Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2008 January 17
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[edit] January 17
[edit] vandalism
At the beginning of the article "Black Holes" there is a statement about black holes being caused by people - obviously vandalism. But it is only visible when logged out. When I log in and go to the page, the sentence is not there. Nor is it there when I go to 'edit page'. It's very odd. Another editor has noticed it as well - so it is not just me or my computer. Can someone investigate this? Thanks,PhySusie (talk) 01:07, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Not sure what was happening, but a cache WP:PURGE seems to have solved it. Algebraist 01:11, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- The vandalism occured in Template:General relativity. As the page was semi-protected, it seems the semi-protected version was an old cache of some sort. Anyway, seems to be fixed now. Woody (talk) 01:12, 17 January 2008 (UTC) ok.
Thanks!!! Wow that was fast!PhySusie (talk) 01:26, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] How do you add or suggest info for a page? I have important info for a page!!!
Hi I just wanted to know how to add or suggest information for a page. I & many others really love your page on Grand Theft Auto IV. I personally love all of wikipedia's pages. Ive just found some very interesting facts from websites,trailers,& pictures I would like to share with you for your Grand Theft Auto IV page. It's one of the most highly-anticipated games of 2008 & I have information on the release date,pedestrians,gameplay elements & more. Thank you very much no problem if you need help just call me. ok
Wikipedialover,Brandon Pickett
Contact me at <e-mail removed> —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kiddala (talk • contribs) 01:30, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- See Wikipedia:Tutorial (Editing) on how to edit. Please make sure you insert a reliable source for your statements, though. JetLover (talk) (Report a mistake) 01:32, 17 January 2008 (UTC)sorry I was in a middle of something.
-
- Hello there, welcome to the Help Desk! If you can cite your information with reliable, verifiable sources then feel free to add it by clicking the "Edit this page" button at the top-middle of your screen. If you'd like to discuss your addition with other users, just access the page's talk page; for GTA4 it would be here. Cheers, Master of Puppets Call me MoP!☺ 01:35, 17 January 2008 (UTC)so when are you gonna call me when your finish with it.
[edit] Question
How do I make new pages for Wikipedia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Roamin986 (talk • contribs) 02:36, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Welcome to Wikipedia, and the help desk! Thanks for the question! Before creating an article, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject. Please also review a few of our relevant policies and guidelines which all articles should comport with. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite to reliable sources which verify their content and must not contain unsourced, negative content about living people.
- Articles must also demonstrate the notability of the subject. Please see our subject specific guidelines for people, bands and musicians, companies and organizations and web content and note that if you are closely associated with the subject, our conflict of interest guideline strongly recommends against you creating the article.
- If you still think an article is appropriate, see Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:How to write a great article for guidance, and please consider taking a tour through the Wikipedia:Tutorial so that you know how to properly format the article before creation. Master of Puppets Call me MoP!☺ 02:39, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] RE-adminship
Last night apparently my account password was compromised and someone used my account for some nasty vandalism. In the process of stoppping the vandalism the admin status was speedily removed from my account. Where do I go to request reinstatement of admin status? ike9898 (talk) 03:09, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- The bureaucrats noticeboard would be the best place. Woody (talk) 03:27, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Plastic
who invented plastic? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 148.85.230.28 (talk) 03:11, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Hi there! According to the Plastic article, ... Alexander Parkes, English inventor (1813—1890) created the earliest form of plastic in 1855. I hope this helps your question. In the future, if you'd like to ask a question that doesn't deal with how to use Wikipedia, please consider using the reference desk. Thanks and have a good day, Master of Puppets Call me MoP!☺ 03:16, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] OBC Certificate
Dear Sir/ Madam,
