Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2008 February 17

= February 17 =

Distorted signature
Calling all tech pros! It's been brought to my attention that, only in Opera, my signature does an odd thing. See example A and example B. Does anyone know why this is? I can't figure it out. Thank you,  нмŵוτн τ  01:09, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Opera and IE have problems with three-letter colour codes. Don't know if this will help, but try replacing the two instances of "color:#fff;" with "color:#ffffff;". Perhaps the folks over at the Technical village pump can help. Xenon54 01:45, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Haha, funny... they "made me" change my sig to make them 3 letters back in the day, and that's what's not working. Of course! Haha,  нмŵוτн τ  16:56, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

blacklisted link
last year i put up a link to my Official site for Mel peachey i see it was took down so i put it back up today but got a message that it was Blacklisted. Why Was it Blacklisted and BVy Who ? This really is Mel's Official Fansite. Please unblacklist my site. Thank you Write Soon.

Rick01:32, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

The Page is Mel Peachey
 * The spam blacklist is a last resort to stop link spammers who continually add links that breach the external links policy. Only administrators can blacklist sites, and they should have a very good reason for doing so. Links to fansites are expressly prohibited by the external links policy, so it looks unlikely that the site will be removed. Requests for removal from the blacklist can be made at MediaWiki talk:Spam-blacklist, shortcut WP:SBL. Xenon54 01:43, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Interesting log in problem
I am having problems logging in that have not been answered elsewhere. Whenever I go come onto to Wikipedia after having my broswer window closed, I am logged off. Upon hitting "Log on", without hitting "log on" on the Special:Log on, my user buttons show up in the upper right as normal. This is just an inconveinence, though. Thank you, Southern Illinois SKYWARN (talk) 02:34, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Its either a problem with your browser caching pages, or it's a problem similar to the one experienced by a few other people here, that they are getting logged off in sessions.--- Kerotan Leave Me a Message  Have  a nice day :) 02:40, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * This problem has just developed recently, and I have not changed anything with my browser. Is there anyhting I can I do if it is the latter? Thankfully I have never been logged off while I was editing. Southern Illinois SKYWARN (talk) 02:48, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Not that I know of, if you look up the this page, you can see the possible problem I am referring to.-- Kerotan Leave Me a Message  Have  a nice day :) 02:51, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * I am so sorry, I did not see that. By the way, I think your user page looks great. Thank you, Southern Illinois SKYWARN (talk) 02:55, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

See Village pump %28technical%29. --hydnjo talk 13:39, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Why template?
Can someone tell me what is the purpose of creating a table using templates? In particular this template: Electiontable. Im curious why dont we just build the table in the target article. Im thinking of making a new table, but i dont know whether its necessary to follow this style. kawaputra torque 02:35, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * To know the exact reason why someone used a particular template in a particular article, you would need to ask that person. (You can see who added the template by checking the history of the page where the template appears.) Possible reasons to use a template:
 * To standardize the style among a set of related articles.
 * To make the standard style easy to change for all related artices by editing one template.
 * (Maybe) to simplify the wikitext markup for each article (that is, if the code to call the template is simpler than the table code in the template, which isn't always true, since table markup is already pretty compact).
 * Sometimes a template turns out to be inadequate for some new article in a series of articles, if the new article needs to show more information than the template accepts. If you want to change a template that lots of articles use, that can be trickier than changing just one article, because any change to the template will propagate through several articles and possibly draw the attention of many people. Thus a person may have to do some politicking to convince other people to accept the change. There is probably no hard requirement that you should use a particular template in a particular kind of article, but other users may see the article and decide to add the template if you do not. On Wikipedia, we cannot control what millions of other users do, so the best strategy is to try to figure out what will look best to the most people. --Teratornis (talk) 02:57, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * I might add that consistent design schemes in related articles tend to carry some weight. That is, more people would likely agree that all related articles in a series should use common templates, than for all the articles to have different designs. If you want some opinions on the specific case you have in mind, you could tell us the page where you want to add the new table. Our opinions are not authoritative but they might be helpful. I see that you asked on Template talk:Electiontable why this template exists. If you don't get an answer there, you could try asking on the user talk pages of some users who contributed to the template. --Teratornis (talk) 03:07, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks for your response Tera. Ok, we need a table for the article Malaysian general election, 2008. Someone put in a table from the template Malaysian general election, 2004, which is used for the article Malaysian general election, 2004. Should the template Malaysian general election, 2008 be created? Or should we just build a new table in the article itself? kawaputra torque 03:41, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

