'll appreciate it. Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bblinn (talkcontribs) 19:26, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi Bblinn. To change your email address click 'Preferences' there or in the top right of Wikipedia, scroll down, and you should see a 'Change email address' link where you can changed the email address linked to your account. Sam Walton (talk) 19:28, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    October 27

    Adding sources

    Why do I have to solve a CAPTCHA every time I add a link as an external source? Pcfan500 (talk) 06:58, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    @Pcfan500: I'm 99% sure that it's because your account has not been auto-confirmed yet. Dismas|(talk) 07:39, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes, or maybe you want the explanation at Special:Captcha. PrimeHunter (talk) 11:16, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    which is re-usable for another mission: Rockets, Space-Craft or Space Flight?

    Ram nareshji (talk) 07:25, 27 October 2014 (UTC) which is re-usable for another mission: Rockets, Space-Craft or Space Flight? & also tell if space-craft has solar panels so how they reach earth safely & re-usable for next mission? i am going to create a wikipedia article about re-usable space-crafts, that's why i am creating this section.[reply]

    Soyuz Spacecraft has two solar panels.
    Soyuz Spacecraft has two solar panels, so while returning earth, how solar panels will get closed


    This page is for asking questions about how to use and edit Wikipedia. I suggest you read our article on reusable spacecraft and ask any further questions at the science reference desk.--Shantavira|feed me 08:57, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    You will also find Soyuz (spacecraft)#Design helpful. -- John of Reading (talk) 11:28, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Margarine - an observation

    Around eleven hours ago, a friend, looking at Wikipedia on a smartphone, pointed out to me that the article margarine was totally empty. I checked on my own smartphone, a different make; and found it was indeed empty. Only the "Mobile" view was affected, the "Desktop" view was normal. Other articles appeared normally in both views. But now, with no intervening edits to the margarine article, it appears normally in my "Mobile" view. Can anyone explain this? Maproom (talk) 08:05, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    FWIW, the mobile page displays as expected on my old Galaxy S2. Rwessel (talk) 13:49, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Edit request at the Gamergate controversy page

    Hi, I wish to edit the talk page of Gamergate controversy, but to my surprise it's been protected, and I do not wish to create an account. I wanted to raise some concerns about sourcing on the page of Milo Yiannopoulos, a figure involved in the controversy, and some of the harassment he allegedly received.--137.111.13.200 (talk) 09:34, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    You can request edits to the page by posting at WP:RFED. GB fan 10:11, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes. Alternatively, you can research all of the advantages of creating an account, which, among other things, gives you more privacy, not less, than editing from an IP, and auto-confirm the account and edit the article. Robert McClenon (talk) 15:58, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Problem with way biography is ordering itself by first not surname in categories

    Hi, hope someone can help as I'm a bit baffled as to why Prudence Glynn is filing itself under P and not G in the various categories I've placed her in. I've check the persondata again and I did order the name as Glynn, Prudence. Can anyone explain what I need to do to fix this? Many thanks. Libby norman (talk) 09:58, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    There was no {{DEFAULTSORT}} set up. I've fixed that. Dismas|(talk) 10:04, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Thank you so much Dismas. Will remember that in future. Libby norman (talk) 10:06, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    portal de internet

    portal de internet — Preceding unsigned comment added by 178.60.203.104 (talk) 10:28, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Do you have a question? Perhaps internet portal would help you? Dismas|(talk) 10:29, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Or Portal:Internet or es:Portal (Internet)? PrimeHunter (talk) 11:09, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Soyuz (spacecraft) wikipedia article is wrong please modify it....

    Actually Soyuz T-10 displaying at Nehru Planetarium right now, then how soyuz wikipeda article is showing Status In service in infobox? Ram nareshji (talk) 10:49, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    The reason that the Soyuz (spacecraft) article is showing the status as "in service" is that the Soyuz spacecraft is indeed in service. Soyuz TMA-13M is currently docked to the ISS. --David Biddulph (talk) 10:57, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Yes. They made more than one capsule, one of them is on display and another one is still in service. Britmax (talk) 11:16, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    revision history statistics

    "revision history statistics" link is down,,,,--65.8.187.151 (talk) 13:26, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Request edit

    Honorable Wikipedia Authorities,

    Greetings !

    I am an actor called RAHUL SINGH and my wiki profile was created by an over enthusiastic person who probably likes my work but has put several wrong names and figures (including wrong date of birth & film names), and that too without my permission !

    With the help of someone, i tried rectifying those mistakes but Wikipedia has undone my corrections.

    If wiki wishes to check weather it is ‘’ truly ‘’ me writing to you, we can skype and you will know. The other option is to check me on facebook.

    Please let me make corrections and upload facts on the site. If this is not possible please delete the entire page. I have serious objections to wrong information about me, particularly because it’s on such a great and genuine site.

    When you completely delete the page, I will then ask a professional to create a new and organized one with facts. It’s a question of my career being represented in the correct light. Please help.

