Help desk
< January 10	<< Dec \| January \| Feb >>	January 12 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Help Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current Help Desk pages.

January 11

How do I start my wikipedia page?

I want to create a wikipedia page on myself so people can read about me. Can you send me instructions? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Blanca Estella Garcia (talk • contribs) 00:23, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I think you're confusing Wikipedia with Facebook. If you consider yourself a notable individual (ie, you have been written about in reliable, published sources) you could try Wikipedia:Requested articles. nagualdesign 01:06, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Further advice is available at WP:Autobiography. --David Biddulph (talk) 02:08, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Unwanted infobox field mysteriously populated

Try as I might, I can't erase the "Website" field in the company infobox at the top of RKO Pictures (which I brought to Featured Article status). I even tried eliminating it from the infobox lower in the article for the successor company (the only place it belongs) to see if that would make a difference. It didn't. I'd appreciate an explanation of (a) how the field keeps getting populated when it is empty or entirely absent from the editing space and (b) how to address the problem. Thank you. — DCGeist (talk) 02:15, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

(a) Wikidata (b) by passing |website=hide. {{3x|p}}ery (talk) 02:18, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! — DCGeist (talk) 02:28, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

"My Wikipedia article was deleted"

My Wikipedia article was deleted along with the others a webmaster posted. I know one can not post their own Wikipedia page. How do I get a new one?

Collapse misplaced draft

Dale Shields Dale Ricardo Shields is a 2017 winner of The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award®, 2017 and 2015 Tony® award nominee for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award and the 2017 AUDELCO/"VIV" Special Achievement Award.

His extensive professional credits as a Director, Stage manager and Actor (Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway and Regional) include various projects and assignments at Lincoln Center (State Theatre), The Henry Street Settlement House (New Federal Theatre), The Negro Ensemble Company, The Joseph Papp Public Theatre (New York Shakespeare Festival) and Karamu House. He is on the board of directors of Audelco (NYC).

He was the assistant director to Lloyd Richards for the New Federal Theatre premiere production of Ossie Davis' play A Last Dance With Sybil starring Ruby Dee and Earl Hyman at the New Federal Theatre. As an actor he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, Another World, Guiding Light, The Cosby Show, and the ITV television series "Special Needs" and commercials and film.

Acting (AEA-SAG-AFTRA-AGMA) studied at The Negro Ensemble Company, The Henry Street Settlement House with Hal Scott and Dick Anthony Williams. New York City revival of Any One Can Whistle, the Lincoln Center, Lily directed by Tom O’ Horgan at Lincoln Center. ITV television series Special Needs. The Bill Cosby Show, Another World, Guiding Light, Saturday Night Live, and Ann Margaret’s Salute to Radio City Music Hall with Ben Vereen. Saint Paul Civic Symphony. A Lincoln Portrait.

I have taught at: Susquehanna University Denison University Randolph-Macon College Macalester College The College of Wooster Ohio University Public Theatre (NYSF)

Phi Kappa Phi

Specialties: AEA-SAG-AFTRA-AGMA-The Society of Stage Choreographers and Directors Dale is a member of Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the American Guild of Musical Artists performance unions and an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:1700:DCA1:9810:CC41:7E02:F744:A4F7 (talk) 02:23, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

This isn't the place for a draft, so I've collapsed its display. You need to read the guidance at WP:Your first article, and Wikipedia's definition of notability. If you are trying to write about yourself, the advice is "Don't!", see WP:Autobiography. You refer to articles which a webmaster posted, so you also need to read about conflict of interest and about paid editing. --David Biddulph (talk) 02:35, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Bill Duke Unmarried

On the Page of Bill Duke, it is written that he is married to Sheila Moses. This however is not true. Bill Duke is not and has never been married to Sheila Moses. Mr. Duke would like this taken down. Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.198.216.16 (talk) 03:46, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not seeing any mention of Sheila Moses on the Bill Duke article. Are you sure you got the correct page? Sakura Cartelet^Talk 03:50, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Hello. You seem to have confused us with the Internet Movie Database. We are Wikipedia, IMDb is a different website, and we are not affiliated with them. Go to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6371501/ and click on the "Edit page"-button. (((The Quixotic Potato))) (talk) 03:55, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Our article Bill Duke doesn't mention a marriage so wherever you saw it, it wasn't here.

Are you by any chance referring to a photo or text shown to the right of a Google search? Google's Knowledge Graph uses a wide variety of sources. There may be a text paragraph ending with "Wikipedia" to indicate that particular text was copied from Wikipedia. An image and other text before or after the Wikipedia excerpt may be from sources completely unrelated to Wikipedia. We have no control over how Google presents our information, but Google's Knowledge Graph has a "Feedback" link where anyone can mark a field as wrong. PrimeHunter (talk) 10:23, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe editing

Hello! I have been flagged for editing a page due to a conflict of interest. The page has now been reverted back to outdated information and I would like to have this updated. Here is the url: https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Cardiovascular_and_Interventional_Radiological_Society_of_Europe