plant characteristics box
are there other templates such as this one for other plants? i'd like to include one for the plant soursop. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Boomgaylove (talk • contribs) 02:44, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Just to clarify the question further, the template you linked to is: Mycomorphbox; articles that use it are linked from here: Special:Whatlinkshere/Template:Mycomorphbox. Unfortunately, the template page lists no categories; if the template were properly categorized, you could check the category page(s) to find related templates. So when we do find some related templates, we should categorize this one. One way to search for templates is to use Google custom, for example:
 * I'm saving this partial reply before I get an edit conflict. --Teratornis (talk) 03:14, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * This question is a bit of a stumper. I looked at WP:PLANTS, WP:FUNGI, WikiProject Plants/Resources, and WP:TAXOBOX, without seeing any clues. I don't know whether a template similar to Mycomorphbox exists for other plants. I also can't think of good keywords for searching the template namespace, since such a template could have an unpredictable name or wording. I suggest asking on Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Fungi and Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Plants. Maybe someone more familiar with Wikipedia's botany articles would know of a suitable template. In the worst case, you could create one. Also, Mycomorphbox should be in at least one category. You can look for categories on Category:Wikipedia templates by subject area. Maybe: Category:Biology infobox templates would be suitable. --Teratornis (talk) 03:40, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * This question is a bit of a stumper. I looked at WP:PLANTS, WP:FUNGI, WikiProject Plants/Resources, and WP:TAXOBOX, without seeing any clues. I don't know whether a template similar to Mycomorphbox exists for other plants. I also can't think of good keywords for searching the template namespace, since such a template could have an unpredictable name or wording. I suggest asking on Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Fungi and Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Plants. Maybe someone more familiar with Wikipedia's botany articles would know of a suitable template. In the worst case, you could create one. Also, Mycomorphbox should be in at least one category. You can look for categories on Category:Wikipedia templates by subject area. Maybe: Category:Biology infobox templates would be suitable. --Teratornis (talk) 03:40, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Link goes to wrong person
In the article about the Big Apple Convention, the name "Michael Carbonaro" is linked to an entry for a movie actor. The Micahel Carbonaro referred to in the article is not the same person, and does not have a Wikipedia entry yet. What can I do? Can I make an entry for the right Michael Carbonaro? How do I distinguish between one and the other in the link?

Zorikh (talk) 03:17, 17 February 2008 (UTC)Zorikh
 * Make an article called Michael Carbonaro (artist) or something and the replace the link in the big apple convention article, with Michael Carbonaro .make sure that article follows all the usual guidelines.-- Kerotan Leave Me a Message  Have  a nice day :) 03:25, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Disambiguation and Hatnote. PrimeHunter (talk) 03:32, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * FWIW, I think it would have been better advice to suggest that Zorikh creates a redlink. That's certainly what I do when I find a link pointing to the wrong person. To create an article which won't be immediately deleted involves having at least one reliable source as to notability available, and - indeed - the motivation to do so when you may have other priorities for your wikipedia time. AndyJones (talk) 10:37, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

My first template
I've made an overlay for Vancouver neighbourhood maps that adds clickable targets so users can explore all the main neighbourhoods visually and discussed it here. Now I want to move my template into the Template: namespace and apply it as shown in User:Franamax/Test3 for a few articles to see how quickly it gets shot down :)

Here's my questions:
 * It does have to move into the Template: namespace, right?
 * What should I call it? Vcvr_nhood_map_overlay? Something longer but more explanatory?
 * Should I add some explanation? Someone just looking at the template itself will just see a bunch of X's. Should I put in a noinclude section to explain it?
 * Should I put it in a category? I used ottawa map as a reference and I see it is in a category. Should I try to find an overlay category, or will some helpful wiki-gnomes come along and do this for me?

