Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2008 September 3

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September 3

Justify text on the right side

Can somebody please tell me how to justify text on the right side of an article. With this article List of documentary films I would like to have a left right pattern instead of a one sided long list. I would like 0-9 to be on the left side then A to be on the right then B on the left and continue that left right pattern.--Theoneintraining (talk) 01:37, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

There is no way I know of to right-justify paragraphs in any easy way using wiki markup (except in a table). It probably could be done by making a change sitewide to the CSS for all skins (which is not going to happen). You might be able to do it very laboriously by faking certain elements. For example, asterisks format as bullets but only when placed on the left hand side of a page. You could indent each paragraph (using colons) and manually place bullet symbols (•) at the end by hand and through trial and error try to make the text line up. Even if you succeeded, it would only format correctly on some browers set to certain screenwidths, and not for others, meaning this would be a very bad idea. What I'm really getting at is that it would be an incredible pain in the ass and wouldn't really work. In any event, we want article formatting to be consistent across the encyclopedia. I took a look at the manual of style and though I didn't find anything in particular saying we prefer right text justification, I think the lack of guidance on this is more a reflection of the impossibility of doing it. In other words, if it could be done, we would likely have instructions against its general use. You can, however, stagger images right-and-left. While images default to the right of pages, you can add |left to the image code to override this. I think this would look strange in a list where the left-justified entries are prefaced by bullets.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 02:21, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

I think the long list is actually preferred, although for what you wish to do, a multi-column thing or a table might work better than justification.

For example:

This is on the left.

This is on the right.

Although, as mentioned above, that's not really encouraged (as far as I know). Calvin 1998 ^(t-c) 02:33, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Yup... see Help:table. Probably your only option but since it is an active list I am not sure how easy it would be to maintain. Cheers Gtstricky^{Talk or C} 02:36, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

I simply placed the some images on the left side so it kind of created the affect. Can somebody please have a look and tell me if it is suitable?.--Theoneintraining (talk) 03:08, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Because the list is rather long, you could also split it into two articles, similar to how the list of punk bands is split. — Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 04:37, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Use:

<div style="text-align: right; direction: ltr; margin-left: 1em;">TEXT</div>

...... Densock .. Talk^{(Dendodge on a public network)} 11:36, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Publishing my article with Wikipedia

I would like to know how can send you articles or working papers I wrote on trade policy issues. Thanks a lot, Best Regards, Rosaria Iorio. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.3.121.215 (talk) 08:23, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

You must create an account to start an article. Check Wikipedia:Your first article for info on creating articles! — Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 09:43, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Well, you seem to be talking about already existing articles by yourself. Let me therefore clarify that Wikipedia is not a publisher, but compiles articles in a collaborative manner. An example of such a topic would be trade policy that currently isn't a separte article, but certainly would need improvement by subject matter experts.--Tikiwont (talk) 10:20, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Also please know that Wikipedia does not accept original research. Information in articles must have been published already elsewhere. —teb728 t c 17:58, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Uploading Copyrighted image

Hello I would like to upload some coyrighted images but I can't find anything on the site on how to do that.

Could you explain me how to upload this images? I have contributed several articles already

Thanks! Salense (talk) 11:54, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

You can only use a non-free copyrighted image in an article if it complies with all of the factors at Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria (and also see the more general Non-free content guideline. As you can see there are very strict standards about allowing non-free media to be posted at all. See also Help:Images and other uploaded files and Wikipedia:Upload. Cheers.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 12:09, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Switching account names

I recently rediscovered this account after considering changing my other account name to this. Since my main account is not this one and this name I prefer is it possible to swap the two names around or at least change delete this account then swap my other accounts name over to this one, (since I'd quite like to keep my other accounts edit count and I haven't really done much with this one)? My "main" account is User:TheGreatZorko Gunrun (talk) 12:18, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Oh if someone could drop me a line on either of my talk pages that would be super but I guess I can just check back here next time I remember Gunrun (talk) 12:20, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

If I'm correct, you would like your main account to be TheGreatZorko? If that's the case, just be sure to log in using that account. You can redirect your Gunrun user/talk pages to TheGreatZorko account by placing #REDIRECT [[User:TheGreatZorko]] on the Gunrun user page and #REDIRECT [[User talk:TheGreatZorko]] on the Gunrun talk page. I hope this helps! TN‑X-Man 12:29, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

