Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2014 October 19

= October 19 =

Policy on cross-namespace redirects
I've been looking to see if we have any policy or guidelines regarding cross-namespace redirects, but can't seem to find anything. Specifically, is a redirect from 'User:MadeUpName/MadeUpEssay' to 'WP:MadeUpEssay' permissible? AndyTheGrump (talk) 01:19, 19 October 2014 (UTC)


 * It depends. If MadeUpName created the redirect and has created or contributed to WP:MadeUpEssay then it seems fine to me. Such redirects are left by moves anyway and redirects from userspace moves are often left in place. If the redirect was created by somebody else then it gives a misleading impression and MadeUpName should be notified. If this is a real situation then it isn't "Specifically" when you make up names without revealing the real situation. PrimeHunter (talk) 01:36, 19 October 2014 (UTC)


 * The essay is still in user space - which is why I'm asking whether a 'WP:xxx' redirect is appropriate. And no, I'm not going to discuss the specific case here - I was asking if we have a policy on this. If we don't then this isn't the appropriate place to deal with specifics anyway. AndyTheGrump (talk) 02:42, 19 October 2014 (UTC)


 * User pages says "redirects from userspace subpages to mainspace are common and acceptable". I haven't found specific mention of redirects from userspace subpages to WP space but that should also be OK in most cases assuming the user did it or agrees with it. We only have a general problem with cross-namespace redirects from mainspace. Cross-namespace redirects is about that. PrimeHunter (talk) 03:22, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

Find a photo
Sometime ago I downloaded a photo from Wikipedia and it was saved as a long string of letters and digits, apparantly random. Now I can't remember where I got the photo. I put the file name into google, Wikipedia search, and commons search - none of them came up with it. Is there a way to find that article again? Or is there a way to match the JPG with images on Wikipedia (or somewhere on the internet)? Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 06:05, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
 * What's the filename, or is that a personal question? &#8209;&#8209; Mandruss (talk) 07:52, 19 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Can we know what it is a photo of? Maybe if you upload it somewhere (if not Wikipedia then maybe some where like Photobucket or Imgur) then you can do a search on Tineye for it. Or you could upload it to Tineye to do a search.  That might turn up the article.  Dismas |(talk) 09:27, 19 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Tineye found it in just a second or two! Thank you very much.  Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 18:44, 19 October 2014 (UTC)


 * And it found a version that was cropped tighter and a version that was not cropped as much as the one I uploaded. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 19:53, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250
hi ia want to add a picture  with a more detailed diagram on the the article for Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_I-250)

i am not allowed to upload files can some one else do this for me also how can i  send you an attachment/. . tks  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dkrinas (talk • contribs) 08:36, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Hi Dkrinas, welcome to Wikipedia! To upload an image, go to UploadWizard. Make sure you either made the image yourself or send the explicit written permission by the owner of the image to the Volunteer Response Team (more info on their page). Do not upload anything you do no own. More information at Uploading images. Sincerely, Taketa (talk) 09:13, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

I would like to make a complaint about a Wikipedia editor, but I'm unsure of the correct complaint process.
The most relevant guide I have been able to find is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Dispute_resolution#Resolving_user_conduct_disputes, where I am informed

"Requests for comment on user conduct (RFCU) is the main venue for resolving disputes about user conduct. Requests for comment on user conduct have minimum requirements that need to be satisfied: at least two users must have tried (and failed) to resolve the problem with the user on the user's talk page. Only use RFCU for long-running problems, not isolated instances of misconduct or suboptimal behaviour by another editor."

This does not appear to describe my situation; my complaint (obviously, as a not-logged-in user) is not long-running, and it's at least somewhat specific to how the editor in question has interacted with me. Further, I cannot "resolve the problem with the user on the user's talk page", as I appear to be unable to edit there: I am told that "This page is currently semi-protected so that only established registered users can edit it."

Or I could try:

"Ask an administrator to evaluate the conduct of the user. You can ask for an administrator's attention at a noticeboard such as the administrators' noticeboard for incidents (ANI). Conduct complaints that fall into certain sub-categories of misconduct have their own administrators' noticeboard; for example, complaints about edit warring must be made at the edit warring noticeboard and not to ANI."

This seems more like it. However, ANI tells me that "When you start a discussion about an editor, you must notify them on their user talk page.", and again, I am unable to do so.

The ironic part, for me, is that part of the user's talk page content is directly reflective of the problem I want to complain about - namely, pushing a blatant WP:POV, to the extent of removing comments calling that POV out from a talk page as "trolling" while allowing that POV to remain, couched in blatantly inflammatory language. Also, reviewing the user's talk page, I see that another user has called out the editor in question for using profanity in the article talk page - and he conceded the point, but hasn't stopped over a week later.