This is my first try at a template so all help is appreciated. Also, please don't do it for me, I need those edit-counts! ;) Franamax (talk) 03:50, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * It seems nobody jumped right on your question, so I'll take a weak stab. Answers in the order that you asked:
 * Yes. Templates ordinariy go in the Template: namespace.
 * You can call it whatever you want. I would suggest trying to find similar templates and see if someone has established a consistent naming scheme. Wikipedia has naming conventions for articles, but template names are probably less orderly, at the moment anyway.
 * The fancy way to document templates now is with the documentation template. You can see an example on Google and Google/doc. Yes, the documentation template generates noinclude sections for you, and tells you where to insert your documentation, category links, etc.
 * Every template should be in at least one category. Your template could be in the same categories as VancouverNeighbourhoods and maybe some more. You don't have to figure this out instantly; you can come back later and add more categories to your template (actually you will add them to its /doc subpage).
 * When I make a new template, I sometimes add comments to the template talk page to deter the deletionists. For example, if you adapted your template from an existing template, and that template survived a Templates for Deletion nomination, you could link to the discussion if it also applies to your new template. --Teratornis (talk) 04:50, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

MJ Morning Show
Hi There, Could you please point me in the right direction? Over the past 2 months, the article MJ Morning Show has been subject to repeated IP vandalism, much of it containing defamation towards the host, Todd Schnitt. The vandalism is a result of a campaign launched by a competing radio host. I've been keeping on top of reverting the vandalism to remove the defamation, however, in light of Wikipedia's clear policies on defamation, I'm wondering whether there is something else that would be more proactive to prevent the continued IP vandalism to the article. I've requested semi-protection previously, but the request was denied citing not enough vandalism to justify at that time. Any guidance you might be able to provide would be most appreciated. Thanks, Ihateaubergine (talk) 04:14, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Aside from what you've already done and are doing, there's not really much else to be done. Looking at the history, this article does seem to be getting pretty constantly hit with vandalism. Should it continue, I'd request semi-protection again. The only changes to the article since the beginning of the month have been the addition or reversion of vandalism, with one or two exceptions. Sorry I can't be of more help. Hers fold  (t/a/c) 04:53, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Spelling error in title
The page I have created for a course in knowledge building I am talking has a spelling error in the title.

How do I fix this problem?

Thanks
 * I fixed it.   jj137   (talk)  04:36, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

is fantastic! Why not put it (and an example for target change) up top, with the "read FAQ" boilerplate?
See subject.

I just found this template (is that what it is?) by accident in a recent help desk answer. Everyone should know about it, I think....

Ciao, amici

Shlishke (talk) 05:22, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Sounds like a great idea! I'll do it soon unless someone quickly thinks of a reason not to do it. Sbowers3 (talk) 13:01, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Done. Sbowers3 (talk) 14:14, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * As the original author of the Google help desk template (for which I shamelessly stole the idea from someone else's Google template, as well as the method of making Google custom links which I learned about by reading this very Help desk last year), I felt I had a conflict of interest after someone removed my previous attempt a few months back to put that search link at the top of the Help desk, so I didn't fight to put it back up there. It seemed pretty logical to me at the time. I figured eventually logic had to prevail. Help desk questions have a lot of repetition, suggesting that many users who are new to Wikipedia go through a similar process of figuring things out, and coming up with similar questions. Also, many of the answers to Help desk questions are really good and are worth searching. Anyway, the fact that so many people keep generating the same questions over and over suggests that we have some deficiencies in the design of Wikipedia - not that I know how to fix the problems. But I'd say overall we're muddling along pretty well as long as dozens of volunteers keep answering questions on the Help desk. --Teratornis (talk) 04:21, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
 * The instructions at the top of the Help desk page follow an endless cycle of death and rebirth. The instructions tend to grow as volunteers notice people asking inappropriate questions and so on. Eventually the instructions get large enough to trigger someone's WP:CREEP alarm. Then the endless cycle of instruction death and rebirth continues. Naturally, of course, I think we ought to encourage questioners to try Google help desk before asking a question, and of course the template is possibly even more useful for the volunteers who answer questions (who tend to be farther along the Wikipedia learning curve and are therefore better able to search and interpret the results). While I'm plugging my templates, also check out the examples I listed on the Google custom documentation page, for searching various parts of Wikipedia and related sites. --Teratornis (talk) 04:36, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Deleting a user account
I no longer wish to be member of Wikipedia. How do I delete my user account? &#91;&#91;User:Shane 42&#93;&#93; (talk) 05:27, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Due to the fact that Wikipedia content is licensed under the GFDL, all edits must be kept for attribution purposes, and so your account cannot be deleted. You do, however, have the right to vanish, which you can exercise by (1) requesting your user page (found at Special:Mypage) and/or user talk page (found at Special:Mytalk) be deleted, by adding the template to them; (2) requesting to change your username to something that is unconnected with you (possibly a random collection of letters and numbers); (3) never logging in to your account again. If you do this, you are still free to register a new username if you wish to continue editing Wikipedia.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 05:30, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Log In Failure
I've been unable to log in although I am quite sure I entered the correct information. User name Malcolm. Entered 2/17/08. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.13.71.2 (talk) 05:44, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Just in case, click that you forgot your password and it will be sent to the email address you signed up with.  Wisdom89  ( T |undefined /  C ) 07:33, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * I think you have entered the wrong user name. User:Malcolm is an administrator on Wikipedia. Have a look at [ Special:Listusers?username=Malcolm] to see if you can find out what name you registered with. • Anakin  (talk) 15:12, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

