Wikipedia:Help desk

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July 15

Science: referencing a review (2* source) VS an article mentioned in the review (1* source)

For example, say I’m writing a section about how mitochondria mediate the cell-death response. My main citation is a review article, a secondary source. One relevant fact is that mtDNA lacks CpG methylation. Should I cite this result from the review, or from the original article, a primary source, referenced in the review that I have also read? I’ve seen examples of the latter, but I wonder what the Wikipedia guidelines prescribe. Amayorov (talk) 04:48, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Hi @Amayorov, WP:SAYWHEREYOUREADIT and WP:SCHOLARSHIP should answer your question. Commander Keane (talk) 09:29, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Susan Spaw-folksinger

also my ex-wife. 70.119.26.190 (talk) 04:50, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

You have asked the same question at the Teahouse; please see the answers you received there. It is unclear what you are trying to do. '''[[User:CanonNi]]''' (talk • contribs) 05:04, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

At a glance, Susan Spaw appears the ex-wife of someone called Guy Clark who died in 2016. Are you trying to make an edit request from beyond the grave? -- D'n'B-t -- 13:54, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Guy Clark#Personal life says they had a son in 1966 and he remarried in 1972. If she is still alive then she would have 52+ years to get married and divorced again. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:21, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

WP:MFD busted?

Hi - WP:MFD looks busted - error at top, table showing a Lua error. Might be to do with a recent IP address change on that page? The broken table is also showing on WP:RFD. I would attempt to fix it but it's above my paygrade BugGhost🦗👻 16:11, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Yup. Module:XfD old/AfD and MfD breaks if the "Old business" header is removed. —Cryptic 16:25, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Cool ok - assumed it would be that, I just didn't want to complicate things in case I was wrong. Thanks for taking a look! BugGhost🦗👻 16:27, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Vandalism check in re: Special:Contributions/207.135.255.203

The Rock Springs, Wyoming page was vandalized by Special:Contributions/207.135.255.203. In their edit to the page on 4 July 2024, the user added "also known as Rock Bottom or Crack Springs" sentence to the opening of the page — neither of which are official nicknames and are essentially just denigrating statements toward the character of the town. An edit was conducted by another IP-user at a later date, but said user must've missed the clear and obvious vandalism.
While I think it'd be easy enough for me to simply remove the offending text, I'd like to ask whether or not any of the IP-user's other contributions to Wikipedia constitute vandalism or not in the eyes of the rest of the Wikipedia community, and whether or not if I were to simply remove the offending text before the mods could get to it themselves, if the mod team would be able to do something in particular about the Rock Springs thing after the fact. — D._A.S.C. ^{Talk to me!} 20:29, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Hi DASC. Whenever you come across obvious vandalism such as the one you pointed out, feel free to revert it without needing to check with the rest of the community. Not only that, it's good practice to check the recent contributions of vandals to see if they vandalized other articles, which was the case here. All of the IP's recent edits have already been reverted, so there is nothing else to do. Please read WP:RVAN for more information. Isabelle Belato ^🏳‍🌈 21:33, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Advertisement of paid editing

User:Rakibhasanactor is advertising that they are a paid editor for a visual effects studio and has written the entirely promotional Raisul Islam Ador article. I think it's enough to say that this would be preventative for further misuse and general NOTHERE sentiment but I'm not sure how to report it - is ANI the place to go? Someone brought the article to AfD and it's since been CSD'd so that shone a spotlight on it but I think the consequences need to be on the editor rather than just the page. I haven't seen this often but it would be good to know how to address this should it be necessary in the future. Cheers, Kazamzam (talk) 20:28, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Kazamzam, thank you for bringing this to the attention of other editors (myself included). The article I have just now deleted was rather incompetent -- it started Raisul Islam Ador is a Film-Maker. Everyone knows him by different names. His various names include Rai and Ador. The editor needs some practice. However, they do not seem to be soliciting business. The first half of I'm a paid editor of Raid Studio vfx company and I can edit another wiki page for free. is the kind of thing that paid editors (who, you should remember, are not outlawed) are expected to say; and it's good that the editor is also offering to help without payment. -- Hoary (talk) 21:03, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

How to add images to a Wikipedia article

I have done some slight editing tweaking several Wikipedia articles, but found major mistakes identifying a building in a Wikipedia article about a railroad depot in my area. I have correct pictures of the depot I would like to add to this article but I am not enough of a tech to figure out the code. Can someone tell me, how to add a photograph (downloaded in my PC) to the article? All I can find is how to use Wikipedia photos. THANK YOU in advance !! Timestreasures (talk) 21:24, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

@Timestreasures: Did you take the photo yourself? If so, the process is quite easy. Just go to the Commons Upload Wizard and follow the directions to upload the photo. Then you can use the Commons file name to add the image to the article. If it's a photo you found somewhwere on the Internet, though, it's probably copyrighted and can't be used here. Deor (talk) 23:25, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Thank you so much. The photo is of an antique postcard that I have. I really appreciate this. Kind regards ! Timestreasures (talk) 01:55, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Etiquette for user home pages/sandboxen

Greetings, keepers of the eternal flame!

