Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2007 July 31

= July 31 =

Access to text correction
I heard that I can modify text(s) witten by someone else on the internet. Is that true or false? If needed, please contact as you normally operate or (email removed) Thank you Paulo —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.215.102.63 (talk • contribs).
 * You can modify text that others have contributed to Wikipedia. This isn't true for content on the internet in general though. Is this what you were asking? Sancho 01:33, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * (edit conflict) This website, http://wikipedia.org is Wikipedia, the encyclopedia anyone can edit. You can edit most pages by clicking edit. The Internet has millions of other websites on the World Wide Web. You can edit some of them, but not most of them. PrimeHunter 01:36, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Deletion
If I haven't edited anything can I delete my account? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Wsmith2010 (talk • contribs).
 * No, but you can request a user name change. See Right to vanish. PrimeHunter 01:30, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Plus, you technically edited this page. --  Max  Talk [ (add)] 07:57, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Teenbeat Club contribution
I would like to know if you can provide information of what I have contributed is on the right track for Wikipedia inclusion. Please let me know how I should footnote sources, such as the opening line, "The Teenbeat Club was the first nightclub in the United States which catered exclusively to teenagers" (from the Teenbeat Club brochure). What is the process which I should take at this point for the contribution to be included?

Thanks, Mselinsky 03:17, 31 July 2007 (UTC)


 * If you've been around for more than four days, you can create the article yourself. Type "Teenbeat Club" into the search box, and click on the red link on the results page.  If you are very new, you can either wait, or submit your material to Articles for creation. Shalom Hello 06:15, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Talk page deletion of "corrected" problems
What's the "Wikipedia standard" for removing - from a Talk page - an entry that discusses an error that's now resolved? In the case I observed, the talk page suggested a reference to "6.5 billion households" in the main article must be wrong. Another user did research and corrected the entry to "6.8 million" and removed the Talk page entry complaining about the error. Soon after, a third editor reverted the Talk page edits completely, saying "don't remove other editors entries". All well and good, but what's the purpose of a Talk entry that references an error that no longer exists? Does anything EVER get removed from a Talk page if that's really the standard?

A URL would be great if there's a formal policy. Thanks.
 * You should not edit other people's comments. See Talk page guidelines.  If the page gets to long, you should archive it.--  Max   Talk [ (add)] 08:01, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * When a talk page mentions a problem in an article, and someone corrects the problem, they can add a reply to the original talk page comment explaining what they did, and display the Resolved template. Like this:
 * I noticed a problem with (whatever). -- Some user (date)
 * I fixed the problem by (doing whatever). -- Some other user (date)
 * --Teratornis 14:54, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

How do you see your messages?
If you are logged on you have a link to your messages at the top next to your name but what if youre not? HOw are you supposed to see your messages?


 * Go to User talk:YOURIP. Really though, you should just get an account --L onging.... 08:34, 31 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Anyone can edit wikipedia without logging in, but there are some advantages to doing so, one of which is that you get your own talk page. You might want to read the Username policy first.  --Hugh Charles Parker (talk - contribs) 12:00, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

I want to help.
Where can I find stuff that needs doing?N734LQ 09:27, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Check out the Help Out section of the community portal. Matt/TheFearow (Talk) (Contribs) (Bot) 09:35, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

How can I be a member?
How can I be a member and get a account so I don't look like some ramdom. Thank You. Wolly da wanderer. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Special:Contributions/ (talk)


 * Hey there - just follow this link to create an account and sign up. Regards. Will (aka Wimt ) 10:56, 31 July 2007 (UTC)


 * You might want to read the Username policy first - it has some useful advice. --Hugh Charles Parker (talk - contribs) 16:29, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

where can i get a braille machine from?
Hi i have retinitus pigmentosa i have been studying braille for two years now and i still haave not been able to find a braille machine i can keep at home, where can i find one to buy? I dont mind abrand new one or second hand i am not fussy. Sylvia-Jane Beharie-Green


 * Sorry, but this page is for enquiries about Wikipedia.  AndrewJD  TALK  -- 14:10, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * First check out this search: http://www.google.com/products?q=braille&btnG=Search+Products I think the product labeled "Cub Braille Embosser" on that page is what you are looking for, though I'm not sure. A direct link is: http://fos.stores.yahoo.net/cubbrem.html Some more I found are:


