Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2007 June 28

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1 June 28

[edit] June 28

[edit] Question about admins

npov I know adminship is no big deal and all, but being an admin is about the same as being a normal member, only with special abilities right? You don't have to pay anything or something? Cheers, Je tL ov er 00:12, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Correct. Prodego ^talk 00:14, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

The only money wikipedia takes in from editors are voluntary contributions. Admins are normal editors who have gone through a vetting process called Wikipedia:Requests for adminship where it is determined if the community is able to trust the candidate with the admin rights. --rogerd 00:17, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

You can see more about their abilities at Wikipedia:Administrators which says they don't get paid. Your question is the first mention I have ever seen of the possibility that they might have to pay. It's possible for anybody to donate to the Wikimedia Foundation which runs Wikipedia, but it's voluntary and doesn't give any special rights. PrimeHunter 00:32, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Question about Becoming an Admin

Based on my observations at WP:RFA, I know there is more to be considered when applying for adminship than just editcounts, but how many edits would you recommend before applying to avoid being completely shot down by, "Oppose. Too few edits" and "Oppose. Not enough experience."? Useight 00:26, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

A couple thousand is enough to stop the opposes due to too few edits, but if you want to actually pass (rather than get a no consensus defaulting to fail) you'll want more like four thousand. Three might work if a lot of them were in the Wikipedia namespace though. Sort of ridiculous, I agree. --tjstrf talk 00:30, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Beleive it or not, I was reccomended to run for an admin recently. I declined and all, but I'd say I few thousand edits. Like 5000+. Cheers, Je tL ov er 00:32, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

You also need to have a reasonable amount of edits in the Wikipedia: and Talk: namespaces. If all of your edits are to articles, some people in the RfA discussions think you're not contributing enough to discussions. Corvus cornix 18:16, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

Taking part in admin coaching program is also a good choice before requesting for adminship. A W 10:42, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

And read Image:Qxz-ad16.gif this image. Ridiculous but true. Garion96 (talk) 10:45, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Two columns/numbered lists

The article 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die has some big-time formatting issues. What would be the best way to handle 2-column text that flows and balances? Just leave it be or is there a better template? How about the numbered lists? The numbering should be continuous throughout. I'm guessing that at the least, we need to re-start numbering at each section... how would that be done?

Remove all the multi column code in place and add <div style="column-count:2; -moz-column-count:2;"> above the list and </div> below it. That will do it. Prodego ^talk 01:15, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How do you add coordinates?

I recently wanted to add the coordinates (degrees-minutes-seconds system) to four articles (Buena High School, Ventura High School, Foothill Technology High School, and Ventura College; I am a resident of Ventura, California) but I did not know what to do on the edit page. If it helps, I am not a member of Wikimedia. How do I do this (or can I)? 69.230.221.26 01:12, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Coordinates can for example be added with {{Coord}} but doing it for a local thing like a high school may be a bit much, and {{High School Infobox}} does not have a coordinate field. PrimeHunter 01:35, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Adding coordinates helps people who browse Wikipedia from Google Earth. Eventually when everybody has a mobile computing device with a built-in GPS, it will be nice if every article that is about a geographic location has coordinates, so you can ask your mobile computing device to display a map with links to all the Wikipedia articles about things around you. Hopefully this computing model will extend to other wikis which accept articles about less notable topics than Wikipedia does. That way, you will be able to browse a very dense geographic database of wiki pages that will probably tell you useful things about just about every object, building, road, park, natural feature, etc., around you. Topics that aren't notable enough for Wikipedia may be notable enough for a few hundred local residents of a particular locale, or even a few dozen. People might as well document everything about their environment which is useful for other residents and visitors to know. Much of that information is scattered around the World Wide Web anyway, but not in a structured way for geographic browsing. To learn more about coordinates in Wikipedia, see: User:John Broughton/Editor's Index to Wikipedia#Map. --Teratornis 01:47, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Is there a guideline about when to add coordinates? Wikipedia:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)#Geographical coordinates does not say when and the examples there are far from schools: Airports, Cities, Islands, Mountains. Wikipedia:WikiProject Geographical coordinates#Goals does include: "5. Create a database of points, enabling generation of navigatable maps with a clickable icon appearing for every location for which there is a Wikipedia article". But it's not a guideline and the page also says things like "This is a concept currently under development, so this is subject to change". And it's not specified what is included in "location". Wikipedia:WikiProject Geographical coordinates#type:T mostly lists geographical features but includes "landmark: Cultural landmark, building of special interest, tourist attraction and other points of interest." It's unclear to me whether an ordinary high school is a "landmark". The example in Category:Coordinates templates is New York City Hall which says it's a U.S. National Historic Landmark. PrimeHunter 03:47, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

The phrase "every location for which there is a Wikipedia article" sounds pretty clear to me. A fixed object's location is one of its characterizing features, similar to other characterizing features such as the birth and death dates of a person. We do not specify certain classes of people to have their birth and death dates censored. That's a characterizing feature you want to know about every object (in that case, a person) who has a Wikipedia article. You could, for example, pick a date range and look up all the Wikipedia articles about people born during that time. You would want such a list to be complete. It should not be missing classes of people whose birth dates we decided to censor from the list. That wouldn't stop anyone from constructing such a list by other means.

