Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2007 October 2

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[edit] October 2

[edit] changing ip to username

Hi

I've made some edits but realise I was not signed in. Is it possible to assign my username to those edits I made that currently display only my IP.

Thanks!

Hello. No it is not possible for a simple reason: nobody can prove that you're the contributor which made this contributions. Sorry. Martial BACQUET 22:04, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Login problems

Hi, I created a new account for myself. The problem is whenever I try to, say, use the "Upload file" page (after I've already logged in), the site tells me I need to log in. I do that and then when I try the "Upload file" page (or any other page that would require the user to login), I'm again requested to log in. I cannot get past that. I have cookies allowed on my browser and I've used other websites that require the user to login without problems. Can you help?

Thanks!

67.142.130.21 01:04, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Try using the secure server to log in. You appear to be on a shared IP address whose proxy settings are causing you to immediately log out. Using the secure server should bypass that proxy. Hersfold (t/a/c) 02:10, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Erasmus School of Primary Education

Today 2-10-07 I checked the page "Erasmus School of Primary Education" that I created many months ago and found a message: "It is proposed that this article be deleted because of the following concern:

   Does not appear to meet Wikipedia's notability criteria "

I don't really understand what is required to have it be notable. I did read the notability criteria article but it was not clear what I had to do.

What I have done is go through matching pages of other schools to see what may be the difference and the one thing that stood out was the References section. I have now added a References section to the page "Erasmus School of Primary Education".

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated

with love

Fernando 03:06, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Well, to be a notable subject, it must have recived significant coverage, that can be verified by reliable sources. In this instance, you need to prove, with external sources, that this school is worthy of note. If there are articles about this school, you can use them as references that will assert notability. Hope that helps. i said 06:28, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] missing Laserium article

there was an article on the Laserium entertainment brand, which has existed for thirty years and founded the laser entertainment industry worldwide, and which is still active and expanding.

why did this article dissappear completely? the artical was neutral and descriptive. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.62.56.63 (talk) 04:17, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I went to Laserium, and its entry in the deletion log pointed me to a recent deletion discussion which seems to suggest that the article (a) was not neutral, but rather read like an ad for the company, and (b) did not provide sufficient evidence of notability. As the result of the AfD included a note that there would be no prejudice towards recreation, if you want to rewrite the article you can submit it to Wikipedia:Articles for creation, or equivalently register a username and create it yourself, as long as you make sure this time it cites its sources. Confusing Manifestation 04:51, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Moving a talk page

Resolved.

The page University of Dayton South Student Neighborhood was moved a couple months back to University of Dayton Ghetto after a discussion among the editors on the page. However, the talk page is still at Talk:University of Dayton South Student Neighborhood, and the system won't let me move it without administrator help - it gives me the message "The page could not be moved: a page of that name already exists, or the name you have chosen is not valid. Please choose another name, or use Requested moves to ask an administrator to help you with the move. Do not manually move the article by copying and pasting it; the page history must be moved along with the article text." Am I doing something wrong, or do I need to get admin help? Thanks for any help in advance. Newsboy85 05:32, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Erk. It looks like instead of moving Talk:University of Dayton South Student Neighborhood to Talk:University of Dayton Ghetto, as should have happened when the main article moved, someone put in a redirect from Talk:University of Dayton Ghetto back to the original talk page. It seems to be uncontroversial. I'm going to do some digging just to make sure, and then I'll list it at WP:RM — Timotab Timothy (not Tim dagnabbit!) 06:16, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
It's been moved a couple of times and got messed up. I'm creating a timeline to try and sort this out. — Timotab Timothy (not Tim dagnabbit!) 06:22, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, I moved it four months ago. I posted a couple of times about the move to the talk page, since I saw that it had been moved before, but there didn't seem to be any more controversy. I don't know what went wrong, whether it was my error or if the redirect on the Ghetto talk page got in the way. Newsboy85 06:27, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
It looks like someone commented on the talk page that has the redirect on it, and that you can only move onto a redirect if the redirect is the only thing in the history (for GFDL reasons). It's entirely possible you missed that it didn't get moved when you moved the article. I've requested that it be moved[1]. — Timotab Timothy (not Tim dagnabbit!) 06:48, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Thanks for your help. Newsboy85 06:59, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Move complete. — Timotab Timothy (not Tim dagnabbit!) 15:02, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] how do I indicate a reference?

