Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2022 November 30

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November 30

Semi protected page edit request

I've requested for edit days before here. But till there is no response. Can anybody do it? 103.166.245.72 (talk) 02:36, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

There are 40 other request at CAT:ESP, just be patient. RudolfRed (talk) 03:01, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Someone saying they edit one of my client's page

Someone who says they are in charge of editing one of my clients page has reached out to her personally through Instagram. He is asking for photos and information on her to add to the page, birthday date etc. I think this is odd that someone would reach out directly. I think his name is John Mateer. I think this is wrong but wanted to reach out to you to find out what your rules are about editors contacting the subject of which they are supposedly covering. Also he may just be lying to get her to talk to him. Just looking out for my client. Thanks, let me know your thoughts on this. RedGuruBoss (talk) 02:42, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Which 'client' are you referring to? AndyTheGrump (talk) 02:51, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

RedGuruBoss, please read the mandatory Paid contributions disclosure, and comply with it in your next edit. This is non-negotiable. You have not provided enough information for us to evaluate whether or not the contact you describe was appropriate. We would need to know the precise name of your client's Wikipedia article. Cullen328 (talk) 04:47, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Thanks for the wrist slapping. a bit harsh since i don't use this site much and wanted to just protect a person. but your additional comments were helpful so i thank you for that RedGuruBoss (talk) 17:24, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

(A) Nobody is "in charge" of any article on Wikipedia: you might like to read the Policy page WP:OWN, which will make clear why such a "someone" would likely be lying.

(B) All content in all Wikipedia articles must be verifiable by citing information to published sources, preferably Reliable ones that are independent of the subject of the article, though trivial facts (such as the current CEO of an organisation) can be cited to non-independent sources (like that organisation's website). This means that if personal facts about a subject are published, there is no need to approach the subject for them, and if they are not, they are not eligible for inclusion even if the subject personally provides them.

(C) Given your account's previous lack of activity and your User page declaration, you had better read the Policy WP:PAID, the Essay Wikipedia:Paid editing (essay) and the Guideline Wikipedia:Paid editing (guideline) asap. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 176.249.29.80 (talk) 04:44, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

RedGuruBoss: (You're a new user, and unfamiliar with Wikipedia's many policies. You've already taken more flak than you deserve for that. I'll stick to trying to answer your question.)

• For an editor to reach out to the subject of an article is unusual, but not forbidden; I've done that maybe three times in 15 years of editing. If they say they're "in charge" of the client's page, that's wrong, no-one here is in charge of any article. Maybe they said something like "I'm revising and improving Wikipedia's article about you ...", and this was misinterpreted by your client.
• Another possibility is that this person hopes to charge your client money in return for changes in the article. Wikipedia strongly disapproves of such "paid editors". Many are dishonest, or even outright scammers; many are incompetent. They operate in many different ways.
• A third possibility is that this is someone who wants to open a personal conversation with your client, because they're a fan, or a stalker; and they just happen to be a Wikipedia editor. Maproom (talk) 09:17, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Thank you. this is incredibly helpful RedGuruBoss (talk) 17:23, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Maproom, a fourth possibility might be attempted impersonation/identity theft. Quisqualis (talk) 06:18, 3 December 2022 (UTC)

Talk page has unrelated content

Is it appropriate for me to delete the material at Talk:Seb_Castro that's not related to the article? It has been there since 2014, apparently. David10244 (talk) 03:08, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Yep. go ahead. The relevant guidelines are WP:NOTFORUM and WP:TALKOFFTOPIC. * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 03:09, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Done, thanks. David10244 (talk) 10:04, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Link check

Hi, is it possible to check if templates field is pure external link or it is enclosed in single square brackets with link text. Matroxko (talk) 04:29, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Your question is unclear. Wikipedia templates are enclosed within double curly brackets. They are not external links. You will find more information at Wikipedia:Templates. Shantavira|^{feed me} 09:23, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Matroxko: Do you mean a template is called with a parameter like |link=.... and you want the template to test the link? You could use {{delink}} and compare to the original parameter with mw:Help:Extension:ParserFunctions##ifeq. PrimeHunter (talk) 10:16, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

I am George Hardy

how do I get added on here. Willow Norman Smith.

If someone without a conflict of interest decides that you satisfy Wikipedia's criteria of notability, they could write an article or a draft. Note that Wikipedia does not recommend. Hardy-george (talk) 08:48, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Hardy-george: Why are you adding these spam link on here? Removed. scope_creep^Talk 09:29, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Citation help

Hi Folks!!, is there any way to differentiate between short sfn citations that have the same year. For example

• {{sfn|Lister|1858}} For the "On the Cutaneous Pigmentary System of the Frog" paper
• {{sfn|Lister|1858}} For the "On the early stages of inflammation" paper.

Is it possible to put a month, or is there some other way to differentiate them. Thanks. scope_creep^Talk 09:25, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Scope creep: Put a letter after the year, e.g., (Lister 1858a) (Lister 1858b)

• Lister (1858a). On the Cutaneous Pigmentary System of the Frog.
• Lister (1858b). On the early stages of inflammation.

