Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2006 December 15

=December 15=

Is there any problem with TOCs?
When I open articles which possess TOC these either don't appear or don't "show". Is it me or any script/server maintenance?  Parutakupiu  talk 00:17, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * TOCs are auto-generated from the section headings. You can't edit them, except by changing the section titles. Rmhermen 04:40, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * You can add magic words and templates to change the layout of the TOC, though. Tito xd (?!?) 04:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Try clicking on "Show" on the TOCs that appear, then close your browser. Your browser remembers the last state in which you left the table of contents: either showing (default), or "hidden" (which occurs when you click "hide" and collapses your TOC). Tito xd (?!?) 04:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Auto-subst all existing transclusions of a template?
Is there any mechanism to update all pages which transclude a template so that they subst that template instead of transcluding it? This would be very useful for changing the "interface" (in the computer science sense) of a template without breaking backwards compatibility with existing transclusions. --Dgies 03:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * First make sure you want a template to be subst-ed. Navboxes, an infoboxes shouldn't be, for others, find someone with a bot or WP:AWB. - Mgm|(talk) 05:53, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

What Does moz Mean?
100110100 04:23, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * I am assuming you have looked at the editing table of other user pages, Moz is short for Mozilla Firefox or something like that. It gives it a round border, for that browser. &mdash; Seadog  04:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Airports in India
Dear Wikipedia,

This is indeed an excellent site.My company RLGROUP represents 12 airlines across INDIA. I am senior management and look after South India operations.Recently I was asked to give a report on International aerodromes In the South..Mainly Chennai,Hyderabad and Bangalore. I could get all the relevant information the aitports themselves could not give.However, I could not get the following information about Interantional airline operating out of these airports Like: Airline/flt Nbr/Acft.Type/F/C/Y- capacity/ETD/and ETA into respective airports/Datys of Operation.This is a vital information required to plan appropriate slots.

Is this information already available on your website?Have I missed it?Please let me know.

Thanks

K.Guru Prasad Regional Sales Manager-SI (personal details removed to prevent spam)


 * Have you tried Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in knowledge questions, and will try to answer any question in the universe (except how to use Wikipedia, since that's what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps.  Jacek  Kendysz  15:29, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

ML Programming
Show me a complete Sample ML Programme.Tsigea 06:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Why? Notinasnaid 12:37, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * 1) Note how the instructions at the top tell you to be polite. It tends to get better answers.
 * 2) Sample programs have nothing to do with using Wikipedia. Your question belongs in the reference desk. - Mgm|(talk) 12:50, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Technology...
Can idownlaod wikidpia? where do i get it?

can I view Wikipedia on my PDA/Call phone? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.199.239.219 (talk • contribs).
 * Yes, see WP:WAP - Mgm|(talk) 12:48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * To answer your first question, "sort of". Whilst you can technically download the Wikipedia database (at Database download), you need a web server with the MediaWiki software running to use them, plus, the data dumps are gigantic. Unless you know what you're doing don't do this. There is a "Wikipedia CD version" created by SOS Children's Village, which includes several thousand articles (not the whole of Wikipedia, obviously!). You can download it here. &mdash; QuantumEleven 13:51, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

QUESTIONS
I am trying to send my question but am not being able to do so. Please help me with this. Thanks–—
 * You seem to be doing just fine. This question came through, didn't it. Just ask it the same way you did this one. Questions about Wikipedia should go hear. Factual questions about anything else go to the reference desk. - Mgm|(talk) 09:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Where can i find the name or last name of the author fo the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.150.201.49 (talk • contribs)
 * An article might have many, even hundreds, of authors, and we don't know their names. Click the "History" link to see the history of the article. Are you really looking for how to cite an article in an essay? Notinasnaid 12:36, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * To find out how to cite Wikipedia, see Citing Wikipedia. Dismas|(talk) 12:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Or click "Cite this article" in the menu bar on the left of your screen. - Mgm|(talk) 12:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

how to change my password??
i don't know how to do it?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 * While logged in, click on "my preferences" in the upper right of your screen. You will see boxes for the old and new passwords.  Dismas|(talk) 12:38, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

vandalism
I've noticed (and corrected a number of racial slurs in articals. The person making them is 206.180.71.10  how do we stop him / her? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sumo su (talk • contribs) 14:43, 15 December 2006


