Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2009 April 5

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April 5

Problematic reference

Resolved

 – I applied Andrew's suggestion to the article. —teb728 t c 05:27, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

I'm having probles with references on NSW Premier League 2009 Results. Specifically I'm having problems citing a reference whose URL is "http://www.footballnsw.com.au/index.php?id=17&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1761&tx_ttnews[backPid]=16&cHash=69a6e380cb". Seems the "[" character messes up the processing of the text and you only get half the reference as a link which then doesn't work. Any ideas how I can get a ref that works? Astronaut (talk) 00:10, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

I had the same problem when writing a Wikinews story about Schalke 04, whose website has the same style of address. You could try TinyURL or a similar service to generate a working URL. Xenon54 (talk) 01:08, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

You could also replace the [ and ] characters with %5B and %5D respectively, which will cause a browser to interpret the square brackets as intended, I think. --AndrewHowse (talk) 01:58, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Just remove the problematic bits. You get the same story with http://www.footballnsw.com.au/index.php?id=17, though I suspect that such a short number may be temporary unless the site is a new one. Sometimes, extra numbers are there for a site to track users rather than to identify the article. Certes (talk) 12:15, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Creating an article

How do I create an artical? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Veegie (talk • contribs) 00:52, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:Your first article. Xenon54 (talk) 01:08, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Before creating an article, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject. Please also review a few of our relevant policies and guidelines which all articles should comport with. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite to reliable sources which verify their content and must not contain unsourced, negative content about living people.

Articles must also demonstrate the notability of the subject. Please see our subject specific guidelines for people, bands and musicians, companies and organizations and web content and note that if you are closely associated with the subject, our conflict of interest guideline strongly recommends against you creating the article.

If you still think an article is appropriate, see Help:Starting a new page. You might also look at Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:How to write a great article for guidance, and please consider taking a tour through the Wikipedia:Tutorial so that you know how to properly format the article before creation. – ukexpat (talk) 01:11, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Computer lockout

I whent in and removed the administrator from my computer trying to removed the pasword to log into the cumputer and did not enter a new adminstrator know i turn it off and when i saw the screen i can not log in because is asking to begin click your user name which I dont have so I can not get in to. how can I get in my cumputer —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.41.94.135 (talk) 01:06, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

This page is for questions about Wikipedia. Try the Computing reference desk. Xenon54 (talk) 01:08, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Offline Wikipedia

hello, is it possible to download a full copy of wikipedia to a computer/laptop to use offline? articles, pictures etc... thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.150.1.133 (talk) 01:24, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Currently not all of Wikipedia, as that would be a tremendous amount of data. You can, however, get a DVD of some of Wikipedia's better and more important articles for reading offline. Calvin 1998 ^(t·c) 01:31, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

The entire Wikipedia download is available, but as Calvin 1998 mentioned, it's a very large file. The download is in XML file, and you will need to import it into MediaWiki software to use it. I recommend the WikipediaOnDVD option mentioned above. Should you really want to go ahead with the entire database, see WP:DUMP. Cheers — Deon555^talk_{I'm BACK!} 07:01, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Log In

When I try to log in, the response is always that this is not an existing email - but, this is my email address. What is wrong? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.88.157.107 (talk) 04:25, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Where are you trying to login? I doubt that is a response you get when trying to login to Wikipedia, for Wikipedia does not expect a email address. —teb728 t c 04:43, 5 April 2009 (UTC) Perhaps you are trying to login to your ISP windstream.net. If so, please understand that this is the Help desk Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. —teb728 t c 04:49, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Maybe you are trying to log in to Wikipedia using an email? You should log in to Wikipedia using your username you set up when you registered. — Deon555^talk_{I'm BACK!} 06:59, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Maybe you haven't confirmed your account? ZooFari 21:32, 9 April 2009 (UTC)

low cost airline

tell me about advantages of low cost airline ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jassi31 (talk • contribs) 08:45, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Have you tried Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in knowledge questions and will try to answer just about any question in the universe (except how to use Wikipedia, since that is what this Help Desk is for). Just follow the link, select the relevant section, and ask away. I hope this helps. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 09:14, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

• Low-cost anything means you'll have more money left to spend on other things which is always a good thing during an economic crisis. - 87.211.75.45 (talk) 10:33, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Where do I find those icons?

Resolved

 – TNXMan 16:02, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Where do I find those icons people have on their pages? Thanks!--Saffron831 (talk) 15:42, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

I'm not sure to which icons you're referring. If you mean userboxes, you can find more info at WP:Userboxes. TNXMan 15:43, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Thats it, thanks!--Saffron831 (talk) 15:46, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

No problem. Best, TNXMan 16:02, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Tenochtitlan

I am editor at huWiki. Just used an image of Tenochtitlan from the enWiki MediaCommons. It is from someone named Dr.Atl, from 1930. I need to know whether the image is a drawing or a painting. Who this Dr.Atl was is too much to ask, I suppose, but if I knew the nature of that image, it would help. Thank you. 97.112.133.155 (talk) 17:55, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

This area is for questions about Wikipedia, for factual questions, try the Reference desk. --Kraftlos (Talk | Contrib) 21:46, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

(edit conflict) I presume you're referring to this image. The image description describes it as a painting and Dr. Atl was a painter, according to his article. If you're unsure, you could contact the museum or ask at the humanities reference desk. Tra (Talk) 21:49, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

And just for the sake of correctness, the image is on Wikimedia Commons which is separate from the English Wikipedia. Images on Commons are available for use directly on all the Wikimedia Foundation project wikis, which includes all the language Wikipedias. Images on Commons may appear to be on a Wikipedia because when you view the image page here (File:Tenoch2A.jpg), it looks similar to images which are actually on the English Wikipedia, except for the notice that says "This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. The description on its description page there is shown below." That can be confusing and even trips up the experienced user occasionally (waves hand). --Teratornis (talk) 02:11, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