User Name
How do I change my user nameFritz hagenquasher (talk) 05:58, 17 February 2008 (UTC) It is Fritz hagenquasher now and I would like to change it to Fritz Hagenquasher - basically capitalizing the last name.


 * This might help - but if you want a quick and easy way (if your contributions are limited), just sign up again.  Wisdom89  ( T |undefined  /  C ) 06:51, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * The user tried Changing_username but left out the "|" between parameters. Another editor corrected the formatting of his request and I suspect that it will be approved. Sbowers3 (talk) 12:40, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Creating a new account would not have worked in this case as it is too similar to the existing name. • Anakin  (talk) 15:16, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Reliable sources, Facts and Perceptions
I noticed that the following sentence in the Gun politics in the United Statesarticle is inaccurate: "Also, Kruschke describes incidents where public political perceptions have been shaped by a few high profile violent crimes associated with automatic and semi-automatic weapons, resulting in a relatively small percentage of the crime in absolute numbers, none-the-less have brought public focus on that type of weapon." The problem being that: I am confident i can provide numerous reliable sources to back up those two points. The sentence could be made accurate by simply changing "automatic and semi-automatic" to "automatic" but then Kruschke could no longer be cited because that is not how he describes the perception. This is exacerbated by the fact that it is not exactly clear whose perception is being described. Any way, my "simple correction" now involves NPOV, verifiability, descriptions of perceptions, and reliable sources all in the context of a polarized political subject. My head hurts. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cyrus Vance (talk • contribs) 07:20, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * 1) Automatic and semi-automatic firearms are significantly different in their operation
 * 2) Crimes involving semi-automatic firearms in the United States are not "relatively small percentage of the crime" or notable in any way when they happen
 * Ah, you have found a nice non-controversial topic to work on . It seems the best place to work this out would be on the discussion page of the article in question. However, I think you have answered your own question: before you do any editing you need to find a new reference that will support the changes you wish to make. &mdash;Noah 17:46, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Someone know what's wrong?
Does someone know what's going wrong in the footnotes at the bottom of List of Jewish American entertainers? Or, more importantly, does that someone want to fix it? :) • 97198   talk  10:03, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Some errors with the ref tags. Fixed now. :) --PeaceNT (talk) 10:29, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Well, doesn't that look nicer? My hat off to you. • 97198   talk  10:40, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Adding a pointer to specific meaning to a page with template Wi
I've just created a (stub) article Devised theatre, and I find from the reference I've used that in the US, the usual phrase for this is collaborative creation. I was intending to create a redirect from this, but I find that there is already a page there, but with the 'Wi' template, so I'm not sure how best to proceed. Should I just add some sort of dab template, turn the page into a dab page, or what? --ColinFine (talk) 11:53, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Looking at it, I think that "Wi" template should have been removed as soon as somebody added content to the page. However, the content there still seems little more than a dictionary definition and some common sense about collaboration in general. Personally, I'd go ahead and replace the article with a redirect - if someone wants to write a decent article for a different meaning, we can sort out the disambiguation later. - IMSoP (talk) 17:32, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * I went at made an attempt at addressing the issues using the template. Feel free to change it if you think a redirect will work better. &mdash;Noah 17:41, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Thanks for your replies. Encouraged by both of you, I have indeed replaced it by a redirect. --ColinFine (talk) 20:25, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Checkuser
Does checkuser reveal a MAC address? 91.104.19.93 (talk) 12:57, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * It seems not, but I don't know much about this stuff and may have misinterpreted m:Help:CheckUser. Algebraist 15:02, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * A checkuser request will list the username, the time period when they edited from a given IP/range, the IP address, and XFF information.  Seicer  (talk) (contribs) 16:31, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * No, but I'm pretty sure it's a feature that's been requested. Confusing Manifestation (Say hi!) 22:14, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Future timeline of Earth
Can I make a link User:Otolemur crassicaudatus/Future timeline of Earth in the See also section of the article Risks to civilization, humans and planet Earth.  Otolemur crassicaudatus  (talk) 13:52, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * "See also" sections should only have links to Wikipedia articles. WP:SEEALSO --Silver Edge (talk) 14:05, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Can I put the page under Category:Futurology and Category:Earth?  Otolemur crassicaudatus  (talk) 14:29, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * You're probably best off not putting it anywhere that's considered part of the encyclopedia (rather than part of the structure and community of the site) if it's not in the main article namespace.
 * In which case, the question you should probably be asking is whether that page belongs in the main article namespace - is there enough there to merit a new article, or is there an existing article to which it would make an appropriate addition? It seems like a nice summary to me, but we'd have to be careful about the criteria of what goes in there - what topics, whose predictions, etc.
 * Perhaps you could attract more specific attention to the question on some relevant articles, Talk:Futurology or Talk:Future history, perhaps? Or at WikiProject Time... - IMSoP (talk) 17:21, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Converting article into a redirect
Where do I nominate Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight for redirection to Dallas Stoudenmire, where it is pretty much duplicated? It seems to me that it would likely be contested. Clarityfiend (talk) 15:24, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Redirection @ Wikipedia has information if the redirect is not controversial, but since you indicated it could be contested, it might be better to take it to WP:RFD.  Seicer  (talk) (contribs) 16:29, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * I think what you want is to merge the two articles. You would place merge-to and merge-from templates on the two articles and start a discussion. Sbowers3 (talk) 18:05, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

