Wikipedia:New contributors' help page
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What's this stuff about voting on articles?
Hi, I'm CheeseDeluxe, and I'm relatively new to the community, despite having lurked around for some time. I noticed there were things for voting on articles. But here's my question: What are we voting on? And how come I've never seen anything else regarding this? CheeseDeluxe (talk) 03:01, 1 March 2010 (UTC)- You've probably noticed users talking about discussions about articles for deletion. It's where an article is nominated for deletion, and users give their opinion on whether should be kept, deleted, merged, redirected, or transwikied. It's not a true "vote" because a decision isn't made based on the count of how many users recommend a course of action. Instead, an administrator makes a decision based on a judgment of the consensus of the discussion. Please read Wikipedia:Polling is not a substitute for discussion for an explanation of why discussion is more important than voting. --Mysdaao talk 03:46, 1 March 2010 (UTC)
- Consensus is Wikipedia's approach. It is used to handle almost all of the editing and decision-making on Wikipedia. But there are a few cases where users with access to more tools are needed. This is what administrators are. They have access to some additional tools like being able to protect pages, delete pages, and block users. It's not a hierarchy, and they don't have any extra authority except in certain cases. Their job is to implement the policy and consensus of the community. I suggest you read the essay Wikipedia:What adminship is not to gain a better understanding. --Mysdaao talk 14:59, 11 March 2010 (UTC)
Starting a disambiguation page?
I'd like to create a new page for a school called Vanguard School which is in Pennsylvania. A "Vanguard School" page already exists for another school in Florida. Should I title my article "Vanguard School (Pennsylvania)" or is a disambiguation page necessary? Malvernresident (talk) 16:50, 1 March 2010 (UTC)- Vanguard School (Pennsylvania) or further disambiguation with the name of the city or town is the way to do it. There is no need for a disambiguation page for two articles. An appropriate hatnote on each will suffice. – ukexpat (talk) 16:59, 1 March 2010 (UTC)
- Thank you. I put a hatnote on "Vanguard School" offering a link to "The Vanguard School (Pennsylvania)" but now I realize there is a third article, called "The Vanguard School." If there are three do I need a disambiguation page? Malvernresident (talk) 14:23, 10 March 2010 (UTC)
- In that case a disam page is appropriate, probably Vanguard School (disambiguation), and please see Wikipedia:MOSDAB for manual of style guidelines for disam pages. Let me know if you need help. – ukexpat (talk) 14:28, 10 March 2010 (UTC)
- Thank you. I put a hatnote on "Vanguard School" offering a link to "The Vanguard School (Pennsylvania)" but now I realize there is a third article, called "The Vanguard School." If there are three do I need a disambiguation page? Malvernresident (talk) 14:23, 10 March 2010 (UTC)
Missing history
I just finished a rather extensive edit of Comparison of download managers and checked the history tab to make sure it got saved properly, to my surprise it never reported either saving or my edit summary, but refreshing the article page includes my new changes, and my own contributions page records my save and edit summary. My question is what happened? Is this a symptom of a much larger problem with wikipedia (acute or chronic, either way I doubt I would know what to do in order to help), or is this error of a missing report my own causing? If so, how should I prevent it from recurring?--202.168.102.96 (talk) 18:39, 4 March 2010 (UTC)- I see your edit and edit summary. Have you tried purging? TNXMan 18:42, 4 March 2010 (UTC)
- Sometimes, our servers get loaded enough to ensure that changes are displayed only after a time lag and not instantly. Like TN mentions, try purging. Should work in some time any which way. Feel free to write back if this doesn't help. While you're at it, you may wish to create an account if you do not already have one. Creating an account providesa number of benefits; in particular, your contributions are attributed to your username. SeeHelp:Logging in for help with logging in to an existing account. Feel free to write back here for help. ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 19:07, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
Missing links
I'm just wondering, if I come across a red link (it doesnt link to any wiki article), should I remove it, or keep it there in case an article with that name is made? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mistrmojo (talk • contribs) 00:28, 5 March 2010 (UTC)- In general, it's best to leave it there so that people can see that there's an article that needs to be created. Lots of editors create articles when they see a red link. (Not all editors think this, and some want to remove all red links, but a lot prefer to leave them.) However, if you think it's unlikely that an article will ever be created - perhaps it's a topic that's not notable enough to ever warrant an article - then you can go ahead and remove it. (See also Wikipedia:Red link) Sometimes, if the link is very similar in identical in meaning to an article that exists, you can create a redirect to the article. --BelovedFreak 00:38, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- You could also kindly note that in case an article has a significantly large number of red links, the article might become visually tough to read. In such cases, drill down the red links (after having read a guideline on what red links should be preferred)so that the final article version is pleasant to the eyes.▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 18:55, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
Clean up: Spam? What to do with this?