General Wiki Editing

I haven't edited for awhile and I forgot most of the commands. Can you refresh me on the info? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Vcolin (talk • contribs) 17:57, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

I assume you're talking about wiki-markup? If so, see WP:MARKUP, that shows most of the important markup functions. Hope this helped, tempodivalse [☎] 18:06, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

An even shorter refresher is WP:CHEAT. You can also review your contributions to refresh your memory on what you did before. For example, this was your last edit before your hiatus began in 2007. If you need help making sense of what you did before, you could ask us to explain what we think you were doing in a particular diff. Another method for recalling Wikipedia and maybe catching up on some changes would be to read this Help desk for a few days. Psychologists have something called Regression therapy but I don't think it would help. --Teratornis (talk) 02:06, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

adding a person and info

How can i add a person to Wikipedia (a bio); currently not on here, and up-and-coming entreperneur —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.48.190.100 (talk) 19:00, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

You will need to first register an account, which has many benefits, including the ability to create articles. Once you have registered, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject. Please also review a few of our relevant policies and guidelines which all articles should comport with. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, articles must not contain original research, must be written from a neutral point of view, should cite to reliable sources which verify their content and must not contain unsourced, negative content about living people.

Articles must also demonstrate the notability of the subject. Please see our subject specific guidelines for people, bands and musicians, companies and organizations and web content and note that if you are closely associated with the subject, our conflict of interest guideline strongly recommends against you creating the article.

If you still think an article is appropriate, see Help:Starting a new page. You might also look at Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:How to write a great article for guidance, and please consider taking a tour through the Wikipedia:Tutorial so that you know how to properly format the article before creation. – ukexpat (talk) 19:23, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

But remember, by definition an WP:UPANDCOMING entrepreneur is probably currently not notable enough to have an article written about them. --Orange Mike | Talk 12:30, 8 April 2009 (UTC)

Sub-page

I've saved my wiki page believing it to be my subpage!!!! Messages about speedy deletions etc??? Has the page I created been deleted? If not, how can i access it again? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.21.88.156 (talk) 19:16, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

What is your user name or the name of the article in question? You posted your message without logging in so it is impossible to tell what article you are referring to. – ukexpat (talk) 19:24, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

If you accidentally created the page in the article space, you can move it to your userspace. See Help:Namespace and WP:MOVE. We cannot move it for you because we can't guess the name of the article (?) you created. --Teratornis (talk) 02:15, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

Creating Wikepedia shortcut on Windows screen

My Wikepedia Shortcut in the main Windows screen stopped working. How can I recreate it? Possibly a link, dll, or something else got deleted. I have been using Internet Explorer 7. I can download Explorer 8 if that will help solve the problem. 20:07, 5 April 2009 (UTC)20:07, 5 April 2009 (UTC)~~ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.59.132.93 (talk)

To create another shortcut to Wikipedia on your desktop, position your browser window so that you can see your browser and your desktop at the same time. Make sure that you are viewing a Wikipedia page. Drag and drop the Wikipedia logo from your browser to your desktop. This will give you an icon on your desktop that will open the Wikipedia homepage. Tra (Talk) 21:36, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

• An easier option: make sure you're on a Wikipedia page and use "Create shortcut" from the menu you get when you make a right mouse-click. - Mgm|^(talk) 07:45, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

admin help with a new user.

a new user .. User:Rishi1410 has edited a page I monitor and I have undone the edits ..two .. and left a note for her to read on her user page and she has come back online and redone the two edits which are uncited and generally don't make sense ..I notice she has also inserted on her user page her email address ..I am quite new and don't want again to revert and start a tit for tat situation..how would be the best way to perhaps get an admin to say hello to her ..(Off2riorob (talk) 20:19, 5 April 2009 (UTC))

I don't think admin intervention is required yet (when it is, please report at WP:ANI). Just leave the user a message to the effect that they are in danger of violating the three-revert rule. – ukexpat (talk) 20:40, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Resolved

thanks for commenting..another more experianced editor has reverted the edits.. so I have been spared . (Off2riorob (talk) 20:47, 5 April 2009 (UTC))

checking printing colours in idesign cs

how do i check printing colours in layout? especialy where i have used cmyk —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.203.185.51 (talk) 20:38, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Have you tried the Computing section of Wikipedia's Reference Desk? They specialize in answering knowledge questions there; this help desk is only for questions about using Wikipedia. For your convenience, here is the link to post a question there: click here. I hope this helps. – ukexpat (talk) 20:41, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

moving pages or changing their names

I was wanting to create an article for a character but there is already a character article for that page for another TV show. The character on the page is a minor character in the tv series they are featured on whereas the one i was going to create was the central character of the show (Taggart). Andrew22k (talk) 21:04, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Try making a page like that but add where the charater originates from in parenthesses. An example is there is more than one article about a certain Tom and Jerry. If you want the MGM cat and mouse duo, you type in "Tom and Jerry (MGM)". If you want the cocktail, type in "Tom and Jerry (cocktail), and so forth. Carabera (talk) 21:49, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

• See Wikipedia:Disambiguation for more details (that's what it is called) - Mgm|^(talk) 21:49, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

yea i understand that but it would be better if the current article was Jim Taggart (Eureka) rather that me creating one called Jim Taggart (Taggart). Andrew22k (talk) 22:01, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

• That's doable, but that would require a lot of links to be pointed elsewhere. Perhaps you can ask at Wikipedia:Requested moves so someone with an automated tool can make the move and fix all the related links. - Mgm|^(talk) 23:08, 5 April 2009 (UTC)