Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2012 December 4

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December 4

I am working on

Sculptors Guild and wish to put all the original members lest into three columns. I have tried to do this three different ways, as done by three different editors in three different articles and have failed three different times. In the United States this is often referred to as "three strikes and you are out." Anyone want to take a stab at it? Einar aka Carptrash (talk) 03:30, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

There are indeed quite a few ways to do it, I chose {{Multicol}} arbitrarily. The column breaks may need tweaking in position. Monty₈₄₅ 03:44, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Disputed section template

I noticed a {{Disputed-section}} template on a page, and it had the section title parameter included: {{Disputed-section|Misleading claims of steerage deaths}} - Intuitively, I'd expect the resultant template would link to the corresponding section of the Talk-page -- but it doesn't, it links to the WP page for "Dispute". The template description page is unclear what that section parameter is for (if anything) — is it a "feature" that no longer functions?
~Just curious, ~E : 74.60.29.141 (talk) 04:14, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

The talk page link caused by the parameter was lost due to a combination of edits to this and another template.[1][2]. Template:Ambox says: "But when used inside {{article issues}} or with |small=left it displays only the issue" (and not the fix parameter). Either the template code or documentation should be updated. PrimeHunter (talk) 05:51, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, Prime. I'll see what I can come up with - but so far, not much luck. ~Eric F:74.60.29.141 (talk) 06:40, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

is my samsung galaxy original or duplicate?

Respected samsung.

I want to know whether my samsung galaxy s2 is original or duplicate?

my model no:GT-I9100G.

kindly plz help me out.

Thanks your customer abdul. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 5.108.2.31 (talk) 05:03, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Dear IP user,

this is not Samsung. Read the top part of this page and act accordingly. No amount of edits here will magically turn this place into Samsung, so stop trying already. Or as they say:

astray 217.251.162.31 (talk) 06:15, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

I believe you mean {{astray}}: I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 6 million articles and thought we were 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 for asking questions related to using or contributing to Wikipedia itself. Thus, we have no special knowledge about the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the upper right side of your screen. If you cannot find what you are looking for, we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome. Best of luck.

Also, your tone seems a tad rude: this is the only time in the past days I've seen that this question has been asked, and this is the particular IP's only contribution. - Purplewowies (talk) 06:54, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

You might want to post this Q to Wikipedia:Reference desk/Computing‎. Offhand, if it's not in the original packaging, or was activated, or has any phone number, etc., in it, then it's used/refurbished. 07:10, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Rude, O RLY? I didn't exactly write "For Allahs's sake! Grab a bomb and push the button", did I?

And what's with the "This page is only for questions about how to use or edit WIKIPEDIA" part? Or "Are you in the right place?", or "Click here to ask a new question about how to use or edit WIKIPEDIA"? Or the big WIKIPEDIA logo in the corner? If all the hints at the top were too subtle, to tell him we are not Samsung, one HAD to put it a bit more bluntly. "Do not bite the newcomers" is all well and good, but I wouldn't call the dog that shits on our front lawn a "newcomer." Maybe wikipedia should simply delete unsigned questions which are blatantly unrelated to wiki in any way, rather than "I suspect, based on your question..." like a broken record.

There's no way we could help him, either. For fubar's sake, this page doesn't even have a Samsung logo, and "customer abdul" acted as if it were Samsung. How could he tell if his Galaxy, which DOES have the logo, is genuine?

And yes, there used to be quite some weird edits by 217 lately - could be dynamic or different users. I'm out of this topic, since this wouldn't be going towards editing Wikipedia either way.

217.251.159.2 (talk) 08:30, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

I agree with Purplewowies, the response by 217.251.162.31 was unnecessarily rude, particularly "No amount of edits here will magically turn this place into Samsung, so stop trying already", when the OP had only asked once. Maproom (talk) 09:30, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Using two image metadatas as evidence:

• File:Sidewalk bar at night 2.jpg - this one's very similar and that's a UK Galaxy S2.
• File:Grey Hedgehog At Night 1.jpg - this one's different as it's a UK Galaxy S3.

I believe you have some variant of an S2 or one from a different market.

You may be better off asking somewhere related to your topic next time though, like Wikipedia:Reference desk/Computing‎ for a technical issue. Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 09:41, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Irritating lines on top

Since this morning only, I have been seeing these lines in black (font size much bigger than usual) on the top of my pages (every single page) - They are very irritating and I wish to remove them. Are theybecause of some preferences option or anything? How do I remove them? Any help (on my talk page only please) will be greatly appreciated.

