Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2020 April 26

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April 26

Rewriting an existing article?

Resolved

Sometimes articles do exist and they are structurally too bad. When I want to expand them, I prefer writing the article from the scratch. For example, Socialism in Iran is created by copy/pasting text from articles included in Category:Socialist parties in Iran. They content is well-sourced, but does not provide a useful overview and in my opinion, much of that material deserves to be removed from that article, replaced with general information. Another example is Islamic fundamentalism in Iran, an article with 117,025 bytes of size, which is based on original research, and unreliable sources are extensively used, aside from being outdated. I am not sure if here is the right place to ask, but I need advice on how rewriting such articles can comply with guidlines. Pahlevun (talk) 01:55, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

@Pahlevun: The relevant essay is Wikipedia:Blow it up and start over. You will probably need to get some sort of consensus before you put a lot of work into this, or you will end up in an endless debate. (I personally am too much of a coward to try this). Maybe try to post an outline of your proposed replacement article in userspace as a starting point. -Arch dude (talk) 02:34, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Thank you very much. If the article is deserted and no other active editors are involved, I guess I can replace replacement article in userspace? Pahlevun (talk) 02:56, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

@Pahlevun:First state your intentions on the existing article's talk page. Try to attract the attention of interested editors by posting on the talk pages of relevant projects. Then, build your new article at e.g., User:Pahlevun/Islamic fundamentalism in Iran. Work on this article, and when you believe it is better than the current disaster, announce your intentions again at the existing article's talk page. Finally, attract the attention of an admin to replace the old article with the new one. Good luck! -Arch dude (talk) 03:35, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Thanks. I really appreciate your help, Arch dude. Pahlevun (talk) 03:44, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

I would even recommend Pahlevun (talk · contribs) that you create a page in your sandbox and add the appropriate templates at the top of the page that this is something you are working on as well as link that in your discussions so people can go on to that sandbox page and help you with editing, sourcing, etc. --Galendalia (talk) 03:57, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Done: User:Pahlevun/Socialism in Iran. Pahlevun (talk) 04:06, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Maurice d'Elbée

This isn't a question really, but an admission that I have created a little mess and don't know how to fix it. I wanted to move Louis d'Elbée to his correct name, Maurice d'Elbée, but found myself dealing with redirects that made a simple "move" impossible. I won't go into the details, but I forgot that the revision history would be lost if I simply copy/pasted. Now there is a page called "Maurice d'Elbée: Revision history" which is a redirect and has the revisions...well, anyway, I think this is going to require someone with the power to rollback everything I did and start over. I don't know what should be rolled back first, and I've done enough damage already, so I hope it's not impossible to untangle. If I can undo it myself I will be more than happy to.

I am so sorry, I've been doing this long enough that I should have known better...but, well, no excuses. WQUlrich (talk) 06:49, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Hi WQUlrich - Are you referring to this particular version: curprev 23:03, April 25, 2020‎ WQUlrich talk contribs‎ 9,361 bytes +9,333‎ Move article undothank Tag: Removed redirect --Galendalia (talk) 08:18, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

This entire article: Maurice d'Elbée, which should have a huge revision history going back to 2006, but that history is now part of the page linked above. WQUlrich (talk) 08:36, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

WQUlrich - Take a look now please! It was good practice for me. I think it is back to how it was prior. Please let me know if that worked for you by pinging me. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Galendalia (talk • contribs) 08:39, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

@Galendalia: The revision history is back with the article, but the article has the wrong name. I think some redirect pages may have to be deleted. WQUlrich (talk) 08:42, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

This one: Maurice d'Elbée, definitely. can you do that? WQUlrich (talk) 08:45, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

I got as far as I can get WQUlrich. At this point, you will need an administrator to complete the rest by Wikipedia:Requested moves/Technical requests and I do not see any reason why they could not do it. They are backlogged so it may take a bit though. Basically you need them to merge the two pages as a page with the same name Maurice d'Elbée exists and you need the history merged as well. Let me know if this helps you and I can go ahead and resolve this issue on the helpdesk. --Galendalia (talk) 08:57, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Thank you, what you did was a major step! WQUlrich (talk) 08:59, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

