Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2008 March 17

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1 March 17

[edit] March 17

[edit] Query re email

Hi, I received an email from wikipedia saying that another ip requested a password for me. What's going on when this happens? As well, I got an email asking me to confirm my wikimedia email address (this time the ip was my own) but I knew it was already confirmed. Are these pranks or something? Julia Rossi (talk) 00:23, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

It sounds like somebody wrote your username at login and clicked "E-mail new password". It's intended for users who have set their e-mail address and forget their password. Just ignore it. You can continue using the old password. PrimeHunter (talk) 00:59, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Thank you PrimeH. Had to do it myself before so wondered what else was up. Cheers, Julia Rossi (talk) 02:08, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] unable to remove category from pages

there are a number of user talkpage and others misc that current (and incorrectly) are in this article category - however when I goto the page and try to edit the pages, I cannot find the category mark-up anyone on the page? --87.112.65.25 (talk) 00:37, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

The category is added by using {{Cite parl}}. Should articles (and not their talk pages) really be in such a category? PrimeHunter (talk) 00:54, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] newbie

I wrote my first article, I wanted to know how I did. Is it possible to get criticisms? Do I have any business whatsoever doing this or should I stick to editing? This is it: Van Smith Mjpresson (talk) 01:06, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

A fine start and yes, you have every business doing this. Would that every newbie, as you name yourself, started like this. The best next step is for you to place inline citations for the material instead of simply listing the references you used under the references section. If you need any help doing so, do not hesitate to drop me a message on my talk page. Meanwhile, I have converted your one text citation, which was a naked link, into an inline citation. I have also added additional categories, a template which sorts those categories by Smith's last name rather than first, metadata information and a stub tag. Cheers.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 04:19, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Thanks very much.Mjpresson (talk) 19:31, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] How to I stop a revert war?

I was looking though Wikipedia for vandalism when I came across a suspicious deletion. I undid it, and it was deleted again. I put it back, but this time I Wikified it, thinking that would solve the problem. It didn't, so I opened a discussion on the talk page, but I'm getting childish replies, even one about "Lost" which has nothing to do with the article. He last deleted the contribution in question giving the reason for deletion as "Racism". Here it is, I see no racism.

In the manga series Naruto, the character Rock Lee is a natural-born user of the Drunken Fist. Rock Lee mistakes a bottle of sake for his medicine, and Might Guy tells the Hokage (village leader) that he witnessed Rock Lee using Zui Quan at a level he had never seen before. <ref>{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 25|year=2007 |publisher=Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 210-211 |isbn=1-4215-1860-0}}</ref>

The page in question is Zui_Quan --MahaPanta (talk) 01:17, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

See dispute resolution, WP:3RR, and WP:AN3. The first course of action is typically an attempt to discuss the changes on the talk page. If that fails, try requests for comment. If the edit warring continues, do not participate in it yourself. Simply warn the user about the three revert rule. If this fails. File a report to WP:AN3. Wisdom89 _{(_T / ^C)} 02:18, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] username - it's mine - can't use

I read through what I could, searching the help faqs. Sorry for being stupid. My username (everywhere) is rishik12. I must have created this username aeons ago in wikipedia. I'd love to edit my first entry, so I try to login, basically, I can't remember the password (????) - I tried all my typical ones. Problem: Can't get a new one emailed to me because... I didn't associate an email address with the account. It's all very strange, it makes me wonder if I tried to set up the account at one time but actually didn't complete the process or something. Anyway, looking for a way to "prove" that username is mine (I know, for example, it must have been dormant forever, i.e., since creation), to create a password for it and give my email address in as well (it's also rishik12@(blockedout).com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.187.182.232 (talk) 02:05, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Generally, in this situation, the only thing you can do is create a new account. if it's dormant then you've lost nothing in regards to editing. Wisdom89 _{(_T / ^C)} 02:15, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Since Special:Contributions/Rishik12 has no edits, WP:USURP may help you. But notice: apparently you have to create an account and use it for several months before applying to show that you will be a serious Wikipedian. —teb728 t c 03:23, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] user page info boxes

Hello all!

