Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2014 December 17

= December 17 =

Question about conflict year cats
I've been in a little edit war over the Namibian War of Independence, see https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Namibian_War_of_Independence&diff=637561693&oldid=637557254

The issue is whether to include conflict year cats for each year the conflict went on, whereas my colleague insists that there is a practice of using decade cats for conflicts of this length (the war lasted from 1966-1990), though I do not see this anywhere. What is the WP regarding long term conflicts? Do we add a conflict cat for each year it went on or what?--Bellerophon5685 (talk) 01:48, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * I believe the tradition at Wikipedia is to first (try to) take the dispute to the talk page in this case: Talk:Namibian War of Independence. Maybe give it a try? Ottawahitech (talk) 10:40, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * But what are the wikipedia rules for this situation, if any?--Bellerophon5685 (talk) 17:19, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

Major beefs
I rely on Wikipedia often, and I've donated to the project frequently.

1. Why is it so damn difficult to find a contact email?

2. Why is it so damn difficult to share a page with my colleagues?

3. Wtf does save page mean ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.234.176.1 (talk) 03:02, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * 1. The left pane of every page has a link saying "Contact page", and the bottom of every page has a link to the same page saying "Contact Wikipedia". That page includes an email address, but for most things we prefer users to find the proper place for whatever they want, like this help desk to ask the type of questions you did, or ask where else to go with something.
 * 2. See Perennial proposals
 * [[Image:Symbol move vote.svg|20px]] Sharebox is a script that reorders your toolbox. It adds new buttons that make it easier to mail, print or share an article on Facebook or another linksharing service. You must have an account to add Sharebox to the sidebar. See User:TheDJ/Sharebox for more information.
 * 3. The same interface is used to edit articles and other pages like this help desk. "Save page" is a better term for articles. New software for discussions is being developed and tested but it's controversial. Many editors prefer the existing system. PrimeHunter (talk) 03:59, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * Sharebox has been deleted by the TheDJ. I updated the HD template. --  Gadget850talk 16:26, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

"a proud member of"
Other than inside quotes or references, can anyone think of a reason that the phrase "a proud member of" shouldn't be changed to "a member of"? — Preceding unsigned comment added by ‎Naraht (talk • contribs)
 * Presumably, you have a specific such usage at Wikipedia. If you link to it, maybe we can answer the question definitively for whatever situation you have in mind... -- Jayron 32 04:38, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * (e/c) Some context would help but in general it sounds like the kind of statement in an article that would be part of improper editorializing, and which I would expect to find in promotional article, or at least one full of tone problems.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 04:44, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * Do you mean one of Wikipedia articles found here: Special:Search/proud member of...? --CiaPan (talk) 06:40, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * I can imagine at some articles it might be necessary to create a context for the storyline; why someone took a certain action. Honor related actions for instance, or why Muammar Gaddafi always dressed in certain clothing. If based in sources this usage is ok. However, in most general articles I would support the deletion of such a terminology. Sincerely, Taketa (talk) 07:24, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * outside of the direct quote, no, i cannot think of a reason for that phrasing in Wikipedia's voice; there might be, but I cannot think of any circumstance. WP:PEACOCK / WP:NPOV / WP:OR -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom  13:48, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * I agree and if you do a search for that phrase limited to the main space, in 99% of the hits it is used inappropriately.--ukexpat (talk) 15:29, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Sorry for the failure to sign, I should know better... In general, my concern was mostly fraternities and sororities. I've been looking at (example) "Mike Slinda is a proud member of Gamma Gamma Fraternity, Inc." type entries. I know that the Fraternity should be uncapped, the Gamma Gamma should be wikilinked if possible, the Inc should in general be deleted (generally keeping the "Inc" in other places if the person is a founder or a national officer) and I was wondering if the proud should be dropped as well.Naraht (talk) 16:29, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * In that case, absolutely. Just "..is a member..." is fine.  -- Jayron 32 18:53, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * See WP:PEACOCK. --  Gadget850talk 23:20, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

Problem at DYK
I submitted three articles for DYK in October/November. A few days ago an editor told reviewers I would need to do a QPQ in order for the hooks to be passed. The person pointed to a conversation on the talk page but apparently the discussion is over. I'm not sure what exactly I've done wrong. The "Instructions for nominators" section says for anonymous editors to submit possible submissions on the DYK talk page. My understanding is that hooks are approved or declined on that page depending if they meet the criteria on Did you know. I read the submission rules and unless there's an issue with the hooks (and two editors were learning towards approving them) I don't see why they should be declined.