Umimmak (talk) 09:34, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Scope creep, try Template:Sfn#More_than_one_work_in_a_year. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 09:34, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

That solved it very quick. @Umimmak:, @Gråbergs Gråa Sång: I didnt know about this.Two excellent choices. Thanks. scope_creep^Talk 09:41, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Reusing a reference in an article when the first use is in an infobox

I just edited Cobalt to cite the OED (after "so named because they were poor in known metals, and gave poisonous arsenic-containing fumes when smelted"). Now this is reference 4. It's the same as reference 1, so this is less than ideal. The proper thing to do is to give reference 1 a name, and say <ref name=whatever /> when using it the second time.

However, the first reference is buried in an infobox! It comes from Template:Infobox_element/symbol-to-pronunciation, where Template:Cite_OED2 is used. What should I do? I can't figure out whether it's automatically generated a name for the reference. In theory it might be named Reference-OED2-cobalt, but I tried <ref name=Reference-OED2-cobalt /> and that didn't work in previews.  Card Zero  (talk) 11:49, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

I don't think it's possible. It's one of the reasons why it is unwise to transclude templates with references like this. Lee Vilenski ^{(talk • contribs)} 12:46, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Card Zero: There are no ref names in Template:Infobox element/symbol-to-pronunciation. It just says <ref>{{cite OED2|cobalt}}</ref>. It could be edited to add a ref name but the reference might change later. I suggest you just keep it duplicated. PrimeHunter (talk) 12:51, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Communicating with an IPv6 anon

I've asked on WP:ANI for guidance about this here with followup here about an anon using IPv6 addresses, frequently randomized in the lower 64, to make a series (85 to date throughout November) of edits that aren't vandalism, exactly, but amount to "tinkering" with no new content, while introducing minor grammar errors, removing link markup, etc etc. Almost all of them have been reverted (mostly by me; yes, I'm technically stalking) but I'm not even sure they amount to requiring a rangeblock. The problem, which can't be new, is that it's futile to put warnings or other help/chat on their talk page because of the address randomization, so I can't meet the AIV criteria anyway. I tried putting a message on my page but to no avail. Surely this issue of communication with what is clearly the same person (2804:D4B:A387:E400::/64) has come up before. What to do? Am I missing a "message to /64 range" feature? David Brooks (talk) 15:03, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

David Brooks, I think AN/I should be able to advise on this. Possibly the anon will be given a block and asked to communicate on a talk page before the block is removed. TSventon (talk) 15:44, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Thanks for the quick response, but as I suggested above my AN/I call for help two days ago has no responses. And I'm sure my "talk page for randomized IPv6" issue can't be new. David Brooks (talk) 16:08, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@DavidBrooks, yes, it has come up before (in fact I remember seeing a conversation about it very recently; unfortunately I can't find it again) - it's come up enough to be noted at the bottom of this page and to have a phabricator ticket. So far no one seems to have come up with a solution. 199.208.172.35 (talk) 18:03, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Ah, thanks for the pointer. That addresses my generic point. I'm still left with whether to AIV this user who isn't a classic vandal, just a persistent AGF maker of small mistakes. Although I notice they have been quiet for almost 48 hours. David Brooks (talk) 18:17, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Can't help you there, but I did finally find the recent conversation I was remembering: Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Archive347#Contacting IPv6 users. 199.208.172.35 (talk) 18:56, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Adminship

I nominated myself for adminship. Now what? Elijah Wilder (talk) 15:08, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

With zero useful edits you have zero chance of being accepted. Theroadislong (talk) 15:17, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

It's likely that it won't go very far because you need to be at the bare minimum extended confirmed. And precedent in Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/President-Wiki-Man means that even a few thousand edits isn't enough. RPI2026F1 (talk) 15:20, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

While the official page does say the only actual requirement is having an account, the fact that you cannot transclude your proposal to the main page speaks volumes. RPI2026F1 (talk) 15:24, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

I have asked Elijah Wilder if he would like me to delete the RFA page he created, as it is malformed and as it is too soon for an RFA to have any chance.~ ONUnicorn^{(Talk|Contribs)}problem solving 15:52, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

I am sorry guys. Elijah Wilder (talk) 12:55, 1 December 2022 (UTC)

@Elijah Wilder That's OK; we all learn. But it takes a very long time to learn all of Wikipedia's policies and culture. It's probably fair to say that WP is more "serious" than social media sites are. And WP is very much not a social media site... David10244 (talk) 09:15, 3 December 2022 (UTC)

Draft

I created Draft:Mike Caron, is is currently awaiting approval, but am I able to just move it to the main space? I was able to gather enough info, so I think it is ready to go. Magical Golden Whip (talk) 17:01, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

