Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2016 March 13

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March 13

Archiving URLs

Hello: I often edit articles by authors who request a copy edit from the GOCE. When I notify the requester that I have finished the c/e I also provide them with details so that they can archive their article's URLs if they have not already done so. I often check back to see if this has been done; for whatever reason, for the most part, this suggestion is ignored. Is there a tool available to Wikipedia editors that automates the archiving process? Thank you. Twofingered Typist (talk) 16:02, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Maybe this page is interesting to you. The bot is here.The Quixotic Potato (talk) 17:20, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Thanks very much! Twofingered Typist (talk) 21:12, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Critical Reviews

I was wondering how reviews on Wikipedia are determined. For songs and albums, I have seen as follows:

• Universal critical acclaim
• General critical acclaim
• Very positive reviews
• Generally positive reviews
• Mixed to positive reviews
• Generally mixed reviews
• Mixed to negative reviews
• Negative reviews
• Very negative reviews
• Panned by critics

How is each gradation determined? Is there a certain requirement for each? — Preceding unsigned comment added by ThatsSoElliot (talk • contribs) 17:36, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

What kind of reviews do you mean? Any example? Ruslik_Zero 18:55, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Hello, ThatsSoElliot. I'm guessing you're talking about what's in the "critical reception" section in articles about books, films, albums etc. I don't know the answer for certain, but I'm pretty sure that there is no objective definition of these terms. If there were anything, I would expect to find it in places like WP:WikiProject Film, but I don't see anything there. WP:MOSFILM#Critical response has some bearing, but I don't think it addresses your question. (And even if either of those two places did have anything relevant, that would only be for films: books, plays, albums, and other entertainments would not be covered).

I think you do raise an interesting point, because it is arguable that using any of these phrases in an article (unless quoting a reliable source) is at least editorializing, or maybe original research.— Preceding unsigned comment added by ColinFine (talk • contribs) 19:31, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Yes, generally, these sorts of things should be removed as original research unless they're sourced. This is why we have aggregators, such as Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes, and GameRankings. NinjaRobotPirate (talk) 03:11, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

Asking for Cleanup, Help desk page, category removal

Greetings, At the bottom of this Help desk page, should these categories be removed?

• Implemented requested edits
• Stations of East Japan Railway Company
• Stations of Central Japan Railway Company

Since this is way beyond anything I know how to do, can an expert here please delete these N/A categories? Or will this need to be requested at Village pump-technical? Regards, — JoeHebda • (talk) 17:46, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Scrolling through the mark-up I spotted that the question asked a few days ago regarding multiple use of templates, contained the templates for the Japanese railway station categories; now removed. I have not been able to find the cat: referring to implemented edit requests though. Eagleash (talk) 18:42, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

In this edit I've dealt with the misplaced "request edit" templates. --David Biddulph (talk) 18:50, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Thanks Eagleash and David Biddulph – It's nice when pages are nice & tidy! :-) Cheers! — JoeHebda • (talk) 20:29, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Hello! How do I place the correct URL in an author link?

All help appreciated!

yours Charlie — Preceding unsigned comment added by Black Dove Books (talk • contribs) 19:15, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Sorry, Charlie, but you'll have to explain more fully what you are trying to do. What do you mean by an "author link"? Where are you trying to place a URL?

I need to draw your attention to the fact that usernames that imply that they represent an organisation are not permitted: you need to either change your username, or abandon the account and create a new one with a name which is personal to you.

The fact that you are asking about placing URL's in author links, and that you have an account name which appears to represent a publisher or bookseller, makes me suspicious that you may be here to do some promotion for your authors. If that is the case, please don't. Wikipedia may not be used for any kind of promotion, and inserting links to commercial sites into articles is regarded as spamming. On the other hand, you may not be intending anything of the kind, in which case I apologise for my suspiciousness. --ColinFine (talk) 19:39, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

help with dealing with vandalism

Bluelight (web forum) (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) hello

i am trying to deal with a vandal. the page in question is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluelight_(web_forum). they're editing the text "harm reduction" to "drug dealing" in an attempt to defame my site.

i have read "How to warn vandalizing users" at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Vandalism#How_to_warn_vandalizing_users and i have found the recommended templates to send to the vandal but i can't work out how to actually send the message.

i also find the history a little confusing, i think the responsible users are: 81.149.223.32; Mean as custard;

can somebody help me warn these users (they're maybe the same person?)

thank you and regards

alasdair (bl admin) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Therealbluelight (talk • contribs) 20:38, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Hello, to warn unconstructive or disruptive editors copy and paste one of the appropriate templates at WP:WARN onto their talk page. You can use a piped link to refer to the article in question. Sign your posts by typing four tildes (~~~~). However, your username somewhat suggests that you have a connection to the subject of the article and you should read WP:COI and also look at some of the posts above. If you have a conflict of interest you can ask for help with editing at the article talk-page or come back to the help-desk, but you should not edit pages on subjects where you have a close association. Eagleash (talk) 20:59, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Ping @Mean as custard: -- John of Reading (talk) 21:15, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

This is not about vandalism, which is defined here as "a deliberate attempt to damage Wikipedia". It is a content dispute. The editors described above as vandals believe that Bluelight is about drug dealing. Bluelight itself claims to be about harm reduction; but it is not an independent source, and there are obvious reasons why it might make such a claim. I have not been able to find a reliable independent source for what the forum is really centred on, but my own sampling of a few threads suggests that it is largely about people's experiences with drugs. Maproom (talk) 09:26, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

• @Therealbluelight: The sources do nto say the purpose of the forum is "harm reduction", they say it is for discussion of controlled drugs (or some equivalent term). Due to your conflict of interest you should propose changes on the Talk page and not edit the article directly. Guy (Help!) 14:45, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

??????

how to start and where to start............ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Khalid720 (talk • contribs) 21:24, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Start with checking out some of the links left on your talk page at User talk:Khalid720. If you have more specific questions, please come back and ask. RudolfRed (talk) 22:23, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Citation templates

Three questions: (1)Is there a template that will make the reference list in alphabetical order instead of in the order that the citations appear in the article? (2)Is there a template for citing multiple pages from one source without creating duplicate entries for that source in the reference list? (3)If yes, what's the template? Thank you! PermStrump(talk) 23:00, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Hello, Permstrump.

1) No, not that I know of. A harvard-type citation style could put the full source listings in alpha order, but the notes would still be in order of occurrence, and in my view should be.

2 & 3) Create the cite without page numbers, use it as a named reference and reuse it as needed, and use {{rp}} to give the page numbers. There are other ways to do it, but I think that is easiest. DES ^(talk) 00:10, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

Thanks for the info, DES! One more question... as opposed to an alphabetical sort, is there a better way to search for duplicate entries? PermStrump(talk) 05:02, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

Permstrump, A search (find) through either the displayed text or the wikisource for a key string from a citation will normally find any duplicates. Unless the number of cites is quite high, simply scanning the notes or references section will usually spot any duplicates. This isn't perfect, but it is generally good enough. DES ^(talk) 12:36, 14 March 2016 (UTC)