3RR versus IP socks
Twice in two days I have been involved in edit warring over content where it is obviously just me against single purpose IP's that know how to WP:GAME using 3RR. What is the usual procedure to tackle this without violating 3RR? In both cases the IP's show no interest in using the talk page except to restate the two polar opinions, so there is no consensus for either version. MickMacNee (talk) 17:45, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * The right place to bring this up would be the 3RR noticeboard or possibly the Incidents page. &mdash;Noah 17:49, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Those are quite sticky situations. I'd recommend taking a report to WP:AN/I, a lot of admins keep that page watchlisted and will take a look at what you say. If not, you can always ask an admin on their talk to take a look at a situation, I would be happy to look at it if you'd like. Keilana | Parlez ici 17:51, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Just wanted to know for the future is all. There seem to be a number of policies that cover it, I just wondered what most people do usually. MickMacNee (talk) 17:54, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

bilingual help in Spanish
Hi, I created a page in Spanish and received a response on the page telling me the page needed to be wikified. However, I dont know what I need to do. Can you help?17:57, 17 February 2008 (UTC)17:57, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * This is the English Wikipedia so generally it's a bad idea to post articles in languages other than English. This does happen from time to time. When it does article tags that will usually get slapped on the article. Sometimes the articles will get translated (if a translator gets to them in time) but sometimes they get deleted. The best thing to do would be to translate the article before creating it. If you are worried about your translation skills you could create the article as a user sub-page and ask for help translating it. &mdash;Noah 18:05, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