I'm wondering what would be the point of constructing a geographic wiki if it's going to have arbitrary gaps in the data, i.e., what sort of argument could be made to cripple its usefulness by partially censoring geographic data. (We can't really censor location data, because it's mostly already available, even more available than birth records actually, because it's as easy for Wikipedians to record locations of accessible fixed objects with their GPS receivers as it is easy for them to photograph the objects with their cameras.) The idea is to have another way to sort articles - by location. When we look at Special:Allpages now, we expect to see all articles sorted by title. We don't need specific reasons to include this or that type of article on Special:Allpages; instead, we would need an overwhelming reason to consider excluding some articles. Similarly, on a geographic wiki, we expect to see all the articles that can be arranged by location to be arranged by location. There are many obvious and not-so-obvious uses for articles arranged on maps. We can quickly see which parts of the world have the most article coverage; that could be another way to allocate our editing efforts (for example, if we see that a particular populated region currently has few articles, or few articles of high quality). We can see where things are in relation to our locations, and in relation to each other. Someone might want to compare the geographic distribution of schools to prisons, or chemical plants, or flood zones, or residential areas, or all sorts of things people currently do with GIS software. Trying to impose artificial limits on the potential uses of an encyclopedia is like trying to impose artificial limits on the uses of a mathematical formula. It doesn't fit with Wikipedia's position against censorship. Besides, people will find ways around the limitations. As more computing devices gain GPS features, more people will expect their data to be geographically-enabled. Wikipedia can either lead the way, or wait for Google or someone else to do it. Of course this is only my opinion. If the cabal or the Great Leader says we must try to censor some location data, then we will try to censor it. --Teratornis 07:10, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

If it's considered good to add coordinates to everything with a fixed position then I think it should get more attention than minor mention in a goal in a Wikiproject which is much more about how-to than when-to. Wikipedia:WikiProject Schools#Sections of the article says "Give the full official name of the school and detail about its location (town/municipality, county/state/province, country)." Coordinates are not mentioned, and as said above they are not an option in {{High School Infobox}}. My original thoughts included that high schools are only of local interest, the locals know where they are, and they are in towns which should have an article with coordinates, but you have some good points about uses for the data. Is there any limit to what should get coordinates? Both White House and Oval Office have them, but currently not West Wing which contains the Oval Office. What about fixed statues in buildings which have articles with coordinates? But the help desk is probably not the place to discuss all this. If you feel for it then you could join Wikipedia:WikiProject Geographical coordinates and discuss spreading the word. PrimeHunter 13:29, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Data

Hi —Preceding unsigned comment added by P559ieatapig (talk)

Hi. Do you have a question? PrimeHunter 01:39, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

If the question is about data, lots of data is available here: WP:DUMP. --Teratornis 01:48, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] neé vs. "born as" vs. maiden name

Which is the preferred style on Wikipedia? ++Arx Fortis 03:47, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Per Wikipedia:Manual of Style (biographies)#Maiden names, there doesn't seem to be a preferred style, as the page itself references several different methods. I myself prefer "born", as I feel the general reader will understand that best. tiZom_(2¢) 04:00, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] User Template Align Right

How do i align my User Template to the right?

For example, I have {{User IND Citiz}} on my User page. But it is on the left. How do i align it on the right?

--Sudhakar2310 05:05, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

To align anything to the right, you can use the following formatting:

<div style="float:right">
whatever you want to align to the right
</div>

(like this, for instance; border added for clarity).

If you want to 'float' multiple userboxes to the right, putting them all inside one div and separating them with the {{-}} template is likely to produce the best results. Hope that helps! --ais523 09:00, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

[edit] speedily deletion

$I n s e r t f o r m u l a h e r e$

who is warthog & immediately after creating my account I am flagged for speedily deletion. Comparing other users i think I should have the time to understand wikipedias regulations, so to speak. LASERDOGTHEBIGDOG. aTTEMPING TO EXPLAIN THE TERM LASERDOG AND IT'S RELATED "DOGS"

[edit] Article-only watchlisting

There are some articles I'm interested in that have very noisy Talk pages, and I'd rather just watchlist the article than all the bickering. Is it possible to do such a thing, or do we always have to watch the article's Talk too? Thanks. Raymond Arritt 05:17, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

