Help desk
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February 21

Why am I being asked for a username and password all of a sudden?

Starting quite recently, whenever I open ANY Wikipedia page, I get asked for a username and password for http://goiplookup.wikimedia.org. I have to cancel out of the dialog at least twice (up to 4 times for some pages) before I am able to read the Wikipedia page I am trying to load. Why is this happening and how can I stop it?

Dave —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.97.225 (talk) 00:18, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I think your computer might have a virus... This definitely isn't a Wikipedia tihng.

Also, please sign your posts with ~~~~. Thanks! --- c y m r u . l a s s ^{(talk me, stalk me)} 00:55, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Try to clear your entire cache. PrimeHunter (talk) 01:19, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It could be a problem with 'cookies'. See Help:Logging in#Login issues and problems. Or it could also be that you're trying to log in the secure server. -- œ ^™ 17:47, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

A way to search all noticeboard archives?

Is there a way to search all noticeboard archives (COIN, RSN, SPAM, etc) for a particular string? I'm looking for an old report of a particular web address. Thank you, CliffC (talk) 01:43, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

All such noticeboards are in the Wikipedia namespace, so you can simply restrict your search to that namespace. It might be a little wider than what you wanted by it should not be too unwieldy.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 06:08, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

You could try Special:LinkSearch if you know the report links to the website. Link Search will give you all the Wikipedia pages that link to a specific external link. --- c y m r u . l a s s ^{(talk me, stalk me)} 18:40, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The "restricted search" is just what the doctor ordered, thanks! (And thanks for the Talkback wake-up call!) --CliffC (talk) 19:07, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

math

several early numeration systems did not use place values.determine at least two of these systems. describe the system that they used. what were the disadvantages? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.72.209.163 (talk) 02:26, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

This is not for your homework help. CTJF83 02:28, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

You can however do your own homework research by entering numeration systems in the search box at the top. PrimeHunter (talk) 06:02, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Try posting at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Mathematics. -- Uzma Gamal (talk) 16:55, 22 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Oakhill College - Old Crest

The school crest currently showing on the Oakhill College page has been replaced with a new crest. We would like this to be updated on Wikipaedia as soon as possible. The new crest can be found on our college website.

Many Thanks Oakhill College Castle Hill, NSW, Sydney, Australia —Preceding unsigned comment added by 175.176.212.42 (talk) 05:02, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I have uploaded File:Oakhill logo.png and added it to Oakhill College instead of the old version. PrimeHunter (talk) 06:00, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

– PrimeHunter (talk) 06:00, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Good work, PH. -- Uzma Gamal (talk) 16:58, 22 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

lisinopril

what happens when someone that has low blood pressure takes medication for high blood pressure —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.228.39.116 (talk) 05:09, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

We cannot offer medical advice. Please see the medical disclaimer. Contact an appropriate medical professional. PrimeHunter (talk) 05:45, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

They aren't asking for medical advice. They're asking for factual information.

That said, this desk is for help in editing Wikipedia. For a factual question about a science topic such as this, see the Science Reference Desk. Dismas|^(talk) 14:20, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Literally, the IP is asking for factual information, but the question can reasonably be read as to ask for medical advice, just inartfully written. In this context, it's better to respond cautiously and protectively as PrimeHunter did.--Bbb23 (talk) 18:01, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Post a request at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Science and ask your question in a form that does not require medical diagnosis or request medical opinions. -- Uzma Gamal (talk) 17:00, 22 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Dear Sir, Why Marathi Movie Encyclopedia ar enot made.