I feel that the conduct of the editor in question is inexcusable, and I do not see why I should be forced to register with Wikipedia in order to make the case. I also can't figure out exactly what ANI subsection, if any, is most appropriate. Help?

70.24.5.250 (talk) 09:24, 19 October 2014 (UTC)


 * You could still report it at ANI and instead of posting on the offender's talk page, simply tag them in the complaint at ANI. You can do this by putting their user name in brackets like you would do for a regular wikilink.  For example, User:Dismas would give me a notification that I was referred to here at this page.  Dismas |(talk) 09:31, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

Gadget proposal
Is it appropriate to propose User:Iceblock/Scripts/Seeking-help.js be copy-pasted to MediaWiki:Gadget-seeking-help.js (or similar) for offering it to all users via the gadgets tab? I take the chance to ask here instead of (maybe) disturbing another forum. If it's not appropriate, I apologize. Iceblock (talk) 11:18, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Gadget/proposals --  Gadget850talk 11:45, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
 * It sounds rather specialized for a gadget. The number is limited to make it manageable for users. Most people who help users can probably figure out how to import a script, but you could make it easier by adding instructions like this in a comment at the top:

To use the script, add the following line to Special:MyPage/common.js importScript('User:Iceblock/Scripts/Seeking-help.js'); // Linkback: User:Iceblock/Scripts/Seeking-help.js
 * The linkback part will help see who uses the script at Special:WhatLinksHere/User:Iceblock/Scripts/Seeking-help.js. If it was a gadget then I don't think it should have Norwegian comments (although I can personally read them), and it should probably check whether the user is an admin and report on Category:Wikipedians looking for help from administrators in that case. PrimeHunter (talk) 12:04, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

Some articles look strange
The article Hart's Rules is looking strange for me. It has explicit links "navigation" and "search" at the top, all the "[edit]" links are absurdly big, there is a link to a specific version of the article at the bottom, and all the categories are listed on individual lines. However the article Horace Hart is looking all OK. Why is this? J I P &#124; Talk 15:11, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I tried logged in and logged out and am not seeing that. Perhaps it self-resolved? Rmhermen (talk) 16:55, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

Draft page DC Grays
Hello. I appreciate any help you can give me. I have just posted a Wikipedia page for the first time on an organization called the D.C. Grays, a collegiate summer baseball team that plays in the Cal Ripken Summer League at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in Washington. I forgot to list the team web site -- www.dcgrays.com -- as a source and I don't know how to do that. I assume the page is still in draft status to be reviewed before being posted. Thank you — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.203.240.163 (talk) 15:40, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
 * You have not provided any indication that the subject has received significant coverage by reliably published sources not affiliated with the subject. So it will remain in draft state until it is considered stale and deleted. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom  17:05, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

Sir. I will provide several reliable sources not affiliated with the subject. Thank you for responding and for your help. Can I post those links here tomorrow for your consideration? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.203.240.163 (talk) 23:07, 19 October 2014 (UTC)


 * This isn't the place to provide the information. Add the references from independent reliable sources to the draft article, then when you are convinced that you have demonstrated the subject's notability you can submit the draft for review by using the submit button in the box at the top of the draft. --David Biddulph (talk) 23:34, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

numbered lists
The article List of countries and dependencies by area has an outdated area for the size of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. This change would move it from 171st place to 21st place. I really don't fancy the idea of retyping every number in between on the list. Is there any semi-automated way to make this change? Rmhermen (talk) 16:50, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Highlight and copy text
 * Paste into spreadsheet such as Excel
 * Manipulate data as desired
 * Copy spreadsheet text
 * Paste into Excel-to-Wiki Converter and convert
 * Copy output and paste back into article
 * Do a little cleanup:
 * Change table to
 * Change  to   for headers
 * --  Gadget850talk 17:00, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

Paste move
I notice that Maithil people (created today) is a copy of this version of Maithil. Probably something needs to done about the attribution of the new article. Maithil has since been converted to a disambiguation; so it wouldn't work to tag the new article with db-same. —teb728 t c 19:58, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Nice catch. . ~ Super  Hamster  Talk Contribs 04:54, 20 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Per WP:PATT, I did a dummy edit to add the details of the copying to the article's history. I also added details of the copying to Talk:Maithil people. Thanks for bringing this up. ~ Super  Hamster  Talk Contribs 05:05, 20 October 2014 (UTC)

How do I correct an erroneous date of birth?
Hi Everyone

My first time here.