If you want to exclude all talk pages from your watchlist you can go to the bottom of this line

   Below are the last 20 changes, as of 06:38, 28 June 2007.
   Show last 1 | 2 | 6 | 12 hours 1 | 3 | 7 days all
   Hide bot edits | Hide my edits | Hide minor edits
   Namespace: [all] [Go]

where there is a droplist that automatically says all and a button that says Go next to it. Select (main) to hide talk pages. Tim Q. Wells 06:46, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] speedy deletion

If you google my trade name wiki shows a listing but it is not there. I am attempting to inform people of the world the origin of the term and it's other conotations. So I should not be flagged BY WARTHOG for speedy deletion until my page is fully explained and worded. LASERDOGTHEBIGDOG

[edit] Wikipedia account in several languages

I have an account with wikipedia which I registered for by en.wikipedia.org . Why can't I log in on the Dutch wikipedia with the same login? Are there seperate databases for the seperate languages? Do I have to make a new account on the Dutch page? I can my account be easily copied? Wild Wizard 06:38, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

You have to create a new account for each wiki. They are seperate databases- this is why we provide interwiki links to other projects. Also keep in mind that admins on one language's wikipedia are powerless on another, which also applies to dispute resolution processes. --_ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 06:42, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Also, check out Help:Unified login for the latest progress towards one of the longest-standing requests. - Banyan Tree 02:00, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Error changing e-mail address

I want to change my e-mail address, but when I click save I get an elaborate error:

Internal error Invalid NULL return from broken hook logPrefsEmail

Backtrace:

0 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/SpecialPreferences.php(336): wfRunHooks('PrefsEmailAudit', Array)
1 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/SpecialPreferences.php(117): PreferencesForm->savePreferences()
2 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/SpecialPreferences.php(14): PreferencesForm->execute()
3 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/SpecialPage.php(653): wfSpecialPreferences(NULL, Object(SpecialPage))
4 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/SpecialPage.php(459): SpecialPage->execute(NULL)
5 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/Wiki.php(203): SpecialPage::executePath(Object(Title))
6 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/Wiki.php(45): MediaWiki->initializeSpecialCases(Object(Title), Object(OutputPage), Object(WebRequest))
7 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/index.php(89): MediaWiki->initialize(Object(Title), Object(OutputPage), Object(User), Object(WebRequest))
8 /usr/local/apache/common-local/live-1.5/index.php(3): require('/usr/local/apac...')
9 {main}

Then I do receive a confirmation e-mail with a clickable link, but when I click it I get the message

Invalid confirmation code. The code may have expired.

While I click it immediately after receiving the mail.

Help? :(

This is a bug that has been reported to developers (see bugzilla:10388). They're presumably trying to fix it at the moment. --ais523 08:55, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

[edit] Cite Errors

how do I use a journal reference several times in a text, without having to type it all over again and get a new reference number? Yes I have given it a <ref name="etc", but what do I put in the edit to refer again to the same ref?Jagra 07:15, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Just put the <ref name="etc"/> and thats it. — Shinhan < talk > 07:51, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Can deleted pictures be viewed?

Can deleted pictures be viewed by admins in the same way that deleted articles can? --_ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 07:52, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Yes. --ais523 08:56, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

Yes, they can. Anything that is deleted on Wikipedia can be restored (only a few exceptions), and so admins can preview what they are restoring before actually restoring it. +spebi ~ 08:56, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

On a side note, deleted images were lost forever for the first few years of the site until a software upgrade in late 2005. See related Signpost article. - Banyan Tree 02:08, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Need help archiving

Could someone take a look at User Talk:Feba and straighten out my archiving system into something more logical for me? I'm not quite sure how to do it, I'd prefer is someone else could just set it up for me. Thanks, --_ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 08:33, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

I've fixed your archive system – see my reply on your talk page. +spebi ~ 08:46, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] I want to use same login account to edit/ publish articles in two different languages

Dear Friends,

I want to use same login account to edit/ publish articles in two different languages i.e. in Sinhala and English. I have already an account for edit sinhala pages. But I cant edit english pages using the same account. If I have to use two different accounts, it will be little bit difficult to handle things. Also I want to upload or publish or place video files. How can I do it?

Prabath. My E_mail: (email removed for security purposes)

You've just made the most requested feature request in the history of Wikipedia: see bugzilla:57 (it's proving quite hard to implement). In the meantime, you'll have to create separate accounts; if and when that bug is ever fixed, it'll help if you use the same username and email address on each account. --ais523 09:16, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

As for your followup question; see the file upload wizard. If you want to upload media under a free use licence, you may want to upload it to Wikipedia's sister project Wikimedia Commons, where all the different language versions of Wikipedia can include images from. --ais523 09:20, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

I have tried to make account in English with same user name "Prabath" but unfortunately there seems another user with that name.