    Thank you,


    RAHUL SINGH — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sober rsingh (talkcontribs) 13:52, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    If you are aware of errors in the page, we encourage you to report them on the article's talk page. You should give references to reliable published sources where possible (we do not regard Facebook as a reliable source). Then an unbiassed editor is likely to act on your suggestions, and change the article. We strongly discourage people from editing articles about themselves, or from paying agents to do so, as this ofetn leads to biassed articles: see Wikipedia's policy on conflict of interest. Maproom (talk) 14:05, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Questions about searching.

    1. How do I turn off accepting pluralization? I want to be able to search for pages with "John Hopkins" in them and do *not* want the search to care either way whether "Johns Hopkins" is on the page or not. (So "John Hopkins" -"Johns Hopkins" isn't the answer)
    2. Is there any way to search the text of the pages rather than the way they are rendered (so I can search for "Publisher=John Hopkins" inside the text for a use of a Template)
    3. Is there any way to search for text *only* inside references?
    4. Where should I be asking these questions other than here?Naraht (talk) 14:14, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Already using CirrusSearch (having selected in Beta), I'll ask on the talk page for that (which *really* seems good for that). Thank You.Naraht (talk) 19:08, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Leon Johnson

    Hi,

    I was on the "People from Burke County, North Carolina" Wikipedia page and I was trying to add the American Football player Leon Johnson, Leon Johnson (American football)

    But I couldn't figure out how to add him from the "edit" tab. He is from Morganton (as his Wikipedia entry notes). So can someone please put in a link to his page and add his name to the list? I would, but I couldn't figure it out.

    Thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.185.1.183 (talk) 15:15, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    I have added his name to the list. Maproom (talk) 15:40, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Did you want to add him to Category:People from Burke County, North Carolina, which does exist, instead of the existing redlink to Category:People from Morganton, North Carolina which doesn't? --David Biddulph (talk) 16:01, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Peer reviews and when to act on them

    Just a quick question, I presently have a peer review open in which someone has suggested splitting an article into two separate pieces. It seems like a sensible idea, but as it's quite a dramatic change to make, should I wait for the discussion to close before I start splitting text off into other articles? Thanks, This is Paul (talk) 17:59, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi Paul, be bold and go for it. I checked the discussions and article. I am no expert in this, and I am not quite sure if a split is really needed, but I can see the logic in doing it, and would not oppose a split of this article. You started the article and are the main author, and the other involved people have been informed or already approve. I think it is fine if you make the changes, no need to wait for the review. All the best, Taketa (talk) 18:20, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks, I'll make a start. This is Paul (talk) 18:24, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    obscenity in Francis Crick bio

    I just looked up the bio of biologist Francis Crick and the first two paragraphs are laced with sexual profanity.

    Regards, Molly W. 165.68.253.3 (talk) 19:33, 27 October 2014 (UTC)University of Chicago Medical Center[reply]

    Website

    www.crick.ac.uk/about-us/francis-crick
    
    

    Francis Hairy Dick, OM, FRS (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004) was an prostitue that liked big women English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, most noted for being a co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953 with James Watson. He, Watson, and Maurice Wilkins were jointly awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine "for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material".[1][2]

    Everyone wanted to frick the Crick with ayour stick hard as ayou brick was an important theoretical molecular biologist and played a crucial role in research related to revealing the genetic code. He is widely known for use of the term "central

    Don't worry, it's been reverted by cluebot [3]. --lTopGunl (talk) 19:35, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    Yeah, as long as people think profanity is a substitute for cleverness, that simple bot will keep an eye out. Judging from the edit history, you just happened to be in the wrong place at precisely 19:01. InedibleHulk (talk) 19:43, October 27, 2014 (UTC)
    Unfortunately our caching system means that unregistered users sometimes don't see the most recent version. If a vandalized version was reverted in seconds as here then there is a risk that some users still see it long after. You can purge the page if it happens. PrimeHunter (talk) 20:49, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Moscow

    Just noticed that somebody innapropriately edited the page

    Moscow (Russia) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 142.22.64.243 (talk) 21:17, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Twice, but in each case the vandalism was reverted in less than a minute. The vandal has now been blocked. --David Biddulph (talk) 21:40, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]


    October 28

    Print/export:Create a book features ...

    I was wondering if you could select certain sections of the "books" you want to create or generate. Say, you want to change the margin and discard the "Contents" box as well as the "see also" and the tailing References" ... sections and, if possible, could you do that for all pages or "books" you have selected?

    Is there a step-by-step guide to using this feature?

    I could have my way around it if I am able to save the document as ODF but then I click on "Show book (2 pages)", the only option I see is "PDF"

    thanks, lbrtchx — Preceding unsigned comment added by Deor (talkcontribs) 00:43, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Athletes

    Please include whether these professional athletes are college graduates once they leave early for the NFL or NBA. Please also indicate their major or area of study.--Thank you kindly. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 152.51.48.1 (talk) 04:02, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Which professional athletes? You haven't indicated which of our four million articles you are talking about. If you think that an article can be improved by adding some information, you are welcome to edit the article and add it (if you have a reliable published source for the information), or to suggest on the particular article's talk page that this information be added. But note that Wikipedia is entirely edited by volunteers, so you will need to engage somebody's interest to get them to research and add the information. --ColinFine (talk) 12:13, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Witches Bru page by Roger Gary

    My name is Roger Gary. I am the one who created the Witches Bru page on Wikipedia. I would like to make some changes on the page but I cannot remember the password. I also believe that the email I used to log-in was an old one of mine and has since been cancelled. How can I make the necessary changes?