 * http://www.brailler.com/
 * http://www.brailler.com/juli3.htm.
 * http://www.synapseadaptive.com/brailler/br/transend_lt.htm
 * http://www.ulva.com/Online-Store/Braille-Embossers/tiger-max.htm
 * http://www.humanware.ca/web/en/p_OP_ViewPlus.asp

There's also some overveiw information on these types of machines at these sites
 * http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_prodbraille.hcsp#P13_1766
 * http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm01/bm0110/bm011007.htm
 * http://www.afb.org/message_board_replies2.asp?TopicID=1198&FolderID=6
 * I hope this helps.--Fuhghettaboutit 15:00, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Vandal
Hi, I added an external link to a page because I thought it was a good forum on the subject and someone keeps removing it and placing a new one on so I keep having to add mine back. And he has posted nasty messages in the talk page about me and I don't know what to do.

Mistari 14:37, 31 July 2007 (UTC)


 * If you truly want something done, you should sign your comment (by adding four tildes after it) and mention which article/talk page you are referring to. -- Kainaw (what?) 14:30, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

The page is "Kratom" I have added a link to a forum I am a member of and enjoy and think other people can get a lot of information from there. I have found a warning thing I could put in the talk page so I put that up there and hope it will do something too. I erased his rude message and if you want to see it I can provide that. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mistari (talk • contribs)


 * Well, the other user was right in removing the link -- according to the guidelines for Links normally to be avoided, links to forums are usually not appropriate on Wikipedia. - Saibod 15:12, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

In that case, the other person is also adding a link, avertising their forum.

24.59.207.167


 * Which has been removed as well. Skittle 15:24, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

well you just removed my link, not theirs. what a crock this place is. that's ridiculous. goodbye.


 * That is simply not true; I removed all the external links because, on viewing them, none appeared to fulfill the roles that external links are supposed to fulfill on Wikipedia. At that point, your link (and, I think, the other person's) had already been removed by someone else. Also, please be careful with the word 'vandal'; it does not apply to people editing in good faith. Skittle 19:25, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Cannot find uploaded file
I have tried to put short story on the Terry Higgins page but I do not know whether I have been successful - how do I check please?I sue you 15:22, 31 July 2007 (UTC)i_sue_you


 * You don't seem to have edited the Terry Higgins page. Use this link to edit it but also consider whether a short story is appropriate (and verifiable) for an encyclopaedia entry. Thanks. --Cherry blossom tree 16:17, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

My IP
I did a bit of editing before I became a user. Is there any way to find what my IP was before I created an account? Crowstar Vaseline-on-the-lens-Jitsu!fwends! 15:58, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Possibly. If you know one of the pages you edited then you can go through the history and see what IP address is credited with your edit. If you still have the same IP address you can try a site such as http://www.whatsmyip.org/ and check the contributions of the address it tells you. Hope this helps. --Cherry blossom tree 16:13, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * On some Internet connections, the IP address is dynamic and can vary between each session, so your edits might be spread over multiple IP numbers. And if your old edits were on another Internet connection then it's probably different from your current IP. PrimeHunter 17:49, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Fiorano Software
This Account is not Present in Wikipedia, Earlier it was present and now it is not, Pls give me a short description how to edit page for my enterprise?

Thanks arshiya@...


 * Fiorano Software was deleted last October because the article was considered to be used for advertising. You can create it by signing up for an account and clicking the red link or by using Articles for creation, but please be careful that it doesn't qualify as Spam. Thanks. --Cherry blossom tree 16:20, 31 July 2007 (UTC)


 * It's probably also worth reading the Business' FAQ. --Hugh Charles Parker (talk - contribs) 16:27, 31 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Fiorano Software spam:
 * Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Spam (permanent link)
 * Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Spam/2007 Archive Aug
 * m:Talk:Spam_blacklist/Archives/2007/08
 * Suspected sock puppets/Fioranoweb (2nd)
 * Category:Wikipedia sockpuppets of Fioranoweb
 * Suspected sock puppets/Fioranoweb (3rd)
 * A. B. (talk) --15:45, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Odd edits by 195.37.79.37
The person with Ip address 195.37.79.37 has made some odd edits today, doing something of a whitewash job on Jörg Schilling and his work. Could this be a conflict of interest thing? Hydrobunch 16:24, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * I looked at the edits by this user today. They seem to be above water.  The claims of license incompatibility were not properly referenced, so he is free to remove them. Shalom Hello 17:33, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Order of Wiki Formatting
Hello. What is the entire order of the wiki formatting? For example, one should internally hyperlink a word before bolding. In other words, one would type brackets as brackets. Thanks in advance. --Mayfare 17:46, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * I don't know that it's ever been documented. Wiki Markup is not particularly standardised, especially in these edge cases. I imagine that they come up infrequently enough that users can just find some configuration that works. --Cherry blossom tree 19:58, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Deleting a 'citation needed' marker
..or at least challenging them