If another user's using exactly the same name, you'll have to choose a different one. User:Prabath has no edits, so there's also the possibility of asking for the username to be usurped, but this is a slow process that's normally rejected for new contributors, and you'd have to have a different username meanwhile anyway. (If you want a name that's similar but not quite the same as an existing username, see WP:ACC.) --ais523 10:45, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

[edit] Wanna Page Hit counter ...

Dear Wikipedia Group,

I request you ("if possible") to please add a page hit counter.

Want to know where the world is heading.

Regards, Vicky —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 125.17.142.34 (talk • contribs).

Hi Vicky and welcome to Wikipedia. Unfortunately, hit counters on Wikipedia have been disabled, due to them affecting server performance. However, there is a list on the the Top 10 most visited Wikipedia articles, but I cannot track down the exact URL. +spebi ~ 10:17, 28 June 2007 (UTC) someone help me out here?

Special:Statistics has a top 100 chart... er it seems to be broken now but it usually works. Top of the list is normally Main Page (duh!), Wiki and Wikipedia, then whatever is in the news (was Spider-Man 3 a month or two ago when I last looked), and of course List of sex positions. --h2g2bob (talk) 11:55, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] cars

where and when did car racing start? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 122.163.92.158 (talk) 10:28, 28 June 2007

See Auto racing#History. In the future, please use Reference Desk for knowledge question. Jacek Kendysz 10:43, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] animal

which runs fast, a cat or a squirrel?

Try asking at WP:RD/S --h2g2bob (talk) 11:49, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Problem changing my password

I enter the preferences menu then I enter my old password then th new one two times then save and...

Internal error Invalid NULL return from broken hook logPrefsPassword

Backtrace:

0 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/SpecialPreferences.php(227): wfRunHooks('PrefsPasswordAu...', Array)
1 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/SpecialPreferences.php(117): PreferencesForm->savePreferences()
2 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/SpecialPreferences.php(14): PreferencesForm->execute()
3 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/SpecialPage.php(653): wfSpecialPreferences(NULL, Object(SpecialPage))
4 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/SpecialPage.php(459): SpecialPage->execute(NULL)
5 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/Wiki.php(203): SpecialPage::executePath(Object(Title))
6 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/includes/Wiki.php(45): MediaWiki->initializeSpecialCases(Object(Title), Object(OutputPage), Object(WebRequest))
7 /usr/local/apache/common-local/php-1.5/index.php(89): MediaWiki->initialize(Object(Title), Object(OutputPage), Object(User), Object(WebRequest))
8 /usr/local/apache/common-local/live-1.5/index.php(3): require('/usr/local/apac...')
9 {main}

Peterroumian 11:08, 28 June 2007 (UTC) preterroumian

I believe that there is a bug that causes the problem. There is a section somewhere above, it explains better. -Zacharycrimsonwolf 13:32, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Its here. Take a look. I think it may be the same bug that causes problems when you're changing your password or e-mail address. Cheers!!! -Zacharycrimsonwolf 13:40, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

It was first asked here. That user didn't get any answer... 70.233.167.83 16:29, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ursula Andress Talk Page

More than a month ago, I made a proposal on the Ursula Andress talk page to remove the Infobox photo on the article page.

Not one person has bothered to add a comment.

As nobody has disagreed with me, can I, therefore, go ahead and remove the photo ?

87.243.196.167 11:14, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Image:Consensus_new_and_old.svg

Usually, yes, unless there has already been a number of discussions on the past over it, WP:CONSENSUS does change over time, and if nobody objects, it's safe to change something. See the image on the right side of this section for a good example of how to proceed when you're not sure what the community wants. --_ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 11:33, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

I'd say Yes. Any responses would happen within about a week - after that just go ahead. In fact, for most things just go ahead and fix it - if someone disagrees they can easily revert and discuss --h2g2bob (talk) 11:34, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

One month is nothing - some articles haven't been edited since 2004 :-) You might like to get yourself an account - it's free! --h2g2bob (talk) 11:46, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

And that page hasn't been updated since December 2006! All articles I examined had edits since then. PrimeHunter 14:05, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

And PrimeHunter, could you please explain what makes you think the page hasn't been updated since 2006? Corvus cornix 17:17, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

"That page" referred to the just linked Special:Ancientpages with a piped link that said it listed articles that "haven't been edited since 2004". However, Special:Ancientpages says "last updated 04:54, 29 December 2006", and the listed articles have been updated in 2007. PrimeHunter 03:33, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

OK, thanks for the explanation. Corvus cornix 18:18, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