Myself is dinesh diwan resident of delhi, my wife before marriage belongs to karnal haryana. my wife belongs to other backward class.She cleared the exam of Assistant teacher from DSSB(Delhi Subordinate Service Selection) board . We have the OBC Certificte of Haryana, but they r demanding the Certificate of Delhi. While its not possible as One can get the certificate once in life. What should we do? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.224.123.166 (talk) 04:02, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- The Wikipeida Help Desk -- and probably Wikipedia in general -- is certainly the wrong place to ask this question. Why not start here? —Noah 19:38, 19 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] psychology
what is the hippocampus? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.208.255.116 (talk) 04:02, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Hello, and welcome to the Help Desk! The Hippocampus is made up of two parts of the forebrain which help control long-term memory and spatial navigation. For more information, see the Hippocampus page. In the future, please ask any questions that do not have to do with using Wikipedia at the reference desk. Thanks, Master of Puppets Call me MoP!☺ 04:04, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] "Harlingen High School" article
It has come to my attention that under the "Harlingen High School" article, the school's address is revealed. This is a cause for concern. Nowadays, there is huge problem with teens keeping their confidentiality, whether it be on myspace, messenger, chat rooms, facebook, etc. However, teens seem to believe that merely posting their current school of attendence they are doing no harm to themselves. By posting schools' addresses, kids are put at a higher risk of being exposed to pedophiles and other harmful online acquaintances. Although as teens, we are told not to give too much information about ourselves online, we seem to be naive as to what is acceptable and what is not. I'm sure that by posting which school you attend one would highly doubt that someone with harmful intentions will be able to find their exact location of learning. Having schools' addresses on your site is dangerous! Thank you for reading my letter and I hope you can understand where I am coming from.
Nicole S. TX Age 15 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.115.170.17 (talk) 04:07, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Your concern is understandable and admirable, but schools are government entities and their addresses are public record anyway. Also, I believe wikipedia does not remove sourced content except it the cases of Biographies of Living Persons, though I'm not entirely sure. --Evan Seeds (talk)(contrib.) 04:16, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- As a father with two girls in high school, I can completely understand your concern, but it is much easier than you think to find the address of a school. A simple Google search will also reveal addresses. Not to mention the school district and HHS websites. —Travistalk 14:25, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- One could argue that evildoers remain a problem because we still have too much privacy. If everybody knew everything about everybody else, few or perhaps even no criminals could escape punishment. That would not not eliminate all crime, but it would almost certainly reduce crime, much as a uniformed policeman visibly standing watch tends to deter crime. --Teratornis (talk) 19:46, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Template remove issues
Where can I find information regarding the guidelines of removing a template from an article?
For example, I tagged unreferenced template in an article. Another user removed the template without adding any references. How to solve this issue? Where can I find information about this? --Avinesh Jose T 04:30, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- I'd suggest that you bring the issue up with the editor in question and discuss each others' reasons for adding/removing the template. Cheers, Master of Puppets Call me MoP!☺ 04:36, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- What shall we do, if it is not a registered user? Most of these edits often comes from anonymous ip address. --Avinesh Jose T 04:47, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- As long as you don't edit war, you can replace the tag, and at the same time I'd suggest you invite them to discuss the issue on the talk page, since technically removal of such a template usually requires one to either fix the problem or explain why there isn't one. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 22:29, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- What shall we do, if it is not a registered user? Most of these edits often comes from anonymous ip address. --Avinesh Jose T 04:47, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- When a proper tag is removed without explanation, and you attempt to engage the user/ip in discussion about it and that is not fruitful, further removals are simple blanking vandalism ( WP:3RR does not apply to vandalism). Warn with the {{uw-delete1}} template series and if the conduct continues after a final warning, report at WP:AIV.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 22:35, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Disambiguation
I want to create a disambiguation page for Tim Wilson. Should I:
- Create it at Tim Wilson (disambiguation), or
- Move Tim Wilson to Tim Wilson (comedian), use Tim Wilson as the disambiguation page, and fix/disambiguate the incoming links?
