Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2009 October 5

= October 5 =

Image not showing
I put this image into the infobox for Geoff Rickly, but it isn't showing. What am I doing wrong?--AdamSims1991 (talk) 00:26, 5 October 2009 (UTC)


 * When you typed |image = Geoff.jpg, that was an error. It is suppose to be |img = Geoff.jpg.  I fixed it for you.  This article explains how to use that particular infobox.   Btilm  00:52, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Not to quibble, but templates are distinct from articles. Templates and articles are both "pages". In Wikipedia-speak. --Teratornis (talk) 01:49, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

'K, thanks.--AdamSims1991 (talk) 01:47, 6 October 2009 (UTC)

new words
Perhaps I am not looking in the right place, but I wanted to know if we could add new words. I was working on a thesis tonight and stumbled upon a new word. It is a descriptive word and would most likely never be used in normal conversation but I think it is a telling word. How can I add a new word to this Encyclopedia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Delshoe (talk • contribs) 00:52, 5 October 2009 (UTC)


 * Well, it depends. If you made it up, probably not.  If it is a word, you might want to consider putting it in the Wiktionary.  Just out of curiosity, what is the word?   Btilm  00:57, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia. We have articles on proverbs, idioms, and stuff like that, but all definitions should go to Wiktionary. Remember that nothing you made up one day should ever be included in Wikipedia, and any topic must be notable. Xenon54 / talk / 01:11, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Even so, if you stumbled upon it, as in research, Wiktionary will likely already have it. Intelligent  sium  review 02:28, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

This page is a user's work in progress page
I created a new page, but it is still labeled as a "User's work in progress page" rather than a new article. I tried moving it to the same title, but I still see the heading that it is a work in progress page. How does one officially launch an article or make it more than a user's work in progress. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Echo927 (talk • contribs) 01:00, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * That's because it's a template. Templates can appear even as long as you use to a page. But you will need to use them correctly. The template won't go unless you manually remove it, even if you move the page. -Porchcrop (talk 01:09, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * But anyways, I have removed the template myself. Cheers. -Porchcrop (talk 01:11, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

acid rain
How does acid rain effect taj mahal and how do they maintain and study the taj mahal. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.53.93.28 (talk) 01:31, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Taj Mahal briefly discusses the effect of acid rain, with some references. The Taj Mahal is made of marble which is largely calcium carbonate and thus is susceptible to attack by acids. --Teratornis (talk) 01:36, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * The help desk is for questions on how to use Wikipedia. For, such as yours, please use the Reference desk.  Intelligent  sium  review 02:26, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * The help desk is for questions on how to use Wikipedia. For, such as yours, please use the Reference desk.  Intelligent  sium  review 02:26, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

Adding all articles in a category to watchlist
Is it possible to automatically add all articles within a certain category to your watchlist - including new additions to the category? BlazerKnight (talk) 01:59, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * No, that is not possible. But see here for something similar that you can do. ≈ Chamal talk ¤ 02:03, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * I see. Thank you. BlazerKnight (talk) 02:45, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

Transclusion of Recent Changes
Hi Help Desk. Do any of you know of a way I could transclude a Special:RecentChangesLinked page into another project page? Usually I would just put the page name between but this page seems to need URL parameters... P retzels Talk! 02:35, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Hmm..  works for me. You can also limit the number of changes displayed like this:   ≈ Chamal talk ¤ 02:43, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Ah. did the job, just about... there must be documentation for this somewhere though. Thanks! P retzels Talk! 03:33, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * For others' future reference: m:Help:Special_page P retzels Talk! 03:37, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Oh, you were asking about related changes, not recent changes. Sorry :P ≈ Chamal talk ¤ 08:06, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

NoteTA
Do we have an English equivalent to this template? —  C M B J  03:26, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Can you tell us exactly what that template does? Unless someone happens along who is fluent in Chinese we re basically restricted to something like Google translate. I see it is some kind of translation converter itself though I can't make out exactly what it does. Maybe someone else can but telling us if you know would be good.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 03:42, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Click the small ▼ on the very top right of that link. —  C M B J   04:03, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Just more Chinese. Only the name of the page is in English. ≈ Chamal talk ¤ 08:09, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

Special:abusefilter
What language is the filter written in? --Drogonov (talk) 08:12, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * I believe that all MediaWiki extensions are written in PHP. Gonzonoir (talk) 11:15, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

Infobox rant
Some time ago, I recall reading a short essay or humourous "rant" about infoboxes. I think it went something like: "I just took your article and ***** all over it". Would anyone know what I'm referring to? Thanks, decltype (talk) 09:06, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Not sure it can be what you were after, but User:Speaker219/Sandbox is a hearty denunciation of infoboxes with quotes from no less authoritative a source than Green Eggs And Ham. Gonzonoir (talk) 10:44, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * That's not it, but thanks anyway :) decltype (talk) 10:53, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