I should have mentioned that I created it in Spanish for Spanish Wikipedia. However, I need a little help discovering what I need to edit on the page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Carlosgg (talk • contribs) 18:16, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Ah. So you got the equivalent in the Spanish Wikipedia of "please Wikify this page"? To wikify is to link words to other articles. To do so, simply surround words that should be linked with double brackets. Example: Balkline and straight rail, when saved will look like this Balkline and straight rail, and link to the article on that subject, already contained in Wikipedia, or if there is no article yet on the subject, the resulting link will be red. However, don't do this for every word you can. Please see Only make links that are relevant to the context, which is, I'm sure, just as valid on the Spanish Wikipedia.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 19:24, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Wikifying is not just adding links; it's a few other things too. to make sure the format conforms to a usual Wikipedia article.  See Wikify and Category:Articles that need to be wikified, which gives instructions.  It's pretty simple, really;  like having no section heading before the first sentence;  having the first sentence contain (usually) the same words as in the article title, and having these appear in bold type, etc.  You can look at other Wikipedia articles to see what they look like, too.  After you think you've wikified it, if you like you can post a message to my talk page with a link to the article (or its name if you can't figure out how to link to the Spanish Wikipedia) and I'll have a look at it to see if I think it's wikified.  A link to the Spanish Wikipedia looks like this: es:Síndrome.  Note that in theory I don't know any Spanish, though I know several related languages so I can kindof manage reading it a bit. --Coppertwig (talk) 20:01, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Also, I believe this is the relevant help page on the Spanish Wikipedia: Wikificar. &mdash;Noah 20:03, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * The Google translation template makes the Spanish Wikipedia almost readable in English; from Help desk/Archives/2007 October 13:
 * This template code:
 * produces this link:
 * That might help the non-Spanish-speakers reading this to better understand what needs wikifying on the Spanish-language article. --Teratornis (talk) 04:07, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
 * For example: which is just about readable in English. --Teratornis (talk) 04:12, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

How do I "Send a Link" from an article to my email?
Thank you, Faccia. Faccia (talk) 19:06, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * I'm not 100% sure I know what you're after, but tell me if this is responsive. Go to any page on Wikipedia. If the URL of the page is not provided in an address bar in your browser, right click somewhere in the article, choose properties from the menu that appears. In either case, highlight the URL. Copy that highlighted URL by either going to your browser's edit menu and choosing "copy," or click control+c, which does the same thing. Go to the email you wish the link to appear in. Paste the link into it, by either going to your browser's edit menu and choosing "paste," or click control+v, which does the same thing.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 19:14, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Another place to get the URL of an article is by right-clicking on the "article" tab at the top of the article (just right of the Wikipedia logo if you are using the default monobook skin. Select "Copy link location" from the context menu. Then paste that into your e-mail message. However, every browser I have used displays the article URL in the address bar at the top of the browser, so that's the most obvious place from which to copy the URL. The wording of the question is somewhat unclear, however: "How do I "Send a Link" from an article to my email?" An article may contain many different kinds of links, so it is not clear which link you want to send "to my email." And does "to my email" mean you want to send the link to yourself in an e-mail message, or do you want to send the link to your e-mail message composer window where you edit a message to someone else? --Teratornis (talk) 04:00, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Sum and Limit Operators
I was on the sandbox and just messing around typing in meaningless formulas and I typed this $$\beta\gamma\neq\left(\frac{\phi\Phi\psi\pi}{\alpha\sqrt{\log(\gamma\lim_{\xi\to\infty}\sum_{\chi=\upsilon}^{\xi}\Psi})}\right)\left(\frac{\Gamma}{\upsilon}\right)$$ in. If you will notice, the limit and sum operators are not working. The limit should look like this$$\lim_{\xi\to\infty}$$ and the sum, like this $$\sum_{\chi=\upsilon}^{\xi}$$. Why isn't it doing that and how can I make it? Thanks, Zrs 12 (talk) 19:34, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

What you wrote: $$\beta\gamma\neq\left(\frac{\phi\Phi\psi\pi}{\alpha\sqrt{\log(\gamma\lim_{\xi\to\infty}\sum_{\chi=\upsilon}^{\xi}\Psi})}\right)\left(\frac{\Gamma}{\upsilon}\right)$$

Same thing, but with \displaystyle inserted just before \lim: $$\beta\gamma\neq\left(\frac{\phi\Phi\psi\pi}{\alpha\sqrt{\log(\gamma\displaystyle \lim_{\xi\to\infty} \sum_{\chi=\upsilon}^{\xi}\Psi})}\right)\left(\frac{\Gamma}{\upsilon}\right)$$

To force the display the way you originally had it, you can write \textstyle. I don't know how textstyle got activated; you could play around to see whether one of the operators you were using automatically turns on textstyle or something. Anyway, whenever that happens you can just insert a \displaystyle. Ah, I reckon it's the square root sign that might automatically turn on textstyle, so that the stuff can fit nicely under the radical sign. Just guessing. --Coppertwig (talk) 19:53, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Thanks! Zrs 12 (talk) 19:57, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * It's not the square root. Compare $$\frac{1}{\lim_{\xi\to\infty}\sum_{\chi=\upsilon}^{\xi}\Psi}$$ to $$\lim_{\xi\to\infty}\sum_{\chi=\upsilon}^{\xi}\Psi$$. No \textstyle or \displaystyle were used. Being in a denominator is apparently enough to get the low-height format as default. PrimeHunter (talk) 20:02, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Go to the Reference desk next time. Visit me at Ftbhrygvn (T alk |C ontribs |L og |U serboxes ) 14:42, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

