Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2018 January 9

Welcome to the Wikipedia Help Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current Help Desk pages.

January 9

Uploading pics bottom cut off

Trying to upload some pics that are merged. They are wide but bottom is cut off — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jellllo (talk • contribs) 00:48, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

I see that you have uploaded two pictures to Wikipedia Commons, which have both had the lower part of the image replaced by grey. I suggest you ask at the Commons Helpdesk, where they may know more about such problems. Maproom (talk) 10:11, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

How to add image to an article

I Wish to add some images to a Wikipedia article. I can find no straightforward instructions on how to do this. Perhaps you could try to explain it to me step by step and I can rewrite it to make sense? Why can't I just drag and drop the image into the article while I am editing it? Would that be too simple?

Seriously, your instructions are not user friendly. I tried to use the wizard and it is not intuitive.

I have an extensive background in procedure writing and using computer software. Wrote procedures for supporting application pertinent to nuclear submarine overhauls and a large management information system. I have contributed to Wikipedia because I believe in what you are doing.

Please help by with this objective. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Everwatchful (talk • contribs) 02:08, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:Picture tutorial. nagualdesign 02:54, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

@Everwatchful: I have found this tutorial on images by Yunshui to be very helpful. –FlyingAce^✈hello 14:52, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

Musician/Artist Resource Criteria

I am attempting to write a Wikipedia page for approval for a musician. Currently, this musician has limited notable sources. The notable sources available are youtube vlogs and various mix clips that are searchable on Google.

Are youtube videos an acceptable source. What other sources are acceptable for a musician who is establishing a career? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.78.191.27 (talk) 02:27, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

Hey there. Welcome to WP. Have you familiarized yourself with the requirements for notability with musicians here first? Notability music / people. It will give you a better understanding of what is required for an article to be accepted for a musician here at WP. Second, YouTube videos are accepted; but under certain criteria guidelines for the content they are serving as sources. Mostly, they are external links; and even then, not really helpful. Last, by your use of words "for a musician who is establishing a career"; it would seem that you are either associated with the subject, or know them personally, and that they are just starting out. 1) This is known as a conflict-of-interest WP:COI and is discouraged in editing articles at WP; and 2) if a subject is just starting with very little notability to provide reliable sources, it may not be the right time to try and attempt an article. Best of luck. Maineartists (talk) 02:50, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

None of those are reliable sources suitable for creating an article. I fear that your friend is not yet "notable" as we define it, but rather falls in the "up-and-coming" category. Until he or she starts getting noticed by actual edited publications and websites with editorial oversight and standards for coverage, you may just have to wait. You don't get noticed by being in Wikipedia, you get in Wikipedia because people have already noticed you. --Orange Mike | Talk 02:54, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

how to block another user from editing your user page?

Hello, how can I stop the user who is editing my user page? Thanks 170.212.0.63 (talk) 02:59, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

? Nobody has edited your userpage for almost a month; and those edits were sound and helpful. Did you mean the userpage of a registered account? If so, we'd need to know your username in order to give you any useful advice. --Orange Mike | Talk 03:05, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

• Hello,​ for a start, you can stop adding {{pp-move-indef}} to your talk page repeatedly. The template is for use only on high-visibility pages those are indefinitely move protected. Your repetitive reverts adding the template got you blocked last month by Patar knight, who described exactly why you got blocked. You've continued your disruptive addition of the template on the talk page since then. If you really wish to test the usage of templates, doing that on your talk (and thus unnecessarily invoking the time of Bots and Wikipedia's servers hosting those bots) is not the way to go. I would suggest immediately stopping this line of editing, as it would only lead to a longer block with talk page access revoked. Thanks, Lourdes 03:10, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

I don't know why you keep ading {{pp-move-indef}} to your talk page. If it's because you hope to keep your current IP address 170.212.0.63 then it has no effect. The IP address is assigned by your Internet service provider and not by Wikipedia. {{pp-move-indef}} is only for pages which have been move protected by an administrator. There is no reason to do that here. PrimeHunter (talk) 11:12, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