Note that I stumbled on this page via a link that went to the wrong Tim. Jfire (talk) 05:56, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- You should move the existing article to Tim Wilson (comedian) or something similar and make Tim Wilson the disambiguation page with all the various Tim Wilson's listed. Euryalus (talk) 06:16, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- In these cases, it tends to depend on the relative importance of the things being disambiguated (see WP:DAB). If one person is much more likely to be searched for under that name than the other, then you'll tend to keep them at the main article and either use a hatnote or disambiguation page for the rest, whereas if there are several of similar notability, then you make the main page a disambiguation. For example, John Smith disambiguates a large number of people by that name, while John Howard is about the former Australian Prime Minister, with a hatnote to a disambiguation page. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 22:25, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Language
I want to ask the question regarding languages in this site, there are many languages except Urdu, please add this language as well because Urdu is also very common language.
Regards Ashfaq Ahmad Attar 202.163.96.68 (talk) 07:21, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Urdu Wikipedia is at http://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/. --teb728 t c 07:50, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
-
- The complete language list is at meta:List of Wikipedias. The Urdu Wikipedia has too few articles to be on short lists of the large Wikipedias. PrimeHunter (talk) 15:06, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Citation system & citing forums or wikis.
My question is more of a case of two questions in one, though they're not exactly linked. My first question involves the coding for the citation system here on Wikipedia; how is it done? Is it done like a template? I wish to copy the code and adapt it for use on other Wikipedia-like websites (such as wikia, or wikicities) so as not to use the [___] external link tag in place of a source citation. However, I don't know where to find this code or what the "citation template" is to be called.
Onto the secondary question, are forums acceptable as a source for certain Wikipedia articles? Even if the subject matter is not testified by "experts", if the forum is a primary source is citation permitted? The same question applies for other Wikipedia inspired websites. Thanks for the help. Terek (talk) 08:23, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- The citations are enabled with the extension mw:Extension:Cite/Cite.php which can be added to any MediaWiki installation, this enables the
<ref>
tags. We then use citation templates such as {{cite web}} within these tags. See also Wikipedia:Footnotes. - Forum postings are generally frowned upon under WP:SPS as anyone can log in and write a forum post, there is no editorial oversight and you can't easily prove who the poster was or whether the information within is true. 86.21.74.40 (talk) 11:35, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
-
- Generally consensus has applied that forums and blogs are unacceptable as a source because anyone can make posts and they show no indication of professional or majority opinion on a matter. Even if 4000 people post on a forum that they disapprove of something, you can't use it as a source for any basis of approval on a subject because for all you know it is the only 4000 people in the world who feel that way, or that its not the same person. Generally the exception for this is when the poster of a statement holds an official position on the subject at hand. Say for example, citing a post on Ubisoft's forums in which an employee of the company discussed a technical problem (see the Assassin's Creed article if you want to see the example as applied).--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 13:44, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- What about regarding a forum discussion as a primary source? Take a hypothetical example of a columnist making rancorous remarks about a certain subject, which were than transposed from the original post in a topic at, say, the World of Warcraft forums, becoming one of the most highly re-posted articles on high-profile, game-related blogs. The discussion caused by the slander eventually forced a change within, say, Blizzard Entertainment's management structure. In such a case, aside from bloggers re-posting the original article and talking about it, there lacks any credible source except the original topic; would a citation be permitted in this case? Terek (talk) 08:16, 18 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Why separate user databases ?
Hi! Why does each language version of wikipedia has its own user database ? That way one has to create a separate user account on each wikipedia he uses. People (at least I) already have "thousands" of different user accounts all over the internet (forums, shops, mail lists, whatnot...), so it would help a bit, if all wikipedias shared the same user base.
--Xerces8 (talk) 10:41, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Because that's how things started out, unfortunately. There is a plan to sort this out (see meta:H:UL for provisional documentation) but we might be in for a long wait. Algebraist 11:52, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- In the future, there will be a unified identification system which you will use consistently everywhere, online and otherwise (of course, it will be secure and robust enough to prevent a nightmare identity-theft scenario). At least, that's what I keep telling myself to avoid losing my sanity. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 21:33, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
where can tou check out Classification of living things? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 211.117.81.57 (talk) 10:42, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- try here. Linnaean taxonomy.--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 12:59, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- next time use the reference desk.--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 13:01, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] why my changes are deleted?