I want to indicate that the material on Eduardo Arias is from a New York Times article. How do I indicate this as a reference so that no one accuses me of original research? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Minaker (talk • contribs) 06:02, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

After the material you get from a source, you'll type <ref> </ref> tags. Between the tags, you will type what will appear in the footnote. Make sure there is a header for references, and a {{reflist}} or some other template there. There are many other ways to do this, see WP:CITE for all. i said 06:25, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Also see WP:FOOT and WP:CITET. --Teratornis 15:16, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Trying to delete an article I created

I recently created an article for a friend of mine - Jeffrey Stern. He asked me to delete it saying he didn't feel comfortable with it. I think he tried to do it himself but failed. Can someone nominate it for deletion properly? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rangerkeeper (talk • contribs) 06:05, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

It has been tagged for speedy deletion, and should be deleted shortly. Hopefully the deleting admin will also delete the AfD. i said 06:23, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] states& their capitals in india

i cant find how can i??




regards, Sonakshi Agarwal your user —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.88.176.10 (talk) 07:38, 2 October 2007 (UTC)


In general, if you can't find something and know the generic term, you should look there. In your special case, you are searching something about India. Therefore you should look within the India article. There you will find a List of the states of India with links to articles about each of them, where you can find the capitals.--Thw1309 09:39, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
List of Indian state and union territory capitals may help. I found it with this Google search on Wikipedia. --Teratornis 15:19, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Disputed images

Moved to WP:VPP#Disputed images - this is a question about policy. Od Mishehu 10:11, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] julia robert

i woul like to know about her sedme more about her one email email removed —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.49.89.79 (talk) 09:22, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Then I suggest you search for the article. The search box in the left side will most likely give you the page you were looking for. --Pekaje 11:33, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Wikipedia has no article about a Julia Robert; that's a redirect to the Julia Roberts article. Her article contains plenty of information about the famous American actress, if that is the person you mean. --Teratornis 15:22, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How to contact someone who has edited a page

I have just looked up my godfather, Robert, Lord Chalmers. His entry notes that it was edited on 22 July 2007. His entry on Peerage.com has also been edited during 2007.It would be very interesting to make contact with whoever did the editing, as I am reviewing Lord Chalmers' entry in the Register of Oriel College, Oxford. Robin Harland via <email removed for your security> —Preceding unsigned comment added by Robin Harland (talk • contribs) 11:36, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

When you look in the history to see when it was edited, you will also see the name of the editors. Next to each name is a "talk" tab that will direct you to the talk page of the specific editor. You can leave a message for him or her there. Some Wikipedia editors accept e-mail as well. If you do not hear back from the editor within a few days, you might want to look for "e-mail this user" under the toolbox to try to contact the individual that way. --Moonriddengirl 11:43, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
In the meantime, I've removed your email address from this page, as Wikipedia pages are widely spread all over the internet and very visible to spammers and other people with less-than-benevolent intentions. We are only able to provide answers on Wikipedia anyway, so it won't much help you in getting a response. Hersfold (t/a/c) 13:58, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup

I am trying to find the full list of past winners.

The list I have brought up is said to be incomplete and followed by "..you can help by expanding it".

What doesthat mean, how do I do that?––— —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.35.100.211 (talk) 12:31, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

That just means that the list still needs some work (I notice that some large sections are missing, i.e. from 1996-1999), and we need editors such as you to help improve it. If you're willing, you can click on the "edit this page" link at the top of the page and modify the article to include this missing information - that's the whole purpose of a Wiki. For more information, check out Help:Editing. If you're really interested in becoming a regular contributor, you may also want to consider creating an account. Hersfold (t/a/c) 13:55, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
It means that the list is incomplete, as it says. It continues with "you can help by expanding it" because Wikipedia is a wiki encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Each article is written by volunteer editors. You can contribute by editing the list. Obviously, that's not feasible if you yourself are looking for the complete list, but perhaps if you do find it you could add it to the article. Leebo T/C 13:55, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Authors???

