Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2009 June 7

= June 7 =

my name
how do i add a name to Wiki ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jodischram (talk • contribs) 00:02, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * If you want to create an article, see the template message below.
 * Before creating an article, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject. Please also review a few of our relevant policies and guidelines which all articles should comport with. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite to reliable sources which verify their content and must not contain unsourced, negative content about living people.


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 * If you still think an article is appropriate, see Help:Starting a new page. You might also look at Your first article and How to write a great article for guidance, and please consider taking a tour through the Tutorial so that you know how to properly format the article before creation. – ukexpat (talk) 00:17, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

Do we have a list of WikiProjects?
Do we have a list of WikiProjects? If so, where can I find it? A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 00:26, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * WP:PROJDIR should get you started. – ukexpat (talk) 02:44, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Also, for a rather crude machine-generated list of filenames, see: Special:PrefixIndex/Wikipedia:WikiProject. --Teratornis (talk) 20:01, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

Column equivalent to line word wrap for long two column tables
I have a two column table where I can sort on each column and each column is of minimal width. So with my many entries I get a very long but narrow table and so have to scroll up and down many pages to find my entries as I switch back and forth between sorts. How can I make the length of the page presentation shorter by breaking the long table into three (or even more) parts that are beside each other and still be able to have the sorts include all row data from my original long table? Thanks. (P.S. I have also posted this on the WP:Table talk page) Newwhist (talk) 00:45, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I'll assume you're talking about the tables located in User:Newwhist/my sandbox, which look like different ways that you were trying to make this work. To my knowledge, there is no way to do multiple columns while using the sorting feature. Be definition, in Help:Sorting, "[A sortable table] will cause the table rows to sort based on the selected column". However, you can always make multiple columns and have them not sort, but then you'd have to choose whether to sort them by name or year. In my opinion, that would be of more use than an extremely long, sortable table.  hmwith  τ   19:35, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Other ideas:
 * search may be a faster way to jump to particular text strings in a long table, than to manually scroll and look with your eyeballs.
 * Help talk:Sorting has some additional discussion. Something there might be relevant to what you want to do.
 * I don't understand from your description exactly what you are trying to do. What problem are you trying to solve by making these tables? Your question would be more understandable if you gave a specific example, with a step-by-step description of what you are doing and why you want to do it. I suspect you are trying to perform some type of a query, but without a specific example it's not clear if you are even using the best approach.
 * --Teratornis (talk) 20:15, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Further explanation from what I understand: He is trying to create a table of players and years, all of whom can be sorted either chronologically by year or alphabetically by name. However, when all of those names (about 100) are in a single column in a table, that columns become very long. To combat this, he wanted to split the column into 3 sections/parts, side-by-side (for a tangible example, writing long grocery list on a thin roll of paper, then cutting it horizontally into 3 equal pieces, and pasting them side-by-side on a larger sheet of paper). Anyway, he wanted to do this, while still having all of the rows, regardless of column/part, be able to be sorted as a full group. This cannot be done, because the sort function can only together sort one column in one table.  hmwith  τ   23:06, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * That makes more sense. But it still does not explain "why". Does the original poster just want to admire the sorted, accordion-wrapped columns, or does presenting the information this way answer some question? If the latter, what is the question? --Teratornis (talk) 02:40, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

Seems like a lot of Original Research to me. GeorgeLouis (talk) 02:51, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

Reliable sources and external links
What is the policy regarding putting a link in the external links section of an article, if the site fails the criteria as a reliable source? The situation on the Burj Dubai article is that the external site in question is a useful source of up-to-date images (even if some of them are uncredited or possibly copy violations), and it is often claimed by some editors to be more up-to-date then the project's "official site", yet the text is often a haven of speculation, rumour, original research and other unverifiable claims. Astronaut (talk) 01:32, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Read WP:EL, especially the sections titled WP:ELNO and WP:ELYES and decide for yourself. --Jayron32. talk . contribs  03:38, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

