Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2024 November 15

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November 15

Wiki shielding convicted rapist?

How does Mike Tyson’s article not mention he is a convicted rapist who spent 3 years in jail. Despite the article having a whole section on his “legal troubles” and mentioned other rape allegations- he was charged and convicted of rape in the 90s. This article is locked but this is a gross omission. 2607:FEA8:FF01:48D5:5DD:A820:1B1A:6CBB (talk) 03:21, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

It mentions it in the lead as well as in a several-paragraph subsection of his professional career section. It does mention it. - Purplewowies (talk) 03:32, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

This isn't a matter for the help desk – please discuss this at Talk:Mike Tyson, the article's talk page. Note that while the article is protected, the talk page is not. jlwoodwa (talk) 04:58, 16 November 2024 (UTC)

His rape conviction is described at Mike Tyson#Trial and incarceration. Cullen328 (talk) 17:54, 16 November 2024 (UTC)

User infobox

Is there any user inforbox which I can place in my userpage where detailed about me parameter are present and where I can add a picture of myself? CometVolcano (talk) 05:01, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Template:Infobox Wikipedia user.--♦IanMacM♦ ^{(talk to me)} 07:55, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

How to create a secret string

My question is in the title above! 🙂 Augnablik (talk) 11:46, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

@Augnablik: If you refer to a committed identity for your account then you choose the secret string yourself. See Template:Committed identity and Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2007-05-14/Committed identity. PrimeHunter (talk) 13:03, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Yes, @PrimeHunter, a committed identity (sort of a strange term!) is what I’d like to get. Not that I’m really worried about needing one, but it seems like a good idea.

The directions for using that template are a bit challenging for me to follow, though. They seem a better match for those who are comfortable editing with the source code rather than the visual editor.

But thanks for at least pointing me somewhere… Augnablik (talk) 15:58, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

If you're asking how to create a hidden comment in a page's source, it's the same as in HTML: surround the hidden text with <!-- hidden comment here -->. Text between the -- tags will not render on the page. This works in the source editor, I'm not sure if you can make hidden comments in the visual editor. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 14:01, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Block tally

I should know the answer to this, but I do not, so I'll ask here: how can an editor like me determine the number and dates of all blocks/bans, and unblocks/unbans, performed by an administrator? JoJo Anthrax (talk) 13:42, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Head to the admin's userpage or contributions, find the link titled 'logs for this user' or 'user logs' (eg Special:Log/Zzuuzz), then choose 'block log' in the dropdown. The total number is a bit more complicated. One method is to head for WP:ADMINSTATS. -- zzuuzz ^(talk) 13:52, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

(edit conflict) User:JamesR/AdminStats (shortcut WP:ADMINSTATS) is a bot-updated list of different administrative actions and the top 100 administrators by count of each of those actions. If you're looking for all stats for a particular administrator, some admins have enabled a bot to periodically create a table of their own actions; these will be at :[[Template:Adminstats/<<admin username>>]], for example mine are Template:Adminstats/Ivanvector. That is opt-in, though: not every administrator has enabled the bot. There are probably other ways, these are just the two I know of.

For any administrator, a record of their blocks is recorded at :[[Special:Log/block/<<username>>]], for example Special:Log/block/Ivanvector. This link works for any username, but for editors who have never been administrators the report will be blank. This is only for blocks; bans are community actions and are not logged by the software. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 13:59, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Incorrect Information

Good morning,

When searching the R.M. of Clinworth No. 230 it says the Reeve is Krista that is not correct the Reeve is Tyler Trew. If this change could please be made it would be greatly appreciated. 71.17.184.254 (talk) 14:54, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

 Courtesy link: Rural Municipality of Clinworth No. 230

Your best option, if you can't make this change yourself, is to request the change at the talk page for the article itself. In either case, you'll need to provide a reliable source so that the information you'd like incorporated into the article can be verified. Cheers! DonIago (talk) 15:04, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

The government ref in the infobox isn't working at the moment, but I've changed the reeve to Tyler Trew per this government page. Deor (talk) 23:13, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Overlinking - guidance

The first sentence in Van Morrison's early life has six wikilinks, most of which strike me as redundant, serving only to clutter the article. Is there an experienced editor who can advise which if any should be removed?

"George Ivan Morrison was born on 31 August 1945, at 125 [Hyndford Street], [Bloomfield], [Belfast], [Northern Ireland], as the only child of George Morrison, a [shipyard] electrician, and Violet Morrison (née Stitt), who had been a singer and [tap dancer] in her youth." Jack C (talk) 15:56, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Only five, I think. Bloomfield, Belfast is just one wikilink. Wikilinling shipyard seems questionable - don't most people know what a shipyard is? But I wouldn't argue about it. Maproom (talk) 17:10, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

MOS:GEOLINK says, "For a geographical location expressed as a sequence of two or more territorial units, link only the first unit." So Northern Ireland should be unlinked. I don't think the street counts, so Bloomfield, Belfast can stay linked. Perception312 (talk) 20:00, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Going to point out that wherever possible, MOS:SEAOFBLUE should be considered. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 06:27, 16 November 2024 (UTC)

Many thanks folks - the geolink/seaofblue items are very helpful. Jack C (talk) 13:42, 16 November 2024 (UTC)

Vector Legacy search acting up

Hello,

When I search for a page in the Vector Legacy skin, it only selects a couple articles at random when using the up and down arrows on my keyboard. The Vector 2022 skin doesn't exhibit the same behaviour. I have reproduced this issue on a couple of browsers.

Is this a bug?

Thanks.

Urbanracer34 (talk) 17:30, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

It seems so. See Wikipedia:Village_pump_(technical)#Search_autocomplete_selects_random_results_when_arrowing_down. -- zzuuzz ^(talk) 21:09, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Thanks! Nice to see I'm not alone. Urbanracer34 (talk) 21:16, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

A page for me

I have been approached by a "Wikipedia Moderator." He has offered to create and edit a page for me. How do I know if this is legitimate or if it is a scam. He indicated there would be a small fee for his services. 98.149.176.176 (talk) 19:32, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

This is always a scam. Legitimate Wikipedia editors will never ask for payment in return for their services. * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 19:36, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Pppery is correct: this is not legitimate. See WP:SCAM for more information, and consider emailing paid-en-wpwikipedia.org with a copy of what the scammer sent you. jlwoodwa (talk) 21:14, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Or you could just post it here, so that we can have a good laugh at the scammer's expense. -- Hoary (talk) 22:03, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

We ought to have a wall of shame for such material. —Tamfang (talk) 02:03, 17 November 2024 (UTC)

How do you create a page from screatch

How do I create a page from scratch not edit existing ones? Sirlongwoodthepenal (talk) 22:38, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

@Sirlongwoodthepenal: If you want to create an article at the English Wikipedia then see Wikipedia:Articles for creation. Otherwise, which type of page and where? PrimeHunter (talk) 22:43, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

It's highly advised that you first learn about how Wikipedia works and what is expected of article content by editing existing articles, before attempting the very difficult task of writing a new article. 331dot (talk) 23:09, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

@Sirlongwoodthepenal: Any article on Wikipedia must be about a notable subject, using our definition of notable, not yours. Therefore, before you waste time on learning the mechanics of creating an article, please spend some time verifying that the subject is notable. Start at WP:N. -Arch dude (talk) 05:14, 15 November 2024 (UTC)