Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2007 August 1

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[edit] August 1

[edit] Tongues Untied

This documentary film was produced/directed/photographed and edited by Marlon T. Riggs. Brian Freeman served as an Associate Producer. The film features Marlon Riggs & Essex Hemphill and others.

Do you mean you want to correct some information about the film Tongues Untied? You can do it yourself by clicking the "Edit this page" tab at the top of the film's article. Astronaut 02:09, 1 August 2007 (UTC) PS: Please sign your comments by adding ~~~~ to your post.

[edit] AFD Nomination

I'm trying to nominate an article for its second AFD. However, when I copy the appropriate template to the deletion log, I get a message that the template is being used improperly. What template do I use? The Clawed One 02:02, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

If a deletion template (on a page that I created) says I, "may remove it ...if I object for any reason..." May I remove it?--Libertyguy 02:19, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

...huh? What are you talking about, that's no help at all. The Clawed One 02:21, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Libertyguy probably failed to make a new section for an unrelated question. That is extremely common here. To Libertyguy: Yes you may remove the {{prod}} template as it says. I will contact the editor who said otherwise. If that editor still wants a deletion then another process must be used. PrimeHunter 02:51, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Problems with links in the footnotes

Hello, I'm having a problem with links in footnotes on one of the articles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendeen_H._Eolis Why some items in the references section are displaying properly, and some show URLs instead of making footnote a link? Your help is much much appreciated. Thank you! Ildarspb 02:21, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Working on it.--Fuhghettaboutit 02:24, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Wow, what a pain in the ass! As you see I fixed all but one reference. I'm guessing you edited the article offline. In any case, however it occurred, there were a whole bunch of carriage returns/extra spaces that were messing up the reference. They were quite difficult to find because they don't announce themselves. I finally got smart and copied the text into a document offline, widened it greatly so the extra spaces would be visible and also did a search for double spaces. Just can't find that last one.--Fuhghettaboutit 03:17, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Found it! All fixed.--Fuhghettaboutit

[edit] Editing My own biography

My name is Shawn Russ I was once know as Gregory Kingsley. I have a page on here under Gregory Kingsley that I didn't create. My question is it's missing some info and if I can provide proof that I am who I say I am can I edit it? Because I edited it once before and it was changed back to how it was, I guess because there was no proof for the changes. So if anyone could let me know what to do or who to contact it would be great

Please read WP:AUTO. If the information is incorrect, propose the changes on Talk:Gregory Kingsley, or ask another editor to do it. Thanks! Matt/TheFearow (Talk) (Contribs) (Bot) 04:55, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

I read what you said but I didn't write the article it was written by someone else because I was involved in a land mark case for childrens rights I just want to fix stuff like my birthday where can I find an editor I can contact? thanks

If all you want to do is correct things like your birthday then you can just click the edit this page button at the top of every article. If you want to discuss changes then go to Talk:Gregory Kingsley, click the edit button and outline your concerns. Thanks. --Cherry blossom tree 08:05, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Plastic

Hello: There are many areas in plastic deformation, metal working and modelling where the descriptions are either loose or vague and unscientific. How do I change these and how do I include my own references? Thank you.24.141.179.184 07:31, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

There's an edit button at the top of every page. Just press that and you can alter anything on that page. For references, you should basically put your references between <ref> tags, which will automatically produce footnotes. A reference might look like <ref>Cooper, 1978</ref>, for example. See Wikipedia:Footnotes for more detail.

[edit] printing mathematical articles

When I print mathematical articles (e.g. on prime numbers) why are some, but not all, minus signs replaced by space ? 77.96.103.76 08:22, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

There are different characters that look like a minus sign. The most common is made by pressing the normal - key. Another, used in many math articles, is − which should produce a longer line. It sounds like your system is unable to print it. See also dash. PrimeHunter 11:40, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] confusion about who is the worlds richest person article

i will be brief. the page of bill gates bio says he is the richest. carlos slim page's say he is the richest. the list of billioners says its bill gates but not by as much as the other page says. bottom line the information is inconsistent and different in every one of who is the richest and how much wealth it has so someone please look into it. make the same for all articles concerning it. thank you!

