Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2011 April 16

= April 16 =

Firefox 4 losing menu and tabs
Since I upgraded to Firefox 4 the other day, when I revert a vandal and it brings up their page for a warning (using Twinkle), Firefox loses the menu, the tabs, and the URL address line shows that and nothing more. After I warn the vandal, Firefox stays that way until I restart it or get back to the original page. Is there a way to fix this? Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 02:29, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * If this is still a problem for you, I suggest that you report it at Village pump (technical). -- John of Reading (talk) 16:24, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

Search by article class?
Using the Wikipedia search engine, how can I restrict search results to a select class of articles, such as only those that have achieved featured article status?

I understand articles are categorized by class (like Category:FA-Class articles), but I have trouble exploiting this with the search engine. The incategory: parameter does not search subcategories, so results only include (a scant few) articles that are not further categorized. Manually clicking through the subcategories is unhelpful, because I am trying to search the text, not the topic, of articles.

What is the correct technique? &mdash;Cheng ✍ 04:28, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * There are currently only around 11k good articles and 3k featured articles out of ~3.5 million articles on Wikipedia. Searching within such a small number of articles would make it far more likely that you get zero results every time.


 * But yeah, I can see how this might be useful in certain cases. The closest thing I can figure out is to do an Advanced Search, deselect all categories except "Talk", then search with the string "Featured article" + your keyword. :S-- Obsidi ♠ n Soul  14:37, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * That is close, except then my keyword search is limited to the talk page instead of the article. Any other ideas? &mdash;Cheng ✍ 01:36, 17 April 2011 (UTC)

Page Backgrounds
On several Wikipedia pages the blueish background is gone and replaced with a white background. One of the pages even reverted back to the very early days of Wikipedia, back when tabs and navigation boxes were non-existent. I'm using Google Chrome on Windows 7. Is this something related to the computer or is Wikipedia doing something strange? Sumsum2010 · T · C 04:46, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * It sounds like something isn't loading properly. Try to clear your entire cache. PrimeHunter (talk) 13:38, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

How to transfer a watchlist from one user account to another user account
Hi, if you have a certain user account with a certain watchlist, and you create another second different user account, is there any automatic way of transferring or copying the watchlist from your first user account to your second new user account?

Thanks!!!

--Faus (talk) 06:46, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * I've never done it. Never even thought of using it like this.  But I think if you go to your watchlist for User A and then click "edit raw watchlist", you can copy and paste the contents of that list into User B.  Dismas |(talk) 06:52, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * Yes, Special:Watchlist/raw is the way to do it. Warning: Edits there cannot be reverted and former content cannot be seen. Only save if you are sure. PrimeHunter (talk) 13:36, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * You could paste the content in your watchlist to a text file if you don't want to loose it while experimenting. Toshio Yamaguchi (talk) 13:40, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

Thanks a lot guys, I love you so much. --Faus (talk) 20:16, 21 April 2011 (UTC)

Auto-signature
how do you set it to auto-sign your signature?rm2dance (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 08:28, 16 April 2011 (UTC).


 * As far as I am aware, there is no way to do this (someone else please correct me if I'm wrong). To sign your posts, either click the signature and timestamp icon on the menu at the top of the editing window (should be the 4th icon along from the left), or simply type four tildes ( ~ ) after your comment. Orphan Wiki  09:46, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * ......surely they must. Wikipedia has been on the Web since forever.rm2dance (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 09:48, 16 April 2011 (UTC).
 * See this link. Bear in mind the icon has now changed to a pencil icon (as mentioned above). Orphan Wiki  09:52, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * As it is you are signing incorrectly - use four tildes to include a timestamp. Roger (talk) 12:09, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * these don't address the question or concern, and does provide the requested solution, but thank you for tryingrm2dance (talk)
 * Wikipedia is a wiki where you can edit existing text, and not all edits should be signed. It would be possible to make some criteria where a signature is automatically added but I prefer to control it myself. PrimeHunter (talk) 13:31, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Maybe User:SineBot could be reconfigured to produce your full signature automatically instead of reminding you that you forgot it? Just an idea, I don't know if this would be possible or even warranted. But if there were a community wide discussion and consensus to implement such a change, why not? Just an idea. Toshio Yamaguchi (talk) 13:38, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * There has been discussion on this, but we will have updated software for discussion pages Coming Real Soon™.
 * Thank you. I'll look into this when I get the chancerm2dance (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 23:47, 17 April 2011 (UTC).