Putting a contribution list on a watchlist
Is it possible to put a contribution list on a watchlist? I.e., a new contribution by that editor appears on the watchlist? Wanderer57 (talk) 19:39, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Not that I know of - as far as I know only pages can be watchlisted.   jj137   (talk)  19:40, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Same here, don't think that's possible. If you want to monitor a user's contributions (for wiki-protective purposes only - see WP:STALK), then I suggest placing the user page on your watchlist and the latest pages he/she has contributed to.  Wisdom89  ( T |undefined /  C ) 20:28, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Bug #470 is a request to implement such a feature, but in over three years no specific reason has been given for not implementing it. However it would have a huge potential for abuse and stalking by some editors, and even if used in good faith, may waste lots of editors' time watching others instead of doing something constructive. In short, it's not possible. I think it's actually better being not possible. • Anakin  (talk) 20:59, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * But you can make it a bookmark in your browser. Sbowers3 (talk) 22:03, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

How to "copy/paste" onto "search" line using a Widget?
Dear Wikipedia Advisor,

I have access to Wikipedia "search" using Widget on my Mac. How can I use the EDIT function "copy/paste," on my computer without the widget disappearing as I attempt to "paste?" Or, is there some other way to maintain fulltime access on my desktop to a Wikipedia's science glossary/dictionary? Currently, the only alternitive I am aware of, is to fully "open up" Wikipedia, which is awkward when I already have something else downloaded (from the internet).

I appreciate any help you can provide.

Loyde —Preceding unsigned comment added by Loydeyates (talk • contribs) 20:38, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Ogg files
Many Wikipedia audio files are .ogg file types. What program opens them? My computer doesn't know. Thanks, George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help and assistance 21:42, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * See Media help (Ogg), basically most media players can play them with the right codecs installed. 86.21.74.40 (talk) 21:57, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * If you go to a sound file's description page (such as Image:Example.mp3) an in-browser player should appear that is capable of playing the file. Hers fold  (t/a/c) 00:06, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Why don't they use more conventional files... like mp3, wav, aaif? —Preceding unsigned comment added by RJRocket53 (talk • contribs) 04:27, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

Vandalism of Wikipedia:Introduction
Reverted vandalised page. Request putting a lockdown on all such pages (vide:) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sarindam7 (talk • contribs) 21:46, 17 February 2008 (UTC) sarindam7 (talk) 21:46, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * The place to request that is WP:RFPP. Make sure you read the instructions clearly, since just because a page is vandalised doesn't mean it's necessarily a candidate for protection. Confusing Manifestation (Say hi!) 22:11, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * People are allowed to edit Introduction. Some have said that we should not let them do this in order to keep the welcome mat clean, and leave test edits for the sandbox. However, normally, the bots automatically restore the page when the header is removed (people are supposed to edit below the header). Please note that I have reverted [ your addition] of a pp-vandalism template. The template is not to be used as a bluff - only use it on pages actually protected (by Administrators). • Anakin  (talk) 22:13, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Got it.......sarindam7 (talk) 13:09, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame inductee(1993) John Kirby
How do I get in touch with the Hall of Fame committee? A phone number or address will do. THANK YOU. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.218.105.224 (talk) 22:24, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * See their website: http://www.bigbandjazzorch.org/. The address is at the bottom of that page. Please note for future reference that the Help desk is for questions about using Wikipedia; factual questions should be asked at the Reference desk. • Anakin  (talk) 22:33, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Images problem
I am using Windows Vista and IE. Recently I cannot see any images or charts on any Wikipedia page, including this one. Is there a setting to block images, or am a having problems. I used to be able to see the images. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.237.204.159 (talk) 23:12, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Here's something to try: Right-click on an image that won't load and click "Properties". Copy the URL of the image and paste it into the address bar directly. This will give you the actual file displayed directly. If it's being blocked by anything, it will display the message and reason there. This problem has been reported rather a lot lately and I'm not sure why... Let me know if that helps. • Anakin  (talk) 18:33, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Missing "File Link" after an album cover upload
Dear friends,