See: WP:SOFIXIT. You too can edit Wikipedia to correct these errors. But note that the exact wealth of a wealthy person can be uncertain, because the value of investments they hold can go up and down by the minute, and they may have complex portfolios. Some values, such as real estate holdings, can only be estimated. Take the example of the moderately wealthy Dick Cheney; Dick Cheney#Relationship to Halliburton as Vice President says Cheney's wealth is between $30 million and $100 million, which is quite a range of uncertainty. If the two richest men have comparable wealth, it may be difficult to say who is actually wealthier at a given moment. And then next year it will be different, especially if one of them gets divorced. --Teratornis 21:43, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
I was also going to suggest the article - Prenup, however said article appears to need more citations. Marycontrary 02:02, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] deleted minus signs, scrolling problem

I asked why some minus signs in articles on prime numbers are deleted when printed. How can I see the answers to questions? Is there a better way than scrolling down? Long Wikipedia scrolling operations always generate "illegal operation" 77.96.103.76 09:52, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Answered a few sections above and below where the same IP address posted. PrimeHunter 11:43, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
If your browser is crashing with "illegal operation", that sounds like a problem on your computer. Scrolling works every time without failure on my (very old) PC and I suspect that is true for 99.9999% of other users too. Astronaut 12:51, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Image too large

List of highest mountains contains an image that takes forever to display. Can somebody fix the resolution please? I don't know how to do this. Thanks.--Shantavira|feed me 10:16, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

To sort that, just edit where it says "750px" to something more to your liking, like halving it for instance. To add text, just add a divider (a |) and then the word "thumb", and then to add another divider followed by whatever you'd like it to say. Seegoon 11:58, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Thank you. I know about changing the physical size, but isn't the problem here one of high vs low resolution? What I am asking is about changing the resolution so that it doesn't take so long to display. Do I take it that it's not possible to alter that independently of the physical size?--Shantavira|feed me 13:52, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
On Wikipedia, changing the size in the code actually does automatically resize the image file itself, unlike in HTML, where you would still have to download the whole image. To try this out, change the size of that image in the code, and preview your changes. If you right click on the image and choose "view image" (or something to that effect, depending on your browser), you'll see that the image is actually a separate smaller file. jeffjon 19:13, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] MCGEDDON user keeps reverting content

Hi, On the Magic the gathering page, he keeps reverting content not having one or more, because he doesnt like it, This even after I have repeadly told him of the rule. Also he continues to ignore the fact that humans are in the game and that humans are not fantasy creatures and actually do exist. Can you do somthing to stop his reverting to NON Wiki rules formatting and explain to to say "fantasy creatures" does not take into acciount all the creature that are not, humans, elephsnts, birds hawks, soilders, snakes, squirrel etc etc etc

Thanks

Although I'm assuming good faith, it's clear running through your talk page that you have several uncivility and edit war warnings on Magic: The Gathering pages and others and have been blocked previously. Someone has already told you the reasons for reverting, and it appears you have misunderstood one of the language guidelines. In future it's much better to discuss things on an articles discussion page, or the other user's talk page than edit warring. Also sign your posts with four tildes (~~~~). AndrewJDTALK -- 12:14, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] java

What is the expansion of java —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 122.164.14.76 (talk • contribs).

On the web site or on your computer?--203.87.127.18 11:08, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Define "expansion". -- Kainaw(what?) 12:07, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Maybe one of the articles at Java (disambiguation) or a Google search can help you. "Expansion" of Java could refer to many things. In which context did you see the term? Give a link if possible. PrimeHunter 13:27, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] how long for an answer?