Category link lists
I'm trying to make a list of categories like this (see syntax): How do I add an list square in front of the names?--Kslotte (talk) 02:10, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

Use a asterix: "*" at the start of the line. Is that what you wanted? --Jayron32. talk . contribs 03:37, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Like
 * This


 * I think that the editor wants to know a way of automatically listing the members of a category, prefixed by a bullet-point. They used  in the above example. I do not know of a way of doing this.   Chzz  ►  09:16, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Yes, that is what I want. Do anyone know how to achieve that? --Kslotte (talk) 09:44, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * For some reason, this intrigued me - mostly because someone said that it couldn't be done. They're half-right. You can apply formatting to the output of the category tree using span styes, which can change the font, colour and position - but it cannot prepend each entry - the special returns the list, and there is no way to make it add a character to the start of each line - short of hacking the wiki itself.
 * I did, however, think up a very crude solution; by using two columns, and in the first column putting 'n' blank bullet entries, where 'n' is the number of entries in the category.

 Chzz  ►  15:16, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Thanks --Kslotte (talk) 19:05, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * The solution is crude and not very wiki friendly and will not qualify on any official page in Wikipedia. Doing it the right way by automation is probably a bot. --Kslotte (talk) 23:58, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

A follow-up question...
I was thinking if making two lists: See my sandbox and category for wiki structure.
 * Orienteers by Country: ordered alphabetic of names under each country
 * Orienteers by Surname: ordered alphabetic of all orienteers grouped by surname first letter

How can that be accomplished? any tips or tricks? semi-automated tools? --Kslotte (talk) 22:35, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Based on Lists and Wikimedia Meta: Bot a proper solution is a bot that use script Category. Comments? Opinions? --Kslotte (talk) 23:46, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

Help would be welcome
My dad was a member of wikipedia and he told me I should get involved but I never did. He passed away a few months ago and now I have decided to join. I have some learning difficulties (though I'm not stupid) and would like to learn how to contribute to wikipedia. Is there any way I can learn how to do this? If you think I shouldn't participate please say. Thank you. Wee Tuck (talk) 03:57, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Some places to get a general overview are:

Or find an article about something you like, but which needs fixing up, and jump right in. Being bold is a core principle here. Good luck! --Jayron32. talk . contribs 04:12, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Cheatsheet
 * Help:Contents/Getting started
 * Help:Wikipedia: The Missing Manual/Introduction
 * Community portal


 * Great to have you join us Wee Tuck! You're carrying on a fine family tradition. ;)  I look forward to working with you in the future! — Ched :  ?  05:04, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Everyone is welcome here, and perfection is not required. There is plenty of help available. I will add some suggestions of my own to your talk page. Be bold,  Chzz  ►  08:47, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Also try the WP:TUTORIAL. If you tell us what type of articles you want to edit on Wikipedia, we can give you more guidance. Many topic areas have their own WikiProjects with additional guidelines specific to their articles. See for example WikiProject Film, WikiProject Mathematics, etc. --Teratornis (talk) 20:04, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * And there are things you can do besides editing articles, such as uploading photos. --Teratornis (talk) 20:05, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

changing the correct information of the person and abusing it.
hey wikipedia,

a person changed Sam Concepcion's information and abused it his/hers post is this,(i bold and italized the wrong and abused information) Sam then joined Little Big Star where he became the eventual loser. Through this competition, Sam Concepcion's fanbase, collectively called the Gaysters, was formed and is still continuously deteriorating. Just prior to winning Little Big Star, Sam was not offered endorsements and projects. He is now a jester of various products, such as Stench (a smell line), Skechers Cow, and Karate Monkey Restaurant to name a few. He also appears in different pictures as its cover or in random articles from K-Zone, Total Girl, YES!, Hi, Inside Showbiz, Star Studio and other cheap magazines in the country. In the September 2006 issue of Candy magazine, Sam was announced as Candy Cuties’ Number One Gay Cutie and has held the title for three consecutive years already.