Dear sir,

I am Hemant k Bassaiye From Aurangabad Maharashta,I had experiance that in Wikipedia is not making Encyclopedia of Marathi movies, sir it hurt us,

Please sir its my request to please making Encyclopedia of Marathi Movies

Hemant k Bassaiye [email redacted] — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hemant t14 (talk • contribs) 05:13, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

We have Category:Marathi-language films. Films can get articles if they satisfy Wikipedia:Notability (films). PrimeHunter (talk) 05:48, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

(e/c) Certainly there is a systemic bias resulting from the demographics of those who contribute to this English version of Wikipedia. Articles are created by those who are interested in particular subjects—there is no central authority that dictates what articles are to be created. Also, the world may not have written extensively about the cinema of Marathi in reliable sources that are accessible to English speakers, and since what is written about is also tied to what can be sourced, that also affects our coverage of this topic. We do have an article on Marathi cinema and reading that you can see we also have articles on Marathi films. See Category:Marathi-language films for a more complete idea of our coverage as small as it is. Note also that there is a Marathi language Wikipedia, though it only has 32,640 articles (actually a huge number that is only tiny when you compare it with our gigantism); here's a link to their article on Marathi films [1].--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 06:01, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Linking to a picture that was uploaded into Commons

Hello, I tried to insert a picture for the Wilfrid B. Israel entry. I succeeded doing so for the Hebrew version, but for the English version, only the file name appears, and it doesn't show the picture. File:Wilfrid Israel 20.jpg — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ophirbaer (talk • contribs) 05:15, 21 February 2011 (UTC) Please advise. Thanks, Ophir — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ophirbaer (talk • contribs) 05:14, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Fixed in [2]. Capitalization matters. You uploaded it to the Hebrew Wikipedia as he:File:Wilfrid Israel 20.jpg, but the version you uploaded to Commons is commons:File:Wilfrid Israel 20.JPG. PrimeHunter (talk) 05:42, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Good job, PH.

Resolved

– PrimeHunter (talk) 05:42, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

-- Uzma Gamal (talk) 17:02, 22 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Floating side bar

Im using monobook skin and Ive added a script that shifts the my user toolbar on top into a sidebar on the left and made to float so that when i scroll down any page the toolbar will always be visible. Ive used this script since 2007 and didnt have any problem until about 2 months ago. The sidebar was pushed down leaving an empty space where the wikipedia logo was supposed to be (in order to use the script the logo was supposed to be switched off) and all the interwiki links went missing. The script appears to be outdated and the user who created the script is no longer active on wikipedia (User:Omegatron). I found the script here: Help:User style. Can anyone point me to where I can find a solution to this problem? Ive checked out Wikipedia:User page design center, but this seems to only cover userpage designing. Ive tried cologne blue skin which allows the user to create a floating sidebar but i didnt like that the "discussion", "edit this page", "history", etc buttons were moved to the sidebar instead of on top of the page. Any help will be much appreciated. ќמшמφטтгמ^torque 08:16, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I have the same problem, and posted at WP:VPT#Interface issues. Now I'm waiting for a reply from TheDJ (talk · contribs), whom I have asked to fix the script. Hopefully, he can find a way to do it, since I found that script useful. Goodvac (talk) 09:08, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, thanks a lot. ќמшמφטтгמ^torque 09:52, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

link in article on john bunyan

there is a link to john gifford in the john bunyan biography. it leads to the wrong john gifford.72.174.77.124 (talk) 13:35, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Fixed.[3] We don't have an article for that John Gifford though. Dismas|^(talk) 13:39, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Goog job, Dismas.

Resolved

– Dismas ^(talk) 13:39, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

-- Uzma Gamal (talk) 17:05, 22 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Translating Wikipedia from English

I am interested in reading Wikipedia articles in languages other than English but if I click onto one of the foreign languages on the left-hand bar, the translated article is often very different from the English one. Is there any way I can get a close translation of the English-language article, please — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rdurkan (talk • contribs) 17:37, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Each Wikipedia maintains its own articles, which is probably why they vary from language to language. If you wish to see a literal translation of the English Wikipedia article, I think the best you'll be able to do is either Google Translate or Babelfish. TN X Man 17:52, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

image upload extension

Why does the upload page claim that a jpg image (simple lines and symbols) is not of the correct MIME type? Negovori (talk) 18:38, 21 February 2011 (UTC)Negovori[reply]

If you mean this image: File:Eq_1.1.(2x2)x(2x2)=(4x4).jpg, I don't know, this seems all correct except the missing license. mabdul 18:58, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I'm no expert in such things, but might the full stops in the file name be getting it confused as to which part is the file extension? I see also that you had omitted the file extension from the link for the image in Periodic systems of small molecules, so I've cured that for you. - David Biddulph (talk) 19:06, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Place of birth through the ages