when i edit a page on wikipedia with correct factual information i later come back to find that my changes have been deleted and that the page is the same as before i edited it. why is this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sjmextreme (talk • contribs) 11:17, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Looking at your contributions I would say it is because you are adding a tower to a list of buildings. They are not the same thing and the page you were updating explicitly says "Only buildings with continuous occupiable floors (high-rise buildings) are included" and the reversion summary says "sky tower is a tower, not a skyscraper". Towers would go on List of tallest structures in the world and List of tallest buildings and structures in the world. 86.21.74.40 (talk) 11:24, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
-
- Click the "history" tab at the top to see the article history. I have reverted it again. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:36, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Adding a new page to Wikipedia
Where do I go after I log in to add a page to Wikipedia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cfhost (talk • contribs) 12:44, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- well first search the title of the article that you want to create, and make sure you have spelt it correctly, and if it hasn't been created, click on the red link and start creating the page. also make sure that the subject of the article is notable enough for an article. see wp:note.--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 12:53, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] wind
kindly let me know the different names for wind at different altitutes —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.56.236.206 (talk) 13:24, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- try the reference desk.--KerotanLeave Me a Message Have a nice day :) 13:27, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] I have breaking news
How do I add my brief starting article to the main page? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Astronaut (talk • contribs) 14:05, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- It has already been suggested at Wikipedia:In the news section on the Main Page/Candidates#January 17. Wikipedia is an international encyclopedia and the article currently says 3 minor injuries in an accident. That may not be enough to get into the section. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:11, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Didn't know such a page existed. It's sad that 3 minor injuries probably won't qualify it, but you're right though, perhaps it isn't notable enough. Astronaut (talk) 14:17, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- If it should suddenly be suspected that it was controlled by a terrorist who aimed for Gordon Brown (wild example just invented by me) then things would change, but it currently appears of limited notability outside the United Kingdom. PrimeHunter (talk) 15:02, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- See Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/British Airways Flight BA38 but I think the fact that it is the first Boeing 777 incident is notable. I agree that the Brown link is tenuous. Woody (talk) 15:04, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- The AfD has been withdrawn. I just examined some non-British news sites and was surprised to often see it featured prominently, for example at http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/, http://www.foxnews.com/, http://news.google.com/. If you post some links to Wikipedia:In the news section on the Main Page/Candidates#January 17 then you might convince people. PrimeHunter (talk) 16:50, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- See Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/British Airways Flight BA38 but I think the fact that it is the first Boeing 777 incident is notable. I agree that the Brown link is tenuous. Woody (talk) 15:04, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- If it should suddenly be suspected that it was controlled by a terrorist who aimed for Gordon Brown (wild example just invented by me) then things would change, but it currently appears of limited notability outside the United Kingdom. PrimeHunter (talk) 15:02, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Didn't know such a page existed. It's sad that 3 minor injuries probably won't qualify it, but you're right though, perhaps it isn't notable enough. Astronaut (talk) 14:17, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Question
Is all the information true? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.186.73.150 (talk) 14:33, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- No, that would not be realistic with 2,411,769 articles. See Wikipedia:Content disclaimer and Reliability of Wikipedia. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:39, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- It is also not logically possible, for example Wikipedia has many articles about various Religions which make conflicting claims that cannot simultaneously all be true. (As a specific example, a tenet of Christianity is the divinity of Jesus, rejected by both Islam and Judaism, and most other religions for that matter). There are also articles about works of fiction which take an "in-universe" view in places (for example, describing the adventures of a fictional character as if they happened). To keep from doubling the size of such articles with disclaimers, we assume the reader understands the difference between faith, fiction, and fact (some might argue that the only difference between faith and fiction is that many people take the former more seriously, although at a Star Trek convention it may be hard to see even that much difference). When Wikipedia does present information as fact, the information is only as good as its sources. --Teratornis (talk) 20:00, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] about norton zinder
sir/madam i am a biotec student and i have been given a task to know about norton zinder. please help me and give all the knowledge about him. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Snjy (talk • contribs) 14:37, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Try Norton Zinder and a Google search [1]. 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 is what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:41, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] ROULETTE
Where can i get a two dimensional drawing of a roulette table and its numbers? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.220.112.174 (talk) 14:47, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- The article on Roulette (click the blue link) does have a 2d lay out. Hope that helps! You could also try asking at the reference desk if that's not sufficent. Pedro : Chat 14:50, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Or try a Google Images search like [2]. If you plan to add it to Wikipedia then note Wikipedia:Image use policy. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:56, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Wiki on iPhone
Will Wiki be adding a custom icon for wiki people that will show up in the Springboard when a user makes a "webclip", using their iPhone or iPod Touch?