A TOPIC ABOUT A SMALL TOWN NOT IN WIKIPEDIA
I would like to write about my home town in kenya that is not in wikipedia.Kindly inform me which process should i take. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Chukura (talk • contribs) 08:50, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * Hello Chukura, and welcome to Wikipedia. I have left a message on your talk page which gives some helpful pointers about writing and developing new articles. You may want to start writing it in a an area of your own userspace (e.g. User:Chukura/Sandbox) first, so you can take your time to make it good before releasing it as a proper article. All the best, Orphan Wiki  09:56, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * (edit conflict) First I would recommend you to read Starting an article. Make sure it is not against WP:WWIN; and make sure it won't be speedy deleted. Make sure it is a notable town and add reliable sources (and not original research. Do not copy-and-paste copyrighted text. For a beginner it is useful to add the article Articles for Creation. I think I wrote the most important things to write a good articles. Regards and happy editing.-- ♫Greatorangepumpkin♫ T 10:01, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * Take a look at the Swahili Wikipedia - there may be an article there that might have useful material (if you understand the language of course). Also look at WikiProject Kenya. Roger (talk) 11:51, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

Entries missing
Why can't I see ? Kittybrewster  &#9742;  13:55, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * I am not sure if I understand your question correctly, but if you mean why you can't see High_Sheriff_of_Surrey, the references are hidden inside a collapsible table. You have to click 'Show' in order to see them. Is this what you want to know? Toshio Yamaguchi (talk) 14:01, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * No. I cant see who was HS in 1726. Kittybrewster  &#9742;  14:02, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 14:06, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

Looks like the raw link for the 1732 entry breaks Columns-list. I converted it to a ref. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 14:17, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Thank you Kittybrewster  &#9742;  14:19, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

Referencing Question
Hi,

I am trying to include a reference for this article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Freiherr_von_Eichendorff) but I am still getting an error message despite having created a reference list and there now being a reference in the right place. Please could someone tell me what I have done wrong?

Thank you in advance! David — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dudey cool240 (talk • contribs) 14:32, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Hello. I have fixed it here by removing the same reference you added after the template. You only ever need to define a reference once in the body of the article itself. They will automatically be listed where you placed the, so there is no need to place it under ==References== again.--  Obsidi ♠ n Soul  14:46, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

A bio does not mention derogatory information


Reading an article regarding Frances Newton (a murderer) stated that her attorney, Ron Mock, was incompetent and had received several citations for professional misconduct. Mock`s own article is a glowing review of his career and his Christian achievements with just the slightest reference to his legal past and no reference to any controversy. There are no negative statements in his bio at all. I`m a grammar/spelling editor usually, but this article anomaly has really annoyed me. Can I just insert such a controversial passage into a self-serving, totally positive bio? (there are references in the Newton article). The Mock article would seem to have been written by Mock or an associate. Could my addition be removed by them without moderation? How should it be inserted? Under a `Controversy` heading? Your advice would be appreciated. Yameogo (talk) 14:41, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Go for it. Kittybrewster  &#9742;  14:52, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Is it the right Ron Mock? No mention was made that he practised law in Texas. Jarkeld (talk) 14:54, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * At this point I have removed the negative information about Mock from the article on Newton. He is mentioned in 2 of the sources listed, 1 just said that he was later barred from capital cases, doesn't explain why or if it had anything to do with this case.  The other was from an ant-death penalty advocacy group, I don't believe the source is sufficiently reliable to present the negative info about a living person.  GB fan (talk) 15:05, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * I don't think he's the same person. From the (inappropriately included) resume of Ron Mock, he's from Michigan, spent most of his life/career there apparently, and isn't a practicing lawyer for a good long time. Ron Mock, if I get it correctly is a public defender in the state of Texas (he was recently suspended in 2004 by the state of Texas, something a professor in Detroit simply can not be subjected to).-- Obsidi ♠ n Soul  15:08, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * Thankyou all. I`m glad I brought this issue here before doing something stupid. Back to grammar/spelling editing for me. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Yameogo (talk • contribs) 15:13, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

Cheers Yameogo (talk) 15:15, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

