Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2014 October 23

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October 23

Checks

How do you guys at Wikipedia check information to improve, question or remove incomplete or inappropriate information? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2001:4930:115:0:6C66:D91F:EF6F:281E (talk) 02:46, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Hey there - one of the most important aspects of Wikipedia is sourcing, where any information added to an article should be verified by a reliable source. Check the list of references at the bottom of most articles to see what I'm talking about. There are editors who monitor all recent changes, using a variety of programs and tools to identify potentially problematic and unsourced edits. When edits are unsourced, they can be challenged and removed until a reliable source is added. Pure vandalism is typically quickly identified and removed - we even have a bot that is pretty effective at removing the most obvious (and sometimes even not so obvious) cases of vandalism. Many logged-in editors also tend to keep pages of interest on their watchlist, which is a list of all the recent changes to one's 'watched' (or bookmarked) pages. For example, I tend to watch articles related to video games, my hometown area, companies, and schools. Whenever I see someone add information that doesn't appear factually correct or unsourced to the subjects I'm knowledgeable about, I investigate. Many of the more "popular" and established articles on broad topics are watched by hundreds of editors. Smaller pages on very specific topics tend to have fewer watchers. Beyond that, many readers also tend to correct any incorrect information they might come across while reading.

This system isn't fullproof obviously, but with thousands of active volunteer editors working on the encyclopedia, a good chunk of problematic edits are removed. Hope this provided some insight. ~SuperHamster Talk Contribs 04:08, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

(edit conflict) We check different sources like books, websites, newspapers, etc. And you too can join! Whenever you find an error or missing information, just click the blue tab "Edit" on the top right. And be bold! --Fauzan^{✆ talk}_{✉ mail} 04:23, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Consider joining a Wikiproject, such as Wikiproject Unreferenced Articles. We trawl through the approximately 221,000 articles without references on Wikipedia and add sources if we can find them. You can help!. Altamel (talk) 06:37, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Fault Mitigation

Wikipedia:Teahouse/Questions page does not have the 'New section' tab near the 'Read', 'Edit source', 'View history' tab. Is it possible insert the mentioned tab? --(Russell.mo (talk) 05:17, 23 October 2014 (UTC))

Hi Russel.mo, I have added the button to the page, however it was removed again, because it places a section at the bottom of the page instead of at the top. Sincerely, Taketa (talk) 05:39, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Click the big blue "Ask a question" button. That is what the Teahouse honchos want you to do. —teb728 t c 09:55, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

.... but please remember that although the Teahouse question page for some reason wants new topics at the top, other Wikipedia discussion pages still expect new topics at the bottom, where the 'New section' tab correctly puts them. - David Biddulph (talk) 10:37, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

You guys are right. One problem with the 'Ask a question' button, it doesn't allow me to insert my message. I have to insert the traditional way; using 'Edit source' tab. What do I do the next time I insert a message in Wikipedia:Teahouse/Questions, insert it in the top or bottom? -- (Russell.mo (talk) 19:03, 23 October 2014 (UTC))

I don't see an "Edit source" tab at the Teahouse. What do you mean by "insert my message"? If you're talking about adding text to an existing section, that's done by clicking "Join this discussion" or "[edit]" next to the section heading (anyone with some editing experience would probably use the "[edit]" link, as it provides the familiar edit mode interface). To start a new section, you click the big blue "Ask a question" button, enter the title and text, and click "Ask my question", and the section will be automatically added as the top section. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 19:15, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

@Russell.mo: Start new Teahouse sections before the first section heading near the top, but not at any other page unless it asks you to do it. The "Ask a question" button is supposed to produce a box where you can insert the message and automatically post it at top. Maybe it doesn't work for you. It uses JavaScript and works for me.

@Mandruss: If you enable VisualEditor at Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures then you get a choice between "Edit source" and "Edit ^beta" on articles. Discussion pages don't have the beta option but also say "Edit source" for consistency. PrimeHunter (talk) 20:57, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

So enabling VE changes "Edit" to "Edit source" to distinguish it from VE. Got it, good to know, thanks. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 21:09, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

@PrimeHunter: I'm using 'Google Crome' browser. My 'Visual Editor' selection box is ticked. No ' Edit beta' version tab appears in mine. I've ticked 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th box, earlier when you introduced me to the aforementioned link. Some features are still unavailable. I guess its the JavaScript issue.