I've tried upload an image for an album cover using the upload tutorial in the original article page, an set all right (until now, I hope). I've made the Fair Use statement, after being asked to do it, but the File Link, in the bottom, remains without link to the original article (in this case a specific album related to the album cover). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:CCR_Chronicle_Vol2.jpg

I've received a message explaining that this image was orphan:

Thanks for uploading Image:CCR Chronicle Vol2.jpg. The media description page currently specifies that it is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, it is currently orphaned, meaning that it is not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the media was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that media for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

If you have uploaded other unlicensed media, please check whether they're used in any articles or not. You can find a list of 'image' pages you have edited by clicking on the "my contributions" link (it is located at the very top of any Wikipedia page when you are logged in), and then selecting "Image" from the dropdown box. Note that all non-free media not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. BetacommandBot (talk) 19:35, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

The question: How I made this orphan image article to be linked to the right article ?


 * Bad Title Example.png You can add an image to a page by linking to it as you would an article. For example,   would produce the image you see at right. For more help, see Help:Images. Hers fold  (t/a/c) 00:04, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Roller Coaster Infobox
To Whom This May Concern:

Hello:

I am in the process of creating a MediaWiki style site but I am stuck because I want an info box for all of the roller coasters. I was wanting to know if you could provide me the files and template sources for making the Infobox. If not, could you direct me to where I could have assistance in creating one? Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rcmolloy (talk • contribs) 23:44, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * We can only really help you with using Wikipedia, however you may want to take a look at Template:Infobox roller coaster, as well as our MediaWiki:Common.css file. Hers fold  (t/a/c) 23:59, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Also be aware that templates may require MediaWiki extensions which you will have to install on your wiki. One symptom that you need another extension is when you copy a template from Wikipedia to your wiki, and strange codes "bleed through" to the displayed page, instead of the wiki software converting the codes into what you expect. Compare the Special:Version page on your wiki to the one on Wikipedia, to see what extensions Wikipedia has that you don't. Also check your MediaWiki version on Special:Version; since you are just now creating your wiki, presumably you installed the most recent version of MediaWiki. The version running on Wikipedia is usually a few months ahead of what you can download, but the latest version for download should be recent enough. Another problem with copying templates from Wikipedia is that a given template may transclude many more templates, which in turn transclude other templates, and you have to recursively identify and copy all those dependencies. I wish MediaWiki had a simple template export feature. We have Special:Export, but currently it is not smart enough to package up everything you actually need to get a template that works here working on another MediaWiki wiki. (Currently I am trying to get Navbox working on another wiki, and it is turning out to be not simple.) --Teratornis (talk) 03:47, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
 * This probably does not apply to your situation, but I found that the Navbox template only works on MediaWiki wikis that use HTML Tidy. According to a discussion on Meta-wiki, many templates on Wikipedia contain various HTML errors, and Wikipedia runs HTML Tidy which silently fixes these errors. The problem only shows up when someone tries to port such a template to another wiki that is not running HTML Tidy. After I installed HTML Tidy on a test copy of my wiki, the Navbox template magically began working correctly. That's yet another gotcha to keep in mind if you end up tearing your hair while trying to port templates from Wikipedia. Note: I had not run into this need for HTML Tidy before when I ported infobox templates from Wikipedia. I guess this is more likely to be a problem with more complex templates. Anyway, this is more evidence that while MediaWiki is easy to install, and is pretty easy to use after somebody sets it all up, the setting it all up part can sometimes get ugly. --Teratornis (talk) 00:02, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

search history
how can you clear your search history? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Joshuaaldrich (talk • contribs) 23:51, 17 February 2008 (UTC)


 * That depends on what browser you're using. In Firefox, go to Tools -> Options... -> Privacy -> Clear Private Data. Make sure your settings for that option include search history. For another browser, you'll have to wait until someone using that browser comes by or check your own help files. We can only offer assistance with using Wikipedia. Hers fold  (t/a/c) 00:01, 18 February 2008 (UTC)


 * In IE6, Go to Tools &rarr; Internet Options &rarr; Clear History. • Anakin  (talk) 00:30, 18 February 2008 (UTC)


 * In IE7, click 'Tools > Delete Browsing History'. Thanks, George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help and assistance 14:54, 19 February 2008 (UTC)