Glancing through someone's talk page earlier today, I was reminded that editing people's user pages etc. without warning can be considered a discourtesy, even down to fixing minor Lint formatting errors as reported in various WP:Gnome-type bot pages. I am aware of what WP:Linter allows you to do. This all set me wondering, Are user pages considered semi-private, and if so, why? I consulted my fave guideline WP:Etiquette, and came here for further guidance.

As I see it in very basic and simplistic terms, almost everything that appears on WP is essentially public property under the various Creative Commons licenses, and you press 'Publish' at your peril. I may be horribly wrong. But if I am vaguely right, it seems that some editors skirt around this lack of privilege, maybe unaware even of it, and feel that their user home pages are entirely personal and somehow sacrosanct. How has this feeling come about? Is My Sandbox somehow specially protected because it's called *MY* Sandbox? Genuine questions: If everything on WP is public, why are people so protective about 'their' scribblings? Are they merely misinformed? WP:OWN seems to concentrate on live articles rather than drafts, sandboxes etc. WP:Ownership and editing of user pages sets out some guidelines, but could someone please point me to where this consensus came to be agreed on? This may have occurred many moons ago. MinorProphet (talk) 21:38, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Hello, MinorProphet. User pages are not sacrosanct and administrators routinely remove inappropriate content from userpages. The purpose of a userpage is for an editor to describe their interests, accomplishment and plans as a Wikipedia editor. As such, it is a means of communicating with other editors, and not private in any way. Any editor can remove grossly inappropriate content, but it is a good idea to get an administrator involved to revision delete the content and block the offender as appropriate. As for sandboxes, there is little reason to rummage around in them, but their pupose is for improving the encyclopedia. Wikipedia is not a free web host, so material unrelated to improving the encyclopedia can be removed. Cullen328 (talk) 22:20, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

@MinorProphet A Lint error was removed from my userpage a couple of days ago and I thanked the editor who did that. Apart from anything else, it taught me not to make that sort of mistake (wikilinking within external links) in future. Mike Turnbull (talk) 17:30, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Personally, I consider userspace drafts mostly hands-off unless necessary. If I feel like editing them, I ask first. If I see something "wrong" on a userpage I tend to tell the user about it. I remember a new editor making a good-faith change to my userpage once, which wasn't how I wanted it. I asked them not to do that and said there was generally no good reason to edit other people's userpages. I think the spirit of It is not necessary to bring talk pages to publishing standards, so there is no need to copy edit others' posts. Doing so can be irritating. The basic rule, with exceptions outlined below, is to not edit or delete others' posts without their permission. reasonably applies to userpages. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 20:38, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

@Michael D. Turnbull: I had a similar edit on my talk page.[1] I also thanked the editor because his edits were fine, but reading the complaints on their own talk page when other's talk pages get broken sparked my original questions. Gråbergs Gråa Sång's quote above from wp:talk seems to provide the answer about User Talk pages. But it seems that User Home pages are subject to different constraints: "Bots and other users may edit pages in your user space or leave messages for you, though by convention others will not usually edit your user page itself, other than (rarely) to address significant concerns or place project-related tags." These sentiments may need further refinement.
Thanks all for your helpful and useful contribs. So, to sum up: Is it the case that people are right to complain when their own pages/drafts etc. get edited, even for relatively inconsequential edits, such as with Linter? I note that WP:LINTER#How you can help gives guidance on User Talk pages, but none at all on User Home pages. I left a message at Talk:Linter. MinorProphet (talk) 11:19, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Answer, I think. WP:OWN#User pages states: "Usually others will not edit your primary user page, other than to address significant concerns (rarely); or to do routine housekeeping, such as handling project-related tags, disambiguating links to pages that have been moved, removing the page from categories meant for articles, replacing non-free content by linking to it, or removing obvious vandalism or BLP violations.""
Jonesey95 at Talk:Linter explained: "Fixing Linter errors fits in with "routine housekeeping". All pages are fair game for fixing errors, replacing deleted templates, adjusting wikitext to conform to MediaWiki code changes, and other maintenance that keeps Wikipedia pages rendering correctly." Thanks all. MinorProphet (talk) 16:18, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Resolved