I am having my article changes taken down

This fake user firstly reported my legitimate edit without a username, just an IP. Then purported to be a moderator. Lauren Austin is a fake name that the stalker/criminal who I am both suing and progressing forward with making a statement for serious Commonwealth charges attempts to destroy everything I do. He is obsessed and has BPD. I would ask you to please help me in this situation. EVestigatorSimonSmith (talk) 09:40, 9 January 2018 (UTC)EVestigatorSimonSmith

Assuming you're talking about the removal of this edit, the material you added was clearly inappropriate and the (multiple) editors who've reverted you have all been acting correctly. Wikipedia only covers what independent reliable sources say about any given topic; we're not interested either in what your own website says, nor in what blogs say. ‑ Iridescent 09:47, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

I'd advise you not to try to use Wikipedia for self-promotion. If you can find an independent source to support your addition, then please add it, or mention it here so that someone can add it for you. Your stalker/troll is also behaving inappropriately, and could eventually be blocked if he continues. Just don't give him an obvious target. Dbfirs 10:02, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

I'm amused to see that EVestigatorSimonSmith, whose edits are intended to promote himself, has reported himself to the Conflict of interest noticeboard. Maproom (talk) 10:20, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

Well the person that is amused has been stalking me for 6 months and has already used the exact same name. Can you check if Lauren Austin is real? Or is it another VPN with a fraud score of 75% on ipqualityscore.com. I'm amused that a complete stranger without logging in, who is a criminal can remove legitimate content. Just more for the evidence bucket. So, out of interest, if you feel like giving away free information, you can't quote your name, your source, because that would be self promotion? Only actual real people answer please, not albino criminal stalkers who are going to jail for a very long long time from Netherlands. — Preceding unsigned comment added by EVestigatorSimonSmith (talk • contribs) 10:28, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

Wikipedia:No_original_research says "Wikipedia articles must not contain original research." LaurenAustin (talk) 10:34, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

I'm not sure where you got Bipolar Disorder from. I'm not purporting to be a moderator. I just added an appropriate warning to your talk page because your actions were in violation of Wikipedia policies. I'm sad to see you GASlighting me about this issue. Please avoid personal attacks like baseless accusations of Bipolar Disorder. LaurenAustin (talk) 10:32, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

• Closed at Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest/Noticeboard#Smart_toy, indef blocked. Widefox; talk 10:55, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

Declined offers for paid editing

What is the policy if someone offers to pay me to edit or create certain pages, but I decline? Am I required to disclose the offer even though I declined? May I disclose it if I choose to do so, or does that violate WP:BLP by adding uncited details about living people (namely the person who made me the offer)? If I am able to disclose it, and choose to do so, where would be the appropriate place? This is not a hypothetical, by the way. It actually happened. Smartyllama (talk) 14:51, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

Hi Smartyllama. Our Paid-contribution disclosure policy is intended for editors who "receive, or expect to receive" compensation, and not for those who haven't received and don't expect to receive such consideration. In my opinion, there's no need to disclose the offer if you've declined the offer, provided the offerer isn't a current Wikipedia editor (in which case, you should advise them to immediately disclose the details on their user page/talk page/edit summaries, as advised by Wikipedia:Paid-contribution disclosure#How to disclose). The said link may also be relevant to you, in case you wish to disclose any future details through your user page, as advised in the policy. Thanks, Lourdes 18:29, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

The above is accurate as far as it goes, but it does not appear to address Smartyllama's question. He/she isn't engaging in paid editing and thus does not need advice as to how to identify oneself as a paid editor. She/he asked whether disclosing that someone made the offer violates our WP:OUTING policy.

Here is my opinion on that question (noting that I am not an authority and requesting second opinions on this):

If the offer was made by an organization or business, no problem. Reveal the offer publicly.

If the offer was made by someone with a pseudonymous wikipedia account ("Smartyllama" is an example of that, assuming that your real name isn't Smartyllama), no problem. Reveal the offer publicly. For users like me who use their full legal name as a wikipedia username, see below.