If I ask a Q through this page how soon should I look for an A ? How do I look for an A ? 77.96.103.76 11:12, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Answers can come at any time from seconds to never. Time zones and Wikipedian distribution means that questions during the day in USA probably have a better chance of fast response. Most such questions are answered within a couple of hours. Look for answers in the section you asked on this page. There is a table of contents at the top where you can click your question. Don't post a follow up requesting an answer the same day, unless it's urgent (it rarely is). If you have an account then you can ask for an answer on your talk page. I will answer your original question in a few minutes, where it was asked. PrimeHunter 11:34, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Citing a magazine article

I've looked around, but I can't find anything specific. I'd like to know how to cite a magazine article, e.g. a review of an album, or interview. I've been mucking through, but any help is appreciated. Seegoon 11:55, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Citation templates points to {{Citation}}. I have also seen {{Cite journal}} and {{Cite news}} used. PrimeHunter 12:05, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Hi! Have a look at WP:CITE. That should tell you everything you need! :) -- Stwalkerster talk 12:06, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Thanks. Some part of me would like to create my own template, but I have no idea how to do that. Seems like the humble magazine's been overlooked. Seegoon 12:13, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Not really, that would come under "journal or periodical", just after books in the list of citation templates. Confusing Manifestation 22:33, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Signature

Where can I find out how to give myself a signature with colour, different fonts etc? Asyndeton 12:37, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:Signatures#Customizing your signature. PrimeHunter 13:18, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] how do I access As to Qs ?

How do I access answers to questions ?

The questions asked here have answers (if given) directly below them. -- Kainaw(what?) 14:28, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] careers

how to apply for a job in HR —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.125.181.106 (talk • contribs)

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia. It does not have an HR department. -- Kainaw(what?) 14:29, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia

How do I start my own page on wikipedia? I really want to write about stuff like video games. Most are up there and are full of stuff, but i wanted to write something special about a topic that isn't up there. —Preceding unsigned comment added by STARSMember (talk • contribs)

Wikipedia only allows articles that are referenced and encyclopedic. It is not a fansite, a how-to site, a homepage site, or a blog. -- Kainaw(what?) 14:28, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
If you want to write game walkthroughs and so on, note that there are other wikis specifically for that, such as GameWiki. Wikipedia has many restrictions on what sort of content belongs here; see: WP:NOT. Very often these restrictions are annoying to people whose primary interest is in a special topic (such as games) rather than about building an encyclopedia. The first step to being happy on a wiki is to find the right wiki to fit your interests. --Teratornis 21:02, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Have chapter numbers appearing in text and table of contents

Hello, How can I have chapter numbers appearing in the text body as well as in the "table of contents" in Wiki?

If, for example, I put

[edit] Chapter 1

into the the text, it will appear correctly in the TOC (1. Chapter 1), but will not display the chapter number in the text itself at all. It will only display:

Chapter 1

If I put:

[edit] 1. Chapter 1

into the text it will appear correctly in the text body (1. Chapter 1), but the record in the TOC will appear awkward:

1.1. Chapter 1

Any clues on how to solve this so it will display the chapter numbering in the same manner in both the text body and TOC?

Thanks, Olafur —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.105.227.101 (talk • contribs)

They are not chapters. They are headings (sections). It serves a completely different purpose. -- Kainaw(what?) 14:38, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Thanks. But would you know how to solve what I am looking for? Similarly to Word, you have TOC and heading/chapter numbers in the text body as well. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.105.227.101 (talk • contribs)

To my knowledge, this is not possible on Wikipedia (and not wanted because it changes the style of the pages). If you have your own wiki-site, you can alter the code to put numbers in front of the headers. As CSS gets better and better, there may come a time when you can force numbers to be prepended to the headings. That will have to be on your own stylesheet and nobody else will see the numbers. -- Kainaw(what?) 14:48, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
I don't see the need for numbering the headers within the body of the text. Leebo T/C 14:49, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Well, we are a group of people in different countries using a closed wiki-site working on a project which will be delivered as a report, with traditional TOC and numbered sections/chapters. I wanted to see if we could adjust wiki for this purpose. Thanks, Olafur

