Jump to content

Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2011 January 16

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Help desk
< January 15 << Dec | January | Feb >> January 17 >
Welcome to the Wikipedia Help Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current Help Desk pages.


January 16

[edit]

Using a CD image

[edit]

Hi. I would like to add a picture to the Devon Werkheiser article, but I am unable to find any free license images. I am wondering if it's allowable to use a LQ image of his first single, which can be seen (for example) here. --JKaizer (talk) 23:24, 20 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Review tags

[edit]

About six months ago I created a Wikipedia page for my great-grandmother who was the banished and disinherited daughter from Germany's 400-year-old industrial dynasty of Essen, Germany. I am not sure if I placed the review tags in correctly. Could someone please take a look at it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Dstrob

Thank you,

David — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dstrob (talkcontribs) 00:49, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Helpers at WP:ANI resolved it.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 00:50, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Unique audio recording from 1947 "Launching of the S.S. Ulua"

[edit]

Hello, I don't have any problems to report, but just wanted to let you guys know that I uploaded a radio broadcast off of an old shellac disc from 1947 which may be useful for the site. It may be the only surviving copy that I know of. Im not sure if you guys have an article on the S.S. Ulua, which was a Banana ship from United Fruit Company. The actual recording has a lot of neat information about the ship, plus the audio itself is neat, since it was recorded in 1947. Im a fan of Wikipedia and anything I can do to add knowledge to the site, I always try to. Hear is the link to the file of the 78 rpm records I uploaded:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=674h_3bWjOA

Im not very well versed nor do I have an account to edit wikipedia, so I just wanted to share this with you.

Let me know if this can be added to your site, or maybe be made into a new article for your site. Thanks!

Chris —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.49.253.43 (talk) 05:43, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

For whatever it may be worth the article on the SS Ulua is USS Octans (AF-26)teb728 t c 09:03, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
This may have to be asked again at Wikipedia:Media copyright questions. -- John of Reading (talk) 14:34, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Request for help creating page

[edit]

Hi, i'm making a page for a musician but i din't know how to make or format a page for a musician, I want it to look simillar to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn_Kid I have all the information written down and ready to go, I just don't know how to format it.

Thanks in advance, Callum Rigby

''' — Preceding unsigned comment added by Maxrunacres (talkcontribs) 07:20, 16 January 2011 (UTC) [reply]

For formatting issues, try Help:Wiki markup, the Cheatsheet, or have a look at the behind-the-scenes text of the Unicorn Kid article (for example, by clicking this link but not saving any changes). I'll add a copy of the standard advice on creating a new article...

A Wizard is available to walk you through these steps. See the Article Wizard.

Thank you.
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 with which all articles should comply. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite 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 Wikipedia:Your first article. You might also look at 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. An Article Wizard is also available to walk you through creating an article. -- John of Reading (talk) 11:54, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Undo permanent disabling of mobile site

[edit]

Hi there, recently I must have accidently clicked on the link at the bottom of the mobile wikipedia site that says "permanently disable mobile site" How do I undo this? Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.171.178.51 (talk) 07:50, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Use the page Wikipedia:Enable mobile version -- John of Reading (talk) 11:57, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Colspan

[edit]

I cannot get colspan to work on a table. Please help!

RCSprinter123 12:11, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

Is this for List of bus routes in Warwickshire? There are some cells there that use colspan correctly, for example at route 202.
The help page at Help:Table doesn't seem to include any simple examples. If you are still having trouble, please post here with the name of the page and a fuller description of the problem. -- John of Reading (talk) 12:25, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
It is for the list of bus routes in warwickshire (do not edit, will conflict). i have tried the example on Help:Table but it just won't work! maybe you could help me? send code?
RCSprinter123 (talk) 18:40, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Here is the code for bus route 202...
| 202 || colspan=2|Rugby Circular || Long Lawford, Admirals Estate, Bilton || A&M Group || Flexibus service
...where the magic prefix "colspan=2|" makes the text "Rugby Circular" extend across two columns. -- John of Reading (talk) 21:37, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I have tried that and it still won't work! Sorry.
RCSprinter123 (talk) 18:25, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
How about saving a "not working" version of the article to my sandbox, replacing everything that's there now, so that I can see exactly what's going wrong? Add some explanation so that I don't have to guess what you are trying to achieve. -- John of Reading (talk) 19:22, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
It's alright!, I've managed to do it now. I found out I needed to put each one on a different line e.g.
!202
| colspan=2|Rugby Circular
| Long Lawford, Admirals Estate, Bilton
| A&M Group
| Flexibus service