How do you cite wikipedia on aworks cited page if there's no author???

13:27, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia, which provides a range of citations in various styles for you. Please note, however, that many teachers or professors do not consider Wikipedia to be a reliable or acceptable source for information. Hersfold (t/a/c) 13:48, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] how to get

how can i get it at my home —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.89.73.25 (talk) 13:40, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I'm afraid I don't understand your question. If you're asking how to get to Wikipedia from your home computer, go to http://en.wikipedia.org . If you can't edit from home because you are blocked, please review our blocking policy and wait for the block to expire, or follow the instructions on that page to request an unblock. If you're asking about something not related to Wikipedia, then I'm afraid you're in the wrong place. Factual questions should go to the Reference Desk and should be clearly worded. I hope something here helped out, if not, please feel free to post again. Hersfold (t/a/c) 13:51, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Specifically, the problem with your sentence is that you used the pronoun "it" without defining the referent anywhere. That is, you did not state the noun or noun phrase that the word "it" should stand for. Here are some examples of how to use the word "it" properly:
  • I have a dog, and it barks. ("Dog" is the referent of "it" and appears first.)
  • It's impossible to guess what an unreferenced "it" means. ("To guess" is the referent of "it" and appears afterward.)
And by the way, the habit of using too many unreferenced pronouns is one of the symptoms of early Alzheimer's disease, as the victim's brain deteriorates and he or she has trouble remembering nouns - but I am not giving medical advice here, just recounting a random yet disturbingly interesting fact. --Teratornis 15:34, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Must be a lot of Alzheimer's in songwriters: It's raining again, It's raining men, It's all over now, etc lol --Dweller 15:46, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

That "it without a referent" is a peculiarity of English. In Esperanto, for example, you don't say "Ĝi pluvas" (It is raining); you just say "Pluvas" (Is raining), with the noun "rain" sort of inherent in the verb. --Orange Mike 15:52, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wiki Tools Available?

Do you know if there is a wiki validator out there and a wiki spell checker?

--156.77.108.70 16:34, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I'm not really clear on what you mean, partly because of your use of the word "wiki" without any more specification. Wikipedia has a group of editors who work together to develop tools, called Wikipedia:WikiProject User scripts. These scripts have a lot of different functions, but I'm pretty sure you need to create an account to use any of them. If you are talking about wikis in general, I'm really not sure. Wikipedia can't really offer much advice on the specifics of other wikis without knowing which ones you mean. Leebo T/C 16:45, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Sorry, I do have an account I didnt realize I had not signed in. I am developing a wiki for a company, my thought is when I leave it would be nice to have some tools that would allow people to know, though a wiki validator type tool to know exactly what mistakes have been made and also a wiki type spell check to make sure spelling is correct.

--Gawatkin 17:04, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I'm not sure if there is any function of the MediaWiki software (or another platform you might be using) that would assist with those goals. For spell-checking, I typically use Firefox with a spellcheck extension, but I don't know of wiki-specific tools like that. Leebo T/C 17:07, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Question

Hi,

I have attempted to enter my password a number of times and all I get is rejection of the password. Please have a good Thanksgiving. Neil Hill <email removed for protection> —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.187.140.76 (talk) 17:26, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Hello, never give up your email on Wikipedia. I'll contact an administrator for your password. Martial BACQUET 17:32, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Have you try to reset your password? On the Login Page, enter your username then click on Email New Password. It will send you a new password. If you have not provide your email in your account, I think you have to create a new one. Martial BACQUET 17:37, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
An administrator can not get a password for you. As indicated, you can request a new password if you enabled email, but if not you will have to create a new account. Leebo T/C 17:42, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Submitting an entry by attachment

My question is whether or not it is possible to submit an entry by attachmen I have a seve-page entry about "Action in the Afternoon," the only live-outdoor western ever on network television, aired in 1953 by CBS-Tv. I'm 81 years old--and was one of the directors on the show--and having to type the whole thing again would be a true chore.

