Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2024 June 23

__EXPECTED_UNCONNECTED_PAGE__ = June 23 =

When did WP retire automatic ISBN linkage in favour of ISBN?
I clearly remember the time WP used to have magic syntax for ISBN links--i.e., whenever you put in something like ISBN 0-19-861186-2, the MW software automatically converted it into ISBN 0-19-861186-2. (Example given is for the Oxford English Dictionary.) Nowadays, editors must resort to using ISBN 0-19-861186-2 to get the same result; that much I realised after giving my AFC commentary at User talk:JParanoid. Can anyone provide me with a backstory as to the changes/circumstances? --Slgrandson (How's my egg-throwing coleslaw?) 00:11, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Looks like the MediaWiki software change to disable magic links by default was in late 2016 and English Wikipedia switched in 2017. See Village_pump_(proposals)/Archive_138.  The magic links existing at that time were converted to templates by a bot.  RudolfRed (talk) 00:24, 23 June 2024 (UTC)

Picture wikipedia page in English and French
Hi there, I'm uploading a picture on the French Wikipedia for the same topic I wrote on the English Wikipedia website. It is saying that this picture is already used and is a copy of a different file. What can I do to upload this picture? Nono19192 (talk) 08:50, 23 June 2024 (UTC)


 * Hello, Nono19192. You uploaded the images to Commons (c:File:Lachaume Iconic Door Handles.jpg is one of them) so they can be used directly in any Wikimedia project: you don't need to uploadthem again. If you insert  into a page in fr-wiki or any other version of Wikipedia, it will display the picture. ColinFine (talk) 09:00, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Thanks so much! That makes sense Nono19192 (talk) 10:20, 23 June 2024 (UTC)


 * Hi ,
 * As ColinFine said, once an image is in Commons - it can be used by Wikipedia project, or anywhere else really (it's common like common land, anyone can use it). Although I belive the code on French wiki would be.
 * I am a bit curious as to how to you took the pictures, are they flat-bed scans of prints of photos?
 * Also while you're here, the language in Draft:Lachaume really needs to be toned down towards a neutral point of view if that draft is going to be accepted - have a read of MOS:PUFFERY for some idea on how to do that. -- D'n'B-t -- 09:19, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Hi, yes they're scans, is that an issue? Does it need a reference? Let me know what you thin! Regarding the draft, noted. Is there anything else you think might need to be edited? Nono19192 (talk) 10:22, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Scans isnt an issue per se, its just that you tagged them as Own Work - but its not clear if actually took the photo or not. -- D'n'B-t -- 11:18, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * If they're scans, what are they scans of? Are the prints you scanned protected by copyright? If not, how not? Maproom (talk) 17:20, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Scanning someone else's work can be problem as explained in c:COM:2D copying and c:COM:Own work because a scanning in and of itself is something that is typically considered to be a "slavish" or "mechanical" reproduction that's insufficient to establish a new copyright. What this means is that the copyright of the original work itself is what matters when it comes to Commons, and you can't upload any scans of still copyright protected works that you didn't create yourself unless you're able to show the original work has been released under an acceptable license for Commons. Even if your scan somehow was creative enough to be considered a WP:Derivative work (see also c:COM:DW) because it incoporated someone else's work into your own creative work, the copyright status of the original work would still need to be OK for Commons. -- Marchjuly (talk) 22:19, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Thanks, what if a reference to the book that it was scanned from was added to the scan? Is there an article where I can clearly understand what kind of photos I can upload to wikipedia and the appropriate referencing? Nono19192 (talk) 06:40, 24 June 2024 (UTC)
 * @Nono19192 You have now reached the crux of the problem! If you scanned something from a book, then you are potentially infringing the copyright of the book's author/publisher or the photographer who supplied the image. Only if the book is old enough to have become public domain or if it is licensed with some valid creative commons license can it be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. Citing a reference to a book doesn't give you the right to license anything from the book, in general. See Commons:Licensing for a basic introduction to what can be a minefield. Commons itself has a Help Desk where trickier questions will get answers from experts: see Commons:Village_pump/Copyright. Mike Turnbull (talk) 11:43, 24 June 2024 (UTC)

Non-manual ways of linking to contributions with &offset= and &limit=
Users can manually add URL parameters  together with   to Special:Contributions URLs to link to a more precise set of edits. Examples: Special:Diff/981725212 and Special:Diff/1230476091. Page Help:User contributions has information about &offset=, but not about &limit=. My question is: are there any semi-automatic ways of producing such URLs? I couldn't find anything relevant in User scripts/List. —⁠andrybak (talk) 13:34, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * If you click "older 50" at the top or bottom of page histories or user contributions then you get a url with  and a time stamp you can change manually. Ending digits can be omitted, or be ignored if the exact time is unimportant. It doesn't matter if there are more digits than you started with. If you click a number in "(20 | 50 | 100 | 250 | 500)" then you get a url with   and a number you can change. That's what I do. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:20, 23 June 2024 (UTC)

I do not want to edit anything. I'd just like to read an article. What do I do?
I do not want to edit anything. I'd just like to read an article. What do I do? LJStarry (talk) 17:44, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * @LJStarry: Just go ahead and read articles? You're not obligated to edit if you have an account. — Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 17:55, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Go for it. There is a search you can use if you have a topic in mind, or Special:Random to pick a random article  RudolfRed (talk) 17:56, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Rudolf, I don't know how to go to search. Before, there was a box, and you just typed in "Henry VIII" or whatever.  Help! LJStarry (talk) 17:17, 24 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia has recently modified its default appearance or 'skin'. There is still a search box, but in a narrow display it might be reduced to a magnifying-glass symbol, which you have to click to open the box.
 * (I believe logged-in account holders see Wikipedia somewhat differently to IP users like myself, and I am running an extension that (mostly) reverts the current 'skin' to an older layout, so the above is deduction from others' previous remarks. Mobile devices may also see things differently from PC users.) Hope this helps. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 151.227.226.178 (talk) 18:08, 24 June 2024 (UTC)
 * There should be a [[file:OOjs UI icon search-ltr.svg|link=]] icon somewhere near the top of pages that can be interacted with, regardless of whichever device you're using, be it mobile or otherwise. — Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 18:12, 24 June 2024 (UTC)

Search the entire site’s history?
I’m wondering if there’s any method to search the entire project, including history, for a phrase (a name). ꧁ Zanahary ꧂ 18:16, 23 June 2024 (UTC)


 * Well, you can search "all" at, but that doesn't search history. WikiBlame seems to be one article at a time. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 21:53, 23 June 2024 (UTC)

Clicking red links
Anyone know how I can make it so that clicking on a red-link does not make "&action=edit&redlink=1" be at the end of the URL? Maybe I'd have to use some kind of custom-javascript thing? Thanks,  Coco bb8  (💬 talk • ✏️ contribs) 20:12, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * User:Awesome Aasim/noeditredlinks removes  but keeps  . I guess this works for your unstated purpose. PrimeHunter (talk) 20:23, 23 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Thank you, @PrimeHunter!  Coco bb8  (💬 talk • ✏️ contribs) 20:24, 23 June 2024 (UTC)