Renaming Article and Redirect Help

I attempted to rename the article "Tri County Journal" to "Tri-County Journal" since it needs a hyphen (as per written in the Library of Congress). However, I had some technical issues renaming the page. There are now two redirects, and the original page is now misspelled as "Tr-County Journal". How should we fix this? WafflesBaconAndPuppies (talk) 21:39, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

WafflesBaconAndPuppies you could ask at Wikipedia:Requested moves/Technical requests. Or an admin may see this question. TSventon (talk) 21:46, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

I have moved Tr-County Journal to Tri-County Journal. I left a redirect so bots can clean up double redirects. PrimeHunter (talk) 22:21, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

The double redirects are fixed so I have deleted Tr-County Journal and its talk page. PrimeHunter (talk) 13:46, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

July 16

How to cite what instruments members play in a band?

Basically the title. The band in question is the Smile, namely Jonny also plays cello, and Stillman plays clarinet and keyboards. Previous edits to change this have been reverted, however I couldn't find another mention in the article of Greenwood's harp playing either. I haven't been able to find any written source for this, and I couldn't properly link to videos in the edit summary, so is this doable, or do I have to wait until there is a good written source to use? Ștefan Tărâță (talk) 01:18, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

@Ștefan Tărâță, since nobody has jumped in I will take a crack at answering. Yes I think we will need to find a reliable source for which instruments they play. Wikipedia:Reliable sources has some guidance. I am thinking a music magazine would be ok, if you can find one with the required info. Commander Keane (talk) 21:33, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Flight attendant

Ref number 3 is in red , please fix, I cannot Thank you 115.70.23.77 (talk) 01:21, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

 Done, the access-date had year listed as 224, changed to 2024 to remove error message. Cmr08 (talk) 01:30, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Refs number 3 and 89 are the same - please "double them up" - I cannot do this. Sorry and thank you 115.70.23.77 (talk) 03:15, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Fixed. The first use was puffery and not supported by the citation, so removed. Meters (talk) 03:36, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

I have removed the phrase "This section does not cite any sources." in one section. please check thta I did the right thing. Thank you again 115.70.23.77 (talk) 05:26, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

You mean, this edit, in which you removed a template saying that more sources were needed? (Quote: "This section needs additional citations for verification.") Just look at the second list item, visible in that diff page. It says:

Senior Purser Neerja Bhanot saved the lives of passengers and crew when Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked. She was killed while protecting children from the terrorists. After her death she received the Special Courage Award from the United States Department of Justice and India's highest civilian honour for bravery, the Ashoka Chakra.

-- with not a single reference. In your opinion, is a reference for it not needed? (Or are you asking about something else? A diff might help.) -- Hoary (talk) 06:19, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

No response of any kind from the IP (or from a similar IP). Meters restored the maintenance tag. -- Hoary (talk) 01:01, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Tables in page

Hiya, I've been asked a question on my talk through the mentorship module and I can't figure it out myself.

How would someone get the table in List of Eastern Orthodox saints to fit inside the page without having to scroll horizontally or it be overlapping with the tools sidebar? Justiyaya 05:31, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

@Justiyaya: Fixed by removing a misplaced {{citation needed}}.[2] The template adds nowrap and happened to do it to the table code for a row. PrimeHunter (talk) 10:11, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Truncated table

At List_of_Downton_Abbey_episodes#Series_overview, I'm seeing a top-truncated table that overwrites the first season entry with the header. No apparent reason in the code that I can see. Does this look normal for other people? --Elmidae (talk · contribs) 08:54, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

@Elmidae: I see no problem. Does it happen if you log out? Try to bypass your cache with Ctrl+F5 in Windows browsers. If it still happens then what is your browser and can you describe the problem in more detail or make a screenshot? PrimeHunter (talk) 09:57, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Good catch - it disappears when I log out. Turns out it is the '"Make headers of tables display as long as the table is in view, i.e. "sticky"' setting in my preferences. Despite up-to-date Firefox too :/ Cheers! --Elmidae (talk · contribs) 10:18, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