When documenting someone's place of birth, do you write the place name and county when the person was born, or what it is today? For example, Tony Hayward, the poor guy, was born in Slough, which is now in Buckinghamshire, but at the time was in Berkshire. So what do you put on his article? It's a question that's bugged me for some time but I've never found the policy on it. Thanks in advance. —Half Price 18:56, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

No advice given at WP:DATA, so may be worth asking at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Persondata. As one example, I'm glad to see that my fellow Kendalian David Starkey is described as being from Westmorland, but I don't know whether there is a policy. - David Biddulph (talk) 19:16, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Will do. —Half Price 11:19, 23 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

lord mayor of Cork, Ireland in 1921-22 DONAL O'CALLAGHAN

I am trying to get some personal info on him as I am writing an article.........where can I get help? I wondered if the City hall might have a site or an address I could contact..........?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.72.87.42 (talk) 20:19, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 6 million articles and thought we were affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this page is for asking questions related to using or contributing to Wikipedia itself. Thus, we have no special knowledge about the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the upper right side of your screen. If you cannot find what you are looking for, we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome. Best of luck. --Orange Mike | Talk 20:23, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

PR firm needing to update a client's page, but it is locked

We are a PR firm and represent a well-known celebrity and need to update his wiki page but it is locked. What do we do? Thank you! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.96.125.106 (talk) 20:57, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

First read Wikipedia:Conflict of interest--Aspro (talk) 20:59, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Please explain on the article's talk page the edits that you think should be made, and please provide reliable sources in support. And by the way, it is not your client's wiki page, it is a Wikipedia article about that person and no-one controls it. – ukexpat (talk) 21:04, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Can I change a subject's picture? If so, how?

In 888 holding's page the company's logo needs to be updated to the new one. The company re-breanded itself in 2010 and the main theme and logo now look different.

How can I avoid any copyright issues if I upload? Can I do it myself?

this is the current page: File:888logo.png

Thanks for your help,

D. Stern — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dror stern (talk • contribs) 21:13, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Click on the "Upload a new version of this file" link on the image info page linked to above and follow the instructions. If you have any problems, let us know here and someone will help. – ukexpat (talk) 21:35, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It requires a gif to png conversion so give me a few minutes and I will take care of it. – ukexpat (talk) 21:36, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Done, you may have to bypass your cache to see the new version. – ukexpat (talk) 21:41, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Error in map image

Article on right to work laws at[[4]] shows map with caption stating that right-to-work states are highlighted in turquoise. New Hampshire is not highlighted, yet the list to the left of the map includes New Hampshire. This can be confusing to readers. Is there a way to fix this? --Ravital (talk) 22:09, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The error was apparently the premature addition of New Hampshire to the list 16 February.[5] The state House passed it and sent it to the state Senate but if they pass it then the Governor may still veto.[6] I have removed New Hampshire.[7] PrimeHunter (talk) 02:48, 22 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Suspected violation of block for sockpuppetry

This post to my user talk page claims to be from User:Francis E Williams. If the claim is correct, he is editing in violation of a block for sockpuppetry. Is there something I should do about this? —teb728 t c 22:51, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Seems to have already been blocked by User:HelloAnnyong Rehevkor ✉ 22:55, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

(e/c) It has been dealt with already and the IP was blocked 72 hours for block evasion. Cheers - [[CharlieEchoTango]] 22:56, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, swing and a miss from me. But blocked all the same. Rehevkor ✉ 23:05, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

So for future reference the thing to do is to report the IP to ANI, and the user block is not extended? —teb728 t c 23:34, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

How to list ALL articles that have links to ONE article?

How do I get a list of ALL articles that link to ONE specific article (or redirect)? Thanks! • Sbmeirow • Talk • 22:58, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Go to the article you're interested in; under "Toolbox" on the left-hand side of the page, click on "What links here". Voila! Deor (talk) 23:06, 21 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

If you only want to list articles then select "(Article)" in the Namespace box and click "Go". PrimeHunter (talk) 00:11, 22 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]