Please let me know if there is any other information I need to provide. P.S. Sorry about posting some of the content below this! I was trying to include the text I wanted edited. CIRad84 (talk) 09:02, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I've deleted the proposed article content from this help page, as it doesn't belong here. The place to provide the proposed content, with references, is the article talk page: Talk:Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe. --David Biddulph (talk) 10:13, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, David! Are you able to help me with editing that? CIRad84 (talk) 10:35, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I see that you have made the edit request on the article talk page, and hopefully the request will be considered by editors who watch that page. One thing I notice is that most, if not all, of the references which you have provided are to documents produced by the subject. What Wikipedia is looking for are published reliable sources independent of the subject. If the subject has not received significant coverage by multiple independent sources, it does not satisfy Wikipedia's definition of notability, in which case it would not justify a Wikipedia article. --David Biddulph (talk) 10:58, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I see. Thank you for that information, David! CIRad84 (talk) 11:47, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Overwrite incorrect info/files

There is an image I would like to take down as it is old and incorrect now. Wikipedia shows that I can't overwrite it but I need to as I mentioned it old and incorrect now. — Preceding unsigned comment added by THnow (talk • contribs) 12:14, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

You can't upload a file because your account is not autoconfirmed, see WP:Uploading images#Procedure to upload. --David Biddulph (talk) 12:47, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Ping

I'm trying to see if someone writing [[User:Basemetal|Basemetal]] will result in me being notified or more accurately "alerted": Basemetal. But I can't test this myself as apparently pinging yourself doesn't work. I've also discovered that logging out and pinging yourself (i.e. your registered account) as an IPer does not work either, which is a pity. Note I'm asking specifically about the [[User:Basemetal|Basemetal]] format not the {{U|Basemetal}} as I know that one works: Basemetal (not for me but for other people). The documentation does say that {{U|Basemetal}} is exactly equivalent (or just a shorthand) for [[User:Basemetal|Basemetal]] but there are such things as documentation bugs so I'm just trying to confirm that this is not one. Thanks. Basemetal 12:50, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

PS: Are {{U|Basemetal}} and {{u|Basemetal}} exactly the same thing? The documentation only mentions the latter but I've people mostly use the former with apparently identical results. Thanks. Basemetal 12:54, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Here you are. --CiaPan (talk) 13:01, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

@Basemetal: {{U}} calls Template:U (which redirects to Template:User link). The first character in page names, including template names, is automatically capitalized but it's optional how to write the character. {{U|Basemetal}} and {{u|Basemetal}} is by definition the same, like Template:U and Template:u is the same link. This is a general feature of page names and not special about pings. The main thing in pings is having a wikilink to the user page in a signed edit (there are a few other requirements at mw:Manual:Echo#Technical details). It doesn't matter whether the link is written directly like [[User:Basemetal]] or [[User:Basemetal|Basemetal]], or created by a template like {{U|Basemetal}} or dozens of others like {{ping|Basemetal}}. I recently received a ping from an IP [1] so it's possible. IP's often fail to sign and then pings don't work. PrimeHunter (talk) 15:10, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you both. A question for PrimeHunter: Are there namespaces from which ping does not work? For example would it work from user namespace? Basemetal 15:37, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

@Basemetal: mw:Manual:Echo#Technical details doesn't mention namespace limitations but Wikipedia:Notifications#Triggering events says: "Mentions: When your user page is linked to on any talk page or on a page in the Wikipedia namespace by another user." I haven't tested it. PrimeHunter (talk) 15:44, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

It would be extremely unusual to sign one's post on a page that is not in one of those namespaces. {{3x|p}}ery (talk) 13:20, 13 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

regarding moving the created article in sandbox page to the main page with a new title and equiry about why my page is to be deleted.

Today, I created an article in Sandbox page as per the instruction of wikipedia main page. when i was searching the ways to move my article into main page with a new title, I could not do it.I was searching for move option which i could not find it. In the meantime,I received an email that my page was reviewed. When i went inside to check the review, it stated that my page has to be deleted and in the verge it. Whats wrong with my post? Also explain me how to move the article in the sandbox page to main one? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Senthilkumar Sanjeevi (talk • contribs) 15:58, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I've removed the deletion tag. You should probably NOT move this to the main page yet, as it isn't ready, but you should be given time to develop the article. --Jayron 32 16:23, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict) It's not clear whether you are trying to write a user page or an article. The purpose of a user page is to describe your activities as a Wikipedia editor. An article is about a subject deemed notable in Wikipedia's terms, meaning that it has been the subject of significant coverage in multiple published reliable sources independent of the subject. Before you try to write an article you ought to get experience of editing existing articles, and then you can read the guidance at WP:Your first article. If you are trying to write an article about yourself, the advice is "Don't!", see WP:Autobiography. --David Biddulph (talk) 16:25, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Formatting of characters

Hi Folks, Is there any way to put a plain vertical line above this captial A. Here is a capital A. Is there a way to put a vertical line about the A, at the wide of the A. Thanks. scope_creep (talk) 18:34, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

The character Ā (U+0100 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH MACRON) has a less wide line. Do you really want it be as wide as the A? What do you want to use it for? PrimeHunter (talk) 18:48, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I used a math character. It is a Russian code defintion on General der Nachrichtenaufklärung, at Word Code. I think that will do. What I am editing at the moment. Thanks.scope_creep (talk) 18:59, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict) Presumably you mean Ā? That page will hopefully give you some clues, or something to copy from, or you can use CharInsert. You may also find http://www.personal.psu.edu/ejp10/psu/gotunicode/macron.html useful. --David Biddulph (talk) 19:00, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Erm - where is the vertical line? I can only see horizontal ones - Arjayay (talk) 19:03, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry I misread, as (presumably) did PrimeHunter. The only vertical line listed at Diacritic is a subscripted one. From this edit it seems that the OP did mean horizontal. --David Biddulph (talk) 19:15, 11 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]