I've restored the image. The anon removed it because they felt it showed her as she looks today. So? Wikipedia is not censored, his apparent disgust with her "haggard and old" is ageist. The image is available for use, there's nothing wrong with it, they didn't replace it with a different image. Corvus cornix 17:15, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Can I delete the search history

How can I delete the search history? Everything I ever typed appears in a list underneath the search bar, even though I have cleared the explorer tools files. 84.64.223.91 14:02, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

This is something that would be specific to whatever browser you are using. You could try clearing your cache, but also you can hover over the things you want to delete, and just hit the delete key. I know this trick works in Firefox, but I'm not sure if it will work on your browser. tiZom_(2¢) 15:54, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Mukwonago

I am writing only to let you know that I believe the River in Mukwonago, Wisconsin is a part of the Fox River. I lived in Mukwonago for 30 years and I do not remember it being called the Mukwonago River. Could someone check this please? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Monroek (talk • contribs)

Well, this is a wiki, so you could certainly edit it yourself if you feel something is wrong. To be honest, none of us here are more qualified than any other editor to do such fact checks. In fact, having lived there, you've probably got access to more resources than we do.

If you don't want to edit the article yourself, then just ask your question on the article's talk page, and someone who is interested/knowledgeable of that subject will eventually be by to take care of it. tiZom_(2¢) 15:54, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ophone

Is the article oPhone approiate for wikipedia? Thedjatclubrock :) (talk) 14:51, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Well, my answer is "no", since it looks like nonsense. I've tagged it for speedy deletion. Charlie-talk to me<;/span>-what I've done 15:24, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] History

Can you see the history of a deleted article?

No, not unless you are a sysop. —« ANIMUM » 15:40, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

However, except in some cases such as copyright violation and personal attacks, you can request to see a deleted article at WP:DRV. --ais523 15:50, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

[edit] Trapped in glitchy skin

I'm trapped in Chick and I can't get out. This is a seriously irritating skin, and I don't seem to be able to select or click some things, including the option to change the skin back! Using tab I can get to the 'change skin' page, but nothing I do will let me select the circle for anything other than Chick! Help! Skittle 15:58, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Use this link to change your skin back: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences?useskin=monobook. (It loads your preferences with a skin override set to Monobook, where you can save the skin change and make it permanent.) --ais523 15:59, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

Thank you sooooo much :-D Is that link available because this is a common problem, or do you just have a technique for making such things? Skittle 16:09, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

I think the skin override is most likely to have been implemented for seeing what pages look like in various skins (it's how the preview links work on the preferences), but I don't know this for sure and it's certainly handy for changing back from skins. I do know that that particular link (or possibly a slight variation on it that does the same thing) is in the FAQ at the top of the technical Village Pump, although I'm not sure if it's in the main FAQ, so presumably it's a common problem but people normally go there rather than to the Help Desk to seek a solution. --ais523 16:14, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

Ah, I see. The FAQ didn't appear to be working, somehow, when I looked, and the preview links don't stick if you navigate away from the main page! But it's good to know there are measures in place. I thought I remembered hearing about a similar problem a while ago. That's one link that'll end up on my user page for future use! Thanks ais. Skittle 16:24, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 23 September 2012

What is expected to happen on September 23, 2012? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 130.76.64.93 (talk)

There seems to be no relevant information in the relevant article 2012. You might want to try asking at the reference desk; this help desk is for questions about Wikipedia, not general knowledge questions. --ais523 16:15, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

I plan on lunch at least.--Alf ^melmac 16:16, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Well it's a few months before the end of the world, so I'd assume we'll be panicking, staring up at the moon, and quietly muttering "Three months..." over and over to ourselves. I could of course be wrong. --_ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 16:29, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Try Google.[1] One of the hits says Xu Zerong is due to be released from Guangzhou Prison on September 23, 2012.[2] Maybe he is notable enough for an article which should then discuss his case [3] and expected early release [4] (but I'm not going to write it). PrimeHunter 23:44, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How do I report a user?

User Yankees10 continues to change the team colors for Dave Winfield when the wikipedia community had already agreed that he should be shown as a San Diego Padre based on the body of his career and his Hall of Fame cap. How do we get this user to stop making these changes?

