Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2024 November 19

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November 19

Does the edit notice on pages about given names apply to fictional characters?

On given name pages such as Avery (given name), there's an edit notice saying not to add unlinked or redlinked entries to the lists. Does this apply to the fictional characters list or only the lists of people? JohnLaurensAnthonyRamos333 (correct me if I'm wrong) 00:39, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Given that the WP:EDITNOTICE you're referring to is Template:Editnotices/Page/Avery (given name), and it is at the very top of the editing window, I'm assuming the intent was to have it apply to all content on the page. The notice was created and added to the page in 2013 by an administrator named Alexf. It was subsequently updated in 2019 by the Alexf. It looks like the "Fictional characters" section was added after 2019, but prior to that page just contained links to articles about real people. Perhaps Alexf can clarify how the notice applies now. -- Marchjuly (talk) 01:02, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Thanks so much! JohnLaurensAnthonyRamos333 (correct me if I'm wrong) 01:07, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

As I mentioned to John earlier in my page, I don't bother much with fictional character names. -- Alexf^(talk) 22:17, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Change of Place Name

How do I alter the spelling in a title page specifically Haggits Pillar to Haggitt Pillar?

Haggit Pillar has been corrected to Haggitt Pillar by the New Zealand Geographic Board on the recommendation from the Antarctic Place Names Committee and published in the NZ Gazette (1). The United States Board on Geographical Names has updated its records accordingly (2).

(1) https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2024-ln5732 (2) https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-antarctica/public/search/names/2818689 JSH1970 (talk) 01:57, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

The act of changing an article name is described as a Move in Wikipedia. I have done it. HiLo48 (talk) 02:19, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

History of miss vicki chips shrinkage of bag size

History of miss vicki chips shrinkage of bag size 66.183.19.154 (talk) 02:39, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

There is an article on Miss Vickie's, but nothing on the bag size. These kinds of questions are better asked at the Reference desk, this page is for questions about using or editing Wikipedia. Sungodtemple (talk • contribs) 03:12, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

If you do ask a question there (or indeed here), do please make an effort to address humans. Thus "What is ...?", "How much is ...?", "Who did ...?", etc. Even better, sound a bit sociable/thoughtful/effortful; thus "Does anyone here know what is ...?", "Which article should I look at in order to find how much is ...?", "Is there yet any consensus among historians on who did ...?" Thank you! -- Hoary (talk) 05:25, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Misuse of "literal"

Has anyone worked much on pages dealing with words? I left this comment on a talk page a month ago and haven't had any replies. I would proceed with an edit, but I don't know if the error relates more to the individual page or if it's a common error elsewhere on Wiki so the use of "literal" in glosses would need more specification, wherever that takes place. I.e. should I proceed with the edit on the individual page or is there somewhere else I should take the discussion first?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Yeshua#The_note_%22literal_translation%22_is_imprecise

(NB looks like there's a coding error live on the page, so you might not be able to see what I'm talking about in the link just yet) Cameron.coombe (talk) 03:35, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

It's a common error in translation templates that goes back decades. Sometimes it is useful to provide a literal translation; sometimes it's useful to have an idiomatic gloss. For the latter, I'll remove any template that produces the string "literal" or any abbreviated equivalent and just put the gloss in brackets. Folly Mox (talk) 03:49, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Thanks Folly Mox! I'll proceed confidently. I'm glad I'm not the only one to be irked by this! Cameron.coombe (talk) 00:42, 20 November 2024 (UTC)

Nvm lol, someone got there before me. Good! Cameron.coombe (talk) 00:43, 20 November 2024 (UTC)

How to delete profile page

How can I delete my page here? I just signed up but it's confusing to use. I want to delete my page. Please advise Canada Mortgage and Financial Group (talk) 10:38, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

You do not have a page; your user page (User:Canada Mortgage and Financial Group) has not been created. Before you go any further on Wikipedia please consult the username policy as yours suggests it is a promotional name representing a company. Consider a change of username. Thanks, Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 10:42, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Ok. I had no idea I couldn't use a company name. Thanks for the information. If I don't have a page how come I am logged in here and messaging you? I'm new to this lol sorry..it's confusing. I will change the name. Canada Mortgage and Financial Group (talk) 10:54, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

You are logged into an account. Anyone can have an account; it essentially provides you with no extra benefits but means if you were to edit any Wikipedia article you would do so under your username rather than your IP. Accounts begin with the prefix "User:" while articles, or pages, are not prefixed. Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 11:00, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Got you, thank you so much for the explanation. Canada Mortgage and Financial Group (talk) 11:05, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

The friend not walk place friend yazini love

Sorry friend not friend yazini and love thank ..... 41.114.209.104 (talk) 11:52, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Hello, did you have a question about Wikipedia? qcne (talk) 12:05, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Policy on shifting IPs?