 * 206.180.71.10 is blocked. Thanks for your help.  Jacek  Kendysz  15:18, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * For future reference, you can warn a vandal with the templates at WP:TT; if they carry on vandalising after a final (level-4) warning, you can report them at WP:AIV. --ais523 15:26, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

thanks for the speedy response --Sumo su 16:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Help
Bot requested.100110100 16:56, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I think you'll have to be a bit more specific. Are you trying to find the policy on bots?  Trying to request bot status?  Or simply find a registered bot?  — K  e  akealani  17:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I need a bot that will replace somthing that links from one template to another. So when you click on


 * What links here


 * on the left side box, you will see a list of blue links, I need to replace all those links (right now linking to the template) to said template, & I have to move link them to another template. Does this all make sense?  I can clarify it for you if you leave a message on my talk page.100110100 17:54, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * He's replacing the template with  but further doesn't work because it doesn't create wikilinks to the "see more" article, whereas see does, and is catching flak from various editors (such as myself). I believe he wants a bot to do the replacing (which I'm sure exists, but the replacing is a bad idea at this time)  WilyD 18:11, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Well, I'm not familiar enough with bots to be able to help anyway, and from the sound of it this is something that should be discussed on the article/template in question and a consensus developed. When that happens, someone who participates is bound to be familiar with bots who can help. — K  e  akealani  18:22, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

uploading images
I have been having trouble uploading simple images seen on various web sites. If an image is available ona web site, please give me the short version as to why it cannot be used under fair use... I continually have images deleted, even though I provide links as to where it came from.

The concept of fair use and other copyright issues is very confusing, and frankly, I don't have time to read all of the help pages on the topic. Also, I have not found a way to delete my own uploads, and even newer versions are not accepted.

So, in short, my questions are, 1) how would I tag an image that I got from a web site and use it on Wikipedia without having it deleted, 2) If the owner of the image gives me verbal permission to use it, how would I satisfy Wikipedia's standards on this, and 3) What is the easiest way to put an image on Wikipedia that came from a web site?

Thanks,

Jim Barr
 * 1) See Fair_use for a list of appropriate ways to tag fair use images.
 * 2) Verbal permission is not acceptable on Wikipedia for legal reasons; you will need to have the copyright holder provide the Wikimedia Foundation with a written release. Also note that images on Wikipedia must be released under GFDL or a similar license, not just to Wikipedia.
 * 3) I'm not familiar with image uploading, but I assume downloading it to your computer and then uploading it to Wikipedia would be the easiest way.
 * Honestly, I would strongly suggest you find another way to contribute that doesn't involve uploading potentially copyright-infringing images, at least unless you have a strong fair use rationale, because it's a frustrating business where many uploads are deleted. As a note, you can tag an image with db-author if you want to delete an image that you yourself have uploaded.
 * As for your short reason, it's simply because fair use isn't about being available on a website, it's about a justification that the image is irreplaceably necessary to illustrate an article. If you add an image that doesn't need to be there, or one that can be recreated in a GFDL-compliant way, chances are it will be deleted.  It's unfortunate, but that's the way it works.  Thank you so much for your contributions, but it's just not the best thing for everyone. — K  e  akealani  18:32, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * You wrote "If an image is available ona web site, please give me the short version as to why it cannot be used under fair use...". Available on a web site means absolutely nothing, it's like saying "available in a book". Web sites and books are both equally protected by copyright for the best part of 100 years. It's easier to copy stuff from a web site, but not more legal. Fair use is a way of using an image even though it is copyright, but the rules are very strict, to keep Wikipedia from being sued, which it cannot afford. Please don't take a chance if you don't understand copyright; it may seem harsh, but it is the case that many Wikipedia articles can never be illustrated. Notinasnaid 18:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

unnamed question
What does the term "eine flucht nach vorn" mean. It's a re-engineering term.

Thanks, Robert 
 * I think you will have the most luck at the Reference Desk - this Help Desk is for answering questions about using and editing Wikipedia, while the Reference Desk specializes in knowledge questions. Good luck! — K  e  akealani  18:33, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Member Authorization
In response to my registering with you, I received the respnsse listed below. However, I had to copy and post to google and it did not work. Nor could I just click on it.

What should I do?

Someone, probably you, from IP address 69.119.234.16, has registered the account "Noslencire" with this e-mail address on Wikipedia.