There's no mention of anonymous editors being required to review other DYK hooks and I feel like I'm being singled out. I wouldn't have had a problem reviewing submissions myself if I'd been asked. But as one editor pointed out my reviews would need to be double checked so it's really a waste of time for both people. If there's a problem with me editing anonymously then I'll leave.

Thanks for your time. 72.74.202.147 (talk) 09:12, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * This is the only edit by your current IP address but Template talk:Did you know has several edits by 72.74.*.*. I guess you refer to Template talk:Did you know which links to a section now archived at Wikipedia talk:Did you know/Archive 112. QPQ refers to point 5 at Did you know. Does that answer your question? I don't know whether there are other IP's who have been noticed to apparently have at least 5 DYK credits so it is possible you are the first IP to be "singled out". PrimeHunter (talk) 13:12, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

How to fix this bare URL reference
Can someone instruct me on how to fix the lone bare URL reference at Kennedy Scholarship? Thanks, Dismas |(talk) 10:05, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * The link leads nowhere (except a metasearch engine), and the statement it supports is already sourced. I've therefore removed it. For future reference, User:Zhaofeng Li/Reflinks is very useful for these sorts of fixes. Yunshui 雲 水 13:13, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

Recall
I am nearly 70 and have had a career spanning a number of organisations, experimental technologies and events. I would like to contribute in a number of ways but the biggest one is correcting, or adding to, existing Wikipedia entries. There are few if any references to verify many of these additions. For example I recently corrected an entry on Sam Leitch who is described as BBC Head of Football. I worked with Sam for six years in the 1970s in BBC TV Sport and we never ever had a Head of Football. My corrections were rejected. I accept that my corrections had a more personal context which was inappropriate but correcting factual errors is something I can do while my memory stays intact. Please advise.

Roger Wilson — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rogleswil23 (talk • contribs) 12:32, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * Hello, . Thank you for wanting to contribute to Wikipedia. Unfortunately, we don't accept information that is not backed up by a published reference, especially anything evaluative (whether good or bad). The reasons are several: in the first place, it is very difficult to know who anybody is on the internet, and whether what they say is genuine (please don't take this personally: it's just as true of me). And even given that you are who you say you are, and your recollections are accurate, there is another problem: because Wikipedia is the encyclopaedia that anybody can edit, somebody may come along at any time and change what you have written (whether by mistake or deliberately). While there is a record of that change having taken place, it is hard to find, and the page will look just as you left it, but with different information. The reader needs to be given the information required to verify it if needed.
 * In this case, the whole article is unreferenced (which unfortunately many articles are) and actually your correction might well have been left alone; but you added a personal appreciation. This is absolutely not accepted in Wikipedia, where articles are required to be written in a neutral encyclopaedic style. No evaluative copy is permitted, ever, unless it is directly referenced to a reliable independent source.
 * My recommendation would be to find a reliable published source which says that he was Editor of MoTD and Sportsnight, and reapply the factual part of your edit, with the reference. This will improve the article in two ways, one by correcting an error, and the other by adding a reference to an article which lacks them. --ColinFine (talk) 13:01, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

TAAS / TCAA
Hi there,

I have an enquiry about updating new statistics onto wikipedia pages. I can see that the pages for The Air Ambulance Service and The Children's Air Ambulance need updating now the helicopter has launched and completed it's first trips. I can see two users Grafen and PRL1973 update this page. How can I send them links to websites and new statistics so they can update the page? I am new to wikipedia.

Best wishes — Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.19.49.66 (talk) 13:32, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * If you want to communicate with specific users, the best way to do so is through their user talk pages, but I'm not sure why you mention those two users particularly. The best way of proposing changes, if you don't feel confident in editing the articles yourself, is to use the article talk pages (Talk:The Air Ambulance Service and Talk:Children's Air Ambulance).  Use the "New section" link to start a new topic, & add your suggestions, with links to the published reliable sources (preferably independent of the subject) to support the material you would like to see added. --David Biddulph (talk) 15:23, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

IBAN
How to do I take out an IBAN to prevent an editor posting on my Talk page? I have read the WP help page on bans generally and can find everything except how to actually ask for an IBAN. ~ P-123 (talk) 14:18, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * You ask for one at WP:ANI. Though generally, if you ask someone to stop bothering you, they should.  Be aware that IBANs are two-way.  If enacted, you wouldn't be allowed to deal with them either.  -- Jayron 32 14:24, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Jayron : Thank you.  I have repeatedly asked the editor to stop continuing a dispute on our Talk pages.  Being unable to dealt with the editor because of an IBAN would be tremendous relief.  I will take this to AN/I. ~ P-123 (talk) 15:30, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