Why can't I see my page?
I posted my page last week, it has been more than 4 days and it still does not appear. It only shows up when I log in. What do I have to do to make it public view for all to see? (User:NNSA CTOS/Counter Terrorism Operations Support (CTOS)) Please advise as to what I am doing wrong. 12:10, 5 October 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by NNSA CTOS (talk • contribs)
 * You created your article as a subpage of your user page. Did you mean to create it in the main encyclopedia space?  Powers T 12:32, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * As you created it in your user space (User:NNSA CTOS/Counter Terrorism Operations Support (CTOS)), it is not part of the encyclopedia yet. However, as this is not written in Neutral Point of View language, and sounds like advertising, I would suggest that you spend some time working on it. If it was to be moved to main article space (you do not have the required number of edits and time since the account was created), it would probably be deleted anyway. I am leaving you a welcome message with some useful links, so I suggest that you read those before working on the draft article some more. --  Phantom Steve  ( Contact Me, My Contribs ) 12:34, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * The page is copied word for word from the website. I am unclear on the copyright status because of its government association.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 12:40, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * The contact page for the website shows a .gov address, so I'd guess that would make it a government site, and probably public domain. No copyright notices could be found. However, this would be a question for those with more legal knowledge than I have! --  Phantom Steve  ( Contact Me, My Contribs ) 20:32, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

A bit stuck with uploading an image from a book

 * Hi. I am trying to upload an internal illustration from an art book for use in the article on the artist in question. I selected what appears to be the correct option in the first upload page (cover or other image from a book), but after that and the actual upload form I am presented with licensing options which exclude internal images from books (only covers are shown as an option category, with 'book cover' being the closest subcategory). However, this isn't a book cover, and it is notable that if I select that option the non-free use blurb stipulates that the image be used "to illustrate an article discussing the book in question", which the article does not - it's about the artist in question.
 * I have already raised this on the talk page for the upload page, but might not get an answer for ages. It seems to me that the upload form is missing categories that it should contain, at least if the first set of upload options that led me there is anything to go by. What should I do? LSmok3 (talk) 13:47, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Assuming the image you're trying to upload is a photograph of an original artwork, such as a painting or sculpture, then Image use policy gives an overview of the situation. Images can't be uploaded unless 1) they are covered by an acceptable free license, 2) they are in the public domain, or 3) you can provide an acceptable fair use rationale for them. 1) doesn't apply here unless the art book specifically states its images are released under a free license (which it almost certainly won't) or unless the book is old enough to be out of copyright (e.g. published before January 1 1923 in the US). 2) won't apply even if the image is of a work of art that is itself in the public domain, because it is the photo of the artwork in the book that is covered by copyright, not the artwork itself. 3) - Yes, a low-res image of a book cover can be fairly used to illustrate an article about the book (because there is no alternative way of illustrating it) but not any other article, such as an article about the author - that's not covered by fair use.  In short, there's no option on the menu to do what you're trying to do because it's not permissible under Wikipedia's image use rules.  What to do?  Well, if the original artwork is out of copyright and accessible to you you could take an original photo of it yourself and freely license it, or if you can find a suitable illustration by someone else that is out of copyright you could use that.  Public domain image resources points you to some useful sites, and WP:NFCI is a summary of the fair use policy around non-free images.  Good luck!  Ka renjc 21:23, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Really? There's no way to use a scanned low-res version of an image of an artwork from a book on that artist to illustrate an article about that artist, even where the artist has the copyright on the image, not the publisher? I'm amazed that doesn't constitute fair use. . . No, the artist is an illustrator and there are no publicly available exhibits to be photographed, and obviously I can't use an image by someone else to illustrate the work of this particular artist. A shame, an article on an artists seems a bit bare without at least some example of their work. ..
 * Also, I find it a bit misleading to be taken to that upload page which presents me with no option for an internal image from a book when the preceding page does. . . The pages are here - "A cover or other page from a book, DVD, newspaper, magazine, or other such source" - and then here - Licensing dropdown>Cover>Book cover. . . LSmok3 Talk 07:56, 6 October 2009 (UTC)

Doed wikipedia need money?
Because there are ads on wikipedia talk pages now.Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 19:10, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Ads for WikiProjects have been around for a while, but they are merely to recruit new participants. (I'm fairly certain that Wikipedia would not add ads without a community discussion and vote first.) In any case, Wikipedia is like the US's Public Broadcasting Service in that the vast majority of its funding comes from donations, and ads would only be added if the donations dry up. Xenon54 / talk / 19:21, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Can you give an example? It would be against Wikipedia policy to have commercial ads on a user page.--RDBury (talk) 22:26, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

Twinkle trouble
I went to a user's page and tried adding a welcome template, but I click the tab and no menu loads.Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 19:14, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Welcoming users is not part of Twinkle. (If you have 2 questions, did it ever occur to you to include them in one post to save space?) Xenon54 / talk / 19:24, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes it is, I have a tab that says wel, and i know for a fact it is twinkle.Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 19:25, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Ok I admit it i meant friendly. but still can someone please explain why it is doing this?Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 19:29, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * You need to give us a lot more information...OS? Browser and version? Skin? Does refreshing fix the problem? Xenon54 / talk / 19:32, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * The welcome tab only works in a user's talk page, not the user page.  Zoo Fari  20:07, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