Personal tools

Namespaces Views Search

TheOriginalSoni (talk) 05:09, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

This was caused by a problem for about 5 minutes at 19:05, 3 December (UTC). Your browser must have cached files controlling the interface at that time. Clear your entire cache. PrimeHunter (talk) 05:37, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Trying to trace my nephew Rory Heffernan

My name is Thomas Heffernan and I am tring to trace my Nephew Rory Heffernan born in Romford England the son of Daniel and Hellen — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.118.241.25 (talk) 07:09, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Here we go again... Is your nephew WP:Notable? 217.251.167.187 (talk) 08:34, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Unfortunately, this help desk only provides assistance regarding Wikipedia. Wikipedians who respond are simply volunteers who wish to be helpful whenever possible and might provide suggestions. However, this would only be one person's personal suggestion and must not be considered to reflect anything associated with Wikipedia itself. With that being said, there are "people finder" services that can be found with a google search. This volunteer would like to point out that some of these sites receive a poor trustworthy and/or reliability rating according to "Web of Trust" (WoT). ~Eric F: 74.60.29.141 (talk) 08:58, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Userpages and Articles

Hi what is the difference between a userpage and an article. How do I know which one i have set up? GeraldUK2012 (talk) 11:22, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

A userpage is "owned" and controlled by a user, who can (within broad and reasonable restrictions) put what he likes there. An article does not belong to anyone, can be edited by anyone, and must meet certain standards, or it will be deleted.

You have a userpage, which is blank. It is User:GeraldUK2012.

You have created a draft of an article, at Wikipedia_talk:Articles_for_creation/Gerald_Eve. You submitted it as an article, but it was rejected, because it looked like an advertisement.

I observe that your username GeraldUK2012 suggests that you are associated with the subject of your draft article. If so, you have a conflict of interest, and should avoid creating or editing an article on that subject. Maproom (talk) 11:40, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia. Articles, which do not have a prefix in their titles, are appropriate to the content of an encyclopaedia: they concern notable topics, are neutral in tone, are not promotional of the topic or anything else, and are ideally based entirely on reliable published sources. On the other hand, user pages, whose titles begin with the prefix "User:", are a convenience provided for registered users of Wikipedia, to post information about themselves in relation to their work on Wikipedia: promotion is not allowed on user pages either. User subpages are pages whose titles are of the form User:username/pagename; they are separate pages within a user's page, and are used for a variety of purposes, but in as sandboxes for preparing articles which are not yet ready to be moved to mainspace. --ColinFine (talk) 14:00, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Locked sandbox

Hi, I'm Passengerpigeon (talk). I recently copy-pasted the teahouse source code into my sandbox so I could get a feel for CSS and WikiSyntax, and now there is a big red padlock in the corner of my sandbox! What causes this and how do I get rid of it? Passengerpigeon (talk) 13:35, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

The red padlock comes from the piece of code that says {{pp-template|small=yes}}. - David Biddulph (talk) 13:39, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

... so just remove that line of code. All it does is display the padlock image - the page is not actually protected. Yunshui 雲‍水 13:43, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Ok, removed. Passengerpigeon (talk) 09:02, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

incorrect data in RMS Ebro

Hi, Just found the abovementioned page. it tells the story of a boat that carried my family (EICHEN) to the USA in 1944. The incident of the U boat described in the manuscript has a wrong date as my family (father and grand parents) testified that they were there during the incident and they disembarke in PA USA may 16th 1944.

If you need more details, we can provide. for that, please contact <e-mail (Redacted)> — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.35.62.59 (talk) 14:37, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Do you have a reliable source for that? Note that pursuant to Wikipedia policy, personal recollections are not reliable sources. Hope this helps.--ukexpat (talk) 15:01, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

I Wanna UserBox!!

Does anyone know how to make a userbox? Could you tell me pls? Refer to me on my Talk Page. Thank You. CFyre (talk) 14:59, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Before you think about making one, are any of the existing ones at WP:Userboxes/Gallery to your liking?--ukexpat (talk) 15:02, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Ok I'll check it out. CFyre (talk) 15:04, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Article Submission Inquiry

To Whom It May Concern,

I hope this email finds you well. I have submitted an article for creation on the topic of David Hryck, tax lawyer and US Head of International Tax at SNR Denton. The article has been reviewed several times but not accepted. I do not understand why the article has not been accepted, especially since all of the necessary changes your website required have been made. Please let me know what can be done to make the article on David Hryck acceptable.