Referring to non-family members with the same surname

[edit]

I'm writing an article about Lam Chiu Ying which mentions Carrie Lam. Should I refer to Carrie as 'Carrie', 'Lam' or 'Carrie Lam'? Kayau HAPI B-DAY WP 12:12, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Carrie Lam. Kittybrewster 12:15, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. Also, what did I do wrong with cite news for ref 9?
Two square brackets instead of one? Kittybrewster 12:29, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I was using cite news, so no, that can't be. Kayau HAPI B-DAY WP 12:31, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Got me baffled. Kittybrewster 12:36, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
It's the line break in the title field. Grandiose (me, talk, contribs) 12:39, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Nice article. Kittybrewster 12:40, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks! Kayau HAPI B-DAY WP 12:42, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
What about ref 17? I tested for line breaks by copying it on notepad but there wasn't any. Again, thanks, Kayau HAPI B-DAY WP 13:07, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
url and title wrong way around? Kittybrewster 13:27, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
ref 19 ditto. leaset ... was should be least ... were. Kittybrewster 13:35, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Note that Carrie Lam is a disambiguation page that links to two different persons with that name. I use a script to make the link show in yellow highlighting. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) talk 14:12, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks! Kayau Voting IS evil 14:27, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
[edit]

I am intending to update the page on Booker Gliding Centre and include a history which I produced for the club. The insertion will be based on my original article which can be seen at http://www.bookergliding.co.uk/history.html

My question relates to a ruling that on pictures that ones existing on wb sites must not be used (re copyright). Does thia apply to pictures in my own article?

Thanks

For both the text and the pictures permission must be given and verified by WP:OTRS to avoid breaking copyright laws. Jarkeld (talk) 13:34, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs· FENS · JSTOR · TWL
You will need to find some reliable sources that are independent of the gliding centre to show that it is notable enough for a Wikipedia article. -- John of Reading (talk) 14:40, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
[edit]

Is there any way of getting the most linked-to websites from Wikipedia? I'm building a new (open source) citation tool that is plugin based, and I'd like to know what sites it'd be most useful to write citation plugins for. I'm guessing it'll probably be something like the New York Times, but it'd be great if I could get the actual data. It doesn't matter if the data is out of date or what not. I just want something that is roughly accurate to guide development efforts, so total accuracy is not required. —Tom Morris 14:27, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know. If you don't get a good reply here, I suggest you ask again at Village pump (technical). -- John of Reading (talk) 16:06, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I've ended up downloading a SQL dump from download.wikimedia.org (enwiki-20101011-externallinks.sql.gz specifically). Once I've done an analysis on it, I'll publish it and hopefully put it up on WP:EL and WikiProject External Links —Tom Morris 18:05, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
This is very outdated but might be of some assistance [1]. Note the fact that geocities (number three on the list) has since shut down. ThemFromSpace 01:05, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
[edit]

Hello Wiki people: I'm thoroughly confused about how to make a correction to a link in one of the Wikipedia articles, so I'm sending this message to get the information out there so that someone who knows the Wikipedia ropes can make the necessary correction. The mistake exists in the David Bend, Mississippi, article. where there is a link to Benjamin T. Montgomery. If you click on that link, it goes nowhere. BUT, Wikipedia DOES HAVE a page for Mr. Montgomery, but it is titled Ben Montgomery. So either the title of his page should be changed to Benjamin T Montgomery or the link should be changed to Ben Montgomery. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.190.32.11 (talk) 15:50, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Redirect added to point to his common name. Jarkeld (talk) 15:55, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Javascript