What do you in cases like in this article Handwriting movement analysis, where the article is full of company names? I added some templates, removed all in-article external links and put them in ref tags but still. Some were real links, some were just text links... I sometimes removed the http:// part but I'm not sure it's the right thing to do. (See edits) - Have I done OK? － Cy21(talk) 16:39, 5 March 2010 (UTC)- "In-line" external links are discouraged by Wikipedia:EL so you did the right thing by eliminating them. In fact, I would be inclined to remove all the stuff about the software, it looks spammy and detracts from the article. If any of the software packages or their publishers are notable, they should have their own articles, not piggy-back on this one. – ukexpat (talk) 17:07, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- Thanks =) Agree it looks like spam. Should the article be completely deleted? (also if you check the editors, there one named PenComputingPerson who seems to be specialized, should a warning be sent?) Some suspicious manifacturer mentions even seem to overflow to the Handwriting recognition article.
- Also do you know if it's better, in case of direct links to websites, to have text link or hypertext links? Text links won't be crawled by search engine bots but on the other hand, doing this may also make links harder to detect for the 'spam link detector' wikibot? That maybe also be the reason why only some were real links... to not be detected. I didn't know what to do so I just removed them to makes things homogeneous but now, more and more, I think that wasn't such a good idea. － Cy21(talk) 22:58, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- No need to delete the article (baby, bathwater); agree with removing all sub-sections dealing with specific software. Also remove all external links, as these are links to the same products. Virtually all citations that point to just a website, come from spammy bits that should come out. There are some valid references, and if the spam were removed, what remains would make for an acceptable encyclopedic article. --A Knight Who Says Ni (talk) 15:45, 6 March 2010 (UTC)
- Thanks =) Agree it looks like spam. Should the article be completely deleted? (also if you check the editors, there one named PenComputingPerson who seems to be specialized, should a warning be sent?) Some suspicious manifacturer mentions even seem to overflow to the Handwriting recognition article.
Are articles linked to organization website considered reliable?
I am getting ready to write an article about a credit reporting association and its work/ties to credit reporting. Articles about their work have been written and published in several newspapers. In order to reference this information I would have to link directly to the association site, as the articles are stored on their server.Is this ok? or do the articles have to come from the news website, for example if I have a Washington Post article does it have to link back to their site? the articles are old and therefore only available in PDF versions which is why they are hosted on the association's site.
just don't want to do all of this work just to have the article deleted, thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by NCRA (talk • contribs) 18:26, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- It is always preferable to cite the reference at its original source. However if that is not possible, other sources are acceptable. I would suggest that you use the appropriate citation template from {{cite web}}, {{cite book}}, {{cite news}} or {{cite journal}} to show the details of the original location/publication/source etc in a standardised format. Also please take a look at he notability guidelines at Wikipedia:ORG and Wikipedia:RS for guidance on relibale sources. Hope this helps. – ukexpat (talk) 18:42, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- In addition if you are connected with the association please see Wikipedia:COI and if your username is an acronym for the association, it's non-compliant with the user name policy. – ukexpat (talk) 18:45, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- Hi NCRA, Ukexpat is right. Once you've read Wikipedia:Reliable sources and Wikipedia:Citing sources, you'll be clear about our policy about usage of sources. In summary, while it's perfectly ok to link back to the credit reporting association's server, any such linkage would qualify to be a primary source. An article should not be solely made on primary sources. In general, it would be highly preferable if you link up to the third party news site wherever you can find the original news link available. Having said that, I would also encourage you to be careful in another area. In case NCRA happens to be the credit rating association whose article you wish to create, it would be good if you could change your current user name. Wikipedia has a policy against promotional user names. Feel free to write here for any support or help in changing your user name, if you so may require. ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 18:47, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- Would a PDF of a previously published article etc that is now stored on the subject's website because it's no longer available online elswhere be a primary source? I am not sure it would. If it's cited properly so that someone could find and verify the reference in a paper copy, it would be a valid secondary source. – ukexpat (talk) 18:56, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- I concur with you Ukexpat. It's just that till the time the news pdf reports provided are hosted on the credit association's website, they remains primary sources. The problem is that in the future, if any other editor challenges the veracity of the pdf copies - and if the correct original links cannot be provided - such links would be summarily removed. The danger is also that given that the credit association's servers might also host self-published advertising material using these very news reports, there's a future possibility of original research. But more or less, I think your answer above should help the user. ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 19:21, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- FWIW, I've used the archiveurl parameters in the citation templates in the past for this scenario--leave the original URL in the citation where it's known and fill in the permanent location into the archiveurl field. -20:58, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- I concur with you Ukexpat. It's just that till the time the news pdf reports provided are hosted on the credit association's website, they remains primary sources. The problem is that in the future, if any other editor challenges the veracity of the pdf copies - and if the correct original links cannot be provided - such links would be summarily removed. The danger is also that given that the credit association's servers might also host self-published advertising material using these very news reports, there's a future possibility of original research. But more or less, I think your answer above should help the user. ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 19:21, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- Would a PDF of a previously published article etc that is now stored on the subject's website because it's no longer available online elswhere be a primary source? I am not sure it would. If it's cited properly so that someone could find and verify the reference in a paper copy, it would be a valid secondary source. – ukexpat (talk) 18:56, 5 March 2010 (UTC)
- Remember also that there is no requirement that a citation to a published source include an internet link. I would say that since these are hosted on the subject's own website, they are suspect. Simply site the original articles in their original print appearances and include no URL whatsoever. PDFs hosted at a subject's own website are always suspect, and may also be copyright violations!!!! --Orange Mike | Talk 14:15, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
Max Pemberton
I've just created a new page for Dr Max Pemberton, a doctor and writer/journalist. This is my first entry though and i'm not sure i've done it correctly - would be great for anyone else to have a look. There is another Max Pemberton - a novelist - who has an entry too - does this need a disambiguation page? If so, i'm not sure i'm confident enough yet to do this without messing it up! Globe789 (talk) 04:13, 6 March 2010 (UTC)globe789- If your article survives review by our new page patrol who look at recently created articles, then create a disambiguation page according to the guidelines. Feel free to write back for any help on contributions. ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 05:59, 6 March 2010 (UTC)
Background of Help Menu Administrators > Offer to Demystify Technology
Resolved: ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 06:24, 8 March 2010 (UTC)- Information about contributors to Wikipedia is available precisely insofar as those contributors choose to share it in their User pages (and its accuracy is mostly undeterminable). You can look at the History of a page to see who its editors have been, and see if they have put anything on their user pages. --ColinFine (talk) 10:31, 7 March 2010 (UTC)
- Thank you, Colin. Personal information is great, if people feel like sharing it, but that was not really what I was after. I was wondering what kinds of backgrounds the admins have, collectively speaking, if there is any pattern. Maybe there isn't any. I'm brand new and don't know much. I was trying to figure out how the help menu could have been so well-written, considering that we are volunteers, and I rarely see such quality even among professionals!
- I also thought the admins deserved praise, and since most people complain rather than giving praise, I thought I'd try to balance things out a bit <smile>.
- I'm also trying to figure out what I can best do here. I have a lot of experience translating IT concepts into plain English, so that people can understand what's being written. So, I will probably visit some IT articles to see if they are comprehensible by lay persons and, if not, try to as Captain Picard says make them so.
- Sometimes, in such articles, I have noticed that there are run-on sentences, items are not logically sequenced, and statements are imprecise (I have seen such articles on Wikipedia in the course of doing my work). If anyone sees any like that, please feel free to let me know. If I'm capable of understanding it, I'll try to fix it. That is my offer to help (for starters: I will probably switch to something else later — depending on where my travels take me). If this belongs in a different section (e.g., an IT section), please feel free to copy it to that place. // And Nothing But (talk) 04:46, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
- Wikipedia itself (or the Wikimedia Foundation which runs it) also knows no more than what the editors (all volunteers) choose to write, and nobody checks this information. I'm an administrator but many help contributors are not. Depending on your computer you may be able to type a question mark with an Alt code by holding down Alt and pressing 63 on the Numeric keypad. PrimeHunter (talk) 01:53, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
- Thank you very much for this information and that which you put on my talk page. You are very kind. I managed to fix my keyboard <smile>. I am surprised (and grateful) that I got two responses very quickly. Typically, on the web, I get bupkis — slowly. // And Nothing But (talk) 04:46, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
Name Change
Someone has mistaked and used an unreliable source to change the year in the title/name of my article. How do i change it back? --WhereTheLinesOverlapXX (talk) 10:29, 7 March 2010 (UTC)- It would help if you had told us which article. The Yellow Handkerchief (2008 film) contains no citations, reliable or otherwise. It was moved by User:Xxshannen1xx, and in its text it says it was screened at the 2008 Sundance festival. If you dispute that, I suggest you find a reliable source for its history.
- It may be that you are really arguing about whether the date of a film is its first screening or its first public release: if that is the issue, You might find some help at Wikipedia:WikiProject Films/Style guidelines. --ColinFine (talk) 10:38, 7 March 2010 (UTC)
- I was going to say you just use "Move", but I see that you have created a Redirect. I'm not sure, but I think you need Administrator intervention to overwrite a redirect with a page. But unless you have evidence that the facts in that article are wrong and the film was never shown in 2008, please don't undo User:Xxchannen1xx's edit without having a discussion with them first, preferably on the article's Talk page. --ColinFine (talk) 11:44, 7 March 2010 (UTC)
- OK, now I've found the guideline that says which year to use, and so you are correct and Xxchannen1xx is wrong. (It would have saved me some confusion if you had explained this - I didn't know whether you were disputing the facts about the Sundance screening or just its relevance).
