Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2010 June 6

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June 6

Please forward my email to actor Eric Roberts

Dear Eric,

I saw you today in a TV movie, "Fatal Desire"...you played "JOE". I have to tell you that you are by far one of the most handsome men I have seen and an absolute wonderful actor. I just read you are married and Julia Roberts brother-that is awesome! I wish you weren't married(Like I'd ever get to spend time with you-ha!). Your wife is VERY lucky to have you. The movie was SO sad though, I wished I could have been in it to save you. If you ever get this email, I hope you will have time to write back to me-I would be truly HONORED. Thanks for reading HANDSOME!!!

Hello. I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our roughly three million articles, and thought that we were directly affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this page is a help desk for asking questions related to using the encyclopedia. Though we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome, no one is going to forward your post to Eric Roberts, even if they knew how. Personally, I imagine that actors grow quite weary of being fawned over and would never act that way toward one, but that's just me.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 04:44, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

To the original poster: Eric's wife may or may not be lucky to have him. Hollywood marriages have a high failure rate, in part because Hollywood actors get a lot of opportunities to stray. If you want a stable relationship, marry a schlub who doesn't have any better options. --Teratornis (talk) 06:27, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Archiving

Hi, could someone see what I'm doing wrong here - I'm trying to archive my talk page with ClueBot 111. You will have to look in edit mode to see it correctly.
{{User:ClueBot III/ArchiveThis |archiveprefix=User talk:QwerpQwertus/Archives/ |format=DATE_RSS |age=20 |index=no |minkeepthreads=5 |header={{archivebox}} |archivenow={{resolved}},{{done}},{{User:ClueBot III/ArchiveNow}} |maxkeepthreads=7 |maxkeepbytes=40 }}
Thanks! ~QwerpQwertus ·_Talk_·_Contribs_· The Wiki Puzzle Piece Award

Fixed. Gary King (talk) 05:49, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Thanks! ~QwerpQwertus ·_Talk_·_Contribs_· The Wiki Puzzle Piece Award

What is the best warning template to use?

I noticed a relatively inexperienced editor adding images to article which add no encyclopedic benefit to the articles. I have been reverting a lot of them, but I'm thinking a warning template might be appropriate. Unfortunately, I don't think {{uw-vandalism1}} is the right one to use because the higher level warnings mention vandalism and I think they are doing these edits in good faith, but then again neither is {{uw-image1}} appropriate because that one seems to be more about adding things like pornography. So, what is the bst course of action in this case? Astronaut (talk) 08:21, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

We might be able to advise you better if we knew which editor you are referring to. Sometime, a personal note achieves more than a standard warning template. Inexperienced editors are allowed to make mistakes in editing - especially if the editing is in good faith. Hopefully, they will learn from their mistakes over time, but if nobody tells them (nicely) that they are doing something wrong then they won't have the chance to learn from the mistake. Mjroots (talk) 08:35, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Probably referring to this user. -- wiooiw (talk) 08:52, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

The user is obviously trying to help per this edit as it clearly is a trash can at the university. And you may want to see this discussion as well as his talk page. And this edit shows his justification of the new pictures. Perhaps we should explain to the user why the pictures are unnecessary. wiooiw (talk) 09:06, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

I've got a combination of Friendly and Twinkle enabled ("My preferences" -> "Gadgets"). In a situation like this I'd use Twinkle's "Rollback (AGF)" button to undo their edit, without labelling it as "vandalism". I'd then use Friendly to stick a "welcome" template on their talk page - I'm yet to find the perfect template for situations like this, but one of them provides hints and tips to new users. Ideally, I'd follow it up with a short message about the article they were editing, what was good about their edits, and what could be improved. Disclaimer: I'm using the old Monobook skin; I have no idea if Twinkle and Friendly work with the new Vector skin. TFOWR^{idle vapourings} 09:16, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

If that is the user in question, they were welcomed in 2008 and have had plenty of interaction with other editors. Plus, according to the template on their talkpage, they are "currently feeling discouraged about wikipedia" so how about actually discussing the issues rather than just putting a template there? From messages posted here previously, they seem keen to learn. Remember, WP:DTTR. --BelovedFreak 09:22, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Ambulance passenger(s)