If so the simple way is:
Create a 57x57 PNG. Name it "apple-touch-icon.png" Throw it in the root folder of your website. (Not the root of your server, the root of your web documents.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.158.61.140 (talk) 14:58, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Somehow I doubt it. It seems, and at least I'd hope, that Wikipedia doesn't start pandering to every third party app that comes along with a new icon system. There is already a root icon system in place that works with every other browser on the web. However, if you wish to suggest it, the proper place to do it would be at either Wikipedia:Village pump (proposals) or as feature requst through bugzilla.--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 15:33, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
To clarify; this image would need to go at http://en.wikipedia.org/apple-touch-icon.png ? —Random832 16:58, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
Just an update:
Support for the link added in r29942 ($wgAppleTouchIcon, defaults to false/none).
Have created an initial icon for Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/apple-touch-icon.png
(The glossy look and round corners are applied over this by the iPod UI. It looks rather fetching IMHO. :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.251.182.233 (talk) 14:40, 19 January 2008 (UTC)
Konqueror is falsely showing the iPhone icon as the favicon ([3]). This can easily be fixed by moving the "shortcut icon" link below the "apple-touch-icon" link. —Nhjm449 (talk) 01:55, 22 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Redirecting Similar Names
How do I redirect similar names or other names for same subject to a page I created. For example, I have added a paragraph on Digital Converter Boxes to an article I am producing on Cable Converter Boxes and I want any search on Digital Converter Boxes to land on that page and section. How is this done. Also if someone enters the word convert box, or converter/descrambler, in lower or upper case how do I make that land on this page?
Michael William Meissner (talk) 15:36, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- You can create an article and then make a WP:REDIRECT. Keep in mind about Case sensitivity. Jauerback (talk) 15:41, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Article printing problem
when trying to print the "printable version" of the Graphical Timeline of the Big Bang, it wont print the whole graph picture. stops at . Prints the intro paragraph on the 1st page, the graph picture to the "Quark epoch" on the 2nd page and the closing "See also" on page 3.
Any ideas?
Thanks, JK —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jwking13 (talk • contribs) 17:04, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- I had the same problem. However, I think if you were to copy the image and paste to another program (maybe Microsoft Powerpoint), you should at least be able to adjust the format/style there a bit better. Jauerback (talk) 18:39, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] What do stick puppets do
i am a child and i need to know what a stick puppet soes and what one is please can you help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.136.118.69 (talk) 17:26, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- A stick puppet is a picture or caricature of something glued or taped to a stick. You use it as a puppet. -- kainaw™ 18:20, 17 January 2008 (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 is what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps.--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 18:28, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Just in case you're confusing terms. There is also:
- Sock puppet
- Sockpuppet (Internet) Jauerback (talk) 18:43, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Keeping a biography from being speedily deleted
I saw only two cases where cast members of Hee Haw did not have blue links. I wanted to make sure the information was available here about the Hager Twins, so I started an article. but I've heard biographies are notorious for being deleted and wanted to put it somewhere where people could look at it before I actually submitted it. Even after all the work I did, it doesn't look like much but there are few sources about these people. I did label all the sources, though, and I tried to stay neutral.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 18:21, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- All you have to do in the article is CLAIM notability. State that they are recognized for being on the show. That alone is enough to prevent a speedy deletion and will force someone to use a regular AFD if they think it should be deleted. If you want to work on the page before you start it you can make it in your userspace under User:Vchimpanzee/Hager Twins or something similar, and then either move it or copy/paste it (move is preferred since it retains edit history) to the new main article name when it is ready.--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 18:27, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
Thanks. I went back and checked and there are actually two more cast members that don't have their own links, but finding enough information is unlikely for them.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 18:31, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Jamie Sommers vs. Jaime Sommers
I read a newspaper article that said Jamie Sommers is the correct spelling for the character in The Bionic Woman but that Jaime Sommers is the spelling for the character in Bionic Woman. The imdb web site confirms this ( [4] and [5]). Is that enough to make it official? Other web sites seem to disagree, but they could be wrong.