- You do "the 'Move' thing by picking the "Move" tab at the top of the page, and entering the new name for the page in the dialogue: this was how Xxshannen1xx moved it in the first place. However, you can't usually overwrite an existing page with a move, even a redirect; so I think you need an Admin to sort this out. Post a request to Wikipedia:Editor assistance/Requests.
- In the meantime, how about adding some citations to the article? --ColinFine (talk) 23:08, 7 March 2010 (UTC)
- I have moved The Yellow Handkerchief (2008 film) to The Yellow Handkerchief (2010 film). PrimeHunter (talk) 01:38, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
Are leaks worth mentioning?
If a game, movie or album leak onto the internet before its official release, is it worth mentioning in its wikipedia article?EvanVolm (talk) 18:28, 7 March 2010 (UTC)- There are two questions: is the leak notable (I guess that either the information leaked or the fact that there was a leak could be notable); is there a reliable source for the leak. I suspect that the latter test is almost always going to fail, in which case the information should not be put in Wikipedia. If a reliable newspaper publishes an article about the leak, then it could be included. --ColinFine (talk) 18:50, 7 March 2010 (UTC)
- And note that Wikipedia:External links#Restrictions on linking doesn't allow linking to copyright violations. PrimeHunter (talk) 01:40, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
First time new article questions
Ive written a new article on the abraham lincoln institute and saved it as a work in progress page. I'm having trouble getting the reference to show up right at the bottom of the page. My only reference is the abraham lincoln institute's website (another reference would be our bylaws, but these aren't public). Where would I put the link in this to get it to show up properly:—Preceding unsigned comment added by Gleidner (talk • contribs)- I've done a few changes on the page you were working on. Check how I've used the reference of the website. It'll be good if you could check why we prefer reliable sources in our articles, and also how to use Wikipedia:Citation templates. Feel free to write back for help. Thanks ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 06:38, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
- And as you appear to be connected with the organization, please read our guidance on conflicts of interest. – ukexpat (talk) 14:06, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
Neurotin question
what is the drug neurotin used for.----- You may find the information you're looking for in our page on Gabapentin, for which neurontin is the proprietary name. Otherwise, you might want to try our reference desks, whose volunteers specialize in knowledge questions: this page is for those looking for help in using Wikipedia. Lastly, if your question is a homework question, please keep in mind that though we can help you, we won't do your homework for you. Let us know if you have further questions. Gonzonoir (talk) 10:46, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
- Nor do we give medical advice. – ukexpat (talk) 14:04, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
Selecting the best infobox template for a biography
I've worked on a few articles, but others started each of them. I plan to begin one on the architectural historian Gwendolyn Wright. In looking at the infobox templates, I find many possibilities with minimal obvious order to them. There are exceptions, where it's very clear which one to use, but mostly there just seem to be lots of options. Are they like citations - many possible ways to proceed? Or is there a preferred template that I haven't been able to deduce? What might you suggest for an academic author who is also a minor TV personality? Thanks! --Frankie Rae (talk) 22:08, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
- For academics I usually use {{Infobox scientist}} (works OK for non-scientists too). Another option is the generic {{Infobox person}}. You can see a reasonably complete list at Category:People infobox templates. – ukexpat (talk) 22:16, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
- Thanks for the advice. I'd looked at the list, but it's just a list. Very helpful! --Frankie Rae (talk) 16:17, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
Renaming a Page
Thank you in advance for your assistance. I wish to change the name of a page with a correct/legal name. I cannot find the "move" tab at the top of the page in order to do this. I am trying to change "Ron Karenga" to "Maulana Karenga" because the latter is the real and legal name and complies with the "Reasons for moving a page" according to the Wikipedia guidelines.Can you assist me with this.
Ginadumas (talk) 02:37, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
- It appears Karenga goes by Ron Karenga rather than his birth name, so people will be more likely to try to look him up under the name Ron Karenga. In cases like this, Wikipedia places the articles under the most common name of the subject. For this reason, the article is placed at Ron Karenga while Maulana Karenga is a redirect to the Ron Karenga page. If you think the article should change names, please start a discussion on the talk page of the Karenga article (Talk:Ron Karenga) or request it at Wikipedia:Requested moves.