How many people can an ordinary, everyday ambulance carry to hospital after attending (for example) an RTA. My 8 year old grandaughter asked me! (driver, medic, stretcher, one or two sitting wounded?) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.100.115.19 (talk) 09:42, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Hello, I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your question. You might like to try our reference desk. People there can answer all sorts of general questions. This page is just for asking/answering questions about how to use Wikipedia, so you're not likely to have much luck here. --BelovedFreak 09:52, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Copying to ref desk. Ghmyrtle (talk) 10:43, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Trying to get an image file renamed, and am not allowed to upload

I'm trying to correct an image name of an existing image on Wikipedia. It incorrectly identifies the service members as being part of Juliet Platoon rather than X-Ray Platoon. According to the licensing info provided for the original image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Navy_SEALS_Juliet_Platoon.jpg, it is a work from the Federal Government and therefor in the public domain.

The original poster of the file seems to have had copyright violation issues at some point, though I'm not sure if this image was part of those problems, so I am unsure how to proceed.

I have a renamed copy that I could upload to the wiki-commons (because I don't have the correct credentials yet to upload here),but when I start that process, I am prompted for Permissions in the upload form. I am NOT the original poster of this content, and cannot assure that it is from a Government source. From research of the photo, my understanding is that it was part of a collection that was purchased on Ebay from a Vet.

Do snapshots taken by service members truly count as a 'Government Source'? If so, I can proceed I guess???

My brother was a member of the platoon, and I am trying to get this corrected at his request, and in order to properly honor the other members of X-Ray, which historically had the highest number of casualties of any SEAL Team platoon.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by David Ocean (talk • contribs) 10:08, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Media copyright questions is the place to go for this kind of question.--SPhilbrickT 13:11, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Also note you have to be Autoconfirmed to upload images on the English Wikipedia.I guess you know that already. wiooiw (talk) 13:24, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Is there a rule prohibiting the identification of members of the US special forces on security grounds? I am pretty sure there is for members of the British SAS and SBS. – ukexpat (talk) 17:14, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

making link text a different color.

User:Sonia/test has all the links in blue, despite my attempts at making them white. Does anyone know how to fix them? Thanks, {{Sonia|ping|enlist}} 10:33, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

<span class="plainlinks">[[User:Wiooiw|<span style="color: green">wiooiw</span>]]</span>

result= wiooiw. : ) --wiooiw (talk) 10:46, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Actually let me do it for you if you don't mind. wiooiw (talk) 10:55, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

This is what I did [1]. Seems to work. Hope this is fine. wiooiw (talk) 11:01, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Yes, that's fine. Thank you. :) {{Sonia|ping|enlist}} 11:38, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Deletion of Pages With an Outside Source

User:Hekewe is a founder of the Five Islands Republic, a page that has been repeatedly deleted when I try to post it. When I made the website though, the domain name Five Islands Republic was already taken and so I chose Hekewe.com, and that is where all the facts of my nation are posted. I have tried to put this on the page I have tried to create but it has been deleted before I could put those facts onto it. As I am writing this, I see that it says Encyclopedic content must be verifiable, and if I could post the information, editors will find that it is verifiable, just at a different domain name. I will not recreate the page until I am sure it will not deleted to assure editors don't get annoyed. Thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.56.204.113 (talk) 11:56, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

It is not enough to be verifiable; if your "republic" is to have an article you must show that it is notable, which is not a matter of opinion but needs to be demonstrated by showing "significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject." Significant means more than just listing-type mentions; reliable excludes Myspace, Facebook, blogs, places where anyone can post anything; independent excludes the subject's own website, affiliated ones and press releases. Anyone can invent a micronation, set up a website about it, and list it on Micronations.wikia; to have an article here you would need to show that someone independent of it has taken it seriously. See also Wikipedia is not for things made up one day and, if you are the founder, WP:Conflict of interest. JohnCD (talk) 12:37, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