If he is actually breaking policy, you can report it one of two ways. If it's simple and obvious WP:VANDALism, then take it to WP:AIV and let them deal with it. If it's a disagreement, or something more complex, which is what this seems to be, bring it up at WP:ANI, which will let experienced users and admins comment on it and warn/block the user if needed --_ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 16:26, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

The community never voted on what color to use for his infobox, that was only Reggie Jackson, and Jeff Nelson, he is making it only his decision on what color to use, and it is the same situation with Gary Carter, he has a Expos cap on his Hall of fame plaque, and has Mets colors on his Infobox. Hee clearly doesnt know what hes doing because he doesnt sign his name at the end.--Yankees10 16:31, 28 June 2007 (UTC)Yankees10

This guy clearly doesnt like the Yankees, because he changed all the infoboxes that had Yankee colors to other colors, even when they spent most of there time with the Yankees, If theres anyone that needs to be blocked its him--Yankees10 16:43, 28 June 2007 (UTC)Yankees10

Please, this isn't the place for dispute resolution. See Wikipedia:Dispute resolution, or contact the administrators' incident noticeboard if you think that the other user is being sufficiently disruptive to warrant a block. --ais523 16:47, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

[edit] Can't create an article

I would like to create an article about a lighting company called "Zero 88". However when I search loads of results come back with the term "zero" in so I can't just click create a page and can't see a link to the non existant page yet.

What can I do!?

See WP:FIRST, although you should also see WP:N and WP:COI before you create an article about a business --_ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 16:58, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

This still doesn't tell me how to create n rticle

There's a box to create an article at the top of Help:Creating a new page if you really need it, but a better method is by introducing a link to the nonexistent article in some article it would be relevant from and then clicking on it. (If there is no such article to link from, then creating the article in the first place may be a bad idea.) --ais523 17:29, 28 June 2007 (U T C)

To repeat the advice above, please review Notability before proceeding, as well as Conflict of Interest. Jim Dunning | talk 17:36, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] USA Volleyball Logo

Hello

I looked up the USA Volleyball Logo this morning. The logo was designed by Nonie Beal and myself in 1981 prior to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles when the men's team took the gold under the amazing coaching of Doug Beal (the current Executive Director). Is there any way we can both be credited on Wikapedia for the design of the logomark?

Lois Harrington (12:14, June 28, 2007)

If you're talking about this logo, then an appropriate contribution could be added to the USA Volleyball article. However, a reliable source would have to be provided and cited properly. The information couldn't be added just on your say-so (not questioning your veracity or intentions, that's just WP policy). You may also want to review COI before proceeding. If it looks like this info can be appropriately added, the information will be appreciated. I tried to do the adding myself, but was unable to find a reliable source that supports your statement; hope you have better luck. Jim Dunning | talk 17:34, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Some editing of the attacked article Red army crimes in Lithuania like the whole category Red army crimes articles is needed

Hilfe.

Ttturbo 17:29, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Can you be more specific about the help you need with editing? Respond here or on my Talk page. I've left a message on your Talk page as well. Jim Dunning | talk 17:41, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Apparently there's some disagreement among some editors of this article about an AfD process that is ongoing. Ttturbo needs to leave comments at Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Red_army_crimes_in_Lithuania instead of just removing the AfD tag. Ttturbo, please review the WP:3RR policy. Jim Dunning | talk 17:52, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

ATTENTION - Some slavians -Mikkalaj, Alex Bakharev, IgorSF, Pavel... and not only they started real attack against the article Red army crimes in Lithuania. (in 1945 March Red Army officer killed my grandmother)

Look at Articles for deletion/Red army crimes in Lithuania discussion.

Who will write the articles - Red army crimes in Afganistan, Red Army crimes in Georgia, Red army crimes in Baku, Red army crimes in Karaganda, Red Army crimes in Praha (or Chechoslovakia), Red army crimes in Budapest( or Hungary), Red army crimes in Germany, Red Army crimes in Ukraina, Red army crimes in Latvia, Red army crimes in Estonia, Red army crimes in Finland, Red army crimes in Chechnia, Red Army crimes in Belorussia, Red Army crimes in Asia republics - Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kirgistan, Uzbekistan Red army crimes in Poland, GRU crimes? Category - Red army crimes is needed

Ttturbo 23:02, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

How to make redirect from Red army crimes in Ukraina to Red Army crimes in Ukraina?

Ttturbo 01:12, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

This really isn't the place for this, the Help Desk isn't a battlefield--VectorPotential^Talk 23:19, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

I don't see anything there that requires the assistance of the Help desk - we deal with problems in using wikipedia - we don't take sides in context disputes. --Fredrick day 23:20, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Note - For editor's awareness, Ttturbo has just edited this section header to include the whole category Red army crimes articles, which is a category he just created. It is disengenuous to claim that Category:Red Army crimes is under attack, when he did not even create it until after the AfD on this article had begun, and smacks of WP:POINT. -- Kesh 01:21, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

I claim that only the article red Army crimes is under attck, not the whole category. You made mistake at a midnight. But why do You started attack against the whole cattegory?Ttturbo 02:27, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

By using the word "like" you imply that the category is also being attacked. I get the impression English is not your native language, so that may be the source of your confusion. And I did not attack the category. All I've done is point out you created it after the AfD began, and made the people here and in AfD aware of that. -- Kesh 02:30, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ukrainian language searches not using cyrillic alphabet

I know Ukrainian, but am typing froman American PC. How can I download the cyrillic alphabet to coordinate with my english language keys to be able to do search queries on the Ukrainian Wickipedia website?