MA HE Teaching
i want to know that after "MA HE Teaching" whether i should be eligible for QTS IN UK —Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.154.44.83 (talk) 16:11, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 6 million articles and thought we were affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this page is for asking questions related to using or contributing to Wikipedia itself. Thus, we have no special knowledge about the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the upper right side of your screen. If you cannot find what you are looking for, we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome. Best of luck. Toshio Yamaguchi (talk) 16:16, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

debugger
today;when i download a game after installatoin it shows me that the game can't run in an active debugger in memory.what should i do. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 223.176.207.138 (talk) 16:45, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * [[Image:P computing.svg|20px]] This page is for questions about using Wikipedia. Please consider asking this question at the Computing reference desk. They specialize in answering computer questions and will try to answer any question in the universe (except how to use Wikipedia, since that is what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link and ask away. You could always try  for an article related to the topic you want to know more about.  I hope this helps. If you do ask there, you should give lots more detail about the game and your computer and operating system. -- John of Reading (talk) 16:51, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 6 million articles and thought we were affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this page is for asking questions related to using or contributing to Wikipedia itself. Thus, we have no special knowledge about the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the upper right side of your screen. If you cannot find what you are looking for, we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome. Best of luck. -- Orange Mike  &#x007C;   Talk  16:53, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

Non-disambiguating hatnote
I would like clarification on a specific hatnote being used on The Other Side of Time. Currently, a distinguish2 hatnote is being used to forward anyone searching for a science-fiction book of the same title to the author's page. I read the entire WP:HATNOTE and searched through both the respective talk page and its archives, and nowhere can I find this example mentioned, so my problem is this: there is no specific article on the book The Other Side of Time, which is an important factor to me, and I'll mention why in a moment. The author's article, on the other hand, mentions the book only twice in passing (1. a confusing sentence about the Land of Oz—or the author's brother—being mentioned in The Other Side of Time; 2. as an example of time-travel) and three times in a list of publications. In other words, I don't see any substantial information on the book.

Now, the following example is what I'm drawing from, and it's a little more difficult to explain because only admins can see the now-deleted page (see for the public log). In January 2011, I created a disambiguation page at What the Hell (deleted to make way for an article that currently resides there). Each item on the dab page linked to an appropriate article, but there was one item with a fault that greatly resembles this hatnote. From what I recall, the page had the following:


 * "What the Hell" (song), a 2011 song by Avril Lavigne
 * "What the Hell", a song from Terri Walker's 2005 album, L.O.V.E. (album)

As you can see, there was no article—and there still isn't—for the song "What the Hell" by Terri Walker. The only link was to the album article, which only lists the song in its track listing section. I obviously created a rather pointless disambiguation page, and I soon realized it. I brought it up for quick discussion at the Help Desk, and the dab page was soon deleted.

Pulling from this very example—there isn't sufficient information that is being linked to—I removed the hatnote from The Other Side of Time and left a note on Hullaballoo Wolfowitz's talk page explaining why I didn't think the hatnote belonged. Hullaballoo, naturally, argued why he thought it did. Except for the part about the book's notability vs. the album's notability, I don't find his argument completely flawed. But I believe this is a simple case of gray area, and I am more or less willing to make a compromise by asking him if the distinguish2 (which reads: "Not to be confused with...") could be changed to about ("This article is about Mary Fahl's album. For the science-fiction novel, see Keith Laumer").

But before I do so, am I wrong in thinking the hatnote should not even be there? –  Ker αun oςc op ia◁ galaxies  17:32, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * The hatnote on The Other Side of Time is appropriate. The could also be a hatnote on "What the Hell" linking to L.O.V.E (album). older ≠ wiser 22:37, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

Adelbert Ames Jr, Opthamologist, in Hanover, NH
When I was a student at Dartmouth college ('49-53') I worked for a while with Adelbert Ames, Jr., who was working beyond his famous "Ames Room". He was intrigued with the mobiles (ala Calder) I was making and wondered if I woulld like to try to incorporate some of his visual effects into my mobiles. Alas, my imagination didn't extend that far.

At the time he had fabricated a flat steel trapezoidal "window" which when mounted vertically and revolved on a vertical rod, appeared not to revolve but to swing back and forth. This particular invention of his has not, to my knowlege, been mentioned in the literature about his inventive work.

He was also doing work for a large automobile manufacturer, analyzing the optical properties of the the coming "wrap-around" windows, with a view to discovering if they posed eny hazard for the driver looking through the sharply curved ends of the windshield.

He was a lovely person and a gentleman.