@Mandruss: The 'Edit Source' tab is in the same place where it is in for every other page, similar to the 'Teahouse/Questions' page if you don't have it then, I guess you have similar kind of problem as mine.

(Russell.mo (talk) 02:20, 24 October 2014 (UTC))

No, I don't have any problem. I don't have the "Edit source" tab because I have not enabled the VisualEditor beta. I have an "Edit" tab that does the same thing as the "Edit source" tab. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 02:28, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

Owning copyright of external text used in Wikipedia article

I have received a message from runner24 informing me that I should either delete or copyright the text that appears to be copied from website www.salmanmasalman.org on my wikipedia article titled Dr. Salman M.A. Salman. As you can see, the I own this website and am thus using the same text from the website onto the article. After reading the copyright guidance, I am still not clear on what steps need to be taken in order to protect the article's integrity and mention the copyrights.

Please advise Sarah — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sarsalman (talk • contribs) 15:01, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

There does not appear to be any article titled "Dr. Salman M.A. Salman". Please look at the article you are thinking of. Near the top of the page, in large type, the title of the article will appear. Please cut and paste that title here so we can understand what article you are writing about. Also, no one owns a Wikipedia article. When you write "my wikipedia article titled Dr. Salman M.A. Salman" do you mean a Wikipedia article about you? If so, for the most part, you should not edit the article; see WP:COI. Jc3s5h (talk) 15:10, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Also, to ensure the neutrality of Wikipedia articles, the bulk of information should come from independent, reliable third-party sources (see WP:RS, especially WP:SELFSOURCE). Most people won't complain, when some basic facts are taken from his website. But any detailed description of his work and accomplishments should come from different sources and is best added by an uninvolved contributor. GermanJoe (talk) 15:27, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

There used to be an article it got clobbered as a speedy G12 "Unambiguous copyright infringement" - X201 (talk) 15:31, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

The article was just deleted by Wikipedia. How can I retrieve it and how am I supposed to copyright the text I am using in the article I created? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sarsalman (talk • contribs) 15:30, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

(edit conflict) You will see, Jc3s5h, that the article Dr. Salman M.A. Salman did exist, but it was deleted because of the copyright violation. You are right about COI, and there is also useful advice at WP:autobiography, though I suspect that the article may have been about a relative, rather than about the OP herself. It looks as if the OP did not follow the links on her user talk page, such as to WP:Copyrights and to WP:Donating copyrighted materials. Perhaps she is not aware that the blue text on her user talk page indicates WP:wikilinks? --David Biddulph (talk) 15:32, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

(edit conflict)If you are adding info sourced from your own website at an article about yourself, as far as notability is established from other reliable sources, you can use it for sourcing information about yourself only as per WP:ABOUTSELF. --lTopGunl (talk) 15:33, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

(edit conflict)That would depend on which country your are in as copyright works differently in different countries but a general rule is "In all countries where the Berne Convention standards apply, copyright is automatic, and need not be obtained through official registration with any government office." Try the Wikipedia article about Copyright, it may help. - X201 (talk) 15:36, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Sarsalman, the simple answer is you don't need to worry about copyright because you shouldn't write a Wikipedia article about yourself. If you are worth writing an article about, some independent person will decide to write the article. Jc3s5h (talk) 15:39, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Thanks, but please note that this article is NOT about myself, as I am writing this article about a prominent international lawyer. How am I supposed to now follow copyright guidelines when the article has been deleted? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sarsalman (talk • contribs) 15:41, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

In that case do make sure that the subject of the article is notable for inclusion in an encyclopedia. And has enough coverage in reliable sources. Take a look at WP:RS to see what you can use for reliable sourcing. --lTopGunl (talk) 15:45, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

(edit conflict) You are writing about someone with whom you apparently have a close connection (according to your username, and according to the fact that you say you own the subject's website), so you do need to read WP:COI as mentioned earlier. You follow copyright guidelines by writing an article in your own words. Even if you own the copyright to the website and are prepared to donate the copyright to Wikipedia by following the process at WP:DCM, you will in general find that the that the neutral point of view required in an encyclpedia required different wording from that included in a CV. --David Biddulph (talk) 15:52, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Did anyone even glance at the article before deleting it? It is a worthy subject and has almost 100 citations and references! Why isn't anyone helping me or answering my questions? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sarsalman (talk • contribs) 15:51, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