[edit]

Is there a javascript I could use to make my work as a new page patroller easier? E.g. sth that removes the WP-logo and puts some buttons like cleanup and delete instead. Jelly Butter United Kingdom / United States Complain! 15:52, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

There's a list of tools at Wikipedia:New pages patrol#Tools. -- John of Reading (talk) 16:11, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
NPWatcher was designed to do this job, but I prefer Twinkle (for deletion and user warnings) and Friendly (for cleanup tags). ThemFromSpace 01:07, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
BTW, your signature contains templates/images and that contravenes the guidelines. – ukexpat (talk) 15:52, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I Want To Place My Business' Information on Wikipedia

[edit]

TWIMC, How do I go about entering my business information on Wikipedia? Please advise. Thanks in advance for your help here. Dburnell Dburnell 17:32, 16 January 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dburnell (talkcontribs)

Unless your business is sufficiently notable to meet Wikipedia's guidelines for new articles, you can't. And even if it is, you have a clear conflict of interest. "To request a new article, you can present your idea on the talk page of a relevant article or WikiProject." See WP:COIC.--Bbb23 (talk) 17:43, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
First read (and understand) the policies and guidelines about Notabilility, Advertising and Conflict of interest. If you are convinced that your article will comply with those requirements you are welcome to use the guidance at Your first article. Roger (talk) 17:53, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia:FAQ/Organizations would be another good article to read. --ColinFine (talk) 19:25, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Switching one photo with another

[edit]

Is replacing one photograph (of the same subject in the same article) with another allowed on Wikipedia? The photograph is of a hockey game which in my opinion is slightly blurred. I've come across another photograph of the same subject which shows more clarity and more of the venue's interior.SabFan (talk) 18:03, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Sure, of course you can do that. If someone reverts your change, just calmly ask them why on their talk page. Happy Editing! Tofutwitch11 (TALK) 18:06, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
If the substitute photo is one you found somewhere on the Internet, you would need to upload it to Commons (or to Wikipedia) before you could use it. But be sure the photo is licensed under a free license before you do that. —teb728 t c 13:26, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Disabling mobile site

[edit]

Can you please please please please remove the giant button at the bottom of the mobile page for disabling the mobile version permanently? I am disabled and have nerve damage in my hands and tremors also, which often cause me to accidentally touch the screen on my iPhone. When I hit this button it is extremely difficult for me to locate the instructions to restore the mobile site. Please help me?!? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.84.59.48 (talk) 20:15, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not familiar with this issue myself, but I have left a link to this thread at WP:VP/T in case anyone there can help. Karenjc
And John of Reading has left a helpful link in the thread above to the instructions on how to restore the mobile site. Karenjc 20:52, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Making Wikipedia my homepage

[edit]

Can you please tell me how to do it? I don't see a link on your homepage to do it automatically. I want to have Wikipedia as the first thing I hook up to when I open my browser. Is that possible? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.54.18.172 (talk) 21:08, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

On your browser. Tools ... Options ... General ... Home page ... set . Kittybrewster 21:20, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Knocked It Out Of The Ballpark Above Top Anticipations

[edit]

Knocked It Out Of The Park Above Top Anticipations (KOBATA) is Wall Street lingo meaning that a company reported an exceptional amount of profit in their current earnings report. Usually a company will go KOBATA when their earnings report is significantly above analyst estimates.<ref>http://themarketsareopen.blogspot.com/2010/07/market-news-delicious-quarter.html</ref> — Preceding unsigned comment added by AllanEdwards999 (talkcontribs) 21:36, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I've added a {{hangon}} to make sure that the admins see your comment on the article talk page. I think the article needs more content and references to survive, but I don't think it should be deleted as a mere "test page". -- John of Reading (talk) 22:06, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Update: The article was re-created and is now at AFD -- John of Reading (talk) 10:15, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Questions about edit

[edit]

If I work on an article in my sandbox, let's say at User:Sp33dyphil/My sandbox, and later move it to the mainspace, would the edits before the transfer be counted under User or Article after the move.