By Rodger Ewy —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.120.77.237 (talk) 18:55, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Do you have a question on how to use Wikipedia? C T J F 8 3  19:04, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * I think you're referring to the Ames window. You're very welcome to improve that article if you can, but be aware that information posted in Wikipedia must come from published references, not from personal knowledge. --ColinFine (talk) 21:19, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

Help formatting a list
I have rearranged the list of NASA medals into their order of precedence and added a citation -- but I can't figure out how to move the medals that fall under the same number one space to the left so they line up with the top numbered medal. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, RadioBroadcast (talk) 19:56, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * I tried a few different tricks, and I can't seem to get it either. My guess is that you;ll have to use a table to line everything up. E.G.,


 * And so on for the rest. Dunno if that helps at all. Avic ennasis  @ 21:55, 12 Nisan 5771 / 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * Thanks I will try that out! RadioBroadcast (talk) 22:49, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

When handling lists in Wikipedia, use the appropriate Wiki markup. In short, bulleted items are prefixed with asterisks ( * ) and numbered items likewise with number signs ( # ). List items can also be formatted to exclude both the bullet and the number using the Unbulleted list template.

By default, each of these three lists will be indented differently.

The Manual of Style discourages using tables in place of simple lists.

Step one

This is the syntax for a numbered list: which renders:
 * 1) [[Image:CongSpaceRib.png|80px]] Congressional Space Medal of Honor (astronauts only)
 * 2) [[Image:NasaDisRib.gif|80px]] Distinguished Service Medal

Step two

Two problems appear if we simply eliminate the number sign from the third item: Distinguished Public Service Medal renders:
 * 1) [[Image:CongSpaceRib.png|80px]] Congressional Space Medal of Honor (astronauts only)
 * 2) [[Image:NasaDisRib.gif|80px]] Distinguished Service Medal
 * 1) NASA Outstanding Leadership Ribbon.png Outstanding Leadership Medal

First, the unnumbered item is not indented like the others. Second, the numbering resets by the fourth item. Wiki markup terminates the previous list and begins a new list whenever the source code contains more than one line break between list items. The two line breaks between "Distinguished Service Medal" and "Outstanding Leadership Medal" causes the list to restart at "1." instead of continuing with "3."

Step three:

To get around this, we need to resort to a hack. We have to replace the line break between "Distinguished Service Medal" and "Distinguished Public Service Medal" with the HTML tag. As far as the Wiki markup for lists is concerned, the tag does not count as a line break in the source code even if it displays a line break in the actual article. For this hack to work, we need to remove the line breaks immediately before and after the tag: renders:
 * 1) [[Image:CongSpaceRib.png|80px]] Congressional Space Medal of Honor (astronauts only)
 * 2) [[Image:NasaDisRib.gif|80px]] Distinguished Service Medal NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal.gif Distinguished Public Service Medal
 * 3) NASA Outstanding Leadership Ribbon.png Outstanding Leadership Medal

which is what we wanted.

I realize I could have given you the answer without the tutorial, but understanding how the code works makes it a lot less intimidating. Hope that helps! &mdash;Cheng ✍ 23:00, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * I had considered that, however (at least on my screen) There is no horizontal space between 2 and 2a, as there is between 1/2 and 2a/3, so it still looks a little out of step to me, albeit in different dimension. Avic ennasis  @ 23:38, 12 Nisan 5771 / 16 April 2011 (UTC)

To insert horizontal spaces, forget the. Just bracket each list item in tags:

This renders:
 * 1) [[Image:CongSpaceRib.png|80px]] Congressional Space Medal of Honor (astronauts only)
 * 2) [[Image:NasaDisRib.gif|80px]] Distinguished Service Medal  NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal.gif Distinguished Public Service Medal
 * 3) NASA Outstanding Leadership Ribbon.png Outstanding Leadership Medal
 * 4) NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Ribbon.png Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal

Problem solved. &mdash;Cheng ✍ 00:15, 17 April 2011 (UTC)


 * Fantastic! Thank you so much, Cheng (also  Avic )!  You are the best!
 * RadioBroadcast (talk) 00:21, 17 April 2011 (UTC)

Present day facts about Co Durham, England
I have found that several of your sites are now out of date with regards to the geographical and county adminsitration of this county. I believe there are people in government who use your sites for information which they wish to use to help them make decisions. These decisions are being based on incorrect out of date information and as such cause serious problems for this county and its people.