- You do not see the move tab yet because you are not yet autoconfirmed, and the move tool is only granted to autoconfirmed users. You will be autoconfirmed once your account is at least four days old and has at least ten edits. Hope that helps! liquidluck✽talk 04:17, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
George Rabasa
Resolved: ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 08:36, 14 March 2010 (UTC)- Your account is not autoconfirmed until it is 4 days old and has made at least 10 edits. You cannot move articles until you are autconfirmed. I can move the page for you, but before I do, I think you need to cite a few more reliable sources demonstrating the subject's notability. The language is also a little too "flowery" for an encyclopedia article so it will need to be toned down somewhat. – ukexpat (talk) 20:12, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
- I agree with ukexpat. There are more than a few peacock terms that need to be removed before the article is ready to go. TNXMan 20:13, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
- You might find it helpful to read Wikipedia:YFA. --ColinFine (talk) 23:01, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
- I agree with ukexpat. There are more than a few peacock terms that need to be removed before the article is ready to go. TNXMan 20:13, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
Referencing
If I make an insert and list the new reference, or repeat a reference, do I have to renumber every single reference in that particular article. For example, if there are 21 references and I insert a reference in the middle, so that there are now 22 references, is it my obligation to renumber all the references after the one I inserted? Thank you. 68.32.249.41 (talk) 23:01, 9 March 2010 (UTC)- No, the software will automatically number the citations for you. Also, when repeating a reference you should use a refname rather than typing up a new reference to the same source. Hope that helps, liquidluck✽talk 23:08, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
Speedy deletion nomination of Bruno Carmeni
I am new to Wikipedia and have tried to understand what you have posted on "my talk" page, but must say it is rather confusing. However coming to the point: I have posted the article on "Bruno Carmeni" as it is on the Wikipedia Italian version and it has been there for years, therefore I do not understand why it has a "Speedy deletion nomination". Can you pls. explain and what needs to be done for it not to be deleted? Thanks --aidajudo (talk) 18:25, 10 March 2010 (UTC)- The article needs a lot in terms of citations to reliable sources, but the editor who warned you about the impending deletion reversed himself on that. The article is no longer listed for deletion. Someguy1221 (talk) 19:11, 10 March 2010 (UTC)
- (edit conflict) Ks0stm sent the message and requested the speedy deletion of the article, but then he removed the request one minute later. Right now Bruno Carmeni it is not in danger of being deleted. You may wish to ask the Ks0stm about it on his talk page at User talk:Ks0stm to find out why he did what he did. --Mysdaao talk 19:13, 10 March 2010 (UTC)
hardend veins
my friend did a wellbutrin intravenously and it turned his veins hard and unusable, what can he do to fix the problem? (----) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Piggyloverabc (talk • contribs) 23:39, 10 March 2010 (UTC)- Wikipedia does not give medical advice. PrimeHunter (talk) 00:09, 11 March 2010 (UTC)
help
Resolved: ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 08:36, 14 March 2010 (UTC)i think my article has been deleted/ i was warned about its deletion and so i have been running in circles trying to learn how to fix my article i have no idea!! i get no answer and how am i supose to fix it when i dont know how?? i need help! and also i was unable to retrive my article threw email as i just dont know how! i am new!! my article was named CONVICTS M.C AUSTRALIA can you help me? my username is convicts 1% and thats it i guess?? i mean it all happened within an hour or so!!!! not even enough time to fix this problem nope just delete it why dont you!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Convicts 1% (talk • contribs) 15:14, 11 March 2010 (UTC)
- I didn't see the article before it was deleted, so I don't know much about it, aside from the statement on your talk page that it was about a club. If the page was posted as an attempt at social networking, it doesn't belong in an encyclopedia, but I'm just guessing at the content. --A Knight Who Says Ni (talk) 15:19, 11 March 2010 (UTC)
- The article was about a biker gang. However, it did not indicate why the group was notable enough to warrant an article. I would suggest reading our info on writing your first article. TNXMan 15:22, 11 March 2010 (UTC)
- The initial article was a pseudo-advertisement of the "They're a bad bloody bunch of babyeating outlaws, yeah, we're right baaaaaaaad buggers!"' sort. When that was deleted, this account created another one with the same name, stating that administrators are "ROCKSPIDER CHILD RAPIST WEIRDO'S they clearly have no life and spend all day and night on their computers masturbating over child pornography!! they are the lowest scum out! i hope they kill themselves IMEADIETLY upon reading this GO f*** yourself for deleting my article on the glorious "CONVICTS M.C AUSTRALIA""
- The new "article" was already deleted; the name has been blocked as a spamusername; now can some dinkum cobber tell me what rockspiders have to do with it? --Orange Mike | Talk 20:29, 11 March 2010 (UTC)
- My only question is, am I meant to Go f*** myself before killing myself, because it said that I should kill myself IMEADIETLY.... which one do I do first, because if I go f*** myself, then I'm not killing myself IMEADIETLY - but if I kill myself IMEADIETLY then I can't go f*** myself. I wish people would be more clear in their instructions to us admins. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs 20:42, 11 March 2010 (UTC)
- I had to type that first IMEADIETLY three times until I got the mis-spelling right! -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs 20:42, 11 March 2010 (UTC)
- My only question is, am I meant to Go f*** myself before killing myself, because it said that I should kill myself IMEADIETLY.... which one do I do first, because if I go f*** myself, then I'm not killing myself IMEADIETLY - but if I kill myself IMEADIETLY then I can't go f*** myself. I wish people would be more clear in their instructions to us admins. -- PhantomSteve/talk|contribs 20:42, 11 March 2010 (UTC)
Bob (Robert C) Black May 6 1951
Bob Black a great thinker and reverse engineer. Talanted Mechanic on automobiles Boats Aircraft. building enrgineer —Preceding unsigned comment added by BobCBlack (talk • contribs) 04:30, 12 March 2010 (UTC)- Have you a question, BobCBlack?