If you think that appart from conflict of interest the subject is still worthy of having a wikipedia article, and if you think that you can rewrite the article to conform with the policies mentioned above, you can get it undeleted via Wikipedia:Deletion review. --lTopGunl (talk) 15:55, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

It may be wiser to prepare the article as a draft first in your sandbox and get help from more experienced editors and then get it moved to the article space. This way it wont be deleted while you are still working on it. Keep in mind though that if it is a copy paste of a website and you do not have the copyrights, it will still be deleted from any wikipedia page. If you do hold the copyrights of the added content plagiarism is still often not accepted in wikipedia and rephrasing is the best way to go unless it is a quoted text. --lTopGunl (talk) 15:58, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Thanks. How could this article have any COI? Have I, in any way, advocated or expressed any personal views or interests in this article which is purely factual?? This article was NOT deleted based on its "worthiness" as it's references already point to over 100 articles, publications, books, journals, etc as a means of verification - it was deleted because it lacked copyright only - this is for your kind information.Sarsalman (talk) 16:02, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Thanks. There is NO plagarism on this page, it's only a copy and paste job from a website which I own. The article just lacked proper copyright. Sarsalman (talk) 16:03, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Jc3s5h was advising you further that conflict of interest is there due to your user name appearing to reveal a relation with the subject. This does not mean that you can not at all edit or create that article.. it only means that due to the apparent connection with the article subject, your edits will face more scrutiny and you will have to maintain a more neutral approach yourself as well. As for the actual reason for the deletion of the article.. just because it has been deleted, doesn't mean it is gone forever. You can ask an administrator to give you the content edit it offline to correct the copyright issues or request a deletion review to get it undeleted. For notability, the publications of subject himself do not directly add to the notability (even though they are the reason the subject is notable) rather how much other independent reliable sources are giving coverage about the subject is what matters to establish notability in this context. To avoid any COI, the best way is to edit as a draft and get it reviewed before moving it. --lTopGunl (talk) 16:11, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

But even a draft article will be deleted if it contains copyrighted content. And note that it was not deleted because it lacked copyright, it was deleted because it reproduced material in which someone owned the copyright. Maproom (talk) 16:13, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Exactly what I stated in my previous comment. That's why copyright issues need to be corrected offline hopefully the creator understands the content is retreivable and copyright violations can be corrected. --lTopGunl (talk) 16:18, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Thanks Topgun. Maproom, to correct you "And note that it was not deleted because it lacked copyright, it was deleted because it reproduced material in which someone owned the copyright. Maproom" - the article was actually deleted because it DID lack copyright. The text was "reproduced" from I website which I own!!! Please do not come to conclusions without fully understanding the topic. Thanks. Sarsalman (talk) 16:28, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Maproom was correct in what he said. The article contained text from the website in question, and no evidence had been provided to show that the copyright had been donated to Wikipedia, so it could not be allowed to remain. This was explained in crystal clear terms in the messages on your user talk page. If someone else had stolen the material from your website and put it on Wikipedia, and Wikipedia had knowingly allowed it to remain, you would have had grounds for complaining to Wikipedia about breach of your copyright. Unless & until the processes for donating copyrighted material are complied with, Wikipedia has no evidence that the website owner has released the copyright, so the material cannot remain on Wikipedia. --David Biddulph (talk) 16:39, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Longstory short, as David said (and I'll point you to the exact subsection of the help article), you need to allow wikipedia to reuse that text from your website before any other criteria can even be considered because wikipedia can not host copyrighted content without permission from the owner or proof that you are the owner of the content. The linked section tells you how to do that. --lTopGunl (talk) 16:51, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

1911 ACP pistol

1911 ACP pistol: Should be linked to Philippine- American War — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.25.41.123 (talk) 18:15, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Hello, generally this kind of suggestion is made on the article's talk page, which is for discussions related to improvement of that article. Strictly speaking, the Help desk is for questions about using Wikipedia and editing Wikipedia articles. However, people watching the Help desk are often willing to make suggested minor changes as a courtesy.