[edit] Wikipedia Talk Pages / Discussion Pages

I have a question about the talk pages / discussion pages that accompany all Wikipedia articles. If anyone can shed light on this convention, please do so. Thanks. When we add new comments to the talk page, they are added at the bottom (as opposed to the top) of the talk page. So, what happens is this ... the top of the talk page has the oldest possible entries ... and the bottom of the talk page has the most recent / most current entries. Isn't this a little backwards? Or, why is it this way? I would think that the thread should go "upward" so that the most recent comments (most relevent) are at the top ... and the older (less relevent) scroll down to the bottom. Thoughts? Thanks. (JosephASpadaro 15:26, 1 August 2007 (UTC))

I think it's mostly a matter of the fact that it's easier to edit downwards. You open the page and put your comment at the bottom, you don't have to find where to insert it within the discussion. If you are worried about having to travel too far to get to relevant discussions, considering archiving older ones. Leebo T/C 15:32, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
It makes it easier to read as well, particularly if a lot of edits have been made since you last read the page; you can follow the discussion down the page, reading naturally. If you find it annoying to scroll to the end, press 'end' on your keyboard; for most people, that takes you to the bottom. Skittle 19:16, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
See Posting style. Wikipedia follows the style known as "bottom posting." This is what the vast majority of technically competent people used in the old days of Usenet, back when the difficulty of using e-mail software and the pre-Web Internet pretty much prevented the technically incompetent from using e-mail. But then programs like Microsoft Outlook brought e-mail to hoi polloi and now most e-mail uses the ghastly travesty known as "top posting." Needless to say, it's hard to imagine how any thinking person could be comfortable with that. The bottom posting style on Wikipedia's talk pages is one of the more comforting features here. It tells us immediately that the people who are running things here are competent. If a talk page gets long, you can archive its old content, or insert the {{Talkheader}} template, which displays a handy link people can click to begin editing a new section at the bottom. My comments here, of course, reflect only my rigorously neutral point of view. --Teratornis 20:59, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

OK ... makes a lot of sense ... thanks. (JosephASpadaro 02:31, 3 August 2007 (UTC))

[edit] Party Press Officer Convicted Of Assault And Forced To Resign

On 31st August 2006, an article appeared in "This Is London/News Shopper", attributed to Alison White, stating that Brian Borthwick (aka Lord Toby Jug), the party's Press Officer, was asked to resign by Deputy Leader Melodie Staniforth, after Borthwick had appeared in court in Dartford pleading guilty to a charge of common assault against his partner Julie Diana Smith on August 14. Borthwick blamed his actions on the medication he was taking for his mental illness THE ABOVE ARTICLE IS FACTUALLY WRONG ON ALL COUNTS, PLEASE REMOVE IT. LORD TOBY JUG - OMRLP —Preceding unsigned comment added by Screamingloony (talk • contribs)

Thank you for your suggestion. When you feel an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes. Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the edit this page link at the top. The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes — they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills. New contributors are always welcome. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons why you might want to). -- Kainaw(what?) 15:34, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Can you please explain what article you're talking about? I find no articles for Brian Borthwick or Lord Toby Jug. Corvus cornix 21:08, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Ah, I found it, it was at Official Monster Raving Loony Party. I have removed the offending section as an unsourced violation of the WP:BLP policy. Corvus cornix 21:10, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] diffusion and osmosis

can you describe similarities and differences between diffusion and osmosis?

This is an encyclopedia. See diffusion and osmosis. -- Kainaw(what?) 17:08, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Have you tried Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in knowledge questions, and will try to answer any question in the universe (except how to use Wikipedia, since that's what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps. :) -- Stwalkerster talk 17:16, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Add more categories

Hi! How can I add similar companies to this page? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Executive_search_firms Thanks! --Anubhaverma 17:19, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

To add an article to that category, put [[Category:Executive search firms]] somewhere near the bottom of the article page. It will automatically appear on the category page. Leebo T/C 17:23, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Will I be able to add a similar company's info on this page even if it is not listed in Wikipedia? If yes, how can I go about it? Thanks for your patience! --Anubhaverma 19:06, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

