Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2024 October 18

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October 18

One article or two?

Hi! I've got a doubt. If a company has a name between 2000 and 2010 (for example), but in 2010 it changes to another name from 2010 until now, is it better to have one article for all the history of the company, or is it good to split it into two articles? I have seen a lot of articles which have all the history in the same one, but my mind is telling me "hmm, you could separate it and create two articles". So which is the correct option? Greetings! Tajotep (talk) 00:07, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Don't split an article due to a name change. You can make a redirect for the other name. PrimeHunter (talk) 00:17, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Just one article per subject. Benjamin Disraeli was often known as Lord Beaconsfield, but that doesn't justify creating a second article about him. (That second link is a redirect.) Maproom (talk) 07:22, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Yes, I know. I'm not referring to if Microsoft changes to Microsoft Corporation (for example), I ask it because I remember seeing, for example, "Twitter" in one article and "X" in another one, and I'm also asking it to know what to do when a company buys another one, but in this case is different because the two articles would be preserved. Thanks! Tajotep (talk) 08:59, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Changing a code on a template documentation

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

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Hi, I'm looking to change the code on the template documentation, Template:GamePlatformKey for Xbox Series X/S from XSX to XSS/XSX. How do I do this? Helper201 (talk) 04:47, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Also, I'll be looking to change the link Xbox Series X/S on the page to the actual Wikipedia page title of Xbox Series X and Series S and was wondering how to do that as well. Helper201 (talk) 04:49, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

@Helper201: You asked about this at Template talk:GamePlatformKey#Xbox Series X and Series S and then four minutes later you asked about it here. All Wikipedians are volunteers which means you might have to be a bit patient and wait for somebody to respond to your questions. Since someone named jmcgnh has responded to your question on the template's talk page, I suggest you continue the discussion there. Doing so will make it easier for others to participate and also avoid splitting the discussion (which often leads to confusion). Finally, templates can be tricky to edit because even the smallest change can affect lots of pages in ways that might be hard to anticipate; so, it's probably best that you be WP:CAUTIOUS in editing this particular one and continue discussing why you feel the change is needed on the template's talk page. -- Marchjuly (talk) 05:53, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

"Places"

When I click a location coordinates link it takes me to a "places" map. I'd rather see the geohack page to let me choose which map I want to see it. How do I get "places" to 'go away' and never come back? 2001:1970:5363:7800:F884:A218:65B4:5D62 (talk) 05:38, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

I haven't heard of that. Please give an example. Does it happen here: 57°18′22″N 4°27′32″W. What happens here which should be the same: https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Wikipedia:Help_desk&params=57_18_22_N_4_27_32_W_. PrimeHunter (talk) 09:59, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Is this in an app? On what device? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 20:55, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Receiving an error message when trying to open PDF-versions of Wikipedia entries

To whom it may concern: I am currently (Octorber 18, 2024 at 11:30 CEST) receiving an error message whenever I try to open the PDF version of a Wikipedia entry (regardsless of whether I am using Firefox or MSEdge).

Kind regards, Nikolaj Lunoe (Copenhagen, Denmark) 185.107.14.10 (talk) 09:33, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Are you referring to the Download as PDF link? I tried it on a random article and it worked fine. Is there a particular article you're not able to download? jlwoodwa (talk) 09:52, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

IP editor. There have been intermittent problems with downloading .pdf versions of articles. See Phabricator.

Tracked in Phabricator
Task T376438

Mike Turnbull (talk) 10:37, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Userbox

How can I group userboxes in my userpage? CometVolcano (talk) 09:56, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Does {{userboxgroup}} do what you want? jlwoodwa (talk) 10:15, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

@CometVolcano: you could put them in a table. See User:Mjroots/Ubx. Mjroots (talk) 16:45, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Article layout

Hi all, I randomly came across Saarlouis. Is there a way to get the {{stack}} and pics to align on the right-hand side? They intrude on the text at the moment. I had a quick go but couldn't find a solution. Cheers, MinorProphet (talk) 12:54, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Refresh pages in a Category

recently due to an edit mistake by me in a Lua code (now have been reverted), few articles got added into a category. So few articles have been updated and got removed from the category page, but some have been there for more than 7 hours. Unless i go and a null edit, it won't get updated and removed from the category. is there a way to refresh all the pages inside the category so i don't have to go and individually null edit all of them?

This is in a foreign wiki project btw, no technical experts to contact there.