Then on October 18, 2008, Sam held his first major solo concert dubbed as I'll Find the Gays : First Solo Birthday Concert. The concert was held at the Music Museum in celebration of his 16th birthday, which was a dream come true for this Old performer.

Currently, Sam regularly appears on ASAP '09 in a dance segment with the Giggly Boys, who are the newest all-female teen dance group of ABS-CBN. As I ? Betty La Fea ended last April 24, Sam is now busy taping for Your Song Presents: Gaystown. Besides his TV appearances and various shows offcam, Sam has started recording for his second solo album. He also continues all his responsibilities as DepEd's Youth Role Model, BSA's Official Spokesperson and World Vision's Ambassador for Gay Children. In addition, Sam is set to hold a continuation of his concert this May 2009, dubbed as "I'll Find The Gays: Part 2."

he/she abused it, there are still more information that he/she abused but i was too late to save it because i changed it immediately since this report was reported, we REALLY want to know who did this, thank you! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Poseidon101 (talk • contribs) 09:28, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Usually obvious vandalism like this is picked up by Vandalism Patrollers. If the user is caught doing this too many times, they'll probably get blocked.  I wouldn't worry too much about it.  -- Kraftlos  (Talk | Contrib) 09:46, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * You can see who made which edits by looking through any page's history. Simply click the "history" tab. When I look through, it seems that User:WolfMaster2002 vandalized the article with (this edit).  hmwith  τ   18:51, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

Citing references - same source, with and without page numbers
Hi everyone,

I am writing an article for which, currently, I only have one decent source (I have others, but they are far less informative/independent), and the author of that book seldom explicitly mentions his primary sources. To compound matters, there would have been a large number of primary sources, except that they were mostly destroyed. I therefore find myself using the same book to reference different points.

One of the most important points is assembled from a reference at the beginning of the book and a lengthy explanatory footnote at the rear of the book. I have therefore specified one reference for the book with the page numbers for the quote and its footnote, and a second, named reference (  ) for all the other, more straightforward quotes.

Should I: a) Convert all instances of the reference into a generic named reference, so that the book appears just once in the references. b) Leave it as it is. c) Specify the page number for every use of the source, with the book then appearing multiple times in the references?

Thanks, James --James Chenery (talk) 11:58, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * I would say that the best way would be to specify the page number on every occasion, this makes it easier for other editors to verify the information later and would go some way to avert disputes. That said, you should probably make efforts to find more sources as your article would be susceptible to claims of non-notability without them. Regards, Unomi (talk) 12:12, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Page numbers are a good thing. You can create a named reference, then add the page number inline using rp. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 12:18, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Create two sections: References and Notes. In the "References" section, list the books bibliographic info using the cite book template. In the "Notes" section do a Harvard-style cite using the Author + Page Number. See Plymouth Colony, a featured article, which uses this style. --Jayron32. talk . contribs 12:34, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Plymouth Colony does not use parenthetical referencing (Harvard)— it uses a mix of footnotes and shortened footnotes; see Citing sources for an overview of the three systems. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 18:03, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

Thank you all for your advice. I will look at the systems you have suggested. I don't think I will have a problem with notability, as it is only the history section of the article where records are scarce. Thanks --James Chenery (talk) 08:57, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

BRD cycle and contested material in article.
Hi, I am wondering how to proceed. It is my understanding that contested material that is recently introduced should be kept out of the article until consensus has been reached, is that correct? I am facing a situation where a quote seems to be taken out of context to support a statement in the article. A slow edit war has ensued since the 27th of May and the material is still featured in the text and the lede of the article. Attempts at discussing the manner in which the quote is used have stalled and more recent attempts have not seen progress. I am concerned that discussion will not be engaged while the disputed material remains in the article, and I believe that the material should not be in the article while disputed. Please advise, Unomi (talk) 12:33, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * If the material is not a blatant WP:BLP violation, then the best thing to do is leave the wrong version (i.e. the one you don't like) visible, and seek dispute resolution via the methods described at WP:DR. Depending on the nature of the dispute, there are some other noticeboards where you can get the attention of editors who specialize in certain disputes.  The Third Opinion Noticeboard is for getting an outside opinion where there are two opposing sides in a simple dispute.  The Reliable Sources Noticeboard is for getting editors to review and give opinions on the reliability of source material.  Template:editabuselinks lists a full list of noticeboards with specialized focuses.  I would recommend against using the administrator noticeboards as admins aren't really here to solve disputes like this.  You will likely just get refered back to one of the other ones anyways.  --Jayron32. talk . contribs  12:39, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