See this. Tim Q. Wells 17:57, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] MOVING AN ARTICLE

I've made (alas) a double redirect and cannot think how to fix it.

The actual article to be redirected to is Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan NOT Nguyen Huu Thi Lan -- but the latter has popped up as an interim redirect. Can somebody help? I've made all the proper link redirects, to the former name.Kitchawan 18:28, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

If I follow correctly, just change the redirect on the article from Nguyen Huu Thi Lan to Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan. - Zeibura ^(Talk) 18:30, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Removing a redirect (2)

I used List of gas stations as a humorous example of an "indiscriminate list" in an AFD and was shocked to find it was not a redlink. In fact it redirects to List of automotive fuel brands. A "gas station" is a building with pumps out front which dispense fuel, with a building where the attendant collects money and sells soda and snacks, with grubby restrooms, and perhaps with a service bay where mechanics work on cars. It is NOT an "automotive fuel brand." How would I go about removing the redirect? Is it an editing process anyone can do, do I request an admin to do it, or do I somehow propose the redirect for deletion? Was there once actually a List of gas stations which went through AFD and was replaced by this inappropriate redirect? Thanks. Edison 18:40, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Redirects for discussion is probably what you are looking for. ^^ ZOUAVMAN LE ZOUAVE 18:45, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

It seems that it was the result of a cut and paste pagemove some time in 2003. It's pretty nonsensical as a redirect, so I've gone ahead and tagged it for speedy deletion. --VectorPotential^Talk 19:30, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! Edison 05:22, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Start my own topic

Hello,

How can I start new topic in Wiki?

I would like to write our software manual entirely in Wiki.

See Help:Creating a new page. -- Kainaw^(what?) 19:37, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

But if your goal is to create a software manual as a wiki (cool idea!), then you wouldn't be creating it on Wikipedia, since it'll get deleted as not being an encyclopedia article. Instead, you'd want to set up a separate wiki for it... see MediaWiki for detailed instructions and software for how to do that. -FisherQueen (Talk) 20:35, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

If you want to use MediaWiki as your personal editor, see mw:Manual:Wiki on a stick. It's fairly simple to install MediaWiki on your own computer, accessible locally from your Web browser. However, to publish your manual so other people can see it, you would need to copy your manual's wiki pages to a public wiki. Setting up and administering your own public wiki is a big job. If you can find an existing wiki which will accept your content, editing on an existing wiki is much easier than setting up a new one. You can search for wikis on WikiIndex. If you are writing a manual for an open-source software project, there are several wikis you can probably use, for example: Free and Open Source Software Wiki. If you are writing a manual for a commercial software project, your company should (probably) set up its own wiki. --Teratornis 23:38, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] article completed but not found on the site

I was logged in and created an article. The article is complete and I'm trying to google search it on wikipedia and search within the wikipedia site and it's not identified/coming up. Has the article been published and if not how do I complete that process? Kathleen baldwin 19:34, 28 June 2007 (UTC) Kathleen baldwin

Are you looking for Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science? -- Kainaw^(what?) 19:36, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Deleted Entry:SnapVillage

Hi,

A recent entry was deleted to which was flagged as purely advertising a product/company. To my understanding the entry (SnapVillage) can be 'fundamentally rewritten in order to become encyclopedic.'

I read that it was a good idea not to just post again and to ask to be able to repost. Please let me know if this would be ok to rewrite my entry so that it is not promotional and just factual.

thanks, --Snapman1020 20:03, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Before you try, you should carefully read both WP:ORG and WP:COI. If the company meets the notability criteria, and if you are not personally associated with the company, then you can explain your reasoning at Deletion Review and request that the article be undeleted so you can rewrite it. -FisherQueen (Talk) 20:32, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How do I delete my account?

I never use my account so, how do I delete it?

Sausageracer 20:18, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

You can't delete accounts, unfortunately. Why do you want to? - Zeibura ^(Talk) 20:29, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Article removal request

My wikipedia page is being continuously misrepresented and vandalised. I would like to remove my page from the site as I beleive I am being staulked. Can you help me with this?