I created account a while ago, but have mainly been a lurker. Life has been extremely busy for me, with moving and planning a wedding all at the same time :) I want to start doing edits more often, reverting vandalism and minor typographical fixes... and I'd like to create a nice userpage for myself. Is there a repository for the userboxes i see on people's talk pages? "This user uses a mac" for example... I always thought they were a cool way to get started. Thanks! Sjr19 (talk) 04:44, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Yup, wikipedia:userboxes. Go nuts : ) Wisdom89 _{(_T / ^C)} 04:49, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, good sir! Sjr19 (talk) 04:51, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] vandalism of link from main page

I think someone has deleted the article linked from the green night feature on the main page - I tried to undo it but am a novice and don't seem to have managed it ! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.106.233.113 (talk) 11:16, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Hi, thanks for noticing. The articles linked from the Main Page are, for quite obvious reasons, prone to vandalism. It looks like it's been fixed for now (for the same reason that it gets lots of vandalism, it also has a lot of people watching it to fix it), but if you'd like to help out with this sort of thing in the future, take a look at Help:Reverting. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 11:20, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Need specific administrator

I need a specific administrator that has a following property :

Created account on 2002.
Half American
Wear glasses
Is not steward/ Is sysop nor bureaucrat
Babel tells that can speak English with Native level and speak Thai at whatever level.

I'm finding this administrator. Thanks ! --125.24.228.80 (talk) 11:25, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

May I ask why? Is it for a game of Guess Who?. In any case, many editors, including administrators, may choose not to reveal personal details like whether they wear glasses.

Users who identify as native English speakers

Users who identify as Thai speakers

American Wikipedians (I don't think you'll have much luck with the half-American bit)

List of administrators

List of bureaucrats

List of stewards on Wikimedia

Users who created their accounts before 2006 may not be listed in the creation log

Cross-reference all of this and you might get lucky. However, it may be easier just to ask an administrator who doesn't meet all your criteria to help you. --Kateshort forbob 11:47, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

LOL!!! The Dominator (talk) 03:50, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] pages

how do you make a page on this site —Preceding unsigned comment added by Stikhead17 (talk • contribs) 12:17, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

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 Help:Starting a new page. You might also look at 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. Xenon⁵⁴ 12:22, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Upload Mistake

Hello, I am a new user and I have started to upload photos for Wikipedia.
The only problem is, I noticed I have been uploading photos in the wrong category.
I considered it was my own work, but I didn't paint them.
I took my photos from my own items. I also took photos of casinos from Las Vegas, and I am not
sure what they are considered.
I want to make things right so can you guys help me out here? —Preceding unsigned comment added by ZooFari (talk • contribs) 14:52, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

You don't necessarily have to have created the item to label a photo you have taken of it "self-made". Most things, such this photo of tweezers can safely be described as self-made. You need to be more careful if the object is something over which an individual or company could have a license, for example, paintings, DVD boxes or some toys. Images of these would likely have to be given a fair-use rationale and there would be restrictions on which articles they could be used on (more information at WP:FUP). As far as I understand it, photos of buildings are fine, as long as you took the photo yourself. I've had a look at the photos you have uploaded and they look fine to me (assuming you are the photographer). The Image copyright help desk is available to answer questions on this issue, or Wikipedia:Media copyright questions for a question about a specific image. Thanks for taking the time to upload them! --Kateshort forbob 21:00, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] HI

Hi There

How do i go about adding my company Joolop Games to the following section

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Video_game_retailers

If some could let me know i would be very grate full

Chris Wood Joolop Games —Preceding unsigned comment added by Joolopgames (talk • contribs) 15:26, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Categories are only for existing articles which are added by editing the article, so Joolop Games cannot be added. Note that companies should satisfy Wikipedia:Notability (organizations and companies) to get an article, and you shouldn't create it per Wikipedia:Conflict of interest. See also Wikipedia:FAQ/Business if you consider adding information about your company to Wikipedia. PrimeHunter (talk) 17:32, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Summarize data from multiple page to one page

I am attempting to create a summary page, which will grab content out of multiple other pages in my wiki. Is this possiable? I want the summary page to update as the other pages are changed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 167.115.127.20 (talk) 15:49, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

This help desk is for questions about Wikipedia. Are you referring to your own wiki at another website created with the same MediaWiki software as Wikipedia? You can transclude entire pages and use noinclude to tell the page that some parts should be omitted when it's transcluded. Wikipedia has bots which can read existing pages and edit other pages based on the content. Maybe you could run your own bot. PrimeHunter (talk) 17:40, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] e learninig

explain e learning? its uses and diadvantages —Preceding unsigned comment added by 219.91.188.228 (talk) 17:43, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, we can't help you there. Try WP:Reference desk. George D. Watson (Dendodge).Talk^Help 17:52, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

And see Electronic learning. PrimeHunter (talk) 18:10, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Please, before you ask a question, try typing in what you want in the search prompt on the left sidebar. e-learning and e learning will bring you to the correct article, which already has proper discussion. We're an encyclopedia, that's what we do. Mac Davis (talk) 23:42, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] full text of 1965 Hart-Celler immigration Act

I cannot find the actual text of the 1965 Immigration Act (Hart-Cellar Act) just endless articles ABOUT it. Since it's an important historical document I'd like to find it. JM Lessinger —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.83.30.27 (talk) 17:44, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Wikisource might be able to help, try there. George D. Watson (Dendodge).Talk^Help 17:50, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

I've just done a quick check and it doesn't seem to be there. You might have to try somewhere else. Typing 'text of Hart-Cellar act 1965' in Google might help. George D. Watson (Dendodge).Talk^Help 17:57, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Freezing computer--the sequel

I asked about this one day last week, but there's no point in bringing back an old question. I'll just make it a new question.