@Elmidae: The gadget was actually my first thought but it didn't happen to me in Vector legacy. I guess you have Vector 2022. I have reported it at MediaWiki talk:Gadget-StickyTableHeaders.css#Not working at The Economist Democracy Index#List by region. PrimeHunter (talk) 11:24, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

I have query

I have query 210.212.205.19 (talk) 10:11, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

So do I. What's your query? That was mine. PrimeHunter (talk) 10:13, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Using English language template in another language Wikipedia

Hi, can anyone please help me about how can i use English language template like

Work in progress; comments welcome

, in another language Wikipedia? Arijit Kisku (talk) 12:15, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

@Arijit Kisku: Templates from other Wikipedia languages cannot be used. You have to make a local template. If you try to copy an English template then you may also have to copy other templates it uses. If you want more help then what is the language and do you know how to create pages in general? A template is just a page with a name starting with "Template:" in English. It may be something else in your language of interest but it actually works to initially say "Template:" which will automatically be translated. PrimeHunter (talk) 12:25, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

(edit conflict) Hi Arijit Kisku each language version of Wikipedia is a separate project, and templates cannot be used in other language versions. That said, Template:WQA in progress lists 6 other languages in the left-hand column, that have an equivalent template. Hopefully, you are looking for one of those 6. - Arjayay (talk) 12:28, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Thanks for the information. Arijit Kisku (talk) 12:59, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Translating page

Hello there,

I just translated a page from Italian into English (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Sossio_Giametta) but as I'm not experienced enough I'm not allowed to publish it. My question is, what happens now? Do I have to ask someone for help?

I do think it deserves its own presence in the English Wiki because there are pages for Colli and Montanari, which were equivalent intellectual figures in Italy.

Thanks very much! Bravenewworld1984 (talk) 13:08, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Bravenewworld1984 add {{subst:submit}} and save to invite a review. It is likely to be rejected as it stands because of the large amounts of unreferenced text Jimfbleak - talk to me? 13:40, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Bravenewworld1984 I recommend reading Help:Your first article as each Wikipedia has its own rules. First you should check that Giametta is suitable for an article on Wikipedia. which normally requires significant coverage in multiple published secondary sources that are reliable, intellectually independent of each other, and independent of the subject (see WP:BASIC). Secondly, find references for the unreferenced text as already suggested TSventon (talk) 13:59, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

WP:BACKWARD may be of help to you. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 17:17, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Bravenewworld1984, La passione della conoscenza. Studi in onore di Sossio Giametta is a festschrift for Giametta. There are many festschrifts (and it has to be said that some are unremarkable); but only a small minority of academics get one. This one starts with a twenty-page introduction. I haven't seen this (and, not knowing Italian, wouldn't understand it if I did see it), but I imagine that quite a bit of it is about Giametta's work. I'd guess that Giametta is indeed "notable" as defined by and for en:Wikipedia. Your job is to shape the draft so that it demonstrates this. -- Hoary (talk) 23:36, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Inquiry

The actress Rachel Weisz was born in 1970 or 1971? 2A02:B021:8F03:B9AA:5CCC:CABD:C45C:4042 (talk) 19:04, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

I'm not sure why you're asking this here when you linked to the article that explains the ambiguity with a note? If you still have questions, Talk:Rachel Weisz would likely be a better location for them in any case. Cheers. DonIago (talk) 20:05, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

@Doniago I ask here because the note is not reliable. I had to delete two pieces of information that are unverifiable if you look at the article's history. 2A02:B021:8F06:8295:2A81:4A2:6026:1B9E (talk) 20:48, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

I'm not sure how that changes the second part of my response. This is a question to be posed at the article's Talk page, not here. DonIago (talk) 20:50, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

@Doniago I raised this issue for clarification. If Wikipedia editors are interested in having verified and correct information, they will address it. Regards. 2A02:B021:8F06:8295:2A81:4A2:6026:1B9E (talk) 20:58, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

You have been advised that the proper place to discuss this issue is at Talk: Rachel Weisz and yet you have not done so. Why is that? Cullen328 (talk) 21:28, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

My article

I wrote an article about Gerry Douglas (yacht designer) and tried to submit it for wiki inclusion. No idea where it went, or what its status is…anybody there who might help? Thanks,

margaretd70

Margaretd70 (talk) 21:14, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Hello, Margaretd70. Your draft is at Draft:Gerry Douglas (yacht designer) but you have not submitted it for review. Please read Articles for Creation to learn how to submit it. In my opinion, your draft needs more work. I suggest that you read Your first article before submitting. Cullen328 (talk) 21:23, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Ali B