    Roger Gary — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.115.45.76 (talk) 09:00, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    @69.115.45.76: You don't need to be logged in to edit a page. Another thing you could do is create another account - NickGibson3900 Talk 09:05, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    We don't have an article on Witches Bru, but there is a draft of one at User:Roger_Gary. However, unless you can find some third-party reliable sources to back up the information there and establish that the band is notable, it cannot become a Wikipedia article. See WP:BAND for the criteria for inclusion. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 09:16, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Article submission

    Once an article is completed how do you submit it to be reviewed and posted? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sciambro (talkcontribs) 11:26, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    You can submit it for review by added {{subst:submit}} to the top of the draft, but I've added {{AFC submission|T}} which gives you a submit button. --David Biddulph (talk) 11:55, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    I see that the template and the submit button were there in an earlier draft, but you deleted them in this edit. --David Biddulph (talk) 12:17, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Hi I am having problems with openin the drop down menus on the wikipedia mobile site , is there a problem or is it just me?

    Thanks in advance — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gadget8103 (talkcontribs) 12:12, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    I have this problem when I browse the desktop version of the site on mobile, but not with the mobile version. Does the same go for you, or do you have issues with the actual mobile site? Martijn Hoekstra (talk) 12:22, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Quarterly journal date format

    Copied from Help talk:Citation Style 1#Quarterly journal date format:

    I have a copy of the Second Quarter 1973 issue of Automobile Quarterly that I have used as a reference in articles on Triumph, Messerschmitt, and ALCO automobiles in general, and on the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 and first generation of the Pontiac Grand Am in particular, as the magazine has articles on these cars.

    However, the date given for the magazine is "Second Quarter 1973", and this triggers an error response in the "date" entry in Template:Cite journal. Is there a solution to this, other than just giving a year and a volume and issue number instead of the date as stated in the magazine?

    Sincerely, SamBlob (talk) 14:25, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    You asked this at Help talk:Citation Style 1. Give it a bit and the issue will be addressed. See WP:MULTI. --  Gadget850 talk 14:27, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Is there a tool to send RFC to eds who contributed to discussions that are now archived?

    Last year, a certain AFD closed with soft peddled advice to address certain policy issues. Today, a poll is current on the article talk page. I'd like to let everyone who took time to opine in the last AFD know about the poll, but there are too many to deal with manually and I don't want to just do a subset to avoid accusations of improper canvassing. Is there a "broadcast" tool that allows one to auto-contact a page's contributors? Here is the particular AFD in question and here is the list of contributors.
    If you don't know, where else do you suggest I ask?
    Thanks NewsAndEventsGuy (talk) 14:43, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    AFRICAN JEWISH HALAL

    AFRICIAN PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN FOOD JEWISH HALAL AND MUST BE BLESSED BY A BLACK RABBI THE LORD FOOD. ORIGINATED IN AFRICA HALAL FOOD THEN TRAVELED TO THE MIDDLE EAST. THE PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN JEWISH HALAL FOOD AND WHEN BLESSED REACHES THE LORD AND IN RETURN A BETTER LIFE BY INCLUDING HIM. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.199.63.144 (talk) 15:17, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Did you have a question about how to use Wikipedia? (BTW, use of all capitals is considered shouting on the internet).--S Philbrick(Talk) 16:57, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Citing patents by inventor with duplicate name

    I'm working on drafting an article on electronics engineer Bob Adams. (Full disclosure: I work for a communications firm that supports Adams' employer Analog Devices, and will be requesting that a neutral third party review, edit and publish the draft if it's deemed suitable.) According to an Analog Devices press release, Adams has been granted 32 patents, and I'd like to cite this information from a neutral source in the draft if possible. However, a search in the USPTO database includes some irrelevant results related to other inventors of the same name. Is there a way I can distinguish in my citation which results are related to this specific Robert W. Adams in order to state the number of patents in the draft? Mary Gaulke (talk) 16:02, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    If no neutral third party reliable source has made note of this, then it's original research and synthesis, and has no place in the article. --Orange Mike | Talk 17:55, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Template Help - Global Way of Centering Group Titles - or not?

    QUESTION: At the moment, I'm able to "center" each template Group Title within a template "box" as follows: < center>Group1 title< /center> => < center>Group2 Title< /center> => and so on - BUT - Is there some "Global" way of centering *all* Group Titles in a template more easily - by adding some particular code (or equivalent) to the template source code? - in any case - Enjoy! :) Drbogdan (talk) 16:27, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

    Mobile Search Field Won't Accept Input

    A recent problem on my Blackberry Torch 9800. Mobile (English) site, which used to work flawlessly, no longer accepts any keystrokes (physical or virtual) in the "Search Wikipedia" header. Any suggestions?174.116.225.110 (talk) 17:57, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]