What I would like is for me to be able to change my login for TheGreatZorko to Gunrun and to erase this account, so I can log in using Gunrun and still keep TheGreatZorko's edit history and such. I know it is possible to change names but I'm not sure how or if I am allowed to do it with 2 accounts Gunrun (talk) 12:55, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

EDIT: Oh hey I found this - Wikipedia:Changing_username which should do me fine. Consider this resolved I guess Gunrun (talk) 12:57, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

journalism

what is the importance of communication in individual life,organization and in society? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.125.143.77 (talk) 14:53, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Please do your own homework. Welcome to the Wikipedia Help desk. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misevaluation, but it is our policy here to not do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn how to solve such problems.
Please attempt to solve the problem yourself first. You can search Wikipedia or search the Web.
If you need help with a specific part of your homework, the Reference desk can help you grasp the concept. Do not ask knowledge questions here, just those about using Wikipedia.

You may find further information and resources in the article communication. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 15:03, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

You might impress your teacher if you work the word semiotics into your report. Or not. Animal communication gives insights into the evolutionary precursors of human communication. --Teratornis (talk) 17:02, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Chop or crop?

Hi. Could someone please verify if this image conforms to our copyright policy and should be used in our articles? I see the author inserted "Faísca 2005" in the bottom right... Would it be okay to crop the image in order to harvest the author's signature? Húsönd 16:34, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

If it is truly CC-by-2.0 as claimed, you are free to adapt the work, which means that you can crop it - which would be nice since it would center the tree. -- kainaw™ 16:41, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

I've resynthesized away the text. Personally, I think the composition of the image is quite nice, and cropping it to center the tree would only make it worse. Of course, it depends somewhat on the intended use: if all you want to show is the tree and not the field, cropping could be warranted. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 17:08, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Thank you very much. :-) I agree that no further cropping is necessary. Both the tree and the field are important in the picture, which is meant to show the typical landscape of the Alentejo region in Portugal. Húsönd 17:30, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

I have nothing substantive to add, but just wanted to say that that's a really startling and beautiful image.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 22:40, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Assistance required

I crafted a new article last week. After reviewing, editing and posting an image, I would like the page to be posted 'live'. I cannot seem to figure this out. Is there some sort of a review process that my entry must go through to get approved (I.e. it takes time to see live?)

I'm sure this is very simple but I'm frustrated with the way this works. Perhaps it's already live but when I do a basic search for the page, I still receive the note that their is no article with the term.

please respond to netsweeper123.

doug —Preceding unsigned comment added by Netsweeper123 (talk • contribs) 19:23, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Could you explain which article this is? It may have been deleted. --Alinnisawest,^{Dalek Empress} (extermination requests here) 19:30, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

It appears that you created the article on your user page. To actually create the article, copy the content to Netsweeper. Note that Netsweeper was deleted in 2006, since it was a copy of content from http://www.netsweeper.com/. Your version seems very similar and appears to be copied from the same source. Given your name, I suspect a conflict of interest. You need to read Wikipedia:FAQ/Business before continuing. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 19:34, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Users with access to magazine archive

I've been working on an article where it looks like the NME published an article with interviews of the performer and producer back in July 2004. NME's website doesn't have the article, and neither does the online periodical archive I use. Is there a good way for me to find a user who'd have access to issues that far back? PiracyFundsTerrorism (talk) 19:48, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

It's unlikely that anyone with these issues would be reading the Help desk just now. Not impossible, but unlikely. Here are some other things you can try:

• Ask again on the WP:Reference desk/humanities.
• Look at the histories of the articles you mentioned: Some Girls (Rachel Stevens song) and NME to see the usernames of the other contributors. Maybe one of them has what you seek. It would be tiring to ask every single one of them on their user talk pages, so you might start by asking just a few of the major contributors. If they don't have what you need, they might know someone who does.
• Look at the relevant WikiProjects. Some of the subject area enthusiasts might know where to find obscure information.
• If you live in a civilized part of the world, you could ask a real live reference librarian at a bricks and mortar library. It's hard to imagine, but once upon a time people actually did go to libraries to look stuff up. Rumor has it, anyway.