So does that mean that if I get another micronation - say Sealand - to recognize mine, I would have an outside source and would be able to create the page? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.56.204.113 (talk) 22:52, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

No, see WP:RS for what constitutes a reliable source. And you will need more than one - notability requires significant coverage in multiple reliable sources independent of the subject. – ukexpat (talk) 17:17, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

Substandard old FA articles

I was surprised to see that the article on the Abbey Theatre, Dublin is a featured article. It is quite brief, and I have corrected one inaccuracy and queried another. To whom should one apply to have the FA rating reviewed against current WP standards? - Tim riley (talk) 12:25, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Featured article review :-) TFOWR^{idle vapourings} 12:28, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Thank you! Greatly obliged. Tim riley (talk) 12:32, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Errors on several articles

Hi there! Whenever I open several articles, I see so much errors and wrong informations. Why is that so? I mean, I guess so many other contributors write junk on the articles. What is the best way to fight against that and why is my discussion page red? Dr. OS (talk) 12:58, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

If you see that an article could be improved, then be WP:BOLD and improve it. If someone reverts your change, don't just make it again; start a discussion on the article talk page and try to reach a WP:Consensus with other editors about what the article should say. See WP:BOLD, revert, discuss cycle for an explanation of how this works. The link to your talk page was red because there were no messages on it, but I have given you a Welcome message, with some useful links, so now it will be blue. Welcome, again, to Wikipedia! JohnCD (talk) 13:05, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

About the "reverting your change", Wikipedia:Edit warring is also a good link to read as it can lead to this. Removing clear vandalism or edits by a banned user is not considered edit warring. wiooiw (talk) 13:16, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Looking for a template.

Resolved

 – wiooiw (talk) 14:18, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Hi. I remember a template which is put at the top of new articles saying that it's under construction and still being developed, but I couldn't find it. Could somebody possibly link it to me? SmokingNewton _{(MESSAGE ME)} 14:01, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Is this it? wiooiw (talk) 14:07, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Or is it this? --wiooiw (talk) 14:11, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Thanks a lot. SmokingNewton _{(MESSAGE ME)} 14:14, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Wow!Thanks!

Wow!Thanks! to the Team of Wikipedia. Aristiderazu —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.114.127.23 (talk) 15:18, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

You might like to tick the "Remember me" checkbox on the login page so that you stay logged in. Then your edits will be tagged with your user name instead of your IP address. See Help:Logging in. -- John of Reading (talk) 15:59, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

OK.Thanks again. Aristiderazu —Preceding unsigned comment added by Aristiderazu (talk • contribs) 20:03, 6 June 2010 (UTC) And thanks for the tips.Which are many! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Aristiderazu (talk • contribs) 20:07, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Login issues

Hi, For some reason I can't login. I get 'There is no user by the name "Moriarty". Check your spelling, or create a new account.'. This is evidentially false: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Moriarty I'm trying to log into the English version (which is where my only account is - not unified) because I want to move a page. I've tried this via the unsecure ( http://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin ) and secure ( https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/simple/wiki/Special:UserLogin ) logins. Both say the same thing. I'm not on the blocklist and even if I ask it to send me a new password it says the same thing (that I don't exist); Note that I've received countless new passwords over the years, most of them from other people clicking the button but I know it works. So why is wikipedia saying there's no such user and how do I fix it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.139.162.98 (talk) 16:12, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Your account is at en.wikipedia.org, but your links are to the login page at simple.wikipedia.org. Try again at the right login page! -- John of Reading (talk) 16:24, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Ah, I see. That's what I get for going to wikipedia from google (searching for how to move pages). Thanks. 86.139.162.98 (talk) 16:36, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

references help - formatting

Nokian Tyres Look at reference 2. That's the way most of the article is. Now look at references 16 and 17. Help me fix it to make it the same way. I don't know how to do it. Suomi Finland 2009 (talk) 17:20, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

I'm not sure what you mean, Suomi, could you be more specific? Or was it fixed in this edit? --BelovedFreak 18:03, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

You need to use {{cite web}} to reference a website. It looks complicated but as a minimum you need url, title, publisher and accessdate. Mjroots (talk) 18:03, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

See:

• Wikipedia:Referencing for beginners
• Wikipedia:Referencing for beginners with citation templates

---— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk 18:41, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Musical notation

Hi, I want to write “B flat” (as in musical notation) using the musical flat sign. How to, please. Thanks.Patthedog (talk) 17:45, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

This is for questions about using Wikipedia, but the Reference Desk should be able to help you.