68.33.118.103 21:07, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Which page are you talking about? We can't remove it without knowing the name. --tjstrf talk 21:12, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

This IP has tried to completely blank Katherine Hadford several times today. No idea why, or what on the article is a problem for her, or whether she really is Katherine Hadford or not. There seems to be some dispute about whether she is Hungarian or Hungarian-American, and when she started competing internationally, and this IP's contribution to the discussion on the talk page is less than fully civil. -FisherQueen (Talk) 22:02, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

68.33.118.103, we have no way of knowing who you really are. To fix the page, please present sources (such as newspaper articles, press releases, etc) which back up your claims. Please do this in a civil fashion on Talk:Katherine Hadford, and they will be included. You may alternatively email Wikipedia, but it is a lot faster to fix stuff using the talk page. --h2g2bob (talk) 02:44, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Kate's Tool

Whatever happened to Kate's Tool? It was the original and only edit counter for years, but it's now broken. Kevinwong913 ^{Speak out loud!} 21:19, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Try using wannabe_kate which is a substitute for Kate's Tool which is currently not much used anymore. E ^talk 21:42, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Server replication lag caused it. (If you want to know what that means, please ask someone else as I am not that technically apt. :-) .) —« ANIMUM » 21:42, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Add details

Pls inform me how to add details on a famous law corporation in your web

See Wikipedia:Creating an article. E ^talk 21:45, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Porno

How does one get rid of the porno on the History page. When the lines of porno are removed it just shows up again as a revision. I want the porno no where on my site, not in history, no anywhere. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Samgallo (talk • contribs).

See Help:Page history for information on history pages. History can not be removed without an administrator deleting the page. E ^talk 21:44, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Users with oversight can remove edits from history, but on Wikipedia that is only used in special cases as listed on the oversight page. ssepp^(talk) 21:50, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

This page is for questions about using Wikipedia. If by "my site" you mean that you run your own wiki with MediaWiki software then see mw:Extension:Oversight. PrimeHunter 22:46, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "Create Page" button

I am trying to create a new page, and the tutorial says I need to click on the "Create Page" button. However, I cannot find it. Where is it? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Mehubb (talk • contribs) 21:45, 28 June 2007.

It will be on the page when you go to it if it has not yet been created. Have a read of Wikipedia:Creating an article, which may help. E ^talk 21:48, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Except that the creation of new pages is disabled for very new editors. I see you created your account today. You'll have to wait a few days, I'm afraid. In the meantime, feel free to improve existing pages. Happy editing. ElinorD (talk) 21:50, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Are you sure about that? I thought auto-confirmed only gave you move and upload. Prodego ^talk 22:07, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

And to call it a button is a misnomer. It's just a link that says "create this page". Dismas|^(talk) 22:12, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

The auto-confirmed flag has nothing to do with page creation, any registered user can create a page, however new users will have to fill out a CAPTCHA if their article contains any external links.--VectorPotential^Talk 22:17, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Deleted article with no paper trail

I submitted a short article entitled "Boom Event" and also recommended (because of automated recommendations) that the phrase be put on the Wiktionary, and it appears to have been deleted without a paper trail, audit trail, log, or any reason whatsoever. Please be assured that as an automation industry security expert, industry spokesperson, standards committee(s) voting member, and author of various security white papers and manuals, that this is not a matter that should be taken lightly. I would appreciate an explanation of why the entry disappeared and the rationale for doing so. Richardhclark 22:16, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

According to the deletion log here it was deleted under WP:CSD#A1. ssepp^(talk) 22:21, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

It seems that it was a definition of the word rather than a real article. It might meet the standards of inclusion on Wiktionary, I'm not sure. ssepp^(talk) 22:33, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Not seeing how to add a request for editing a page that has been blocked from editing.

I don't see where to make a request how to edit the "Animal Farm," page. It has been restricted from editing, and I did not see how to do this in the FAQ or general instructions. I am sure it is in there somewhere, so it will be perfectly fine if you can direct me to the section for further instruction.

Thank you. -- Vitalymak 22:37, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

It has been semi-protected, see Wikipedia:Protection policy. Note that if you edit with an account that is a few (4?) days old you can edit all semi-protected articles directly. ssepp^(talk) 22:40, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Although if you'd rather not register an account, you can always use {{editprotected}} on the talk page of the article, and someone else will come along to make the edit for you, although seeing as how you already have an account, you could just wait 4 days and then you'll be able to edit them yourself--VectorPotential^Talk 22:44, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Luther Lassiter

I am Luther Lassiter's niece. I read the article you have here, and there are some things that were left out regarding his later years that I think need to be rewritten. If there is anything I can do to help you address this, please let me know. I have read several articles recently that are completely incorrect, and I just want to get it all corrected. Thank you for your help.

Tracy Lassiter Polk

The best thing to do is to point out those errors on the article's Talk page, along with links/references to publications where we can see the facts for ourselves. Unfortunately, we can't simply take your word for it. We need verifiable sources of information. If there is unsourced information in the article you feel is incorrect, please bring it up on the Talk page and folks will help from there. -- Kesh 00:20, 29 June 2007 (UTC)