Good luck in your search. You could also try e-mailing NME and ask about back issues. (For best results, read my reply in the voice of Stewie Griffin. I've been watching some Seth MacFarlane videos on YouTube. Amazing stuff.) --Teratornis (talk) 06:10, 4 September 2008 (UTC)

Mmm, well my state library has the magazine from 2001 to 20 March, 2004 so I think I am out of luck there. There should be a Wikipedia page where people fulfill referencing requests like PiracyFundsTerrorism's here, can anybody remember where that is?--Commander Keane (talk) 09:47, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

Were you thinking of Wikipedia:WikiProject Resource Exchange? Bencherlite^Talk 09:51, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

Yes that looks good, specifically Wikipedia:WikiProject Resource Exchange/Resource Request, give that a go PiracyFundsTerrorism.--Commander Keane (talk) 09:58, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

Las Vegas City Public Schools

I have called to explain that Las Vegas City Public Schools is actually called Las Vegas City Schools, not Las Vegas City Public Schools. Thank you for giving me the oppurtunity to tell you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.229.160.121 (talk) 20:27, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Can you find an official source for this? On Wikipedia, sources and correct information are considered very important- if you can find an official source for this (from the school district itself, say), please post it here so we can rectify the mistake as soon as possible. Thanks! --Alinnisawest,^{Dalek Empress} (extermination requests here) 20:31, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Never mind; having gone to the website here, I guess that counts as a pretty good source! --Alinnisawest,^{Dalek Empress} (extermination requests here) 20:32, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Please stop creating sections on this; you're just clogging up the Help Desk. I've already responded and plan to move it. --Alinnisawest,^{Dalek Empress} (extermination requests here) 20:41, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Requesting wider participation in an RfD

The redirect deletion discussion[1] inherently brings those who support keeping the redirect since anyone immediately using the redirect is made aware of the deletion discussion. Is there a way to request wider participation in the RfD? I thought of Template:RFCpolicy list and perhaps some place on Wikipedia:Village pump, but I would appreciate help in zeroing in on a way to request wider participation in the RfD. Thanks. Suntag (talk) 20:31, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Those are good prescribed ways to get wider review. I suggest caution. See WP:CANVASS. Garycompugeek (talk) 21:30, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. Suntag (talk) 16:24, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

External Links on User Pages

Can I add an external link on my user page that links to an article on the web that I wrote and that I hold the copyright to? Something like a photo album hosted by a common provider of such services, or a page or pages I wrote and host myself? —Preceding unsigned comment added by TCav (talk • contribs) 21:49, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

The question is: how does it relate to your work on Wikipedia? See Wikipedia:User page. The community is fairly lenient on user pages, but you should keep it relevant. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 22:39, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

For instance, I have a number of pages I host that deal with the War of 1812. I contribute to Wikipedia arcticles and talk pages on the subject. I also am an amatuer photographer, and host a number of my images on a popular photo hosting site. I contribute to Wikipedia arcticles and talk pages on that subject as well. Wouldn't links to those be appropriate for my user page. Would their contents continue to be protected by my copyright, even though I've included links to them on my user page? --TCav (talk) 22:53, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

That would be relevant if you work on related articles here. You would also still retain the copyright as long as it's only links. -- Mentisock 11:13, 4 September 2008 (UTC)

Thank you. --TCav (talk) 13:40, 4 September 2008 (UTC)

Four Level Interchange image

I found this image from a website and thought it will look cool. But I don't know how to upload it. I've try and got error notice al the time. I have no experience with uploading images.--I-405 (Free way) 23:06, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Since the images on that website appear to be under copyright, with no free license, and they don't fall within our non-free content criteria, you shouldn't upload them to Wikipedia at all. Algebraist 23:15, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

• NE2 said the sign is wrong about pointing to I-110 South. We can have image of any freeway plates. I sa somebody upload Orange Crush Interchange image of i-5/SR/22/57 int. near Orange.--I-405 (Free way) 23:32, 3 September 2008 (UTC)