Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2013 June 15

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June 15

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how do I make corrections to a page on wikipedia

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how do I make corrections or additions to a page on wikipedia? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.131.28.114 (talk) 01:07, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

  • Step 1 - Make sure you have a reliable source for the corrected statement.
  • Step 2 - Make sure you write in a neutral way, and cite the source.
  • Step 3 - Edit the article, and correct the statement, and add the citation.
Be warned that it is not okay to use "your own knowledge" or "I know it" as a source :) Charmlet (talk) 01:22, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
When you have followed Charmlet's steps just press the edit button at the top of the article or on some headings. This will allow you to edit the page unless it has been protected in this case you will need an account. FalkirksTalk 03:33, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Subtitle for marine species

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Hello all, I am working on editing pages on marine species on the french and english version. I have faced issues with the french administrators regarding the common name of marine species to be added to the page. It was, so far, written on the top of the taxobox, but a (french) concensus recently decided that the taxobox should include only scientific names and not common names. The solution was then to add the common name as a subtitle of the page (exemple can be seen here: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryaninops_yongei).
This solution is fine since there are often more than just one common name per language and, most of all, that it uses a markup easily identified as being a common name (rather than just bold found in the introduction).
So, I would need to be able to do the same in the english version but I cannot find the right way to do it. If anyone could help me on that, I would be more than gratefull.
Thank you--BUWF (talk) 05:05, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I've never seen that on the English version and therefore don't think it's standard practice. Dismas|(talk) 05:49, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
No, I don't think so either. I imagine there would need to be consensus before implementing such a change to Wikipedia's article naming conventions. - Karenjc 07:10, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
The subtitle is created via a template: {{Sous-titre/Taxon}}; the actual page name is unaffected. I'd guess that any such change would need to be agreed to by WikiProject Biology, so perhaps the talk page there would be somewhere to start? -- John Broughton (♫♫) 20:14, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Editing problem: unrecognised characters

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Editing help - calcium acetate page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_acetate I just corrected the melting point information for calcium acetate and added a reference, but when saved, the new temperature came up, followed by this: Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "?" . I cannot see information for K and °F on the edit page, so am not sure how to solve this problem. TIA Taikobeat (talk) 08:26, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Hey Taikobeat. I took a look at {{Chembox}} and saw no parameter named "MeltingPtC=" in its documentation (even though it does have some functionality, apparently automatically added "°C") but it looks like trying to include a citation broke it, so I switched it to just "MeltingPt= and manually added the degrees. Take a look. Is the listing proper now?--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 10:08, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
However, having now looked at the change you made from 160 °C to 400 °C, and looking at sources, they all seem to contradict the change, stating that 160 was correct, so I've change it back and added a different citation.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 10:27, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Fuhghettaboutit. Thanks for solving the formatting problem. I would be grateful if you could confirm that you read the paper I cited before your latest edit. The TGA curve and Results and Discussion section showed 400°C, and the XRD data supported this. I also have several other published papers that give this figure. Please could you provide a TGA curve, or some other actual data (ie not just a number), that proves that calcium acetate melts at 160°C - I have not been able to find this data on the net. I was curious, so actually heated calcium acetate in the lab, but all that happened at 160°C was that it lost the water of hydration and became calcium acetate anhydrous. TIA Taikobeat (talk) 14:50, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Taikobeat - I'm sure you know far more than I do about chemistry. I only know that the article previously said 160, and after fixing the chembox display, I went to look at what sources say because 400 °C and 160 °C are so radically different—it's not like you were correcting a rounding error to something more precise. So upon looking I found that everything seemed to confirm the original number. I accordingly added what appears to me to be a very reliable source ([1]) upon reverting back to 160.

Now I note that this and other sources qualify "melting" to decomposition to acetone and CaCO3 I don't precisely understand that distinction. Are they using "melting" loosely; that we are not talking about a change from the solid to liquid state but that "melting" is used as a term of art in chemistry to denote the decomposition point into another substances, even if there is no state shift? I don't know. I certainly can't argue from a knowledge standpoint with you on this topic and have no stake but to keep the encyclopedia proper. But on Wikipedia we follow the sources. Since you cite a source (which I don't have access to), I think it's best at this point to turn to people who actually know this stuff. Let me go post to the science section of the reference desk, laying out the issue, so that people with a background can hopefully comment.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 16:39, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

See Wikipedia:Reference desk/Science#Melting point of calcium acetate.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 16:58, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Fuhghettaboutit, Thank you for posting my query to the science section. Sorry you couldn't access the paper, I thought it was open access at http://iopscience.iop.org/1742-6596/371/1/012075 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Taikobeat (talkcontribs) 17:18, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Thank

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How do I get rid of the stupid option to thank someone for their edit? CTF83! 10:40, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Preferences → Appearance → Exclude me from feature experiments.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 10:47, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Or see Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)/Archive 112#A couple technical updates if you want to keep other feature experiments. PrimeHunter (talk) 11:52, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Font size

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How do I increase the font size? It is difficult to read and I am not finding how to change it. Doug — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.219.240.130 (talk) 12:49, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