I am 98% sure they would be transferred, someone can correct me if I am wrong. Tofutwitch11 (TALK) 22:24, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
You are right. They count as userspace edits until the move, then the counts move to article space.--SPhilbrickT 22:34, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
OK, thanks :) Sp33dyphil (Talk) (Contributions)(I love Wikipedia!) 22:40, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

If I write "Chicago" is it obvious I'm talking about Chicago, Illinois, USA?

[edit]

Over at Burj Khalifa a number of different IP editors keep adding "in the USA" after Chicago. I and other editors have been removing this, stating that the term "Chicago" on its own is obvious. Is there some guidance somewhere as to when a city name needs additional qualification by state/province and/or country? Astronaut (talk) 21:47, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia:Naming conventions (geographic names). The lead is unclear if it refers to the city in the USA or that the architecture and engineering were performed in the USA. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) talk 21:54, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
TBH, I don't thing we know where the architecture and engineering were actually performed, just that it was carried out by the well known Chicago firm, Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. My concern though is that I appear to be tag-teamed by two IP editors convinced that "Chicago" alone is unclear about which Chicago is meant. Astronaut (talk) 22:12, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I would err on the side of caution and say "Chicago, United States,...". There are other places that can be legitimately called Chicago, and I think it serves an international audience better to quickly get that information out of the way rather than making readers go to another page to find out where Chicago is. (For a similar example, in many contexts, one has to write "Paris, France" or "Paris, Texas" to make the prose more clear, even though the French city is orders of magnitude more well known than the town in Texas.)--Danger (talk) 22:24, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I've heard Europeans ridicule Americans for saying "Paris, France" or "London, England." "Chicago" should be a sufficient geographic identification of that world class city. Only if the reference is to some other Chicago should it be necessary to further identify it. It sounds silly for an article to say to say "Chicago, United States." It is also fine to link to the article about the city in question. Edison (talk) 22:25, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Linking to the article for the Chicago in question eliminates any ambiguity. Wikipedia itself titles that article simply "Chicago". I had to look up TBH since I had no idea what that meant. The phrase "To be honest" seems useless to me anyway; it only makes sense to add if one is not honest the rest of the time. --Teratornis (talk) 23:50, 16 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Only if you ignore the pragmatic component of language. "To be honest" has a discourse function, which is something like "I'm reluctant to say this, but". The reluctance might be for all sorts of social reasons, from a real reluctance to admit something to one's own detriment to a bit of politeness because one is challenging what somebody else has said. In this case, I think it is the latter because Astronaut is disputing the relevance of what Gadget has just said. --ColinFine (talk) 00:20, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I note that Chicago (disambiguation) lists only one other location just called "Chicago" besides the one in Illinois, that being Chicago, Western Cape, and the latter is a redirect to an article that doesn't even mention the word "Chicago". --Metropolitan90 (talk) 02:53, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
The WP guideline mentioned above, which takes a cue from the AP style guide, says that Chicago, Illinois is simply "Chicago". I don't see why there's any disagreement on the point. It's in the guidelines for a reason: to end discussions such as the one that the OP is having. Dismas|(talk) 09:38, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I believe that redirect is spurious and should be deleted. Looking at the edit history of Chicago, Western Cape it turns out that it is/was simply an informal nickname for a gang-infested neighbourhood in Paarl, Western Cape. It is or was never a formal, legally recognised, place name. Roger (talk) 09:52, 17 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I'm getting a similar problem at Statue of Liberty with an editor seeking to add "in the United States" after the words "New York Harbor" in the first sentence of the lede. The second sentence of the lede mentions the US as does the location entry in the infobox. Are we so untrusting in our readers that we think they won't read two sentences or will not associate "New York Harbor" with the US?--Wehwalt (talk) 12:22, 19 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]