Request edit
My name is Haleema Tanveer.Kindly mam/sir have a review of my article written.Thank you — Preceding unsigned comment added by Haleema tanveer (talk • contribs) 14:58, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * You haven't written an article. I assume that you are referring to the content of your user page?  If so, that is not yet fit to become an article, primarily because it contains no references to published reliable sources to satisfy Wikipedia's requirements for verifiability.  I have added some usful links to your user talk page, and in particular you need to read WP:Your first article.  We can, if you like, move the draft from your user page to a user subpage as a userspace draft, and from there you could submit it for review when it is ready (but not now).  There is a page WP:User pages which explains what you could validly put on your user page, but it is not the place for a draft article. --David Biddulph (talk) 15:10, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * I have moved the content to a user sandbox at User:Haleema tanveer/Sandbox.--ukexpat (talk) 15:28, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

Book
How can I get my book on Wikipediea — Preceding unsigned comment added by WOMANOFGRACE (talk • contribs) 15:59, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * By ensuring that it satisfies the notability requirements at Notability (books). --David Biddulph (talk) 16:02, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * And then by reading the Conflict of interest policy. If your book merits inclusion in our encyclopaedia, you are not the best person to write about it. AndyTheGrump (talk) 16:05, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * Are you Kathleen Morgan? -- Orange Mike &#124;  Talk  18:53, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

Notability & PROD per radio stations
I couldn't find the exact stance on radio stations and their notability.

Two articles, Virgin Radio Dubai & Virgin Radio Jordan, are written like adverts and don't list sources (Jordan's station lists its own "about" page). I've tagged them both with, one with  , and the other with. On a side note, Jordan's logo image was deleted, does Lebanon's logo also violate image guidelines?

Both stations exist, and are on the air.

Do they qualify for a PROD, or are the tags enough? ¬Hexafluoride (talk) 20:33, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * I just took a machete to them removing most of the problematic advertorial content. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom  20:43, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Redirects to a parent company would be another option. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom  20:44, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * see also WP:ATD. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom  21:11, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Thank you . I think the articles as they're now is sufficient. They're not actually owned by Virgin, but rather licensed. ¬Hexafluoride (talk) 05:36, 18 December 2014 (UTC)

Thank you so much, Wikipedia!
Dear Wikipedia:

First, I have donated to Wikipedia for the last 2 years, so I'm showing my appreciation this way...but I also want to thank you (all you Wikipedia people...you should be proud) for today, because Wikipedia came to my rescue.

Long story short, not going into too much detail, I had a weird physical condition this morning, and I was very concerned. I thought it might be food related, but I wasn't sure of course. I had eaten a lot of a kind of fish yesterday...not a common fish at all. It looked great at the store, and I like to try new foods, so I bought half a pound, and ate the whole thing. This morning, I was not well.

I Googled my primary symptom, and one of the first hits was a Wikipedia page, which mentioned that if you eat this particular fish you may experience what I experienced. I was so relieved to find out the cause, that I didn't have to see a doctor, and that it wasn't serious. Twelve hours later and I feel fine, in large part because Wikipedia was there for me.

Thank you!!!!


 * I hope no one minds my posting a link to this to the talk pages for WikiProject Medicine and such. John Carter (talk) 23:25, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * Do not use Wikipedia for medical advice! See a doctor. RudolfRed (talk) 00:01, 18 December 2014 (UTC)


 * I know we have to say that. But I once caught my doctor, during a consultation, checking something on Wikipedia. Maproom (talk) 08:32, 18 December 2014 (UTC)

Help: Strange Cite error
Shimer College shows the following error:

Cite error: A list-defined reference named "FOOTNOTECasement199634" is not used in the content (see the help page).

I cannot find any occurrence of that text string in the article. It happened when I added a book to the Works Cited (in which a work by Casement does appear). Please help me see what I am missing?

With thanks. Nasty Housecat (talk) 23:52, 17 December 2014 (UTC)


 * does not go inside  tags; it has it's own.


 * —Trappist the monk (talk) 00:16, 18 December 2014 (UTC)


 * Ah ha! Of course. Thanks for the assist! Nasty Housecat (talk) 01:23, 18 December 2014 (UTC)