- If you're suggesting that there should be an article about you, please read Wikipedia:BIO and Wikipedia:COI. --ColinFine (talk) 08:20, 12 March 2010 (UTC)
commenting off page
I have seen people mentioning offpage talks and I wondered what exactly that meant and how it is accomplised. I know that one can ask to enable e-mail, but this is not what I am asking about. Any help would be appreciated. thank you. Mugginsx (talk) 13:07, 12 March 2010 (UTC)- Are you referring to article talk pages? They are pages where editors can discuss an article and way to improve it. Learn more on this page. TNXMan 14:01, 12 March 2010 (UTC)
- I don't recall seeing the terms "commenting off page" or "offpage talks". A Wikipedia search of everything gives no results. Can you link to an example so we can see the formulation and context? Is it possible the people are saying "off wiki" or "off-line"? PrimeHunter (talk) 14:10, 12 March 2010 (UTC)
- Not the talk pages. I cannot find the page where the comment was made anymore. However, if I see it again, I will come back to you. Thank you both anyway for your response. Mugginsx (talk) 12:07, 13 March 2010 (UTC)
- Wikipedia:IRC ? - Kittybrewster ☎ 12:12, 13 March 2010 (UTC)
- Not the talk pages. I cannot find the page where the comment was made anymore. However, if I see it again, I will come back to you. Thank you both anyway for your response. Mugginsx (talk) 12:07, 13 March 2010 (UTC)
Counting Words
I've been asked to join an arbitration case and to limit my words to less than 1000 words. I've been told I'm over the 1000 word limit and other editors are clipping my evidence. Although I've edited it "down" several times, it's still over the limit I'm told.How do I count the words in my evidence page to know the number of words I've used?--Kala Bethere (talk) 13:41, 12 March 2010 (UTC)
- An easy way is to copy and paste the words into this site: http://www.wordcounttool.com/ --Mysdaao talk 14:05, 12 March 2010 (UTC)
Account
Is having a wikipedia account free?--Shilnedocth (talk) 15:43, 12 March 2010 (UTC)- Yup. It looks like you've already got one, so you're all set up and ready to go. TNXMan 15:52, 12 March 2010 (UTC)
- Er... donations are always welcome though... ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 08:31, 14 March 2010 (UTC)
Reference Guidelines
I'm adding information about the USS John Rodgers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_John_Rodgers_(DD-983)), as I served on the ship. I see no references to material presented so far, much of which probably was similarly contributed by individuals. I added a relatively small amount of material of highlights during my time onboard, but my edits were rejected due verifiability concerns. My question is: what types of references are relevant for this type of entry, especially since I don't see references to previously contributed material posted? Hsowen (talk) 22:03, 13 March 2010 (UTC)- See Identifying reliable sources. Personal recollections are not considered reliable. – ukexpat (talk) 22:57, 13 March 2010 (UTC)
- And how to add verifiable sources... ▒ ♪ ♫ Wifione ♫ ♪ ▒ ―Œ ♣Łeave Ξ мessage♣ 08:28, 14 March 2010 (UTC)
Writing Requirements
How much experience is a user required to have before being allowed to write articles? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wikiwormer (talk • contribs) 03:20, 14 March 2010 (UTC)- There is no minimum experience requirements for users to write articles. Any user may create new articles. Here is standard advice on creating articles:
A Wizard is available to walk you through these steps. See the Article Wizard.
Thank you.
- 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 with which all articles should comply. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite 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. You might also look at 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. An Article Wizard is also available to walk you through creating an article.
- And my advice on creating articles:Writing an article for Wikipedia is harder than many people realize. Over 99% of all articles submitted by someone with no other editing experience in Wikipedia are deleted. Even professional writers find that the format and style needed for a good encyclopedia article are different than what might be appropriate for other venues. You could:
* Get someone else to do it—If your only goal is to make sure that an article is added to Wikipedia, you can request that someone write an article on the subject.
* Start by editing other articles—If you are interested in becoming an editor at Wikipedia, our experience demonstrates that it is better to start by improving existing articles, which will help you get a sense of how this place works, and then writing your first article from scratch. A good place to visit is the Wikipedia backlog, where there are literally hundreds of thousands of articles needing help from editors. Find an article in a subject area you know, and add a source, or a reference, or simply help write it better.