I made some minor edits to Maurice d'Elbée yesterday, including correcting the spelling of "Beaupréau" in the first sentence. These have now vanished from the article history and from my contributions list. It wasn't much work and I don't really care; but I feel that such things shouldn't happen. I'm not asking for my edits to be dug out from somewhere and reapplied, but I'm curious about how it happened. Maproom (talk) 07:32, 27 April 2020 (UTC)

Channel tunnel

There’s a old radio program called escape and they mention the channel tunnel way back in 8/21/1954 so how is it possible to be open in 1994 if they mention it back in 1954 and already said exactly where it runs — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.243.151.214 (talk) 09:31, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

This is the help desk for answering questions about the use of Wikipedia. Your question would be better directed at one of the reference desks, perhaps Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous. For now, look at Channel Tunnel#Earlier proposals, which may be of interest. Mikenorton (talk) 09:43, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Escape (radio program) was fictional. It was the episode "Two and Two Make Four" at [1] which says: "This episode appears to be loosely based on an actual tunnel proprosal that was given to Napolean III in 1856." PrimeHunter (talk) 13:49, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

cannot access my user page

Resolved

my user page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Carl_fechner ---- was created many years ago by my web developer and I no longer have the website and associated emails linked with it --- I want to update the page details and fix the broken links — Preceding unsigned comment added by ISMECJF (talk • contribs) 09:41, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

@ISMECJF: I've deleted the page under speedy deletion criteria U5: Wikipedia is not a webhost. If you still want to see how a real article is supposed to be written, I've written a guide explaining how to write articles that won't be rejected or deleted. Ian.thomson (talk) 10:16, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Jack Klugman

Resolved

Why is Jack Klugman not attributed for the 1953 film “Kiss Me Kate” where he plays “Gunman”?

IMDB do not credit him either. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.195.52.13 (talk) 11:47, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

He was not in the 1953 Kiss Me Kate (film). He was in a 1958 TV film of the same name. IMDb does credit him.[2] Wikipedia does not have an article about the TV film. It's briefly mentioned at Kiss Me, Kate#Film and television and List of Hallmark Hall of Fame episodes#Season 8 (1958–59). PrimeHunter (talk) 12:26, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

 Added to Jack Klugman#Filmography. In the future, questions like this can be asked at the article's talk page: Talk:Jack Klugman. Happy editing! GoingBatty (talk) 12:58, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

How to publish a "draft"?

Resolved

Hi all!

I have written a draft article but I don't know how to actually publish the draft. Who can help me?

Thanks!! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pepe1979 (talk • contribs) 14:19, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

@Pepe1979: See Wikipedia:Drafts#Creating and editing drafts. Happy editing! GoingBatty (talk) 15:57, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

This is about Desiderius-Erasmus-Stiftung. --Orange Mike | Talk 19:28, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Wikipedia's obligation for rapidly-changing information accuracy during the COVID-19 pandemic

There is an interesting debate among long-term WP medical editors about what is current clinical information on COVID-19 and what should be a WP:MEDRS source, i.e., a secondary reputable review on a given medical topic which takes weeks/months to publish. I recall a WP policy/guideline for Wikipedia's role as one of the first sources the public goes to for information on a rapidly changing news story (but can't find the link). Guidance, please? Zefr (talk) 15:56, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

@Zefr: Are you looking for Wikipedia:Reliable sources#Breaking news? GoingBatty (talk) 15:59, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

No, GoingBatty, and thanks, this is not a news issue per se, but rather a guideline for Wikipedia to represent and present content as a "source of reliable sources", such as this issue on vaccines. There's a guide to consider for representing Wikipedia as a reliable first-access site for developing events like the COVID-19 outbreak. Zefr (talk) 16:06, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

@Zefr: Maybe the first paragraph of Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources (medicine)? GoingBatty (talk) 16:08, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

No, not a matter of external medical source quality, but guidance on the role of Wikipedia in content and sources for a currently changing event. Zefr (talk) 16:14, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Note this article by Bluerasberry at The Signpost. There's a WP guide behind this. Could be an essay, WP:NOW. Zefr (talk) 16:33, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Omission of one of Zambia national football team air crash in Gabon in 1994