But the articles here give the Jaime spelling for both characters. Fixing this could be a lot of work, especially in the full article about the character in The Bionic Woman.
(Yes, this is related to the Hager Twins above, as they had guest roles in that first series.)Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 18:52, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Sometimes comparing the results counts from two alternate spellings of a word or phrase can indicate which is more likely to be "correct":
- "Jamie Sommers" "bionic woman" — Results 1 - 10 of about 36,700 for "Jamie Sommers" "bionic woman".
- "Jaime Sommers" "bionic woman" — Results 1 - 10 of about 49,100 for "Jaime Sommers" "bionic woman".
- The numbers of search results are roughly similar, but the second search finds a sponsored link from NBC.com, suggesting that the broadcaster of the new series thinks the spelling is "Jaime." --Teratornis (talk) 19:37, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
Yes, but this is mainly about the first series. I don't think you can go by the number of results because the search engine can't tell which series is being referred to. I hate to fix the name for the first series because of all the work involved unless I can establish I know I'm right. And if I am right, Wikipedia is wrong.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 19:52, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
And on a related note, is there a tool to change every use of "Jaime" in Jaime Sommers (The Bionic Woman)? Obviously using "move" won't be enough, and the only two places in the article where "Jaime" will still be the legitimate spelling are the references to the new series. And then I have to fix all the links to that article to prevent redirects and make those articles accurate as well. Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 19:57, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- I would not change any spellings in articles about the first series without a definitive source. It's also possible for definitive sources to have spelling variants. As far as how to do large-scale automatic search and replace on Wikipedia, the only method I know is to use a bot program. Naturally this can be dangerous. --Teratornis (talk) 20:33, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
That's what I'm saying. I don't know if imdb is definitive. The "official" information should be, but user-submitted content is like what is here. It doesn't actually have to be right to be included, although here something's more likely to be fixed if it's wrong.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 20:54, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- IMDB is generally not a definitive source. While it is adequate for minor details, plot summaries, and so on, if there is another source that conflicts with it at all, it is generally negated. IMDB has just about as much editorial oversight as Wikipedia in its content. That is to say, not much.--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 21:06, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Procurement Technologies in Goleta, CA
Does anyone have any info on the subject company? I believe they sell, among other things, weapons parts, etc. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.145.12.61 (talk) 18:56, 17 January 2008 (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 is what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps. --Orange Mike | Talk 19:00, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- You can also try {{Google}} search: Procurement Technologies in Goleta, CA. That finds an Integrated Procurement Technologies in Goleta, California. --Teratornis (talk) 04:59, 18 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] getting page to go live
Hi,
I created a page for an architecture firm (Harley Ellis Devereaux) and thought it was live but when i do a search for it, it doesn't show up. How do I make the page live?
Thanks, Hedev (talk) 19:11, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- The "page" you created is in your own user page, here. To make a page live, it needs to be moved from the user space to the article mainspace. Unfortunately, to do that, your account needs to be more than 4 days old.
