Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2016 July 23

= July 23 =

Signpost
Since no books have been published on the Signpost after 2015 according to Book:Wikipedia Signpost shouldn't The book link from Template:Signpost subscription be removed It is a dead link. VarunFEB2003 (talk) 08:47, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
 * A book might get published in the future. Maybe that's why it's still there. You can ask at the template's talkpage and a template editor might give a detailed explanation. Ayub 407 talk 11:05, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

Glen Affric
Please help - there should, I know, be an IBSN  number for ref. number 3 on this page because it is a book. Also, is ref number 1 OK? It is meant to be a webpage reference? Your help is appreciated. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.182.141.11 (talk) 12:52, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
 * The book in ref 3 does have isbn numbers. You can find them in Google books. Ref 1 appears to be ok. Ruslik_ Zero 13:19, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
 * I disagree. Here is the template without the unnecessary quote:
 * Here, title has the name of the website + the page title; publisher can be reduced to National Records of Scotland; quote is not necessary because the cited web page is free to read. Rewriting the template:
 * —Trappist the monk (talk) 13:44, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
 * —Trappist the monk (talk) 13:44, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
 * —Trappist the monk (talk) 13:44, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
 * —Trappist the monk (talk) 13:44, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

Trappist the monk - thanks for your assistance - but I do not know which template to use. It is late at night and we are all going home. Please can you look at both ref number 1 and 3 with the IBSN which we cannot find Thanks  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.182.141.11 (talk) 13:55, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

Please help
regarding above Glen Affric request - neither I nor my students can find the ISBN number. for ref. number 1. Please help Please — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.182.141.11 (talk) 13:36, 23 July 2016 (UTC)


 * Ref No. 1 does not have or need an ISBN because it is citing a web page. Please see the reply from Trappist above. The cite should be re-written in line with the suggestion he made. He has given you everything you need to write the cite correctly. ISBN has been added for ref 3. Eagleash (talk) 13:59, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

Insert live value from external website
I'm wondering if it is possible to insert The flow value of a river from a frequently updated database located on this address for example : http://www.cehq.gouv.qc.ca/suivihydro/tableau.asp?NoStation=061502&Zone=&Secteur=nulle

The most recent flow is the value I would like to get.

I've searched for a couple of hours now but as a newbie here and not familiar with programming, it's not obvious to find correct keywords about what I'm looking for. I've not found anything interesting.

Thanks a lot216.228.220.55 (talk) 16:02, 23 July 2016 (UTC)


 * IP, firstly welcome to Wikipedia and thank you for your contributions. What you're looking for is not something the MediaWiki software supports natively, but would be better suited to a bot -- samtar talk or stalk 16:27, 23 July 2016 (UTC)


 * In my view, this would be a very bad idea for Wikipedia: the page might be different every time you looked at it, with no history to explain the changes. The information should be inserted manually (or just possibly by a Bot), with an edit in the history every time it is changed. The text should also state when each particular value was reported. --ColinFine (talk) 17:41, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

Thanks for your reply. Didn't know about bots but it seems very complicated. The flow value doesn't have to have an history. The idea of this is to inform the user how high is the river for recreational purpose. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.228.220.55 (talk) 17:58, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

I've found something interesting about mediawiki: The External Data extension allows MediaWiki pages to retrieve, filter, and format structured data from one or more sources. These sources can include external URLs, regular wiki pages, uploaded files, files on the local server, databases or LDAP directories. 216.228.220.55 (talk) 18:01, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
 * mw:Extension:External Data is not listed at Special:Version so it's not installed here and seems very unlikely to ever be. mw:Category:All extensions shows thousands of extensions. Anyone (with the right programming skills) can make them and create a page for them there. Most of them will never be installed on Wikipedia or other wikis run by the Wikimedia Foundation. Getting a bot to update such a number does not seem worth the effort. Just make a link to the page. PrimeHunter (talk) 18:22, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

adding the data to the page would be very useful as I plan to add about 30 rivers. Giving the overall info in 1 clic is a must.216.228.220.55 (talk) 18:33, 23 July 2016 (UTC)