I have reason to believe that an editor is regularly shifting IPs to avoid accumulating a history of warnings and sanctions for their conduct in talk page discussions and edits to a cluster of articles surrounding a contentious topic. Does this violate any rules? It’s been going on for at least a few years: same positions, same tone, and same geolocation. They are extremely uncivil and disruptive in talk page discussions—but if that’s the extent of it, I’d rather just walk away.

Can you point me to any relevant policies or other useful resources?

Posting as an IP myself just to avoid unnecessary escalation from my edit history.

Thanks in advance, 75.73.117.213 (talk) 18:12, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Hi IP editor, that would come under Wikipedia:Sockpuppetry. qcne (talk) 18:21, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

IPs are often dynamic, especially under IPv6 (your post is signed under an IPv4 address). Regardless, if they appear to be from the same geolocation, you can check the first digits of the IP and, assuming some of them are the same, a rangeblock can be employed if disruption seems to continue. However, if they're coming from clearly different IP addresses (typically as a proxy) and you're certain they're the same person, you can issue a level four immediate vandalism warning ({{subst:uwv4im}}) and if disruption continues from obviously the same person you can open an SPI to get an administrator's eye on this case. Departure– (talk) 18:31, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

How to add a company logo?

I am writing an article about a business. I own the copyright of all logos. I'd love to feature the logo on the page but Wikipedia is not letting me load it. Could anyone advise on how to do that? I see many pages that have logos. Thank you! ClientCircle (talk) 18:44, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

First, please be sure to comply with conflict of interest procedures before creating an article about anything you may want an article on. Most companies are not notable enough to have a Wikipedia article, and writing one about a company you're involved with can be considered promotional and thus should be avoided. To upload a file, you should avoid going to Commons; as you own the copyright, your logo will be released into a free Creative Commons license - you should almost always avoid that if you have any stake in the company's success. Instead, it should be uploaded as a non-free file on the page. See WP:NFC for more information about doing so. Really, it shouldn't be uploaded at all - if your company is notable enough for Wikipedia, it will be created by another volunteer editor. Otherwise, it doesn't need one, just like the 95% of other companies worldwide with no article. Departure– (talk) 18:51, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Hello, @ClientCircle, and welcome to Wikipedia.

I will echo what Departure says, but give some more detail.

First, I'm guessing that the business is ClientCircle? If so, please note that:

• User names must not give the impression that they belong to an organisation, as opposed to an individual, and nor may they give the impression that they are editing on behalf of an organisation. You need to change your username (or, more simply, abandon that one and create a new one). "John at ClientCircle" would be acceptable, or your real name, or any pseudonym that is not the name of the business. See WP:Username policy.
• If you own the copyright on the logo, you almost certainly count as a paid editor, and you must make a formal declaration of this status, usually on your user page. (See the link for details)
• Creating a new article is probably the hardest task there is for an inexperienced editor. My earnest advice to new editors is to not even think about trying to create an article until you have spent several weeks - at least - learning about how Wikipedia works by making improvements to existing articles. Once you have understood core policies such as verifiability, neutral point of view, reliable, independent sources, and notability, and experienced how we handle disagreements with other editors (the Bold, Revert, Discuss cycle), then you might be ready to read your first article carefully, and try creating a draft.
• Creating a new article when you have a conflict of interest is even harder, because it is difficult to keep hold of the fact that Wikipedia has little interest in what the subject of an article says or wants to say about themselves, or what their associates say about them. Wikipedia is almost entirely interested in what people who have no connection with the subject, and who have not been prompted or fed information on behalf of the subject, have chosen to publish about the subject in reliable sources. If enough material is cited from independent sources to establish notability, a limited amount of uncontroversial factual information may be added from non-independent sources. Once you have found suitable independent, reliable sources, you will need to forget everything you know about the business, and write a summary of only what those sources say.
• An inexperienced editor is strongly advised, and an editor with a COI is required, to use the articles for creation process, to create a draft, and then submit it for review. The presence or absence of a logo will not affect this process.
• If you are the copyright holder of the logo, then you have the power to license it in a way that Wikimedia Commons will accept: but you should think hard about whether you want to do so. What you will be doing is irrevocably giving anybody in the world the legal right to use or alter your logo in any way they choose, as long as they attribute its source. Is that what you want to do?
• Logos are usually added to Wikipedia articles using the much more restrictive non-free content criteria: this is a variation of "fair use", so it does not require you to give up any rights to the image. The criteria include one that the image may only be used in a published article, not in a draft; so if you are using the draft mechanism, you shouldn't attempt to upload the image until the draft has been accepted as an article.