~QwerpQwertus ·_Talk_·_Contribs_· The Wiki Puzzle Piece Award 17:55, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

It's a valid question, simple way is to copy and paste B♭. Mjroots (talk) 17:59, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Assuming that perhaps you're wanting to write it somewhere on Wikipedia, when you're in the edit box, if you click on the menu underneath the edit summary box, you can find symbols there, one of which is the ♭ sign. That's in the mono skin. If that makes no sense, just copy & paste it as I've written it here!--BelovedFreak 18:00, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Thank you all! --Patthedog (talk) 19:33, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Oh, I though he meant writing it on paper. Sorry! ~QwerpQwertus ·_Talk_·_Contribs_· The Wiki Puzzle Piece Award 00:25, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

May I copy an article/chart for use in a lecture without written permission? If I need permission, how do I get it?

May I copy an article/chart for use in a lecture without written permission? If I need permission, how do I get it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.2.43.214 (talk) 19:11, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Yes you may, and no written permission is needed, though there are some attribution requirements. Please see Wikipedia:Reusing Wikipedia content for the skinny on this.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 19:14, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

search engine

How long does it take that newly created pages can be found using the search engine? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gandhiserve (talk • contribs) 19:16, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

The index is typically updated every morning GMT. If you see the index lagging more than a couple of days, you can report it here.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 19:25, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Note: the real issue was that the "article" was in the user space, so it would not be indexed, but I have also indefinitely blocked the user on multiple grounds.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 19:34, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

For clarification: "every morning GMT" applies to the indexes used by the Wikipedia search box. The delay for searching with Google, etc, is likely to be more than this and is outside Wikipedia's control. -- John of Reading (talk) 19:43, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

New messages

I am costantly getting a note saying I have new messages when I edit or look at a page's edit history. These are my old messages that I have read many times before. How can I stop it from appearing? It's making me crazy. 60.224.3.243 (talk) 20:17, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Your talk page has been quite busy today (Talk page history). When that calms down you shouldn't see any more "new message" notices. Post again here if you see more "new message" notices and nothing new has happened to the talk page. -- John of Reading (talk) 20:34, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Admitting defeat: protected pages with expiry expired.

Resolved

 – Null edits by Fuhghettaboutit.

For some reason, both Template:Infobox television and Template:Infobox television/sandbox are listed at Category:Wikipedia protected pages with expiry expired, one of the maintenance categories I try to watch and keep empty. I cannot find any page-protection templates on either page to get removed/updated. What am I missing? (side note: If an admin wants to unprotect User talk:Hoots Hagis Kilts Porridge like it says it should be, or update the expiry tag, I'd appreciate it!) ^Avicenna_sis @ 20:29, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

I made null edits to both pages, which took them out of the category. Cheers.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 20:39, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Thanks! :) ^Avicenna_sis @ 20:47, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

You're welcome.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 11:09, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

Uploading Pictures Created Created on Photoshop

I have been using photoshop to try to upload some images that I created on photoshop. I have made them .jpg, .gif, .svg and .jpeg and none of them seem to be compatible with the system. In February or March I uploaded many images to Wikipedia that I had created on Photoshop without a problem, but now I have to go to the Commons, create an account, sign in, try to upload them, and still have no luck, so I need some help. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.56.204.113 (talk) 23:00, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

You need to have an account to upload images on Wikipedia or Commons. What is your username? When we know that, we can see the images you've uploaded and be able to help you better. --Mysdaao ^talk 23:10, 6 June 2010 (UTC)