You are able to just move it to main space if you'd prefer not to wait for review from AFC. That said, I've made some changes to it; and I'm concerned about some instances of Wikipedia:Close paraphrasing that I found. I would recommend that, before you move it to mainspace, you read through it once more with an eye to rephrasing anything that is very close to distinctive phrases from your sources. ~ ONUnicorn^{(Talk|Contribs)}problem solving 18:02, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

If you are autoconfirmed you can create pages in mainspace, but it's always a good idea to continue using drafts for a while. RPI2026F1 (talk) 22:30, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Thanks, I will look into issue. It seems to be a bit harder as I would of said something similar to what was in the articles myself. Will look into rewording for the best outcome.Magical Golden Whip (talk) 00:34, 1 December 2022 (UTC)

i dont understand what going on

i want to be added to Wikipedia how can the happen? I just want to add my company. How dose this work? i dont understand whatbyou mean by edit. Myneika (talk) 19:22, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Wikipedia is not a directory. You don't get to just add a person or a company or a club to Wikipedia. If and when your company even becomes notable, then somebody other than you, with a better grasp of English, will create an article about your company, over which you will have no control. --Orange Mike | Talk 19:26, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Donations

Do not reply to posts intentionally written to be inflammatory. They're not talking to us, but at us. —Jéské Couriano v^_^v a little blue Bori 22:03, 30 November 2022 (UTC)
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
WIKI is nothing more than opinions. Far from unbiased. There are plenty of misinformation portals that saturate our society without making donations to yet another one such as WIKI. "To all our readers in the U.S., Please don’t skip this 1 minute read. This Wednesday your support is requested by the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia and twelve other free knowledge projects. If these resources have given you $2 worth of knowledge this year, please join the readers who donate. Donations support the technology that makes our projects possible, and help us provide resources to the groups of contributors to create our millions of articles and images. They also help us advocate for public policy to advance the cause of free knowledge and defend information access in countries struggling with censorship. Today, we invite you to donate $2 or whatever seems right to you. Show the world that access to independent and unbiased information matters. Thank you." 174.30.48.79 (talk) 19:37, 30 November 2022 (UTC) Feel free not to donate. The volunteers at this help desk have virtually no control over the fundraising banners. ~ ONUnicorn(Talk|Contribs)problem solving 19:41, 30 November 2022 (UTC) If you do not want to donate, do not donate. If you do not want to see the fundraising banners, then register an account and you can turn off the banners in your account preferences. Cullen328 (talk) 19:43, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Finding original upload date of image.

Hi - I need to find the original upload date on enwiki for this image on Wikipedia to check if disclaimers of the image apply. Any help would be appreciated! Please ping me via {{ping|Matr1x-101}} if you have an answer. Thanks! $M_{101}^{atr1x-}$ {_user^page! | _t^a_l^k!} 19:48, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Matr1x-101 August 21, 2004. ~ ONUnicorn^{(Talk|Contribs)}problem solving 20:22, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@ONUnicoin: can you please tell me where you got this information? Or is it only accessible to sysops? Thanks, $M_{101}^{atr1x-}$ {_user^page! | _t^a_l^k!} 22:10, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Matr1x-101:I think it's only available to sysops. When I look at the image description page here on enwiki, I see (in small text) "View or undelete 5 deleted edits? (view logs for this page | view filter log)" at the very top of the page. You would not see that. I would expect a non-sysop to see a link to the deletion log (can someone who is not an admin confirm that they see a link to the deletion log?) The deletion log only includes the deletion however, not the page creation. However the 5 deleted edits viewable by admins includes the creation. ~ ONUnicorn^{(Talk|Contribs)}problem solving 22:25, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@ONUnicorn for filenames which exist on Commons non-admins don't see any of that on the description page itself (however, some skins have a link to the page logs in the tools navbar). File description pages for locally deleted files which don't exist on Commons either behave like any other deleted page. Victor Schmidt mobil (talk) 05:48, 1 December 2022 (UTC)

@Matr1x-101: Special:Log/upload includes deleted files. Non-admins can see the logs but the oldest entries are from 23 December 2004. File:Egypt.LuxorTemple.06.jpg was uploaded four months earlier so it's not registered. PrimeHunter (talk) 10:29, 1 December 2022 (UTC)

Thanks for the information! $M_{101}^{atr1x-}$ {_user^page! | _t^a_l^k!} 17:19, 1 December 2022 (UTC)

Question on paid editing.

What if I want to pay someone to edit Wikipedia articles but not in a way related to me or a company or something like that but rather in a philantropic way ? (For example, paying someone to edit a random place like Moleneiland just to help others.) Am I allowed to do that ? Maxime12346 (talk) 20:58, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Maxime12346: You may pay them, but they must disclose it. See WP:PAID. It does not matter the reason you are paying them. RudolfRed (talk) 21:29, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Maxime12346 yes, you are allowed and encouraged to do that! There are two programs that come to mind, the Wikipedia:Reward board and the more organizational Wikipedia:GLAM/Wikipedian in Residence. Thanks for your desire to help other editors! Thinker78 (talk) 00:57, 3 December 2022 (UTC)