You may have changed zoom level in your browser. In most browsers, reset the zoom to 100% with Ctrl+0 or adjust it with Ctrl++ and Ctrl+-. PrimeHunter (talk) 12:58, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
If you're referring to adjust the size of the fonts in a edit, here is another way; {{font}} and {{font color}} Mlpearc (powwow) 15:52, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

How do I get back to a page that I started editing

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I can not find the page on Michal Rovner, an Israeli prominent artist, whose page I started editing some 10-15 days ago. As I intend to start a few new pages soon, I'll appreciate a general help on this issue. Thanks רסטיניאק (talk) 14:17, 15 June 2013 (UTC)רסטיניאק[reply]

At the top right of the screen is a "Contributions" link, which shows all the pages you have edited recently. The second line is Wikipedia talk:Articles for creation/Michal Rovner, the page you are looking for. -- John of Reading (talk) 14:38, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Rafael Nadal

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I posted these concerns regarding Rafael Nadal at the BLP noticeboard about 48 hours ago, yet have received no responses. It would be appreciated if some editors could please help on this. It's not a complex issue at all; just some content in the personal life section that I feel should be reviewed. I'm confident that editors will agree that most, if not all, of it should be removed. The last part of my BLPN post (about Nadal's car) was submitted as an edit request on the article's talk page a few days ago by another editor, and has also not been replied to. Thanks! --76.189.109.155 (talk) 15:02, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Edit request.   Done Mlpearc (powwow) 15:19, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Mlpearc, thank you so much for taking care of the car content. But can you or any other edtiors please help with the two other concerns that I expressed at BLPN - regarding Nadal's parents and girlfriend - which have not been replied to in days. Thanks, again! --76.189.109.155 (talk) 17:06, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, I do not have the experience to help with those matters, your post at Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons/Noticeboard would seem to be your best bet. Cheers, Mlpearc (powwow) 17:47, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
No problem. Unfortunately, my concerns have gone ignored at BLPN for days. That's why I'm hoping someone here with BLP expertise can help. Thanks for the update! --76.189.109.155 (talk) 18:20, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

problem with my article

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I need help in my article.the matter i copieed is from my own website.wtitten by me only. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tukai11071985 (talkcontribs) 19:21, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

You don't say what help you need. However, if the article is from your own web site, written by you, then it is likely to be deleted unless it cites reliable sources and is free of conflict of interest. Robert McClenon (talk) 19:58, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
The article you created at articles for creation had two problems. The one you seem to be referring to here is that it was found to be a copyright violation. That is fixable by releasing the copyright on the website to a compatible license. The other problem is harder. The article reads like an advertisement, but that isn't surprising since a website is supposed to promote what the website is about. Wikipedia is different, this site is an encyclopedia and all articles need to be written in a neutral tone. Even if you do release the copyright on the text from the website it still would not be appropriate because of the advertising language. GB fan 20:28, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Author

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How do I find the author of a article in Wikipedia? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.118.55.97 (talk) 20:39, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Which article? Although each article is created (started) by one editor, most articles have multiple volunteers - often hundreds or even thousands - who edit them. Click "View history" at the top right corner of the article to see which editors have contributed to the article. --76.189.109.155 (talk) 21:00, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
If you are trying to cite Wikipedia as a source, see WP:Citing Wikipedia. Dismas|(talk) 23:02, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]


Make document

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How can make document and public it? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Renosmetal (talkcontribs) 20:58, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Do not understand what you are asking. Please explain more clearly. Thanks. --76.189.109.155 (talk) 21:01, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
If you are asking how to create a new article, please see Wikipedia:Your first article. Otherwise yes, please explain a bit more about what you want to do. - Karenjc 22:17, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]


david harris "weissman" designer

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somebody is being very malicious and trying to delete the page that was so graciously written about me.they are using a program called speedy deletion.I I am surprised that someone with bad intentions can just delete a Wikipedia page but it appears that this is being done please do not delete the David Harris Weissman designer article. Sincerely Yours, David Harris — Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.54.39.237 (talk) 21:57, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

See Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion. This is not a 'program', but a process to determine whether articles should be deleted. I can't find the article in question with the information you've provided, so I can't say why the deletion is being proposed: I see no reason to assume it is malicious however. I suggest that you take a look at our policies regarding notability and sourcing, as these are most likely to be the issues raised. AndyTheGrump (talk) 22:11, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Is this about David Harris (designer)? That article was deleted in August 2012 at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/David Harris (designer), and it wasn't with the speedy deletion process. PrimeHunter (talk) 22:46, 15 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Interesting - when one does a Google search on "David Harris Weissman Wikipedia", the top result is this (I've provided the cached version, from Amazon, of that result). The Google summary text for that result is "This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedia's deletion ...". That doesn't explain the "speedy" part of the question, but it does explain why someone might think the article still exists somewhere on Wikipedia. -- John Broughton (♫♫) 00:58, 16 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
"Not in citation given". Says it all, really... AndyTheGrump (talk) 01:09, 16 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]