It is not currently possible to add a page to a category if that page has not yet been written. Typically, such a list would need to be managed manually with something like List of executive search firms. The list could include red links to yet-to-be-created articles on companies within this area. Remember, however, that the list would be required to meet all of Wikipedia's policies (such as being sourced and neutral) in order to remain. See Wikipedia:Lists for more information on list guidelines. Leebo T/C 19:14, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

I have prepared an article on my company's info. If you don't mind, would you take the pains to go through it & let me know how I should improvise on it in order to get the article a place on Wikipedia? --Anubhaverma 19:35, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

When you say "my company's info" do you mean the company you work for? Writing about subjects to which you are very close (employers, friends, family, etc.) is generally discouraged at Wikipedia because it represents a conflict of interest. If that is the case, I would recommend waiting until someone who is not involved with the company creates the article. Leebo T/C 19:42, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

How does one prove that he/ she is not involved with the company? --Anubhaverma 21:40, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] occult science

what is the occult science —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.162.143.159 (talk • contribs)

This is an encyclopedia. See occult science. -- Kainaw(what?) 17:31, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Editing images

I have taken a copy of this image and increased the brightness to make the statue stand out more. I have not yet uploaded my edited version. If I use the "upload a new version of this file" link, will the original un-edited image be available if the original uploader doesn't like my changes and wants to revert? Will my edited image retain the original's license and photographe's credit/copyright, or do I need to give it a new license and credit the original photographer in some way? Astronaut 18:05, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes. Below the image is a log of the different versions that anyone can look through (well, not versions before 2004, but that's not the case here obviously) As far as license goes, that depends. Read WP:GFDL for more on that, if it isn't GFDL, it will depend on what license it's under. --Longing.... 18:41, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
The original image is GFDL so I presume I could release my new version under GFDL as well. However, the text on the GFDL template starts "I, the creator of this work, ..." Is there a different GFDL template with different wording available as I don't think I should be credited as the creator? Astronaut 19:01, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Never mind. I think I found some suitable templates; I need {{GFDL}} rather than {{GFDL-self}} Astronaut 19:06, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] User trends.

Has anyone made something that will show user trends, over time? Such as, total amounts of edits? This would be for specific users, of course. Of course, I've seen WP:KATE and such, what I'm looking for though is something that will show a precise history of the editor by analyzing their contribs. Say, like how wannabe kate shows a month by month graph, something like a day-by-day, or even hour-by-hour, so you could get a feeling for what times and days you're usually active. I don't really NEED anything like this, I'm just curious if it exists. --Longing.... 18:49, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Or rather than a count-per-time based graph, what about something like an acceleration chart? --Longing.... 18:52, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
You might be thinking of something like this, but you need to opt into it, you can't request reports for those who haven't. Leebo T/C 18:53, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Multi-line code items in a list

More of a mediawiki question, but let's say I have an ordered list of items (Starting with #). Is there a way to put a multi-line paste of code (i.e. fixed-width text, indention/wrapping matters) as a list item? The rendered wiki page MUST replicate the spacing/indention of the original so one can cut/paste it out. The trick here is, I'd like to have it be where one could cut/paste the code snippet into the wiki without having to alter each line (such as prepending '#:'), such as magically having a TT or CODE wrapper around a section, and paste the section in without edits or having the list reset to 1.

You can try using an HTML list instead of a wikilist, like this:
  • This is a list item.
  • This is another list item.
  • And here is a code example.
Another line of code. 
print("Hello, World!\n");
Not that this would actually run.

    You can continue the list item text like this, with proper indenting.

  • Or start another item.
--Teratornis 20:49, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Of course if I had actually read your question, I would have illustrated my answer with an ordered list:
  1. This is a list item.
  2. This is another list item. 
    And here is a code example.
Another line of code. 
print("Hello, World!\n");
Not that this would actually run.

    You can continue the list item text like this, with proper indenting.

  3. Or start another item.
--Teratornis 05:36, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Is there a notability guide regarding schools?

