Wikipedia talk:Help desk

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FAQ: How-to guide for those answering questions

This page was nominated for merging with Wikipedia:Teahouse on 19 June 2023. The result of the discussion (permanent link) was Withdrawn.

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I opened a discussion about the Help desk header template

I'm pretty sure there's some kind of neutral discussion notice template I am supposed to subst here, but I couldn't find it so here's a link instead: Wikipedia talk:Help desk/Header § Reformattings. Yall may be interested in engaging, which is vacuously true but my attempt at an invitation. Folly Mox (talk) 17:40, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Minor niggle

At the bottom of the Help Desk, there are two links both purporting to go to the top of the page. Neither does, though they go most of the way. If it were just one such link, I wouldn't complain; but while there are two, couldn't at least one of them do what it claims? Maproom (talk) 17:18, 15 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If you are talking about the "To top of page" and the "navigation up/down arrows" they both work just fine for me on Chrome. I guess technically they put "Wikipedia Helpdesk" at they very top of my screen, neglecting the navigation tabs, is that what you're referring to? TiggerJay (talk) 01:02, 16 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, that's what I'm referring to. As I wrote, they don't go to the top of the page. Maproom (talk) 08:21, 16 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 20 November 2024

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

Please remove one level of = from the ===heading=== and add the following question:

Edit, revert, ghost—How to proceed?

I'm in a somewhat frustrating situation. On 3 November, Szelma W (talk · contribs) reverted (Special:Diff/1255250737) an edit of mine (Special:Diff/1255197206). On 5 November, I created Talk:List of Mersenne primes and perfect numbers#Recent reversion - is anything salvageable? to discuss the matter, as the revert's edit summary "It was better" didn't really give me a lot to go on.

And there, the discussion has stalled, as @Szelma W hasn't been on WP since 4 November. It appears they tend to contribute in small bursts about once a week (although I haven't noticed an obvious day-of-the-week pattern) and it's been two weeks with no edit activity. It's not like they're specifically ignoring me, they just haven't been around in a while. So there's no bad faith, but it's still frustrating for me as the memory of the various number theory pages I was working on at the time fades.

Does anyone have any suggestion as to how to proceed? My only real complaint is the lack of specificity in the original revert (I try to be a lot more encouraging when reverting a good-faith edit), but that wouldn't be a problem if there were subsequent discussion. 97.102.205.224 (talk) 15:25, 20 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Done -- John of Reading (talk) 15:59, 20 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Is this the correct way to add information?

can you help me?

"The head office is located in Zurich, with branch operations in Kenya and the United Arab Emirates, and subsidiaries in Canada, Hong Kong SAR, Pakistan, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. The bank also has representative offices in Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong SAR, Pakistan, and Türkiye. As of 31 December 2023, the bank employed a total of 7,629 people [5] in 559 offices." Is this correct way to add this information, I wrote it being quite neutral, and gave the necesery reference, if not what could I do to alternatively? Ateeb Ali Syed (talk) 04:38, 2 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Ateeb Ali Syed: Since you are autoconfirmed, please ask this at the proper page for the help desk. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 05:51, 2 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks Ateeb Ali Syed (talk) 06:43, 2 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 2 December 2024

Moved to help desk -- John of Reading (talk) 07:32, 3 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

I have corrected a page that was vandalised. The vandal editor has responded immediately saying they will revert the entry to their vandalised version of it on the basis it was not sourced properly, which it was, as the extensive references attest - how to get out this vicious circle? Ozrocka (talk) 21:15, 2 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Shadow311 (talk) 00:01, 3 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Whose quick survey?

If Wikipedia wants me to complete a quick survey, why am I then redirected to a Google website? Please either fix this or stop following me with popups. 93.139.219.62 (talk) 16:03, 4 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure to what you are specifically referring to, but if you don't wish to take the survey, then don't. You can avoid seeing popups by creating an account and suppressing them in the account preferences. 331dot (talk) 16:17, 4 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I don't understand why is Google involved in this. I would like to take a survey to improve Wikipedia but I'm degoogled for a reason. I can answer the questions here or anywhere on Wikipedia. My only question is: Why is Wikipedia redirecting me to a predatory data harvesting company? 93.139.219.62 (talk) 16:28, 4 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

You would need to ask the Foundation as to why they do what they do; we volunteers have nothing to do with the popups or surveys. 331dot (talk) 16:43, 4 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 6 December 2024

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

I request permission to ask a question; no context. Informationappeared (talk) 03:38, 6 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Informationappeared: If the help desk itself is still protected, please write your question here, on the talk page, and someone will copy it to the help desk to be answered. -- John of Reading (talk) 07:50, 6 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 9 December 2024

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

Moved comment to main project page. Myrealnamm (💬Let's talk · 📜My work) 00:50, 9 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 10 December 2024

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

It says edits aren't' to ask for help, and directs me to the Help Desk, but this *is* the Help Desk, and I can't use it because I'm not an established user. That sucks Heapsofworms (talk) 17:27, 10 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Shadow311 (talk) 17:30, 10 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Blame it on spammers. 2601AC47 (talk·contribs·my rights) Isn't a IP anon 17:35, 10 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Heapsofworms: If you have a question for the help desk, ask it here and someone will move it to the help desk for you. -- John of Reading (talk) 17:39, 10 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 15 December 2024

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

Think i have managed to enable my email once again sorry for any inconvenience Andreuni993 (talk) 14:32, 15 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. ––kemel49^{(connect)(contri)} 16:04, 15 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]