Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2007 December 9#help
{{#ifeq:{{PAGENAME}}|Special:Undelete| |{{#if:{{{nosubst|}}}|
Another small bug?
Check out the contents of Constant. The phi doesn't appear in the title of 1.5! I would like it to appear there. Randomblue (talk) 00:08, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:LaTeX (produced with <math> tags), depending on your preferences, usually produces images containing mathematical symbols, but not the characters of the mathematical symbols. Since headers contain text (and not images), the symbol is excluded from the section title in the TOC. To make phi visible in the TOC, I [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Constant&diff=176668819&oldid=176667996 replaced] the math tags with φ, the typographical symbol. Similarly, you'd want to replace with α, with δ, etc. Since the typographical representation of these symbols is not as pretty as LaTeX, may I suggest not including the symbols in the section headers (based on that reason)? If you do want them included, however, using characters is the way to do it. GracenotesT § 00:16, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
A question about what constitutes 'promotion'
My name is Ian Rowland. There is a Wikipedia page about me. I did not create this, ask for this to be created, or have anything to do with the fact that it exists. At the moment it is a stub, and some of the information on it is out of date. Is it all right for me to add extra information and also correct factual or out of date errors? I am concerned that someone might consider this to be self-promotion, which I do understand is not allowed. Although I do have a website that has one trading section, I am not seeking to promote it or to advertise anything. I just thought that since someone has created a site about me, I would like it to be more than a stub and to have accurate, up to date information. Is this allowed? ManYossasarian22 (talk) 00:59, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:See Wikipedia:Autobiography, and particularly this section. Basically, add and correct the really uncontroversial facts, note the rest on the discussion page, and be sure to engage in discussion with any other editors - hopefully you'll be able to provide the facts, they can provide the neutrality, and you won't have to stay a stub. :) - IMSoP (talk) 01:09, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
::(e.c.) Yes. While you are discouraged from creating or editing articles about yourself per the conflict of interest guideline, you may correct factual errors or other violations of the biography policy. NF24(radio me!) 01:12, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
Thank you for your replies. 'IMSoP'suggests I should 'note the rest on the discussion page'. So I went and looked up how to get to the discussion page, and it said I click on the 'Discussion' tab. I went back to the page about me and did this, and I got to a page that told me the page about me was a Stub, twice, and didn't seem to provide any input field or any space where I could type anything - at least as far as I could see. IMSoP also says, 'be sure to engage in discussion with any other editors', but I haven't the faintest idea how to 'be sure' of this, or how to comply with this suggestion or directive. How would I know if this discussion were taking place? And where?
I don't know if this is the sort of arena where anything less than a glowing encomium meets with splenetic invective, but I have to say this, my first taste of trying to deal with Wikipedia and its community, has not been a very happy one. Consider the simplicity of my aim: to correct some out of date misinformation that someone has posted about me. I am as web-savvy as the next guy, but it took me half an hour just to find out the designated appropriate place to raise my initial question. Does nobody think that a simple 'Ask your question here' link or tab would be a nice idea? As opposed to page after linked page after linked page of 'Rules about things you can't do' and 'Things you can't ask about at least not here'. Aslo, although I'm grateful that two people have replied, I don't think I'm really any further forward. (a) the advice I've been given doesn't seem to work unless further gnostic secrets are disclosed unto me [the discussion tab I'm told to use doesn't take me to an input field] and (b) I'm just referred to even more rules and regulations. I've no wish to complain or make unwelcome noises, and I'm prepared for the typical 'Hey, if you don't like the way we do things here, get lost' response that characterises some areas of the internet. Nonetheless, in case anyone cares, that's been my initial taste of Wikipedia. Perhaps future experience will be happier for all parties. —Preceding unsigned comment added by ManYossasarian22 (talk • contribs) 14:34, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:You can click the '+' tab (best for a new section) or "edit this page" at top of Talk:Ian Rowland. Wikipedia has a lot of bad experiences with people who write inappropriately about themselves, so there are rules about that. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:56, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
Little green and red numbers on your watchlist?
I was looking at my watchlist the other day and saw a little green number with a plus beside it (something like a +2,134) then further on I saw a another number, except in red with a minus beside it (-123 etc). My question is what they are for? Thanks! Fattyjwoods (talk) 05:04, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:That's an indication of how much text was added or removed from the article. The number corresponds to the number of bytes - usually the number of characters, but not always, particularly when a template is involved. This page provides more explanation, as well as directions on how to change it if you like. Hersfold (t/a/c) 05:14, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
creating article
how do you create an article —Preceding unsigned comment added by CanYouAddUpToThis (talk • contribs) 05:35, 9 December 2007 (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 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. —Preceding unsigned comment added by TEB728 (talk • contribs) 06:04, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
Math thing
Can't seem to get photo on to page
Sorry. I'm sure this must be a common problem, but I can't seem to find the solution.
I uploaded a photo provided to me by Dr. Edwin D Kilbourne for a biographical page which I am writing. (I've been gradually extending it as I get more facts of interest.)