Is there any procedure for this? I have seen one or two of these markers next to areas of my field that are seen as common knowledge. Glennh70 17:52, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * It varies a lot what people see as common knowledge, and the article will probably be read by many who don't know the field. Adding such a tag is not an implicit claim that the information is false. Only remove the tag if you add a citation or there already is one. See Verifiability. PrimeHunter 19:35, 31 July 2007 (UTC)


 * If you are familiar with a particular field of study then the easiest way for you to get rid of those unsightly &#91;citation needed&#93; tags is by replacing them with a citation. You might be interested in WikiProject Fact and Reference Check - and any expertise you can bring to it would be very welcome.  --Hugh Charles Parker (talk - contribs) 09:41, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Vaux
If you look here, you'll see that our article Vaux (a dab page) is sadly lacking, and could and should be vastly expanded. Yet, I feel little or no urge to do that work myself. Is there an appropriate place for me to suggest this? There may well be a wikipedian out there who does not share my lethargy towards this very-probably worthwhile exercise. AndyJones 19:54, 31 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I'm not exactly sure how you can expand a disambiguation page, since it's just meant to include a list of links to what the article title could refer to, other than by just adding the links. On the other hand, there are a lot of red links there (which is generally not recommended on a dab page), and if you wanted to inspire people to create the articles, you might try finding an appropriate Wikiproject - given that most of the redlinks are French communes, I would suggest perhaps WikiProject France and try making a suggestion on the talk page there. Confusing Manifestation 22:45, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Getting a new upload to be visible in Wikipedia search
New User. A few days ago, after creating the account, I tried to upload a file to be included in Wikipedia. Initially there was a complaint about the copyright, but I thought I had properly edited the code. The article I uploaded still cannot be viewed through the search engine. I clearly have missed a step in making the article visible to readers. Please advise. SJamesMatthews.


 * It appears you've uploaded your article as a PDF file. Wikipedia articles are wiki documents, written in the Mediawiki markup language.  Only that way can they be freely edited and improved by others.  So please create the article in the normal fashion - see Your first article for a description how. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:15, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

References all jumbled up
I would greatly appreciate some assistance on the golden jackal article. The references I cited are listed as one big mess of interwoven websites. I'm sure it's just a minor technicality, but the cause at the moment eludes me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Jackal


 * Too many open ref tags, and a missing http:// from one of the refs. Fixed now. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:52, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Need my details on wikipedia
What do I need to do to have my profile on wikipedia, so when someone googles me, they will see it it.

Thank you Peter Bill [EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED]


 * Well the first thing you need to do is to register a account see WP:ACCOUNT. Then you can create a userpage. For help creating one I reccommend reading WP:USERPAGE and WP:UPH. Hope that helps. --Tλε Rαnδom Eδιτor (ταlκ ) 21:22, 31 July 2007 (UTC)


 * If you were thinking of writing an article on yourself, then you need to read the notability criteria. Even if you are notable, it would almost certainly be seen as a conflict of interest if you wrote your own article.  You might also want to read Autobiography.  --Hugh Charles Parker (talk - contribs) 23:08, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

ct scan
−


 * Lack of a question encourages a lack of answers, although see Computed tomography for information on CT Scans. If that is indeed what you wanted, you could have just typed CT Scan into the search box on the left. Hope this helps  AndrewJD  TALK  -- 22:26, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Of course, there's more than on way to scan a cat.--Fuhghettaboutit 22:38, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Email address
Why do people get mad at me for posting my email address on wikipedia? I don't have an account so please email a response to %< %< email removed %< %< —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.185.140.178 (talk • contribs).


 * No-one's mad at you. We remove email addresses and phone numbers to protect people from spam.  If you ask a question the answer will be posted here, under your question.  --Hugh Charles Parker (talk - contribs) 23:05, 31 July 2007 (UTC)