 * Please don't do this, IP user. This is an encyclopaedia, not a travel guide. Everything in it should have a history: if a reader is not able to verify some information in a Wikipedia article, then that information is worthless. --ColinFine (talk) 23:20, 23 July 2016 (UTC)


 * You can make a request at Bot requests or wikidata:Wikidata:Bot requests. The latter would make it possible to use the data at other Wikipedia languages and Wikimedia wikis but it requires Wikidata knowledge. PrimeHunter (talk) 19:30, 23 July 2016 (UTC)


 * A much simpler, and perhaps better solution is to put a link to the above site in the 'External links' section of the article. --2606:A000:4C0C:E200:7C4A:2A7C:F1FE:29BE (talk) 02:16, 24 July 2016 (UTC)

HELP ME NOW PLZ
When I'm trying to make a Wikia account, it will say my email is not comfirmed. What does this mean!? If someone helped me, it would be greatly appreciated.--MML Ruler (talk) 17:30, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

Sorry, I meant confirmed. — Preceding unsigned comment added by MML Ruler (talk • contribs) 17:31, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

--MML Ruler (talk) 17:31, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
 * This is Wikipedia. We are not associated with Wikia and don't share accounts with them. I don't know how their account system works. In Wikipedia it is only possible to confirm an email address after you have successfully created an account. PrimeHunter (talk) 18:29, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

Jackie Guerra
Hello! I am concerned about the fact that my page (Jackie Guerra) has been removed. Is there something that I can do to correct this? Please advise. Thank you in advance for your prompt response! JGuerra725 (talk) 18:26, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
 * First, you don't have a Wiki page. There is a very common misconception that a person or company may "have a Wikipedia page".  Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and has encyclopedic articles on notable subjects.  However, in the case of the article about you, it was a copyright violation.  What you may be able to do may be, if you own the copyright, to unconditionally release the copyright under a CC-BY-SA copyleft that is acceptable to Wikipedia.  That would address the copyright issue.  That won't address other issues about the article.  Robert McClenon (talk) 18:33, 23 July 2016 (UTC)
 * since July 2009, Wikipedia had an article on you that was acceptable apart from its lack of references. (It should really have been deleted as lacking references, but it seems no-one minded.) Then, on June 13th of this year, an editor called NICK ALVAREZ started work on it. He did nothing to improve the referencing, but replaced the content by text that was blatantly promotional, as well as being a violation of copyright. I am not surprised that the next editor who read "Emmy Award-winner Jackie Guerra brings her charm, humor, and style to every project she takes on" took steps to delete it. Such language is completely unacceptable in an encyclopedia which strives to be neutral. Maproom (talk) 18:48, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

Thank you Robert McClenon and Maproom for your comments; both very helpful! I will do everything in my power to ensure that any information that is shared by anyone on my behalf or by me on the Wiki page is done in the appropriate way and with the appropriate releases. Again, thanks so much! — Preceding unsigned comment added by JGuerra725 (talk • contribs) 19:24, 23 July 2016 (UTC)


 * your role, and that of your associates, with respect to a Wikipedia article about you, should be limited to making suggestions on the article's talk page. Every single piece of information in the article should come from a reliable published source, and most of it (everything except uncontroversial factual information such as places and dates) should come from a reliable published source unconnected with you. Please read WP:V, WP:N, and WP:COI. --ColinFine (talk) 23:26, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

Tim Kaine
Please fix Tim Kaine's page. Rockhurst High Scool is NOT a boarding school. We are an all-boys Jesuit college preparatory high school. Thanks, Tara Hall, Assistant Director of Admission. Www.rockhursths.edu — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.87.72.252 (talk) 22:52, 23 July 2016 (UTC)


 * You should ask at Talk:Tim Kaine for the changes to be made, and provide reliable sources to support your claims. Joseph2302 (talk) 23:01, 23 July 2016 (UTC)


 * As I can see no evidence that Rockhurst is a boarding school, either in our article or on the school's web site, I have changed the wording to "preparatory school". Rojomoke (talk) 23:12, 23 July 2016 (UTC)