There is no Wikipedia article "1911 ACP pistol", and I am unable to determine which article you refer to. If you can (1) identify the article, (2) be more specific about the suggested change, and (3) provide one or more online reliable sources for the change, someone here will likely make the change. Or, if you wish to learn how, we encourage you to make the change yourself. We're all unpaid volunteers! ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 18:54, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

There is a link from .45 ACP to the Philippine-American War.Naraht (talk) 20:11, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Only joined today, please forgive if this is wrong place to post...I searched for ages

Could we have a section showing UK Pedal Steel Guitar players ? The pedal set up on a pedal steel guitar is usually referred to as either “Emmons” or “Day” you either pedal outwards =Emmons , or inwards=Day I note in your players section Jimmy Day (USA) does not even get a mention and yet his name will live forever in the steel guitar world not only for his fantastic playing but that he is credited with that pedal arrangement, also Gordon Huntley built his guitars with that pedal arrangement and Gordon was a UK pioneer of the instrument and a great player. (also not listed??) There are hundreds of really great Steel players in the USA that do not get a mention on Wikapedia but likewise there are some really talented ones in the UK that also deserve to be remembered Having played Steel myself for nearly forty years and held steel players meetings over the last 10 years I have been fortunate to meet quite a few of them and could easily fill a sheet of A4 with their names. I would start with the president of “The British Steelies Association” Mr.Roy Heap who has given a lifetimes devotion to the instrument and players producing our monthly magazine for probably more years than I have been playing. I would mention one other at this time that is “unlisted” That is Mr.Basil Henriques who I am sure has sold more steel recordings than any other in the UK and working in association with the entertainer Mr.Bob Brolley has raised more cash for charity than any other UK steeler that I know. I am new to Wikapedia do not have a clue how it works but glad to provide a list of competent UK players if anyone is interested?

Thanks, John Davis

John Davis45 (talk) 18:21, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

@John Davis45: Thank you for your suggestions. In order for someone to have an article on Wikipedia, they must meet some notability requirements first. Those for musicians specifically are at WP:MUSIC. And just because someone doesn't have an article written about them does not mean that we are somehow snubbing them. It could just be that nobody has gotten around to writing the article yet. So, if you know of someone who meets the notability requirements and does not have an article written about them, you are more than welcome to start one. For a walk through of that process, see WP:AFC. Dismas|^(talk) 18:35, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

You can also try to ask for help/guidance/collaboration at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Music. Good luck! Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 06:46, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

locked pages which shouldn't be locked

Hi, I noticed that Cotton is a locked page. I looked through the history a bit and there does not seem to be any recent history of vandalism on the page. It looks like back in October 2013 someone locked the page for 13 months after 3 reverts were made. 3 reverts hardly seems like a valid reason for locking a page for 14 months. How can I try to get this lock removed? Is there a page for unnecessary locks? Thanks!Monopoly31121993 (talk) 22:36, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

The process is described at WP:RFPP. --David Biddulph (talk) 22:47, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

The question is whether that process would complete before the current expiration date of 31 Oct 2014.Naraht (talk) 15:50, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

The page doesn't appear to me to be locked. The Edit button is enabled for me. The page is probably semi-protected. In that case, the OP will be able to edit the page when he or she is autoconfirmed. Robert McClenon (talk) 15:56, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

The OP is an auto-confirmed editor, and is probably asking about when the semi-protection will expire. Robert McClenon (talk) 15:58, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

.webm format issues

Resolved

I am unable to view File:20140221 Jahlil Okafor's last basket against Cliff Alexander.webm in either Firefox or Google Chrome. Is there something wrong with the .webm format.--TonyTheTiger (T / C / WP:FOUR / WP:CHICAGO / WP:WAWARD) 23:43, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Hi TonyTheTiger, using Safari on my tablet I have no problem viewing it. Sincerely, Taketa (talk) 04:51, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

It now seems to be working for me as well. I don't know what was going on earlier.--TonyTheTiger (T / C / WP:FOUR / WP:CHICAGO / WP:WAWARD) 05:59, 24 October 2014 (UTC)