My username is Saxton Group.

Thank you for your help. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Saxton Group (talk • contribs) 15:06, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

As indicated in the notice at the top of the page, the article requires more references to reliable, third party, sources. Also, I have to ask, are you creating the draft on behalf of a client? If so, please read WP:COI.--ukexpat (talk) 15:12, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

The Saxton Group is a NYC public relations firm, advertising their leet skillz in "image enhancement, increased public awareness, effective communication, high-impact media placement". The spammer's account has been blocked. --Orange Mike | Talk 15:27, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Question

I have asked a question on my talk page. Do I just wait for somebody to respond? 128.187.97.20 (talk) 19:16, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

You don't have a userpage as you're an anonymous IP address editor. If you want a userpage of your own (which you're not sharing with other IPs at that school/college) then you need to register.

Registering will offer benefits, as at the moment you risk a block whenever someone from that shared, educational IP address edits in an inappropriate manner. You will also get that blame if you are editing from the same IP at the moment.

Best solution: Register and create your own account. Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 19:22, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Thank you Jenova20 for your answer. You didn't answer the part about me getting an alerted when somebody tries to contact me but I got a bright orange banner at the top of the page that told me so. 128.187.97.20 (talk) 19:37, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Yeah, every time someone adds to your userpage you'll get that message notification. Anyone at that IP address can respond to it though. If you have your own registered account then you still get the notification and only you can respond to it. Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 00:20, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

Layout bug

I just took a screenshot of the main page. It's been like this for a few days, am i the only one with this? benzband (talk) 20:20, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

I have this problem too. For the record, I'm using Google Chrome. Readro (talk) 20:32, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

See the various threads about this at WP:VPT. Try bypassing your cache and doing a server purge.--ukexpat (talk) 20:33, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Ah, bypassing the cache seems to work. Thanks. Readro (talk) 20:35, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Google Chrome users can—and should—also report this to Google under the Help menu. GeorgeLouis (talk) 20:50, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

I'm using Firefox, and bypassing worked. I thought i had already tried that, but apparently not. Thanks! benzband (talk) 20:58, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Anyone using Firefox can bypass it for just Wikipedia with CTRL + F5. Sorry, but didn't look into this for other browsers. This way will keep the rest of your cache how it is and only reset individual Wikipedia pages. You might have to do it a couple times (took me 3 on different articles). Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 00:26, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

"Troublesome" comments about well-known government officials

Recent comments about Woodrow Wilson were deleted by Wikipedia as "unconstructive."

1. Adolf Hitler was a Nazi. Is it illegal within Wikipedia to cite Adolf Hitler as a Nazi?

2. Woodrow Wilson was a Fascist [a.k.a. "progressive"]. It is illegal within Wikipedia to cite Woodrow Wilson as a Fascist [a.k.a. "progressive"?] — Preceding unsigned comment added by P0rkch0pian (talk • contribs) 21:08, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Do you have evidence that most reliable sources call Wilson a facist? Wikipedia only prints things that the preponderance of mainstream, reliable sources also say. Glenn Beck is a widely read author, but I don't know that anyone considers him an authoritative scholar on either the American Presidency or on the nature of facism. --Jayron32 21:14, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Story site

I know this has nothing to do with Wikipedia, although, do you know where there is a site where users can type there own stories fact or fiction or write whatever they want like the sandbox?--Checkmeleon (talk) 22:03, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Would have been better to ask at the WP:Reference desk, but you could try FictionPress.com or Fanfiction.net (for fanfiction), among others. The two I listed generally come more from uploads instead of "edit" boxes. There are also sites like Tumblr and Blogger that might do what you want. - Purplewowies (talk) 23:13, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

MB

The information on mb Microtech is incorrect I would like to have to opportunity of editing this page — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.156.208.22 (talk) 23:38, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Do you mean mb-microtec? That article is not protected so you can edit it right now by clicking the "Edit" tab. See more at Help:Editing. Please try to spell correctly and use proper English and punctuation. PrimeHunter (talk) 23:56, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

And please be aware that if the information you add is not backed up by reliable sources, it is liable to be removed. --ColinFine (talk) 11:21, 5 December 2012 (UTC)