* Go ahead and try—If you do decide to write an article immediately, please read our policy on conflicts of interest, then read our guide to writing your first article, which will repeat some of the good advice above. Then please use the Article wizard, which will help you through the steps. I urge you to accept the option to save your first draft in your user subpage, which will reduce the chance your work will be deleted before it is ready.
- And my advice on creating articles:Writing an article for Wikipedia is harder than many people realize. Over 99% of all articles submitted by someone with no other editing experience in Wikipedia are deleted. Even professional writers find that the format and style needed for a good encyclopedia article are different than what might be appropriate for other venues. You could:
kropp and Esset or Krupp and Esset.
Who were they within the double barrel shotgun industry?. Thankyou. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.179.158.57 (talk) 20:49, 14 March 2010 (UTC)
Have you tried Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in knowledge questions and will try to answer just about 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. – ukexpat (talk) 20:57, 14 March 2010 (UTC)
Senior Move Mangement
This is a career field that helps seniors move to new residences. Typically, a senior who has reached the point when they chooose, or must, move out of their current home, is somewhat overwhelmed with all the details of downsizing and moving. Senior Move Managers are professionals who work as consultants and manage a few, or all, aspects of the relocation. The National Association of Senior Move Managers helps educate and support the industry. Are there positive experiences that the public has had with Senior Move Management? Dianelozier (talk) 22:04, 15 March 2010 (UTC)- You forgot an 'a' in the heading. It's Senior Move Management. This page is a place to get help with editing and finding your way around Wikipedia. Do you have a question about that? If your only question is that in the last sentence then:
- Have you tried Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in knowledge questions and will try to answer just about 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) 22:50, 15 March 2010 (UTC)
I am struggling with trying to put references at the bottom of my article.
I'm a total newbie so please could someone assist who can explain this really simply to me? My first instinct would be to put this code < ref > then list my references, then at the end put this code < /ref > but that doesn't seem to be working. What does the Reflist thingy with double curly brackets around it mean/do? I am trying to copy the code from an existing article, to help myself, but I'm not doing too well. Sorry if this question is too dumb. Please don't redirect me to yet another wiki page of stuff I don't understand. I need the simplest possible response because my brain is very simple. Thank you sooooo much for your help - I am utterly grateful and would give you my first-born but he's already spoken-for. I have a couple of other questions, but I am struggling with one problem at a time, at this stage. Hugs and kisses. Shelby --Shelby1611 (talk) 23:36, 15 March 2010 (UTC)- To put a reference in, use This is my footnote or reference as here[1]. To actually see the references, add {{Reflist}} at the end of your article, typically in a section called "References" or "Notes". See below. The creates an individual reference or footnote. Reflist (only to be used once per article) is the place where these footnotes will appear.--Stephan Schulz (talk) 23:46, 15 March 2010 (UTC)
- Using inline citations is not required, but increasingly strongly recommended. You will probably not be able to get an article through Good Article Review or even Featured Article Review unless the major points are supported by inline references. That said, if you don't want to use them, simply create a section called "References" and list your sources as a bulleted list like this:
References
* A. Author, "The Book", Penguin, 1678 * O. Researcher, "Booking badly outnumbers Bedding", International Journal of Bookology 1(3):7-14, 2031- Don't mind the exact formatting too much unless you want to. Someone will likely change it anyways. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 17:05, 16 March 2010 (UTC)
- There is a new (September 2009) mechanism by which you can put the symbol inline, but list the content of the references in the reflist at the bottom where they appear in the finished article: see Wikipedia:LDR. It is not recommended to mix the two methods in the same article, but if you are working on a new article, you might want to considuer using these. --ColinFine (talk) 00:10, 16 March 2010 (UTC)
- ^ This is my footnote or reference
I cannot insert a photo
Hello. I have tried to insert a photo in a (Spanish languaje)article (Elena Rogers), to no avail. I found it terribly difficult! I thought it would appear in the page, after many steps, but... Maybe my English is not good enough, so I don't understand the instructions? Is there a way I can read them in Spanish? Thank you very much Silvia Marmolejo ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ —Preceding unsigned comment added by Eimaiegwoncemore (talk • contribs) 02:51, 16 March 2010 (UTC)- English Wikipedia does not have an Elena Rogers article, but it does have Elena Roger in English. Did you mean an article on Spanish Wikipedia? If so, you will have to ask about images at their Help Café. – ukexpat (talk) 03:50, 16 March 2010 (UTC)
- 1. Commons:Primeros pasos/Formulario de subida
- 2. Ayuda:Imágenes
- Chzz ► 08:29, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
my factual change "not constructive?"