I echo @Departure–'s advice that most companies in the world do not meet Wikipedia's criteria for notability: unless you are confident that yours does, all time and effort you put into trying to create a Wikipedia article about it will be time and effort wasted.

Finally: the fact that you have posted this here will likely make you a target for scammers, who will contact you, falsely claiming that they can create an article for you. Please see WP:SCAM, and don't pay anybody any money for creating Wikipedia content. ColinFine (talk) 21:53, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

ClientCircle You personally own the copyright to the logo, not the company? 331dot (talk) 22:09, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

I would like to donate by cheque from Canada ?

How do I do this. 2607:FEA8:A501:1A00:5110:620C:BF96:4605 (talk) 19:49, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

If you're looking to donate to the Wikimedia Foundation (which run Wikipedia) then information on how to donate via cheque can be found here CoconutOctopus talk 19:52, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Delete Wikipedia Page

Hi! I have been trying to help John Mark McWatters delete his Wikipedia page that was created about him. I've proposed deletion a number of times, but it did not work. He is no longer in the same field, and wants this information about him taken down. Would love some help with this. Thanks so much! Xoxotennisgirl (talk) 20:11, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Courtesy link J. Mark McWatters Knitsey (talk) 20:13, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

There are four chief processes under which articles in the mainspace are deleted:

• 1. Speedy deletion
• 2. Proposed deletion (prod)
• 3. Proposed deletion of articles on living persons (sticky prod); and
• 4. Articles for deletion (AfD).

To learn about typical reasons articles are deleted, see Wikipedia:Why was the page I created deleted? To find out why the particular article you posted was deleted, go to the deletion log and type into the search field marked "Title" the exact name of the article, mindful of the original capitalization, spelling and spacing. The deletion log entry will show when the article was deleted, by which administrator, and typically contain a deletion summary listing the reason for deletion. If you wish to contest this deletion, please contact the administrator first on their talk page and, depending on the circumstances, politely explain why you think the article should be restored, or why a copy should be provided to you so you can address the reason for deletion before reposting the article. If after that the article remains deleted and you still wish to contest it, you have the option of listing the article at Wikipedia:Deletion review, but articles are normally only restored if the deletion was clearly improper.

2601AC47 (talk|contribs) Isn't a IP anon 20:14, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

@2601AC47:, they want the article deleted, they're not contesting deletion. Knitsey (talk) 20:17, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

I might add that McWatters is notable as a public official IMO. 2601AC47 (talk|contribs) Isn't a IP anon 20:23, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

@Xoxotennisgirl: The subject's wishes are of little relevance, when the subject is clearly a public figure. Are you asking The Washington Post, for example, to remove what they have written about McWatters? What response do you think you would get of you did so? You may find our FAQ for article subjects useful. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 20:32, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Hello! As suggested above, I'm afraid you will not be able to delete the article. The main determiner for if a subject should have an article is the notability policy (in this case, the one for politicians and judges). If it is met, it is very unlikely that the article will be deleted. Most deletion discussions revolve around if the notability policy is being met, and your deletion proposals were declined for this reason here.

I understand that he wants it deleted because it's not relevant to what he does today, but that alone is not a deletion reason. Wikipedia articles aim to cover as much verifiable information about the subject as reasonable, and this includes past work.

If there are reliable sources on what he currently does, it could be added to the article. But again, that is not a reason to remove the current content. Nyakase (talk 🐈‍⬛‍ she/her) 20:37, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Makes sense! Thank you everyone!! Xoxotennisgirl (talk) 20:43, 19 November 2024 (UTC)