Can entries be submitted by using an attachment? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.118.205.133 (talk) 17:56, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

No, things have to be formatted in the proper way to fit our style and standards. In any case, I hate to say this, but it sounds like this would be highly unsuitable for Wikipedia. We specialize in collecting already published materials, not in new information. --Orange Mike 18:02, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Would the attachment be a text document? If it is, you could probably copy/paste it and someone else could handle formatting, assuming it did comply with our policies and guidelines. Would that be feasible? Leebo T/C 18:06, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
I can well imagine, if the article does not fit our guidelines (linked in Leebo's note just above mine) that there would be many outlets for such an article. :) If you determine it isn't the kind of article that Wikipedia hosts, you might want to look into print publications to see if there is an appropriate home for it there. --Moonriddengirl 18:09, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Google:"Action in the afternoon" finds some interesting links. There are lots of wikis about television; see: wikiindex:Category:Television. For example, The TV IV claims to want information about every television show. Odds are, they won't be as persnickety as Wikipedia when it comes to original content and so on. You or someone else will still have to format your document as wikitext, but that's no problem if you find a fellow TV enthusiast to help. Also see: Wikipedia:WikiProject Television. --Teratornis 19:39, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Turkish Language page is broken

Could someone take a look at Turkish Language and figure out why the info box isn't working properly? I've looked it over and can't seem to find a darn thing wrong with it, but obviously something is. Thanks. Hersfold (t/a/c) 19:15, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Never mind, already fixed. Hersfold (t/a/c) 19:15, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Chuck Yeager

Why are my edits not showing up?

You have all sorts of misinformation re Chuck Yeager and Mrs. Yeager. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Scott1012007 (talk • contribs) 19:53, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

what sorts of misinformation? --Fredrick day 20:04, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
  • You removed references, external links and properly referenced information. Because of that your edits got reverted. None of the info you removed appears to be misinformation, so I suggest you explain your reasoning on the article's discussion page and come to an agreement with other editors. - Mgm|(talk) 20:06, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
(edit conflict due to server lock) Your edits have been recorded, see the article's history, but they are being reverted by other editors who view your edits as vandalism. Removal of large sections of referenced information needs to be backed up with an adequate explanation on the talk page first. You received two notices on your user talk page about this. I'd suggest you speak to the editors who reverted your edits to explain your actions, and see if some consensus can be reached regarding what you view as misinformation. Hersfold (t/a/c) 20:07, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
(After third edit conflict and maybe gilding the lily therefore, but...) Your edits have been reverted by other users. Please the revision history of the article. You can access this yourself for any article and most other types of pages by clicking the "history" tab at the top of the page. According to the edit summaries left, it appears that your edits replaced cited material with your own, unverified statements. This does not necessarily mean that your corrections weren't accurate (I didn't explore them), but that material on Wikipedia must be verified through citation to reliable sources.--Fuhghettaboutit —Preceding signed but undated comment was added at 20:14, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] New Template request

I need help creating a new template for infant age or possibly a combination birth date and age template. I have looked at the templates at Category:Date mathematics templates. I think a template converted age for infants under 1 year to ## mos. and ## days and switched to ## yrs and ## mos. from say 1-3 and then just years above. However, maybe I need two new templates for {{age in months and days}} and {{Age in years and months}}. Where can I seek such help. I have sought help at

  1. {{Birth date and age}} - Template_talk:Birth_date_and_age#Infant_parameterization
  2. {{Age in years and days}} - Template_talk:Age_in_years_and_days#Infant_age
  3. {{User current age}}'s leading editor - User_talk:Alfakim#Infant_age_template

I am now also posting at Category_talk:Date_mathematics_templates#Infant_age, but that page does not have an active edit history.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/tcfkaWCDbwincowtchatlotpsoplrttaDCLaM) 22:10, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I think your request would be better placed at Wikipedia:Requested templates.--Fuhghettaboutit 22:15, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Thanks.--TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/tcfkaWCDbwincowtchatlotpsoplrttaDCLaM) 22:34, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Vinoly Corrections

Hello. Kindly make the following corrections to Rafael Vinoly's bio on your site...