I have been looking for a notability guide to help out on the WP:Afd page regarding schools, specifically primary, intermidiate and secondary schools. Gorkymalorki 20:09, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

All the notability guidelines apply to schools. —« ANIMUM » 20:14, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Go to Wikipedia:WikiProject Schools, there is some relevant info on the page to answer your question. Also, use the Talk Page. I'm a member of that WikiProject, and would be happy to assist if you're in need of more help. Cheers! Zidel333 20:23, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
WP:ORG might be your best reference. --Tλε Rαnδom Eδιτor (ταlκ) 21:12, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Help me...not sure if i am doing this correctly

i recently create a article/page to be included. i read the tips/hints, etc, but do not see my page or see deleted in the log. Is there someone that can tell me the status of the page?

Thanks,

Bobby

User- Strategicagency

20:16, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

You have put the article on your userpage. To see it click on your username in the top right hand corner of the page. Just to point out, it appears you are involved in the subject on which the article deals with, so before going any further in moving it, check out WP:COI. AndrewJDTALK -- 20:20, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Also please check out: Wikipedia:Business' FAQ, Wikipedia:Spam, Wikipedia:Notability (organizations and companies) and sections G11 and A7 of the criteria for speedy deleton. In short, the article appears to be spam, not sufficiently notable (as we use that word here to mean the subject of significant coverage in reliable sources), and in current form, subject to speedy deletion. I have no doubt that you wrote this entry in good faith, unaware that it may be improper. Please understand though, that there are many places to advertize your business but Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, with all that that implies, and may not be a proper place for such an entry.--Fuhghettaboutit 20:31, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sonic X on Toon Disney this winter? HUH?!

I'm new here and I would like to contact any user who could tell me how they found that info. Only problem is, HOW do I find any users?! I can't find the link to how to find a user! HELP!!!!

Donsonic 20:41, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

I guess you refer to the infobox entry for USA in Sonic X. The information is unsourced and an editor has requested a source. I don't know whether it's true. Unfortunately some editors add unsourced information which turns out to be false. If it's important then you can search through the article history to find which editor added the claim, and then ask on the editors talk page. There is a risk you will not get an answer, especially if it is an IP address. You can also ask at Talk:Sonic X whether somebody knows something. PrimeHunter 21:33, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
It was added in this edit by 75.178.176.165 (talk · contribs) who has not edited since 18 July. You can try to ask by clicking the talk link. PrimeHunter 21:40, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] html/formatting help: right margin indent

I'm sure this question has been asked before, I apologize for not being able to find it. The question is: In a succession of paragraphs, I want one of them to be set off with slightly larger left and right margins, but no other changes. Thus:


Et madame de Viremont, d’une main tremblante, prit un petit billet coquettement plié et doucement parfumé, qui ressemblait fort à un message d’élégant. Léontine attendit qu’elle fût seule pour lire ces tendres excuses. Elle ne connaissait point l’écriture de M. de Lusigny ; mais son cœur lui disait que cette lettre était de lui : le cœur a des instincts infaillibles ! Elle rompit le cachet avec une vive émotion, et lut ce qui suit :

« Nous devons, demain soir, chez moi, tirer une petite loterie en faveur d’une famille malheureuse à laquelle je m’intéresse. Vous seriez bien aimable de venir, etc. »

Léontine, désappointée, jeta la lettre loin d’elle avec impatience ; puis elle se dit


shows the second paragraph indented on the left using :, but not on the right. How would I do that? Thanks!—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Levana Taylor (talk • contribs).