Dr Kilbourne provided me with the photo with the understanding that it would be uploaded onto wikipedia, and I have done so. It seems that I must now get further permission from him, either putting it in the public domain or else allowing its use under GNU or related licensing scheme. I will do so.
But how do I get the info box reference to image:EdwinDKilbourne.png to actually link to the photo......???????
RighterofWrongs 06:54, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:See Help:Image for examples. However, rather than make a plain link to the image, you should use one of the infoboxes for people, such as {{Tl|infobox person}} (or something more specific). You could study similar biography articles about people in the same field as your subject. --Teratornis (talk) 07:06, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
::...and use the same style of infobox coding as those articles use, I neglected to add. --Teratornis (talk) 07:07, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
Moving an article to an existing redirect
I am sorry, but I can´t figure out how to move Bad trip back to Psychedelic crisis. Thanks, Haiduc (talk) 10:59, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:Can I ask your rationale for wanting to move it back? Anecdotally, bad trip is the common name for the phenomenon, while psychedelic crisis is not. Google seems to confirm in spades, returning 968 results for the latter and 136,000 results for the former (other searches limited usage to drugs to avoid sentences about traveling, still return massive results). Accordingly, per Wikipedia:Naming conventions (common names), bad trip seems to be the better title. In any event, you can request a move at Wikipedia:Requested moves. --Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 11:14, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
::If I am going against the naming convention than I will drop the matter. My intention is to use the formal rather than the colloquial term for the experience, just like we list a certain city as "New York" rather than "The Big Apple". Haiduc (talk) 21:45, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
15th December
celebrities born on 15th december —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.92.55.131 (talk) 11:58, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:Perhaps our 15th December page will be of use to you? NF24(radio me!) 12:27, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
::And you can find more Wikipedia biographies with [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Born+December+15%22+site%3Aen.wikipedia.org this] Google search. PrimeHunter (talk) 15:09, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
latex
Hello. What is the difference between , , and ? Thanks, Randomblue (talk) 13:11, 9 December 2007 (UTC). (the second one seems slightly below the others for some reason)
:Nothing, at least on my computer. All the 's are in line with each other. NF24(radio me!) 13:41, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:Interesting. When rendered in my browser (Opera 9.02) using the 'Recommended for modern browsers' Math setting (Special:Preferences), the last three pis look identical and are rendered as .png images. The first is a text (Unicode?) pi. (Note that it is not the standard HTML π character: π.) To clarify the question for subsequent readers, we're at the difference between the following (LaTeX code → rendered pi):
:*
:*
:*
:*
:Is there a specific meaning for the comma/semicolon/bang in this context in LaTeX? TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:45, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
::This feature of Wikipedia's τεχ rendering is actually documented: see WP:TEX#Forced_PNG_rendering. Algebraist 17:21, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:::For the lazy, I'll just mention that these are spaces of different sizes. Since they are at the end of the formula, they have no effect TeX-wise, but since MediaWiki is not too eager to compile them in unicode, they can be used to force PNG rendering. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 22:19, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:::Maybe we are missing something. On my system, the one with the \, (small space) is thinner and lower. I have no idea why. This is clearer if you put it, say, like this: . -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 12:56, 10 December 2007 (UTC)
Editing Wikipedia page about my father, Alexander Ulanovsky. Tried to edit it, but my corrections disappeared together with the original text. (Maya Ulanovskaya, E-mail address: <email removed>)
::Do you want these edits merged into the article? Jake the Editor Man (talk) 13:22, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:::For your own protection, please do not post your email address on highly visible pages such as this. The text you attempted to add to the article is already in its history so there is no need to post it here. Normally, one would not add the text of a rewrite below the existing article as you did, but replace the existing text with the new. In your case, however, you should suggest the text of any changes to the article's talk page, (which is here), because you have a conflict of interest in editing the article. Every suggestion should be backed up by identification of reliable sources which verify the change (your rewrite contained no sources whatever). I do not know what happened on your second edit, but somehow you blanked the article's text entirely. I have reverted the article back to its preexisting state.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 13:43, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
::::(edit conflict) I was going to say exactly the same thing :-) Astronaut (talk) 13:50, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
My userpage broke
I was trying to place the hiding div for my userboxes on my userpage, but there is one section that refuses to work. I would appreciate it if someone had a look at it.
Here is the code that has broken:
{{User EU}}
{{User EU citizen}}
{{Proud EU}}
{{User UK}}
{{user United Kingdom}}
{{user British citizen}}
{{User England}}
{{User Essex}}
{{User Wivenhoe}}
{{User time zone|UTC|clock}}
{{User dst 1}}
{{user date}}
{{User:HokieRNB/userboxes/visit|Chile}}
{{User:UserBox/User Earthling}}
{{User Earthling3}}
{{User:EVula/Userboxes/countries visited|8}}
if anyone can go over and have a peek at it, or tell me the problem, that would be greatly appreciated. Jake the Editor Man (talk) 13:19, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:I tried, but couldn't. Sorry. I'll keep looking, though. x42bn6 Talk Mess 18:01, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
::{{done}} I think? :) Regards, — Rudget speak.work 19:05, 9 December 2007 (UTC)
:::doesn't seem to have made much of a difference ... I have added your contrib (an extra