CHANGE: He was educated at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at the University of Buenos Aires, graduating in 1968. TO: He was educated at the University of Buenos Aires, receiving a Diploma in Architeture in 1968 and a Master of Architecture from the School of Architecture and Urbanism in 1969.


CHANGE:He founded the firm Rafael Viñoly Architects PC in 1982. TO: He founded the firm Rafael Viñoly Architects PC in 1983.


Thank you for your kind attention to these requests.

Debra Pickrel, Director, Communications & Public Relations Rafael Vinoly Architects PC 50 Vandam Street New York NY 10013 US T +1 (212) 924-5060 <email address removed by User:ConMan> http://www.rvapc.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 8.14.68.146 (talk) 22:57, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I will do it for you. MindstormsKid 23:01, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Wikipedia encourages all its users to be bold and make changes as they see fit. So, next time, if you see something that ought to be fixed, go ahead and do it! GlassCobra (Review) 23:05, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
Although given the contributor's conflict of interest, it's better to have brought it to attention of uninvolved editors. And I've removed the email address, even if it may be listed on their own website or elsewhere, just in case they don't realise just how much spam that may generate. Confusing Manifestation 02:28, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Question regarding a rude editor

This user http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:70.188.24.125 has been insulting me nonstop despite my trying to calmly explain something to him and I'm just wondering why such a rude person is allowed here to begin with. I'm not the first person he's shown a bad attitude to. He's very egotistical and ill-mannered. Wouldn't it be better for the site if he was permanently banned? Bokan 23:44, 2 October 2007 (UTC)Bokan

I think the guys (and gals) at WP:ANI would be able to help you. --Agüeybaná 23:45, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
As to "why such a rude person is allowed here," you refer to one or (possibly) more people who are editing via an IP address - we cannot be sure how many people are using that address to edit here. The talk page: User talk:70.188.24.125 seems to suggest there might be more than one person involved, perhaps at different times. You may be dealing with one distinct person for all we know. Perhaps the real question is why Wikipedia allows people to edit without creating accounts, which is to say, what are the benefits of this policy that could offset the griefers and vandals it so obviously encourages? It turns out that nobody appears to have actually investigated the issue properly, that is, by trying to determine how many constructive edits this policy generates (that is, how many people will only contribute anonymously, and would not create accounts if that were a requirement), and weigh that against the destructive edits it generates (that is, those destructive edits which would not occur under the mild deterrent of registration). It is not sufficient, of course, merely to count the positive and negative edits by unregistered users currently - we would have to account for the numbers of both who would be deterred if we allowed only registered users to edit. It's also not clear how to compare positive and negative edits - perhaps one negative edit offsets several positive edits, by stressing out the constructive editors and wasting their time, possibly even driving away some positive editors altogether. As far as I can tell, the only way to properly test this question would be to actually require users to log in to edit, for a period of several months, and compare the results to the previous several months. No such test has occurred, but that doesn't stop lots of people from having strong opinions on the subject. For example, our Great Leader has a deep, nonnegotiable commitment to allowing unregistered users to edit, and this goes back to the very beginning of Wikipedia. In the meantime, editing on Wikipedia is not for the faint of heart - the proper mindset is one of sangfroid. See WP:EIW#Conten for links to pages with guidelines for dealing with content disputes, and WP:EIW#Enforc for links to pages about enforcement (for example, WP:BLOCK). Bfigura has substituted the {{Uw-npa3}} warning template onto User talk:70.188.24.125#October 2007, so that IP address will be blocked if one or more people continue to abuse it. --Teratornis 14:57, 3 October 2007 (UTC)