Wrong venue. Please move to Talk:1993 Zambia national football team plane crash

One " Michael Mwape" does not appear by name on your victims list though he was an official traveling with the team. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 45.215.232.242 (talk) 16:25, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Thank you for desire to improve the 1993 Zambia national football team plane crash article, but the proper place for that discussion is the article talk page: Talk:1993 Zambia national football team plane crash. Please provide reliable sources at the talk page. Thanks! GoingBatty (talk) 16:36, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Image file crop

Hi all, Is there anyone over here who can refer me to some place where I could get some help with image cropping? I'm very bad at it. :) Shahid • ^Talk2me 17:03, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

But these folks are very good at it, Shshshsh  ;) ——SN54129 17:17, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

It's very easy if you use GIMP. Here's how. Hit R to mark a rectangle. Mark your rectangle. Then "Image|Crop to selection". Then export. GIMP is free (libre + gratuit) and will run under Windows, macOS, and Linux. -- Hoary (talk) 04:33, 27 April 2020 (UTC)

My page has been deleted

Resolved

Hello. I apologies if this is not the correct section to post this but I need help please. I do not know how to create a Wikipedia page so I hired an editor to do it for me. I guess this was against some policy so my page has been deleted however I believe I am notable enough to have an entry. Could you be kind enough to help me with the rules and procedures if I can get my page back? Many thanks, Phil Sokowicz — Preceding unsigned comment added by PhilS223 (talk • contribs) 20:59, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

PhilS223 The article about you was not deleted, but was moved to Draft:Phil Sokowicz. The person you hired did not make the proper declarations required by the Wikipedia Terms of Use(see WP:PAID). 331dot (talk) 21:03, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

You should be advised that a Wikipedia article(not just a "page") is not necessarily desirable. Hiring someone is not necessarily a good decision, as any paid writer cannot, despite what they tell you, make any guarantees(such as promising they can write an article that will not be deleted). I hope you didn't hand over any money. 331dot (talk) 21:03, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

I apologies for that. I had no clue that the editor did not make proper declaration and I also do not know how to make that declaration. I have read the WP:PROUD but I really need the page back please. I have no intentions to promote myself and this is why I asked the editor not to mention the companies I founded. People should know about me because I am related with legal services here in Germany. — Preceding unsigned comment added by PhilS223 (talk • contribs) 21:11, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

No, I have not paid them yet but is there no way to undo moving that draft? Could you be kind enough to check if I am eligible or not? Many thanks, Phil — Preceding unsigned comment added by PhilS223 (talk • contribs) 21:13, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Please can you help me? I really do not know how it works. Thank you very much, Phil — Preceding unsigned comment added by PhilS223 (talk • contribs) 21:26, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

PhilS223 You say that you have no intentions of promoting yourself but then you state that "People should know about me because I am related with legal services here in Germany." That's the definition of promotion, at least on Wikipedia. You can review the Wikipedia definition of a notable person, but even if you meet it, you or your representative really should not be the ones to write an article about you here. 331dot (talk) 21:31, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

I asked the editor to include only basic stuffs about me without promoting me. I understand that I cannot make any edits or hire someone to make the edits but the problem is I really do not know how to edit it. I have "received significant coverage in multiple published secondary sources that are reliable, intellectually independent of each other,[5] and independent of the subject." as mentioned in the link you sent. So, what I can do next please? Thanks, Phil — Preceding unsigned comment added by PhilS223 (talk • contribs) 21:40, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

@PhilS223: Please review the Wikipedia:Plain and simple conflict of interest guide. GoingBatty (talk) 21:55, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

Thank you very much GoingBatty! Thanks, Phil — Preceding unsigned comment added by PhilS223 (talk • contribs) 21:58, 26 April 2020 (UTC)

@PhilS223: If the editor you hired is User:Sambhil32, please note that he has been blocked indefinitely for undisclosed promotional editing, so I suggest you do not pay him at all. JIP | Talk 10:22, 27 April 2020 (UTC)