Twinkle question
If a person forgot to sign, what option under warn should i use?Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 19:24, 5 October 2009 (UTC)


 * Under "Single issue notices" you will find uw-tilde. Doktor  Mandrake  19:29, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * I don't see that option...Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 19:34, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * There are two drop-down menus. From the first one, select "Single issue notices" then, in the second drop-down menu, select the third-to-last option, which should be uw-tilde.  That being said, if someone did it once I wouldn't worry about it and if the individual is a repeat "offender," you can just write a handwritten note. ~ Amory ( u  •  t  •  c ) 19:40, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

Font faces
Where can I find a list of font faces and font colours? I cut, pasted, and editied my signature from someone a while ago, bit I'd like to change it. Dr Dec ( Talk )    19:30, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Both are virtually unlimited, but be aware that a font you specify will only display on computers that have it installed, while others will simply render it in a default font. For example, under Windows your signature renders in the proper font (Kristen ITC), but under Ubuntu it displays in Firefox's default font (Arial). Along the same line, the amount of colours are unlimited, but the Web safe colours (section "X11 color names") should display properly for virtually everyone. Xenon54 / talk / 19:50, 5 October 2009 (UTC)


 * I don't understand, sorry! Here's a screen shot of this section from firefox. You can clearly see my signature rendared as it ought to have been.  Dr Dec  ( Talk )    20:01, 5 October 2009 (UTC)


 * To see your signature like that, other users would have to have the Kristen ITC font installed - if not, it will display in the default font for each person's browser (for example, I see it in FreeSans). To answer your initial question, you can find lists of colours and fonts at w3schools.
 * Also, as a side-note, I would recommend using CSS styles, rather than the deprecated tag. For example, to produce this, use:
 * this
 * rather than:
 * this
 * Doktor Mandrake  20:11, 5 October 2009 (UTC)


 * I only saw five fonts in that link: serif, sans-serif, monospace, cursive and fantasy. Aren't there any more?  Dr Dec  ( Talk )    23:03, 5 October 2009 (UTC)


 * Well there are more in the link. For example, under sans-serif it lists; Arial, Helvetica, Gill Sans, Lucida and Helvetica Narrow.  You can name any font you have on your computer, and it will work for anyone who has the same font installed. You can also define a list of preferred fonts, in case the one wanted is not available, for example:
 *  Doktor  Mandrake  23:22, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

How long until I can see edit/new discussion topic?
Hello, I am user name fps2009, and I am trying to submit a new discussion topic called Float Pool Systems. I gave a brief description and believe I followed the instructions. When can i "look up" Float pool systems?

thanks, Trent —Preceding unsigned comment added by Fps2009 (talk • contribs) 19:48, 5 October 2009


 * You created the article on a template talk page, which is not the right place at all. (Templates are pieces of code designed to standardise the appearance of articles, while the talk page is where you discuss the template.) See Your first article for instructions on how to properly make your article. Xenon54 / talk / 19:53, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

speedy delete?
I just got a speedy delete message. I saw a youtube video regarding postings about companys, like Ford. What can i do to get "Float pool Systems" accepted? thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Fps2009 (talk • contribs) 20:24, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * You created the article properly (that's good), but it didn't display the notability of the topic (that's bad). In order to have an article on Wikipedia, a topic must be notable. Notability is defined as "being mentioned in several reliable sources that are independent of the topic itself". The easiest way to establish notability is to find articles from a reliable news source, or something like that. Xenon54 / talk / 20:29, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

i think i understand, but this company has only been around for a few months, the topic and issues facing the healthcare industry in this area can be noted, but not specific to Float pool systems. What do you suggest? thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Fps2009 (talk • contribs) 20:35, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * If the company has been around only a few months, and does not have significant coverage in its own right in a number of independent sources, as described at Notability, then unfortunately it is not yet a suitable subject for a Wikipedia entry. Only time and increased media coverage of the company can fix this problem, I'm afraid.   Ka renjc 20:47, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * It is highly recommended that any such article not be written by anyone affiliated with the company or as a promotional piece. You might wish to take a look at WP:COI and WP:ADVERT. The text that was deleted read like a marketing brochure and your username suggests an association with the company, which is why I am making these suggestions. // BL \\ (talk) 21:02, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

HELP ME
I need help, how do I make a link to a section?????? —Preceding unsigned comment added by BennyK95 (talk • contribs) 22:48, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Like so: Article title , replacing the italicized things with their corresponding values.  Intelligent  sium ''' review 22:52, 5 October 2009 (UTC)
 * (e/c) Use a hash sign (#), for example Help desk. Xenon54 / talk / 22:54, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

Thank you very much! That helps a lot. - BennyK95  -  Talk  23:04, October 5  (UTC)
 * One other point, perhaps obvious - if you go to the Table of Contents, and click on the section you want, the browser url will now have the section included in the right way, so you can copy the right part of the url and have the link. SPhilbrick  T  13:18, 6 October 2009 (UTC)