alfred james taylor
I am trying to find out more information on the unpublished memories of Alfred Taylor, do you have any information on how to get anymore information on him —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.34.48.204 (talk) 14:07, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * To which Alfred Taylor were you referring? We have articles on several of them. TN X Man  14:40, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * He was talking about Alfred Taylor (soldier).--Launchballer (talk) 17:13, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm assuming you've tried Googling him. There are often resources in public libraries (both in online archives and at the locations), but those would be published. Are you trying to use them as references? If you are, unpublished memories would nbot meet our reliable source guideline and would be original research.  hmwith  τ   18:43, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

Formatting
Hello. Can someone go into my subpage on the Sonic News Network and edit it so that if I was to type it would read  instead of whats usually there.--Launchballer (talk) 15:40, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * This page is for help on how to use Wikipedia specifically. You can try to find your answer on Help:Template or Help:Advanced templates, though.  hmwith  τ   18:39, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * That I have done. I thank you for your advice.--Launchballer (talk) 14:53, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

answer to Todd
Since I do not find computers "user friendly to me", this was the only way I could find to answer your question about user name. Hickmangroup is simply the name our family uses as a username. I can certainly change it ifI can figure out how. Is Hickmanfamily ok? I am old and have trouble remembering all the different usernames and passwords. Incidentally, the reason I logged on is because of a pesky scrub jay in my yard. I tried to contribute to a chat page (if that's what it was), but couldn't figure out how. So, Todd. That is my story. Such as it is. S.H. from "Hickmangroupfamily"18:18, 7 June 2009 (UTC)18:18, 7 June 2009 (UTC)Hickmangroup (talk)
 * For who is this message meant? I don't see any username "Todd" on this page. If you're trying to have discussion with a specific user, try posting on his user talk page, located at User talk:Username (but use Todd's username).  hmwith  τ   18:35, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I believe you're looking for User:Toddst1 who cautioned you about being a promo username. As long as it's not actually promotional, it should be fine. I've left a message on your talk page regarding sharing accounts; read through WP:NOSHARE. [&#65279;flaminglawyer] 18:49, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

How to submit a question to Wikipedia ?
Good Day: This is the first time I have contacted Wiki.so please forgive if I have missed something, I typed a question but do not see any SUBMIT button. Where do I do this? EdmundoR —Preceding unsigned comment added by EdmundoR (talk • contribs) 21:18, 7 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Click "Save page" below the edit box to save an edit. User:EdmundoR is your user page and should not be used to ask questions. Regarding the question I happened to notice there, see Highway and Freeway. Another time you can ask questions which are not about Wikipedia at Reference desk. You can ask questions about Wikipedia here at the help desk. PrimeHunter (talk) 21:54, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

Wikipedia BLP.
Where is the best place to get an authoritive answer regarding policy to a question about a WP:BLP. (Off2riorob (talk) 22:18, 7 June 2009 (UTC))
 * I imagine the BLP noticeboard would be a good bet. It's likely watched by editors knowledgable in this area. -- Kateshort forbob  22:21, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

Thank you. (Off2riorob (talk) 22:37, 7 June 2009 (UTC))

Wikilink to an image file
Is it possible to give a wikilink to an image file in an article without a "thumbnail" version of the image showing up in the article? --Roentgenium111 (talk) 22:19, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * You can preface the file name of the image with a colon Image:Example.jpg to produce a link to an image like this-- Kateshort forbob  22:24, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks! --Roentgenium111 (talk) 22:25, 7 June 2009 (UTC)