- HOWEVER, the page as it stands would probably not be accepted and therefore is likely to be speedily deleted. It reads like an advertisment, fails to establish notability of the subject, and does not cite references from reliable sources. Also, your username suggests that you might have a conflict of interest, which while not prohibited, it is discouraged. Astronaut (talk) 19:23, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- A wise way to avoid conflict of interest problems is to use Wikipedia:Articles for creation or Wikipedia:Requested articles. Each one has its own purposes and uses which are outlined at the top of its page, so you may pick the one that best suits your goals.--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 19:45, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- You said, "your account needs to be more than 4 days old". To do what and why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.163.254.1 (talk) 20:20, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- To move the page from its current location to where you want it to be. However, I agree that for a variety of reasons including notability and conflict of interest issues, the article would most likely be nominated for deletion promptly.--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 21:03, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Table of Contents problem
Hi, I'm working on the pages for Gorgeous Carat and Voice or Noise (manga). Both are manga series. I added the standard infoboxes for them, but now their Table of Contents(es?) are tacked onto the infoboxes. How do I get them back to the usual spot? Thanks! TigressofIndia (talk) 19:29, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- I think it needed {{Infobox animanga/Footer}} at the bottom. I followed the example from Template:Infobox_animanga#An_invented_example. Arthena(talk) 19:47, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Use
__TOC__
whereever you need the contents. WEBURIEDOURSECRETSINTHEGARDENplay it cool. 19:49, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Use
- (Edit conflict)It looks like you forgot to add the footer template for the info box (or had it in the wrong location). Some infobox templates use these while others are self contained. If you run into the problem in the future the best way to deal with it is to check the template's page and talk page for documentation or instructions on using it.--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 19:50, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Unfortunately using the TOC insertion would likely not have fixed this problem as it was an issue with template formatting.--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 19:50, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] New article on 'Sussex Family History Group' has been deleted
You have a page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_history_society#England where many family history societies are listed.
That leads to eight or so articles on English societies. Why not a ninth? Or are you going to delete them all?
How do we become notable, or is that not possible? I can add sentences like 'SFHG is one of the oldest and family history groups in England with one of the largest memberships.' 'The website has been voted the best by FFHS twice.'
I can understand if you decide you don't want any groups listed but please be consistent.
Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Alanst (talk • contribs) 20:43, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Article deletion is decided through discussion of the community and closure by an administrator on a case by case basis. It is because of this that many editors follow the advice put forth in WP:OTHERSTUFFEXISTS to avoid the fact that similar articles exist as a defense against deletion. If you believe the article was deleted unfairly you can request a Wikipedia:Deletion review, or if you believe the other articles should also be deleted you can list them yourself. --Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 21:01, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- IF you are going to add any information about the age of the society, any awards bestowed upon it, and so on, please provide a source in the form of a citation.--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 21:08, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Some good things to read about this are Wikipedia:Notability (organizations) and Wikipedia:Why was my page deleted? Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 22:16, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Can Someone Redirect me please
I have seen someone do some sort of "request for opinion" by an expert in grammar and english on a talk page during a dispute. Id like to know if there is a page with different kinds of these, and if so, can someone provide a link. thank you.the juggreserection IstKrieg! 20:56, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- It sounds like you might be looking for Wikipedia:Requests for comment.--Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 20:57, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- exactly. thank you.the juggreserection IstKrieg! 20:59, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- You're welcome. --Oni Ookami AlfadorTalk|@ 21:01, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- exactly. thank you.the juggreserection IstKrieg! 20:59, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Cannot click on link
I changed my skin to chick and now when I click on my preferences I cannot access the preferences. They show up but I'm unable to click on them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Olivia1978 (talk • contribs) 22:51, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- You can manually type Special:Preferences in the left hand search bar or type http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences in your browser's search bar. NF24(radio me!) 22:59, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- Use this link to enter your preferences in the default skin. PrimeHunter (talk) 01:14, 18 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Archiving talk pages
Does anyone know if there is a template one can use to request or point out that a page needs to be archived? I can't spot one, and am thinking of requesting such a template. Richard001 (talk) 23:18, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
- A search of WP turned up several, including {{Verylongtalkpage}}, {{Archiveme}}, and {{Verylongtalk}}. —Travistalk 23:48, 17 January 2008 (UTC)