One way is to simply eye it: put a carriage return where you want the break to come on the left, and then put in the next paragraph with separate indentation. Thus (view in edit mode):
« Nous devons, demain soir, chez moi, tirer une petite loterie en faveur d’une famille
malheureuseà laquelle je m’intéresse. Vous seriez bien aimable de venir, etc.»
The same result is achieved with a break (<br/>), without your having to re-italicize and manually indent the second line:
« Nous devons, demain soir, chez moi, tirer une petite loterie en faveur d’une famille
malheureuse à laquelle je m’intéresse. Vous seriez bien aimable de venir, etc. »
Someone may know a better method. By the way, remember to sign you posts on talk pages by typing ~~~~ at the end, which automatically formats to your signature, linked to your userpage, when you save.--Fuhghettaboutit 22:50, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
Thanks Fuhghettaboutit; I'm afraid I forgot to mention that the paragraph in question needs to be left-and-right-justified in order to match the formatting of the other paragraphs, therefore your idea doesn't work. Other ideas, anyone? -- Levana Taylor 23:15, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

It sounds like you want to use a <blockquote> tag, and you can even add color to it:

« Nous devons, demain soir, chez moi, tirer une petite loterie en faveur d’une famille malheureuse à laquelle je m’intéresse. Vous seriez bien aimable de venir, etc. »

The blockquote tag can work OK as long as you don't try to get too fancy with it. I don't think it works with other kinds of wikitext markup inside like lists and such. See: Help:HTML in wikitext. --Teratornis 05:40, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Hello Teratornis,
Thanks for answering. Actually, blockquote isn't quite what I'm looking for; I want the paragraph to be exactly like all the others except for the margins. I just now tried something else: <p style="margin: 30px;">. That works for the margins, but for some reason it adds extra space before and after the paragraph. Do you know, is there some way to specify space before/after a paragraph delimited with <p>? --Levana Taylor 15:55, 2 August 2007 (UTC)
When you specify the margin style as you did, that sets a margin on all 4 sides of the content. You could use code like this: <p style="margin:0px 30px 0px 30px">, which would set margins on the Top, Right, Bottom, and Left, respectively. jeffjon 16:34, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes!! That works. Thanks jeffjon! --Levana Taylor 17:13, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] linking arrows

[edit] How do I put the arrows linking to the previous/next season

If you look at the page for ANY South Park episode, on the far right there is a list of all the episdoes in that season. This is in the simpsons too, but in the South Park version there are two arrows at the bottom of the list that link to the preivious seasons episodes and the next seasons episodes. I think this should be included in the simpsons pages because it makes navigation extremely easy. You can easily surf the seasons looking for a specific episode, where as in the simpsons you have to go to the "list of episodes" everytime. this is very annoying. I would do it but I don't know how. can you tell me exactly how to do it? 203.27.231.250 23:23, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

It looks like this template: Template:Infobox_South_Park_season_1_episode_list, and others for different seasons, is the secret. If you created similar templates for Simpsons seasons (for which I suspect you'd have to sign up, which is free and easy and doesn't ask for any information at all, and comes with other benefits too) you could put them in the infoboxes of Simpsons episodes. Skittle 00:13, 2 August 2007 (UTC)
Woah, scratch that! Having looked at the Simpsons episode infobox template, it's much more involved than the Southpark one. Not something inexperieced users (including myself) should play with. I've made a request on the talk page for that template, asking what people think and if they'd impliment it. Skittle 00:32, 2 August 2007 (UTC)
Okkkkk. So how do I actually do it? What's the code and where do I type it?--203.27.231.250 00:50, 2 August 2007 (UTC)
Templates are complicated. See: User:John Broughton/Editor's Index to Wikipedia#Tem and User:John Broughton/Editor's Index to Wikipedia#Inf. --Teratornis 06:12, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Is this a joke?

I've got an edit I didn't make. To some page I've never heard about (some renaming user page). Why? Razorclaw 23:25, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Because, by some very, very odd stroke of luck, you registered your user name Just a few hours after someone else changed theirs. It's probably just a server hiccup, but I'm more suspicious about yourself than the contrib not being moved --Longing.... 23:35, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
The edit is registered 1 minute before the account move is registered (which due to minute rounding could theoretically mean a difference of a second), so I guess the edit had not logged whereever it has to log to become part of the move. PrimeHunter 00:05, 2 August 2007 (UTC)
I'm surprised to discover a name with this history was available to be reused. But I suppose all the edits get reattributed to the new name. Odd. Skittle 00:08, 2 August 2007 (UTC)