To confirm that this account really does belong to you and activate e-mail features on Wikipedia, please open this link in your browser:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Confirmemail/0155f295fb2f590ef2c180c8e0e4edcc

If you did not recently register for Wikipedia (or if you registered with a different email address), please do *not* click on the link.

This confirmation code will expire at 00:30, 22 December 2006.


 * Did you try pasting it to google, or into your web browser's address bar? If the former, try the latter.--Kchase T 18:32, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Reporting possible bug
Seems in the last few days whenever I complete an edit ("save" it I mean), I am returned to the page or section showing the old text in place until I refresh the screen, where it then shows me the updated text. This never used to happen (by "used to" I mean a couple of days ago) - previously after "save" I'd see the new text immediately. Is this a bug or feature, and if a feature, why? thanks Tvoz 18:40, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * This has just started happening to me as well. I have no idea why it's happening, but it looks to be more of a bug than a feature... &mdash; QuantumEleven 19:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * I wonder if this is the place to report it. Tvoz 22:52, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Whoa - it seems to have been fixed! Thank you, anonymous fixer! Tvoz 02:37, 16 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Yup, for me too the problem has gone away. In future, if you want to report something like this, the best place would be the technical Village Pump. &mdash; QuantumEleven 10:21, 16 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Actually it has mostly gone away, but intermittently still happening. Thanks for the pointer to the pump - I had a feeling there was somewhere else to post such things. Tvoz 03:13, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

Editing page's content
Before you get the wrong idea, the apostrophe is intentional. Where can one find/view/change the code for the content that appears below the save/preview buttons on the edit page? I realise this is more of a MediaWiki question than a Wikipedia question, but I'm interested in borrowing some of the code from Wikipedia.  Big Nate 37 (T) 18:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * If you're looking for the HTML, you can view the page source in your browser by going to View -> Page Source (or View -> Source, or similar, depending on your browser). Is this what you were looking for? I presume you're looking to emulate the large box of special characters below the edit window? &mdash; QuantumEleven 19:57, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * I'm looking for the specific page on-wiki which holds the JavaScript (I think it's JS) that populates the bottom of the edit window—the wiki page I would modify if I wanted to add another character to the "insert" area (not that I do). Sort of (or perhaps exactly) like the pages at Special:Allmessages.  Big Nate 37 (T) 23:43, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Are you looking to add a character to the character set? I had this problem the other day when I wanted to add a character to my text, but I couldn't find it on the list.  That content is not edit-able.  As far as I know, it's set by the people who write the WP code.  Probably something to bring up at the Village Pump, under the "Proposals" section, possibly? tiZom(2¢)  00:10, 16 December 2006 (UTC)




 * You know, I have got to start reading questions in their entirety. Haha, no I do not know where you can get access to that code. tiZom(2¢)  00:12, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

I'll bet that if you download MediaWiki to your hard drive, you can grep or use another search function to find the code pretty quickly. &mdash; coe l acan t a lk  &mdash; 16:15, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Is it possible to search for specific usernames?
Is there a way to do this? Or to find all usernames that include certain words or numbers? 172.200.50.17 20:00, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * There are a couple of ways to do so. If you are looking for most/all possible instances of certain usernames use this method as an example: Search Box Method (notice that I have typed my name in the search box and checked the "User" filter).  Another method you can use is by typing the exact name in the user creation logs: User Creation Log Method (notice that I have typed my exact name in the "User" box.¤~Persian Poet Gal (talk)  20:05, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

OK thanks, that's useful. 172.200.50.17 20:53, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Changing author listed in page history
A silly question, perhaps, but I just recently made a rather massive edit to the 'ATI Video Card Suffixes' page, effectively transforming it from a tiny stub to a good-sized article. However, when I had previously logged in, I had neglected to select "remember me," (this a public computer in question) so by the time I actually posted it, Wikipedia had logged me off, resulting in the author being listed for the edit as '141.209.29.190'; I would prefer that it be attributed to me, particularly given that I've noted I'm not the only person to have made a submission from this IP address. (for instance, I was not responsible for the edit to Midwestern_United_States)