• the category si:ප්‍රවර්ගය:සිංහලේ රජවරු

VihirLak007^hmu!/_duh. 13:42, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

purging the category page didn't work btw. VihirLak007^hmu!/_duh. 13:52, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

There's a user script for that: User:Ahecht/Scripts/refresh. jlwoodwa (talk) 17:57, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

it works on english wikipedia but not on the sinhala wikipedia sadly VihirLak007^hmu!/_duh. 19:25, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Bias

Not an issue for Help desk/Archives. Referred elsewhere

 – Complaint about content, not a request for help using Wikipedia. Just Step Sideways ^{from this world ..... today} 19:39, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section.

Why is Wikipedia so blatantly far-left biased these last few years ? Its become almost impossible to read an article that has even slight political issues and not feel disgusted by the disregard for a neutral viewpoint.

Is it impossible for editors to fairly and without comment put both sides viewpoints? 216.41.242.52 (talk) 14:15, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

This forum is for requests for help with specific issues. If you wish to discuss the alleged ideological bent of Wikipedia(we're only as good as the people who choose to abide by our policies and contribute) that is best done at the Village Pump.

If you believe an article does not have a neutral point of view(which does not mean being without bias, as all sources have biases; sources are presented to readers so they can evaluate and judge them for themselves) in violation of policy, you should discuss your concerns on the article talk page. It is difficult to respond to a general grievance. 331dot (talk) 14:23, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Wikipedia does not have all points of view equally, see WP:FALSEBALANCE and WP:FRINGE. It depends on how reliable sources discuss a viewpoint. Bias in those sources will be reflected in Wikipedia- that's why sources are provided. Wikipedia does not claim to be the truth. 331dot (talk) 14:27, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

As a revolutionary Trotsykite I would say that there's a fair way to go before what you refer to as "the far left" gets its voice here on WP. There's always Conservapedia for a less balanced viewpoint. MinorProphet (talk) 15:38, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

translation of existing German Wikipedia article into English

Hi I would like to translate the following german wikipedia entry into english to give it wider audience. de:Jakob_Herz

I already prepared a translation 176.230.226.54 (talk) 14:17, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

You will need to make sure that this individual meets our notability criteria for people; if you think they do, you may use the Article Wizard to create and submit the draft. 331dot (talk) 14:21, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Please also read Translation. I observe that the citations in de:Jakob Herz do not look adequate for an article in English Wikipedia ( the first one might be acceptable, but the other two seem unlikely to contain significant coverage of Herz). Having said that, it is possible that some of the material in the books listed could be cited more specifically, and form the basis for establishing notability as required by English Wikipedia. ColinFine (talk) 14:58, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

Hi Colin. Jakob Herz is noteworthy because he was the first Jewish Bavarian Professor, per degree of the King himself, at a time Jews were hardly allowed to live in towns ?! another interesting and noteworthy aspect is that Germans erected a monument in his name, highlighting his noteworthiness, but then took that down in 1933 with the rise of the Nazis. The latter is documented by pictures. The town Erlangen, where he was teaching, erected a stele in his name with an intriguing note. Finally there is an annual prize in Jakob Herz's name. For all the above, I think he deserves to be mentioned on the English Wikipedia site. regards Steffen JungSteffen (talk) 04:18, 19 October 2024 (UTC)

JungSteffen English Wikipedia has a Wikipedia:General notability guideline that a topic is presumed to be suitable for a stand-alone article or list when it has received significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject. A search of Google books suggests that Jakob Herz would meet this. Aother complication is that en Wikipedia requires Wikipedia:inline citations so the translated text would need to be checked and have citations added or tagged as citation needed. TSventon (talk) 04:28, 19 October 2024 (UTC)

To enlarge on TSventon's point, JungSteffen, what you would be doing is taking a pre-existing (translated) text without (sufficient) inline citations, trying to identify sources for all of the uncited statements in it, and adding citations to them. When writing a new article, we refer to this approach as WP:BACKWARD and advise against it because it is laborious and difficult.

You would probably find it far easier to look at what sources the German article has, find further suitable sources if possible, and compose in English a fresh article based on them all, in the usual way. Hope this helps. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.6.86.81 (talk) 08:12, 19 October 2024 (UTC)

help with owners of of gold cross of metrit

I need help with Category:Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) and Cross of Merit (Poland) i can give you photoes of me owning the medal after my ancestor and also give you proof of goverment document Zygzakus (talk) 19:38, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

@Zygzakus These categories are used so that readers of this encyclopaedia can find articles about people who hold these medals. They are not listings of everyone in the world who might have one. In other words, there would need to be an article about you in Wikipedia first. We discourage editors from writing autobiographies for the reasons given at that link. Mike Turnbull (talk) 20:17, 18 October 2024 (UTC)

I think they want to write about their ancestor who received the medal, which would be a conflict of interest. 331dot (talk) 20:22, 18 October 2024 (UTC)