I am trying to add detail to an existing page -- the name of a company's co-founder. I have received a notice saying that my change was rejected because it wasn't constructive. But I am adding factual data, so I'm not sure what's up with that. Phaedrahise (talk) 14:21, 16 March 2010 (UTC)- You should ask the user who sent you the message, NerdyScienceDude, by writing a message on his talk page at User talk:NerdyScienceDude. However, my guess would be that he reverted what you did because of this edit where you removed a reference with no explanation. You should explain every edit with an edit summary so others understand your edit. --Mysdaao talk 14:36, 16 March 2010 (UTC)
Parameter estimation
There is an additional means of parameter estimation which is independent of those which appear in the parameter estimation section. Do I "edit" to add this means, of do I establish a new topic title? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Monodb (talk • contribs) 01:25, 17 March 2010 (UTC)- Please tell us which article you are referring to, so we can consider your question in context. Thanks. – ukexpat (talk) 02:23, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
New Editor... Any starting recommendations?
Hi all... I am starting off as a new editor on Wikipedia... Are there any special instructions that I should follow apart from the recommendations that I just read directly through Wikipedia? Any comments or tips would be highly appreciated. 03:59, 17 March 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Pelosenlamano (talk • contribs)- Best, single piece of advice... If you add any new information, cite your source. If you can't figure out the citation system, don't worry about it. Just copy-paste the URL inbetween brackets (these things: [ ]) and someone will come along and fix it. Otherwise, just try to enjoy it here. Good luck! Someguy1221 (talk) 05:32, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
Done - I fixed the references, cleaned up some of the text per Wikipedia:NOTMEMORIAL and de-linked years. – ukexpat (talk) 15:03, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
how to create a new article in wikipedia
please tell me —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jyothibasu1k (talk • contribs) 09:14, 17 March 2010 (UTC) A Wizard is available to walk you through these steps. See the Article Wizard.
Thank you.
- 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 with which all articles should comply. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite 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. You might also look at 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. An Article Wizard is also available to walk you through creating an article. --Mysdaao talk 12:18, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
Uploading a logo and copyright for inclusion in a company info box
I think I am going slightly crazy, I've found the following URL which seems to be the place where a company logo can be uploaded (with exclusion rationale) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Upload/Uploadtext/en-nonfree but it seems to be a dead end, there are no form fields to complete or links to a form with fields described?Djmathu (talk) 10:25, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
- That page only contains a text description. It is transcluded onto other pages where the uploads are actually done. To upload an image of a company logo, click the link on the left side of a Wikipedia page that says Upload file and select the option for the logo of an organization. However, only autoconfirmed users can upload files. An account is automatically autoconfirmed when it is at least four days old and has made at least ten edits. Your account is old enough, but it has currently made nine edits. Make one more edit to any page on Wikipedia, and then you will be able to upload the company's image by following the instructions I gave. --Mysdaao talk 12:26, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
Warren Williams
Hi, I'm new to this and I'm not even sure this is the place to do this. I joined because when I followed a link on the Johnny O'Keefe page, for Warren Williams, another pioneer of the Australian Rock & Roll industry, I landed on a page about some American footballer with the same name. Now I have compiled a short history about Warren and I'd like to post it and make sure that the links in Wikipedia that refer to him go to the new page. So, I'm asking for help on how to do this. Can the answer be put on my talk page as I'm not sure where else I'll find the answers you might provide. Thanking you in anticipation. KeniethBaker (talk) 12:57, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
Please use a descriptive title in future questions.- Do you mean Warren H Williams? If that is the person you are referring to, then edit the existing article instead. If not:
A Wizard is available to walk you through these steps. See the Article Wizard.
Thank you.
- 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 with which all articles should comply. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite 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. You might also look at 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. An Article Wizard is also available to walk you through creating an article. --Mysdaao talk 13:33, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
- Copying to user's talk page at User talk:KeniethBaker#Warren Williams. --Mysdaao talk 13:35, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
- I don't belive they are looking for Warren H Williams, who is a modern day country musician. There is another Warren Williams from the 1960's (see Blast from past entertains) who appeared on Six O'Clock Rock. I have unlink Warren Williams (the football player) on the Six O'Clock Rock page. I am not sure if this Williams rates an article. I would have made him a red link, but I am not sure what to name him. Current Warren Williams (disambiguation) page has Warren, Butch, and Warren H. (Australian singer and songwriter). (Will copy this update to the user's talk page.) --Chuck369 (talk) 13:59, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
- Copying to user's talk page at User talk:KeniethBaker#Warren Williams. --Mysdaao talk 13:35, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
sorbitan oleate?
would like to know about sorbitan oleate its other names and the use in the cosmetic specifically soap industry122.176.49.17 (talk) 13:26, 17 March 2010 (UTC)- I would suggest asking at the science reference desk, but please note that they will not do your homework for you. TNXMan 13:31, 17 March 2010 (UTC)