If the offer was made by an individual, you can freely disclose what they wanted you to do and how much they were willing to pay but not who they are. Avoid posting information such as legal name, home or workplace address, job title and work organisation, telephone number, email address, etc. Instead I would contact the arbitration committee privately at [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EmailUser/Arbitration_Committee ]. --Guy Macon (talk) 22:46, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

Hello Guy Macon, agreeing with you here. I guess I read Smarty's focus as being on WP:BLPPRIVACY. Wikipedia's paid editing policy guides that there's no confidentiality that applies to any person making the payment and that the name of the person making the payment needs to be disclosed on the user page/talk page/edit summaries of the compensated editors. In this case, when Smarty's refused the offer, discretion seems appropriate and it would be judicious to follow your suggestions. As you mention, others may have clearer suggestions. Thanks, Lourdes 00:37, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

Subject: College Football Playoff article

I saw the below on the above listed article. Not sure about the accuracy of the statement. sounds very opinionated by a disgruntled contributor. Thanks.

In addition to the three teams (Alabama always qualifys) selected for the playoff, the final CFP rankings are used to help determine the participants for the other four New Year's Six bowls that are not hosting the semifinals that year. But will always include Alabama cause without them nobody will watch them than people will think the SEC is weak so by having them every year it makes the selection committee and SEC looking good because Alabama and the SEC pays the selection committee to make sure Alabama is always in it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.222.250.9 (talk) 15:51, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

The change to College Football Playoff has been reverted. (It actually got fixed, and then the fix got reverted, but I think it has made its way back to not being there.Naraht (talk) 16:15, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

Help Me Please!!!!

Thanks again for the help. I want to submit my article for review. I have looked on the the site and various tutorials online but have not found how to get my article reviewed so it can go live on wiki. Could you help identify what steps I need to take to get my article to "go live" on the wiki? "go live" meaning people can search for the title of the article or the persons name "Robert Dorsey" and be sent to the page i created titled "Robert "LB" Dorsey" — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jmorg123 (talk • contribs) 21:20, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

There are some useful links in the welcome message on your user talk page. You ought to read the advice at WP:Your first article (and also the the Manual of Style as there are a number of formatting errors in your sandbox draft). It looks if the draft needs improved sourcing, as at least one section is entirely unsourced. I've added a {{userspace draft}} template to allow you to submit the draft for review when it is ready. Note also that there souldn't be a copy of your draft on your user page; the purpose of a user page is described at WP:user page. --David Biddulph (talk) 21:32, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

I moved this draft to Draft:Robert Dorsey, as it had no business on your userpage. --Orange Mike | Talk 00:03, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

Helo im from Somalia

Hello im study England from wikipedia for about 5 year. I use a really old computer with a acer monter my familly giv me for my birthday. Im wondering if i edit pags wit bad england if people will proof reed them fore me, because i see tonnes of pages that arnt cannon atll and want to fix them but my england isnt grate. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.164.116.62 (talk) 22:40, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

I would advise posting suggestions on article talk pages. You write well enough for us to understand you if you tell us about an error on a page, and we will be happy to fix it for you. --Guy Macon (talk) 22:51, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

Consider finding the Wikipedia for your native language, and working to improve that one. https://www.wikipedia.org/ has the list. RudolfRed (talk) 23:16, 9 January 2018 (UTC)

I'm impressed that you know how to use and spell the word cannon (Somali: madfac). Considering your contributions so far and your IP address I wonder, whereabouts in Somalia do you live? Because I live in Somalia too and I have a spare laptop, if you want it. nagualdesign 00:04, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

"I'm from Somalia" doesn't necessarily mean "I am in Somalia now". His IP Geolocates to Tulelake Basin Joint Unified School Distric in Tulelake CA. [ http://www.tbjusd.org/ ]. --Guy Macon (talk) 02:30, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

Of course it doesn't, but how many Somalis do you suppose live in California and use Wikipedia to learn England? Or for that matter, how many Californians use a really old computer with a acer monter? Given the IP's previous contributions (vandalism), the deliberate misspelling of simple words, and the correct use of words and grammar that foreigners tend to find more difficult I would suggest that what we've got here is an American teenager, born and bred, trying to pull your leg using a rather transparent, child-like imitation of a Somali. Maybe I'm wrong, and perhaps the user will return for more advice, though I expect that seeing the link to his school that you provided may make him realize that he's not entirely anonymous while he's wasting people's time on the Internet. nagualdesign 04:23, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

Looks like you nailed it. --Guy Macon (talk) 17:08, 10 January 2018 (UTC)