Not an issue for Help desk. Referred elsewhere

 – the help desk does not resolve content issues. Just Step Sideways ^{from this world ..... today} 21:33, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Is the last sentence in the section "Sexual misconduct and conviction" a translation error? "He was also accused of digitally raping" doesn't make any sense Trade (talk) 21:31, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

The help desk is for asking questions about using Wikipedia, you should bring this up on the talk page of the relevant article. Just Step Sideways ^{from this world ..... today} 21:32, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Trade, I have edited Ali B to clarify the ambiguity. The wording referred to the sex act legally known as Digital penetration, which is widely illegal if non-consensual. Cullen328 (talk) 07:02, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

July 17

Is there an available list of articles that lack voiceover, or need new voiceover?

Im looking to help do voiceover for articles, and would love if there is a list of those that need it, thanks! (new user also, if this is not in the appropriate place please point me to it if possible) CoffeeEnjoyerz (talk) 01:09, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

@CoffeeEnjoyerz, yes this is the right place to ask. Wikipedia:WikiProject Spoken Wikipedia should sort you out. Commander Keane (talk) 01:24, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Thank you! CoffeeEnjoyerz (talk) 16:44, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Why does Wikipedia render in-page SVG images as PNGs?

This has been puzzling me for a while and I haven't been able to find an answer anywhere. Every modern browser nowadays has SVG rendering capabilities — what gives? Luunarr (talk) 01:29, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

c:Help:SVG/yue#librsvg does mention that older computers may struggle with svg rendering in real time. Also, we have very big svgs in some cases. Downloading a 20mb svg for a 200px wide image would suck. Commander Keane (talk) 01:38, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

If I remember correctly, sometimes it renders it as SVG and sometimes as PNG Emicraft 03:17, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

You may be right. phab:T5593 might be of interest @Luunarr. Commander Keane (talk) 03:50, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

How can I add a profile for a credited actor?

My son Kayden Price is a accomplished and credited actor, his latest series is "Nautilus" which aired June 12th on SVT Play in Sweden and will be aired around the world. How can a profile be created for him? [3]https://www.imdb.me/KaydenPrice Jodi Price (talk) 06:38, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Wikipedia isn't a directory, we don't have profiles. Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia that has articles. All articles have inclusion criteria called notability, the requirements for entertainers is WP:ENTERTAINER. It requires significant roles in multiple major productions. Beyond that though there is no need for you to do anything, when your son becomes notable enough, someone else will create an article. - X201 (talk) 06:47, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

@Jodi Price Welcome to Wikipedia. I googled for sources that would indicate WP:NOTABILITY, WP:s "rule" for "should we have an article about [whatever]?". Per what I saw, this seems like WP:TOOSOON. Fwiw, he's mentioned at Nautilus (TV series). Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 08:44, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

How to indicate lack of footnotes

A friend pointed me to the List of Batman: The Animated Series episodes article and noted that there are very few footnotes for references, they suggested that the Template:More footnotes needed/doc template might be appropriate (but weren't able to add it themselves due to an IP block). I'm wondering if this would be advisable for me to add, or if there is a better way to note this, or if I should discuss it specifically on that article's talk page first, or maybe there are specific expectations for list-class articles like this. Thanks! Agashlin (talk) 07:35, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Hello, Agashlin.

There are always several options. Ideally, whenever any of us find an article with problems, we would just fix it. Of course that often doesn't happen, because we lack the knowledge, or the interest, or the time, to do a proper job (usually it is a matter of finding and citing appropriate sources, which can be a lot of work).

A common option (which I do myself) is to add an appropriate cleanup tag to the article, like the one you mention - I use Twinkle to do so easily. However some people regard "drive-by tagging" as not helpful.

Discussing it on the article's talk page is always an option (possibly as well as tagging it) - whether that is worth-while depends on how much traffic the talk page gets, and how many people watch it.

And there is no requirement on you to do anything at all.

Please see WP:Tagging pages for problems for a fuller discussion. ColinFine (talk) 09:58, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

A question about adding a new language

Hello!

I have recently gained an interest in the Shavian alphabet, which is an alternative alphabet for English proposed by George Bernard Shaw, due to the confusion caused by the use of the Latin alphabet in English.

I would hence like to ask if the Shavian script could be added as a language.

I understand that this is not a typical question asked in the Help Desk, but I found no other way to ask this question.

