User talk:Mark Griffiths59

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Cyclamen website
Hi, I don't doubt that your images of Cyclamen are very good, but WP:ADV says "in line with Wikipedia policies, you should avoid linking to a site that you own, maintain, or represent—even if Wikipedia guidelines seem to imply that it may otherwise be linked." To avoid an apparent conflict of interest, you could try asking at WT:PLANTS whether the community would be happy with this website as an external link. Peter coxhead (talk) 19:12, 10 February 2018 (UTC)


 * Peter, I don't know how to use this talk page. Many of the pictures on the wiki pages are actually mine. Many of the pages had a link to my old web site which someone other than me added. In those cases I have merely replaced those existing links with the new URLs. Other pages that used my images I have then put the link as there are now more or better pictures. For others I've added the link as I thought it was not an issue seeing as someone else had added the old URLs to many of the pages previously. Mark


 * I do sympathize with you, but the problem is that we get a lot of "advertising spam" when people add links purely for the revenue generated or for self-promotion. If individuals, like me, say "this is ok, that's not", it's arbitrary and unfair, which is why there's a policy at WP:ADV. It's good to learn how to use talk pages! Just go to WT:PLANTS, click on the tab "New section" right at the top of the page, and type a title like "Adding link to Cyclamen articles" and ask for opinions on whether you are ok to add your website (give a link) to Cyclamen articles as an External link. Peter coxhead (talk) 19:43, 10 February 2018 (UTC)

ok I've put up a post -I take your point but to be clear many of these links were merely correcting the links that had been put up by someone else. If those links were regarded as ok then they all should. And I wouldn't be doing this if I hadn't been approached to provide the images in the first place.


 * I understand. Often the best way to make one's images available is to upload them to Commons. Peter coxhead (talk) 20:33, 10 February 2018 (UTC)

well Peter it looks like someone has removed the links (where formerly there was a link to my old website for example for Cyclamen libanoticum) or returned them to their old state which means you get page not found. I didn't get any response to my question. I completely wasted an afternoon and don't feel great about the contribution I previously made of my images to then be basically cut off like this.


 * I removed some of them after I noticed someone else doing the same to other Cyclamen articles. I've added my support at WT:PLANTS. Have patience! If no-one objects in, say, a week, then it's easy to undo the removals, and then no-one can reasonably remove them in future. As per Wikipedia can wait, constructing Wikipedia is not a rush job. Peter coxhead (talk) 14:01, 11 February 2018 (UTC)

ok, thanks.
 * Part of how talk pages are intended to work is that you "sign" your comments. You do this by entering 4 consecutive tildes (or pressing the relevant button in the Wiki markup toolbar). Lavateraguy (talk) 19:32, 11 February 2018 (UTC)