Since 1974 County Durham has been a reduced county in both size and administration. Just because Darlington is still classed as part of Co Durham geographically it is NOT part of it administratively. Other highly urbanised areas are no longer part of Co Durham geographically or administratively, ie South Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland, Teesside, so I think it is about time someone checked my facts, and amended the site. It is becoming like the out of date satnav, relied on by users but often inaccurate because the changes have not been amended.

What you have on the site is now history, not modern fact. Please amend. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.183.128.46 (talk) 21:05, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia is the free encyclopaedia that anyone can edit - including you, me, and millions of other volunteers. If you find ways in which it can be improved, you are welcome - indeed, encouraged - to improve it. If you are unable or unwilling to do so, it is a good idea to draw other people's attention to the problem by adding a suitable maintenance template to the article, or by posting on the article's talk page, or a relevant Wikiproject, or on the help desk, as you have done.
 * But please don't demand in that peremptory tone that somebody fix it. Anybody using information from Wikipedia for anything important should be checking the data (from the references that ought to be there in every article (sometimes they are missing, it's true). It is their responsibility to check their facts, not a load of anonymous people on the internet (which is actually what Wikipedia editors are, if you think about it). --ColinFine (talk) 21:41, 16 April 2011 (UTC)

Rebuttal to Feigned Biography of Joseph Smith
Dear Wikipedia Representative,

On your Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Mormon , I believe there is need for a counter-reference. Whomever entered the so-called biographical entry of Joseph Smith by Fawn Brodie, has done so I believe, in ignorance of the poor documentation and story-telling method of Ms. Brodie's works.

However, rather than attempt to remove the reference to Ms. Brodie's book: Fawn M. Brodie (1971). ISBN 0-394-46967-4. ed. No Man Knows My History. Alfred A. Knopf., I would instead ADD the rebuttal to her biography written by scholar and historian, Hugh W. Nibley, who is also the founder of the FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies) organization.

No, Ma'am, That's Not History, Hugh W. Nibley, A Brief Review of Mrs. Brodie's Reluctant Vindication of a Prophet She Seeks to Expose. Reprinted by permission from Tinkling Cymbals and Sounding Brass, volume 11 in The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1991), 3—52. This reference and online book may be found at: http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/transcripts/?id=47.

I have found in the past, when a discrepancy was addressed, Wikipedia made a correction almost immediately. Thank you for your consideration on this matter as well.

Signed: A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — Preceding unsigned comment added by Phoenix80110 (talk • contribs) 23:44, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
 * "Wikipedia" doesn't make corrections: it doesn't work that way. Articles are edited by editors - you and me and millions of others. On a quick look, it does appear that there should be some reference to Nibley's rebuttal in the page (but your use of loaded words "feigned" and "so-called" make me think that you may not be the most appropriate person to add such). I suggest you bring this up on the article's talk page. I did a quick search of the archives of that talk page, and there are a couple of references to Nibley there, but not apparently of the point you are making, so it would be worth discussing.--ColinFine (talk) 10:04, 17 April 2011 (UTC)

Recover data from compromised account?
I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but I haven't found any guidance in the FAQs.

my previous user name / password strings are being rejected, though I've got the same settings as previously and I cut&paste the login strings. So I requested a new password, but nothing is arriving at my email address as it should. I'm wondering (1) if that account has been hijacked? and (2) Is it possible to move that user account, and all the edits of wikipedia articles I made under it to this new one? I did look at the instructions for moving pages, but I'm not clear on the process and don't want to lose anything in the process. since I'm worried that the previous account has been hijacked, I'm not naming it here unless someone tells me that this wouldn't cause more problems. thanks Redovno (talk) 23:58, 16 April 2011 (UTC)


 * Edits cannot be reassigned to another account. Accounts can be renamed in some circumstances but it would not help you gain access to it. Many users have problems receiving mail from Wikipedia. Try checking spam folders, also at your mail provider if possible. Accounts are free and easy to make, and give no extra access unless they are admin accounts, so I don't think people generally bother to try hijacking non-admin accounts. I don't see a problem in posting the name here. If you don't know a working password and cannot receive password mails then you will have to abandon the account. PrimeHunter (talk) 00:19, 17 April 2011 (UTC)

Thanks, very helpful! I've also figured out the problem. I'm embarrassed to say it involved a long-ago updated password which I'd saved in the wrong place and just now rediscovered, and a misremembered stored email address. So there's been no hijacking. case closed. live and learn Mahnut 00:44, 17 April 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mahnut (talk • contribs)