Thank you! TheShreyinator (talk) 08:00, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

TheShreyinator, it's not a language but a mere script. I don't understand what you mean by "added as a language". (And had you written "added as a script" I still wouldn't have understood. I might have made guesses, but I wouldn't have known which guess was right.) What exactly are you hoping for? -- Hoary (talk) 08:11, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

There are Wikipedias in some languages that use more than one script, and the servers for those Wikipedias are adapted to provide alternatives. See M:Wikipedias in multiple writing systems

I believe that what you are asking for could technically be done by making a corresponding change to English Wikipedia, though I don't know the details. However, I suspect it would take some work, and very few people would see it as a benefit. The place to ask about the possibility, is WP:VPP. ColinFine (talk) 10:05, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

TheShreyinator: the Chinese Wikipedia exists in six presentations: three using simplified Chinese characters (Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore) and three using traditional Chinese characters (Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau); see List_of_Wikipedias#Variations_in_editions. Someone could do the same for Shavian-alphabet English. This automated transliteration has the advantage over different versions, that they all get updated when one gets updated. Someone could arrange to do the same for Shavian-English Wikipedia. But it would be a lot of work, for the benefit of readers whose preferred language is English but who find the Shavian alphabet easier to read. I wonder how many they are? Maproom (talk) 13:36, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

How to make a table?

Hi, I'm trying to make a table for a list of actors who have worked with Spike Lee but the problem is that it's not lining up perfectly. I'm must've missed something. Can someone give some pointers? Brigando (talk) 08:54, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Asked and answered at the Teahouse. Please don't ask in different places, it duplicates effort. ColinFine (talk) 10:07, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

How do I add a third source for weather boxes?

Title says it, whenever I try adding a third source in a weather box to add extra data I get the following message: "Preview warning: Page using Template:Weather box with unknown parameter "source 3"". Checking the page for weather boxes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Weather_box) I cannot find any information about adding a 3rd source, only about adding a 2nd source. Is there a way I can add a third source or is it not possible to make a single weather box using more than 2 sources? Appreciate any help. Javier1957 (talk) 11:16, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

As you say, the template {{Weather box}} is currently written to accept only two sources. If you want it changed to allow a further source, make your suggestion at Template talk:Weather box. ColinFine (talk) 11:45, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

I have made a suggestion, thank you. Javier1957 (talk) 04:33, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

@Javier1957:You may be able to cheat by placing multiple sources between the "ref" tags in the "source" parameter. you will need to experiment to get then to display in a reasonable way in the reflist. -Arch dude (talk) 15:32, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Thank you for the tip, I played around for a while trying to get it to work but I want able to get it to display in a reasonable way. Javier1957 (talk) 04:18, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

Question about copyright issue

Greetings

I wanted to ask if it is ok with Wikipedia if I write down on paper or on digital form such as Microsoft word or notepad or something like that a list of the countries of the world including the names of the countries, population, area, capital and large cities, demographics and religion of each country from information from Wikipedia for personal use only. The reason why is because this makes it easier for me if they are all in one list on one page rather then having to click on every country each time.

Saleh Malaeb Salehmalaeb (talk) 11:28, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Almost all the content of Wikipedia may be freely reused for any purpose, as long as you attribute where it came from: that is a core part of the purpose of Wikipedia. You don't need to ask anybody's permission. See reusing Wikipedia content for more information. ColinFine (talk) 11:47, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

@Salehmalaeb: Multiple points, all in your favor. Point 1: If you create a document and then never show it to anyone, you have not "published" it and it does not violate copyright law. This would be true for any source, not just Wikipedia. Be careful, though: in the modern world, your "private" document may actually be visible to others if you store it, even "privately", on the Internet. Point 2: raw information is not subject to copyright. This would include the information you used to create your list. Copyright covers "creative elements", such as the organization and selection of items in a list, so you cannot simply copy an existing list under this rule if that list has "creative elements", but you are creating a new list. Point 3: What Colin said, Wikipedia has licensed its contents to you. -Arch dude (talk) 15:26, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Ok thank you very much Salehmalaeb (talk) 18:48, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

need help with "sandbox organizer"

can anyone please explain how the "sandbox organizer" works, especially the sorting function? I'm kind of confused. aprpeciate any help. please ping me if you reply. thanks! Sm8900 (talk) 14:47, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

also, it says it will add notes on how to use it, in the coding, but i don't see any such notes. i appreciate any help. thanks. Sm8900 (talk) 14:48, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

This seems to be the work of @John Cummings, who made a total of eight edits to it in February 2021. My guess is that he then abandoned it, but I may be wrong. Perhaps he will reply here, since he appears to still be active. (I had never neard of it). ColinFine (talk) 15:16, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

ok, could you please tell me the link to find that? you are still ahead of me on this. thanks. Sm8900 (talk) 15:50, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