Forgive me I dont wish to seem lazy. Theres just so much info to digest in the help pages its a bit overwhelming.

I'd just like to correct an erroneous date given for someone's date of birth on their wiki page.

Any pointers on how I can do this quickly would be mucho appreciated.

Thanks

T B R — Preceding unsigned comment added by The Board Room (talk • contribs) 21:58, 19 October 2014 (UTC)


 * First, we like to have reliable sources, especially for important information (I think birthdates qualify as important). The source is then referenced in a citation following the information. Is there already a citation for the existing information? Do you have a reliable source for the correction?


 * If you wish to learn how, you can make this change yourself, with additional help here as needed. If not, you can provide the source here—usually in the form of a URL—and someone will probably make the change (I would). It would be somewhat less likely that someone would take the time to research the source and make the change. &#8209;&#8209; Mandruss (talk) 22:11, 19 October 2014 (UTC)


 * It is easier for us to explain if we know what article you want to change. The simple answer is to edit the article, and change it.  If it has a reliable source that supports the current birthdate, I would suggest starting a discussion on the article's talk page and explain why the current date is wrong and what the source for the new date is.  If there currently is no source for the date, you should be able to change it but you should include a reliable source for the new date.  GB fan 22:14, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

Translation to Catlan
Hi!! I'm working in the transllation to catalan of the Thor Heyerdahl article in english Maybe it will be good to show at the beginning of the catalan article that I am still working on it, something like (article in progress) ... --Immasureda (talk) 22:11, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
 * If you are editing in the English wikipedia you can place at the top of the page to show that someone is currently editing. If you are editing the catalan page, you should ask at their help desk (which i think is ) for what type of markup is available there. --  TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom  22:17, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

Gekkos of Zimbabwe
GEKKOS OF ZIMBABWE DrC.Humphreys (talk) 23:11, 19 October 2014 (UTC) DrC Humphreys

Dear Sir, I recently started to write an article as a stub (see article and author above)  I was notified by a patrolled I has been marked for deletion. The patroller was vanjargie. I appealed the deletion but whilst i was in the middle of the appeal the article was deleted by a patroller who has administrator status Alexf. Could you please explain to me the hierarchy of the administrators who decide what is acceptable and what is not ? Alexf 's page suggests that a haiku or a poem might have an article reinstated (this I find quite random) ) Then later he states on no account send a haiku or picture to ask for an article to be reinstated. I am a professor of Zoology but so I dont understand how this arbitrary power to censor or not to censor at wikipedia works and the random chain of command works. Please help ..... DrC.Humphreys (talk) 23:11, 19 October 2014 (UTC) DrC Humphreys
 * @DrC.Humphreys: Seeing as Alexf already answered your question on their talk, I'll just add this: there is no "hierarchy" in Wikipedia in the sense that no user has more legal authority or authority to make unilateral decisions than any other user. Every decision made on Wikipedia is/should be governed by our policy pages, such as the Criteria for Speedy Deletion, which you unfortunately ran in into. Administrators only have more technical capabilities than other users; they are allowed by the website software to perform certain functions off-limits to normal users, such as deleting pages. Obviously, we have to restrict the deletion function, otherwise a random person in Harare might delete the main page. As for the "haiku" request, I'm pretty sure that was a joke. Altamel (talk) 05:20, 20 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Articles are often best started in userspace - as a subpage of one's own user page. Then they will not be pounced upon while in an incomplete state. To make doubly sure, a template may be placed at the top of the page. When ready, the article can be placed in article space with a simple page move Noyster   (talk),  10:26, 20 October 2014 (UTC)
 * ... or can be submitted for review through the AFC process by using the submit button which the userdraft template provides. --David Biddulph (talk) 11:57, 20 October 2014 (UTC)

Is this worth a checkuser's time?
If you check the history of the Molly Ringwald article, you'll see a number of red link, SPA users who keep adding fair use images. Is this worth the time of a check user or a sock puppet investigation? Dismas |(talk) 23:57, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I have put Semi-protection on it for now, to stop the additions. GB fan 00:04, 20 October 2014 (UTC)
 * But then on second thought, semi-protection won't do much since the editors are autoconfirmed. GB fan 00:08, 20 October 2014 (UTC)

Never mind. Someone else has started a case at Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents and has seen a wider issue. Dismas |(talk) 02:27, 20 October 2014 (UTC)
 * serial copyright violation is probably worth checkuser time. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom  11:31, 20 October 2014 (UTC)