Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2024 January 13

__EXPECTED_UNCONNECTED_PAGE__ = January 13 =

Alfredo Ferrari
Does it make sense to include the "Unreferenced" template on this page? There are many notes and two bibliographies, but no real references. JackkBrown (talk) 10:11, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * There are (currently) 22 references cited; it so happens that the section title "Notes" rather than "References" has been used, but that does not change their nature – retitle it if it bothers you.
 * A greater problem might be that 19 of these are to the same publication (the second of the two bibliographies listed, and the first is more recent and is from the same publisher, so may not be entirely independent of the first). It would be useful to cite some references (or "notes") from other sources, if they exist. I'd guess that there are probably more Italian-language reliable sources about this subject available than there are in English. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 51.198.104.88 (talk) 11:48, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * @JackkBrown if you cannot read Italian you could ask WT:WikiProject Italy to help. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 16:15, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * I'm Italian. JackkBrown (talk) 19:13, 13 January 2024 (UTC)

Quicker way to cite reports?
Hi, I've been citing reports on several pages, and wondering if there is a quicker way to do it that I am at present. I am (mostly) using the visual editor, clicking the cite button at the top, then under manual click basic, then click the plus symbol and template, type "cite report" to get the link to the template to then fill in the fields. This seems slightly convoluted, so asking if there is an easy way. Thanks, Donald Drnoble (talk) 11:00, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * If the report is online then you could try "Automatic" instead of "Manual". I doubt "Automatic" can pick Cite report but if the result is not as good then change the used template name in the source editor afterwards. Then change or add some of the parameters documented at Template:Cite report. Most parameters are the same. I haven't tried this myself and don't know the typical result or the effort to improve it compared to starting with a manual Cite report. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:05, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * I use the automatic cite for webpages, but I've never been able to get it work with a report, and since they are typically PDF files, it can take a while before it fails. Thanks for the suggestion though, and adding this reply in case it helps anyone else. Drnoble (talk) 16:12, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * You don't have to deal with the toolbar at all if you enter templates by typing {{ anywhere in the visual editor. Recon  rabbit  15:11, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * Thanks, I though I had tried that and it didn't work. But I've just tested again and it does exactly what I want. Thanks again. Drnoble (talk) 16:10, 13 January 2024 (UTC)

Deleting user-space articles?
Because I like to work on drafts of different articles at the same time, I was a bit silly and created some non-generic username articles for sandboxing. The first of these, User:IgnatiusofLondon/1916 Rimini earthquake, is now in the mainspace (1916 Rimini earthquakes). How can I delete the userspace article? (I saw PROD can be applied on articles only.) IgnatiusofLondon (talk) 13:49, 13 January 2024 (UTC)


 * IgnatiusofLondon You can request speedy deletion of pages you have written, see WP:G7. TSventon (talk) 14:05, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * Thank you!! IgnatiusofLondon (talk) 14:10, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * WP:U1 can also be used for your own userspace. Many editors move a draft with the whole page history so only a redirect is left behind. You may think some of the old revisions look bad in an article history but others may want to see how the article developed, and it proves your authorship if an external site makes an undated copy of the finished article without attributing the source. This can become important if somebody later suspects it is the Wikipedia article which is a copyright violation of the external site. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:17, 13 January 2024 (UTC)

Substitution of templates on a user page
I seem to be unable to substitute templates from the user namespace. How can I do it? Brennan Everette (🗣️ &#124; ⏳) 21:57, 13 January 2024 (UTC)


 * To substitute User:Sandbox/sandbox, write . This gives me "foobar", so it seems to be working. jlwoodwa (talk) 22:56, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * Please always be specific when you have a problem. If code doesn't work then link or show the code. If you wonder why fails then you wrote lowercase   in  . User:Brennan Everette/Warnings/uw-agf2 doesn't exist. You used uppercase U in User:Brennan Everette/Warnings/Uw-agf2. The first character in page names is case insensitive but all characters are case sensitive in a subpage part of the name. PrimeHunter (talk) 23:56, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * I should've known that... Brennan Everette (🗣️ &#124; ⏳) 01:15, 14 January 2024 (UTC)

Hello, why cant i delete content from a page?
I was hired by a person to edit their wikipedia page. However, an error pops up, I cant save the edits because im not allowed to delete some sentances? Please help. Bojanasormaz (talk) 23:03, 13 January 2024 (UTC)


 * @Bojanasormaz: Hello! Please read Conflict of interest.  Delta  space 42 (talk • contribs) 23:05, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
 * Please also read WP:PAID and WP:BOSS. In short, your client does not own the Wikipedia article about them, and does not control its content. They, or you, may request edits to the article, once you have made the mandatory declaration of your status as a paid editor. ColinFine (talk) 23:24, 13 January 2024 (UTC)