I searched for "WP:Sandbox organizer" (as I said, i had never heard of it before) and found it. I immediately wondered whether it was current or not, so I looked at the page history, and found it had not been edited since February 2021, and the only person who had done so was John Cummings. I pinged him above, so he should get a notification of this discussion. ColinFine (talk) 16:50, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Neil Gaiman

Hello, somebody provided a clean up on Neil Gaiman biography about the serious accusations of rape moved by Tortoise on July 3rd. The page is not editable anymore. It’s horrific that Wikipedia allows censorship about an author’s accusation of rape by 2 different women, with more accusations on the way. Please reinstate the accusations news as we cannot do it ourselves. 2A00:23C4:A06:1B01:197F:9267:80FB:63EA (talk) 17:42, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Who are "we"? For the interested, discussion at Talk:Neil_Gaiman#Sexual_assault_allegations. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 18:15, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Thread

I really thought I had solved my wikipedia problem - great articles, great search, lots of answers. and clueless fund raising. After many years of fruitlessly contributing 3 times a year, until last year I realized I could contribute a smaller amount per month. 12 months of blissful quiet followed until today. Today - the old guilt drive kicked in - plus they finally have the bright suggestion to subscribe. Stay tuned. Gal5322 (talk) 18:15, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

This doesn't seem to be about Neil Gaiman, so I put it in its own thread; but I don't know what it's about, which is why I have given it the title "Thread". If it's a question or a request, please rewrite it as a question or a request. (True, there is "Stay tuned", but to what?) -- Hoary (talk) 20:34, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Hi @Gal5322. Note that us Wikipedia volunteer editors have zero control or input on the fundraising drives that the Wikimedia Foundation organises. Some of us are quite against these considering the very strong financial position the foundation is in. Qcne (talk) 21:18, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Gal5322, you no longer have a wikipedia problem! It is gone, departed, it has forsaken you! Here's why: When you donate through Wikipedia, you are actually donating to the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), which funds the internet connectivity and the servers on which all Wikipedia projects run. Hint: the Wikimedia Foundation is not in the slightest bit cash-poor at the moment, and really doesn't need your hard-earned dollars. Almost all of us here on English Wikipedia don't get paid a cent - we are almost without exception volunteers, and a number of us object to Wikipedia projects being used as a front for donations to the WMF, over which we have no control whatsoever. Donate or not? It's your choice. :>MinorProphet (talk) 22:45, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Help avoiding an edit war with an IP editor

Hi there, someone is objecting to a sentence at Edict of Expulsion regarding antisemitism inspired and developed from the Edict; this is fully sourced in the body of the article. I've requested that discussion takes place on talk, but I am expecting the editor may remove the sentence again, at which point it is just tit for tat reversions. Is there anything further I can or should do to avoid this escalating? What do I do if there is a further reversion without discussion? Jim Killock (talk) 22:04, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

Hello JimKillock. The best way to avoid edit warring is to not engage in any edit warring behavior whatsoever. After all, it takes two (or more) to edit war. The IP editor is explaining their opinion in their edit summaries. Continue to engage with those arguments on the article talk page, as you are already doing. There are many forms of dispute resolution available to you. Use them as a valid alternative to edit warring. Cullen328 (talk) 22:47, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

JimKillock, you have added the italicised (by me) part of this sentence: "The expulsion had the lasting effect of embedding antisemitism into English culture, especially in the medieval and early modern period." That clause seems pretty vacuous. You're saying that the effect of the expulsion was felt most strongly in the two or three centuries after it happened. Well, duh. Maproom (talk) 23:01, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

The addition was to avoid the implication of a permanent effect on English culture, which seemed to be triggering the sentences removal. The editor implied they would accept the sentence with a time limit added, so this was a pragmatic addition to stop the to and fro. I have explained that this statement is fully sourced, and the sources are in the body, and I have requested they discuss on the talk page, where I have started a discussion. The IP editor hasn't offered any sources for their assertion that the statement or the sources quoted is / are wrong. Jim Killock (talk) 06:01, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

July 18

Wikipedia account

Hello, I have made some activities on Wikipedia without registering with my personal account, consequently those activities are registered under my IP. Is it possible to connect that specific IP number to my account? Many thanks in advance for the answer to this question. FrancescoC.italy (talk) 01:22, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

@FrancescoC.italy: no that is not possible RudolfRed (talk) 03:14, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

You can write a note on your user page "Before registering this account, I contributed using the IP address <whatever>."   Maproom (talk) 07:38, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

This is a quite smart solution, thanks a lot for it. FrancescoC.italy (talk) 10:59, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

This is a quite smart solution, thanks a lot for it. FrancescoC.italy (talk) 11:01, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

Wikipedia account.