I have specific details this time.

This was not on Wikipedia, but when I sat down at this computer and clicked on "Internet Explorer" (actually an "e") the home page of the library where I am came up, but only after the white square next to the red x in the top right corner turned gray, and the "e" and what looks like a sheet of paper in the top left corner turned into a white square. That happened when I was trying to access something in Wikipedia last week, but it cleared up eventually.

I signed into my email address and did a search using the space available on the page with the list of emails, and what I wanted turned out to be on Wikipedia. So I clicked where it said to click, but before that Wikipedia page even came up there was a blue border around it, with the name of the page at the top with the "e" on the left, and the red X on the right. I could still do other stuff while waiting for the Wikipedia page to come up, but it seems all of that shouldn't be happening.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 17:51, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

The old post is at Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2008 March 11#Freezing computer. You are referring to the Internet Explorer logo (a blue 'e'), and the minimize (underscore), maximize (rectangle), close (red X) buttons in the title bar (usually blue in Microsoft Windows). They are made by your browser or operating system and are not part of Wikipedia. The maximize rectangle usually becomes darker when the mouse hovers over it. Your description of the symbols sounds normal to me. If the computer or window freezes then it's a problem with the computer and not with Wikipedia. If the page doesn't load but the window still works (so you can for example change the url) then it may be a problem on the Wikipedia end where there are not always capacity to transmit pages. PrimeHunter (talk) 18:35, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Well, in the case of what happened today the Wikipedia page eventually came up, but it was in a smaller space to the right of where I called it up from (the left edge was to the right of the left edge of where I called from), and I could still do other stuff in the space where I called it from. But it seems the problem would have been with a specific web site since not all web sites were having the problem. What normally causes this are ads on the page I am calling.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 18:42, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

If I understand you correctly, I think the problem is bad use of frames on the site you're coming from. Algebraist 19:32, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Sounds to me like you are accessing Wikipedia using a computer in a public library, and either the library uses a "portal page" (possibly to limit what the public is allowed to do on the computers), or the computer is well and truly messed up. Does the same problem exist on all the computers there? I suggest you speak with the library staff and show them the problems you are having. Perhaps what you are seeing is normal or maybe there is a problem with the library's computers. Astronaut (talk) 02:17, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] "Robert Falls" page redirected?

Hello,

I am trying to create a page for Robert Falls. When I search for "Robert Falls," a page comes up, but it is the "Goodman Theatre" page. Robert Falls is the artistic director of Goodman Theatre, so I assume that is why I am redirected to the theater when I type in his name. How do I create a page just for Robert Falls?

Thank you so much, Lehrlich (talk) 20:00, 17 March 2008 (UTC)Lara

--The Helpful One ^(Review) 20:01, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Use this link to get directly to the redirect page. This of course if you feel it is notable enough to have an article. [1] ---CWY2190^T^C 20:07, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

If you want to edit the redirect page, on the page you have been redirected to, just look under the title of the page, and there's a little message that says, "Redirected from _______". Just click on that link, and it will take you to the editable page if you want to add content. Mac Davis (talk) 22:24, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] confirmation email

Please send it so I can get started. Why the delay?

Help desk search doesn't list the topics: not very useful —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zaqry (talk • contribs) 23:42, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Confirmation of what? You can get started right now. Theresa Knott | The otter sank 23:50, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Your account works since you can edit this page with it. Just go ahead and edit other pages. A confirmation email is not needed for that, only for using e-mail features (which most editors rarely or never do). The mail is posted right away but may be stopped by a spam filter. See Help:Email confirmation. PrimeHunter (talk) 23:52, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

I want to use the email features but somehow did not receive the confirmation email. (am trying to get access to the filters) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zaqry (talk • contribs) 00:14, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

If you cannot get the mail at your normal mail account then you can try another, for example a free webmail (see Comparison of webmail providers). PrimeHunter (talk) 01:33, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

I tried a second email address (at Yahoo) and have the same problem. Could the problem be with Wikipedia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zaqry (talk • contribs) 04:50, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

I just changed my registered email address to hotmail as a test. The confirmation mail was there when I checked a few seconds later. I changed back to my normal address and the confirmation mail took 30 - 60 seconds this time. PrimeHunter (talk) 18:54, 18 March 2008 (UTC)