Is there any way to correct this? I presume that Wikipedia also stores what IP address is used for contributions even if it is from a logged-on user, so... Nottheking 20:41, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * It is theoretically possible for developers to reattribute edits, and it was done at one point (early in Wikipedia's history), however, this is no longer done, for legal reasons. However, you could make a small edit to the page, and explain in your edit summary that the previous edit was made by you.  Prodego  talk  20:44, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * You can look at Changing attribution for an edit for more information. &mdash; P urple  RAIN  20:48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I see... I think then the best course of action would indeed just be another edit to note that. I am still a bit of a newb with understanding how to work with Wikipedia... However, I'll also just trust that many would know that not many people would make an edit like that. I thank you for your time. Nottheking 20:53, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * If you have any other questions, just ask here. Happy editing, good luck! Prodego  talk  20:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Where to discuss technical limitations of Wiki?
I want to bring a technical issue to the attention of somebody who can fix it. It's a seemingly minor thing, but I believe it really hurts the English Wikipedia's standing as a global information resource.

The problem is that characters with accents are alphabetized after the English alphabet. This means that a list will not be sorted "Karen Vesper, Lauren Vélez, Jon Voigt, Jennifer Vyvyan" but rather "Karen Vesper, Jon Voigt, Jennifer Vyvyan, Lauren Vélez.

The obvious workaraound is to remove all accents when placing words in sorted lists. But this is a pretty terrible workaround, because it means that a number of names must be misspelled whenever they are sorted. It's insulting to these people to systematically misspell their names, and it really shows the Anglophone bias of the English Wikipedia.

It may not be something that's easily fixed. But I don't think the issue is as trivial as it may appear to English speakers, and I'd like to make the technical side aware of it. Where should I post, or is this the correct place?

Dybryd 21:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * See Bug report for instructions on how to submit a bug report. Be sure to check the existing bug reports, as someone may have discovered this already.  It's likely that this problem is based on the ASCII or Unicode values of the characters.  In most computer character sets, non-accented characters are all first, followed by various accented characters.  That might mean that it's actually more difficult to change the sorting order, as it won't be the order the computer uses "intuitively."  We'll leave that up to the developers to decide, though.  &mdash; P urple   RAIN  21:12, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Update - It appears someone has already thought of this. You might want to add your thoughts/comments, though. &mdash; P urple   RAIN  21:20, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I wonder what the sort order should be. Each language has its own rules for sorting (some more than one: I have seen many for Icelandic). Some languages/rules do treat accented characters as a separate alphabetic entity, I believe, while others ignore the accent. Given that this is the English wikipedia which of these rules should apply? Would Wikipedia be showing a bias towards whatever country/rule it adopted if it did something specific (rather than something obviously wrong!)? Notinasnaid 21:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * This probably isn't a good place to start discussing this, but I would assume that in the English Wikipedia you would simply ignore all accents, as Dybryd is implying above. Every word would be sorted as if it had no accents on it. &mdash; P urple   RAIN  21:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks everyone! It looks like the technical side is well aware of the problem, and many bug reports have been submitted. Dybryd 22:57, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

"." Error Msg During Image Upload
While trying to upload a image I'm getting and error messages that says that "." is not a suitable file format. The "." is not visible to me. The pict is in JPG format. The only "." in the upload string is bfore the "jpg". Please advise Dave B. —Preceding unsigned comment added by MacGyverMagic (talk • contribs) 21:25, December 15, 2006 (UTC)
 * What is the filename? What is your operating system? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dbeachle (talk • contribs) 21:15, December 15, 2006 (UTC)

File name: BoulderCampus.jpg

OS: Windows XP

Thanks, Dave


 * Have you turned on "view file extensions" in Windows? (Control Panel -> Folder options -> View -> uncheck "hide extensions for known file types"). If not, do that, then check again, maybe the filename has an extra . somewhere... &mdash; QuantumEleven 10:17, 16 December 2006 (UTC)


 * I had the same problem yesterday as I was trying to upload a file. I think the problem was I didn't put a file extension in the destination filename. JP Godfrey (Talk to me) 19:47, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

What's the longest article on wikipedia?
I was just wondering which article on Wikipedia is the longest, I'd have thought, judging by their size, that World War's One and two would have been close contenders, but I just wondered what, according to statistics, is wikipedia's longest article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.36.182.217 (talk • contribs)


 * You can find the answer at the miscellaneous FAQ. Prodego  <sup style="color:darkgreen;">talk  22:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Fair use for scientific figure
What's the policy on fair use of a figure/graph from a scientific/medical publication? I'd like to use a graph from a PubMed paper in a scientific article, but not sure whether that would violate the image guidelines. MastCell 23:08, 15 December 2006 (UTC)