Hello, is it possible to edit the user name of my account and change it from FrancescoC.italy, to FrancescoC.Italy (capitol letter for Italy). Many thanks in advance to anyone who will answer me. FrancescoC.italy (talk) 01:26, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

@FrancescoC.italy: Accounts can be renamed, but your account has very few edits so it is easier just to abandon your current account and create an account with the name you want. RudolfRed (talk) 03:14, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

Dear RudolfRed, thank you for your kind reply. But, if it is possible to change the user name, can you please tell me how to do it, instead of telling me to simply scrap it.

Moreover, please consider that I have made some changes also to the Italian Wikipedia.

Again, thanks in advance for your reply. FrancescoC.italy (talk) 11:36, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

And after you do that, you can link the old one with the new one with a redirect if you wish to. Ask about that again, after you create the new one, if you wish. Mathglot (talk) 06:29, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

On Thomas Matthew Crooks

I think modern day Villains like Thomas Matthew Crooks who tried to assassinate someone should not have a wikipedia page. The reason is that doing this might motivate other villains to do same to be popular (or infamous). The link below proves that Thomas Matthew Crooks believed such despicable action would make him famous. We as a sane society should not grant him that inhuman desire.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/trumps-attempted-assassin-posted-message-before-shooting-july-13-my-premiere-watch-unfolds

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Matthew_Crooks 2604:3D09:C37C:BBD0:3A49:94B5:BCD7:9079 (talk) 07:56, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

All content on Wikipedia is compiled from other published information, so there is exactly zero information here which could not be found elsewhere. It would additionally be fundamentally incompatible with the purpose of an encyclopedia to exclude entries about people judged to have done reprehensible things: suppose the articles on John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, any of the many entries linked from List of serial killers, Adolf Hitler, etc. were deleted, this would plainly be absurd. See additionally WP:NOTCENSORED. Tollens (talk) 08:12, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

Hi IP, while I sympathise with your notion somewhat, as Tollens eluded to Wikipedia is based on reliable sources. If those sources didn't exist Wikipedia would not be able to report on them. So really you should lobby the FBI, Fox News etc to not publish the information in the first place. I do note we have an extensive article on John Hinckley Jr., Reagan's equivalent. Commander Keane (talk) 09:46, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

Posting on Wikipedia

I have a registered new idea called THE SERVICE MALL a new MALL to encompass the graduates of the theoretical colleges and I don't know how to post it on Wikipedia 156.213.200.254 (talk) 08:20, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

The Service Mall

The Service Mall It's a new idea registered in my name. It is a Mall designed to encompass the graduates of the theoretical colleges in one place.it helps reduce unemployment. It generates the same income as the shopping mall. It includes a court, lawyers offices and public notary for the graduates of the faculty of law. A civil affairs office for the graduates of police academy. Translation offices for the graduates of linguistics college. Tourist companies for the graduates of the faculty of tourism. A nursery and school admissions offices for the graduates of the faculty of education. Studios, photographers shops and a cultural centre for the graduates of the faculty of Mass media. A gym and skiing court for the graduates of the faculty of sports. Banks, training centres, marketing companies and realtors for the graduates of the faculty of commerce. Labs for computers and chemical labs for the graduates of the faculty of science. Clinics for the graduates of the faculty of medicine. A community centre for the graduates of the faculty of social services. And any further outlets for other colleges in one mall. This is in addition to a food court, a supermarket. And a couple of retail shops.

The mall is to be replicated near every shopping mall in the various cities around the world. The idea of the service mall is registered as a new type of buildings, and the first of a kind...

Hala Abdel Fattah 156.213.200.254 (talk) 08:23, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

For any concept to be included in Wikipedia, it must have already been written about in multiple reliable sources, without any prompting to do so by people connected with the idea. Given that you say this is a new idea, I assume nobody else has written about it, so it would unfortunately not be suitable for a Wikipedia article. If others choose to write about your idea, without you asking them to, it could be written about here, but even then it should be written about here by somebody else. Please see Wikipedia:Notability for a more detailed explanation. Tollens (talk) 08:29, 18 July 2024 (UTC)