Wikimedia Forum/Archives/2010-08

Nominations for speedy deletion

Could someone be kind enough to restore some order on the repeated nominations for speedy deletion made by a disgruntled user? A message has already been left on his talk page [1] kindly asking for an end to such behavior and better observance of the project procedures. Naturally such disruptive edits have prevented me from initiating any kind discussion in the appropriate talk page.

Sincerely,

Virgilio A. P. Machado

Vapmachado 01:21, 14 July 2010 (UTC)

I regret to report that another user has joined the fray. Exactly the same message as above has been left on his talk page [2].

Sincerely,

Virgilio A. P. Machado

Vapmachado 01:28, 14 July 2010 (UTC)

Reposted at what is believed to be a more appropriate page.[3] Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience I might have caused.

Sincerely,

Virgilio A. P. Machado

Vapmachado 03:34, 14 July 2010 (UTC)

Unresolved matters concerning this section are being pursued at RFH. Vapmachado 00:08, 1 August 2010 (UTC)

Incorrect use of SI units.

It appears to be common in Wikipedia articles to misuse the SI symbol for degrees Celcius. The correct symbol is C with no degree symbol preceeding it. C means 'degrees Celcius' and a further symbol before it is therefore 'degrees degrees Celcius' a clear tautology and therefore nonsense. This use appears to be embedded in the macros used in articles - whould whoever is responsible please correct this childish error.

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 83.104.38.237 (talk • contribs) 14:13, 1 August 2010 (UTC).

Please forgive me for disappointing you. We all have doubts about such things, but when in doubt it is better to search for reliable sources. It's not unusual to be looking for something and learning something else or something more. According to these three sources [4], [5], and [6], the correct symbol or math notation for degree Celsius is ºC, like in 20 ºC, with a space between the number and the degree symbol, as shown. All other representations should be edited to this one, and not the other way around as per your request.

If you have done any edits like you suggest, I beg you to stop. If possible, it would be very nice of you to revert any such edits you might have made. If you are too upset by this mishap, leave it alone. Somebody else will, eventually, take care of it.

We all make mistakes. Don't let this bother you. Maybe next time you'll find something that really needs to be corrected, and the merrit will be all yours for having made such a valuable contribution. In the mean time you're welcome to make some spelling corrections in your request (that I can do for you, if you wish) and maybe tone it down a bit, so that it would reflect what it is, an honest mistake, rather that a somewhat rude and groundless statement (that I can't do for you, you'll have to do it yourself).

Sincerely,

Virgilio A. P. Machado

Vapmachado 22:02, 1 August 2010 (UTC)

The official source can be found here. Note that the 'Kelvin' does not need the degree symbol, for the reason provided above, while the 'degree Celsius' does. That may have caused user's confusion. Regards, Guido den Broeder 09:47, 2 August 2010 (UTC)

Requests for comment/Global banners

^ --MZMcBride 22:31, 1 August 2010 (UTC)

Question on Inter-Wiki Link

Hi Guys, I'm trying create an article on Wiki and something just came across my mind.

In my article, there are some words, for example : "Fruit" & "Tomato".

In Wiki, there are article titles on these 2 words.

I was wondering, do I have to type in the inter-wiki link coding for these 2 words or is

there any automated ways for Wiki to detect if certain words from my articles are actually Title

names and create the Inter-Wiki Link of them

Thanks

I'm not sure what you are looking for. Wiki is a software that allows users to add to and edit its content. Wikipedia is one of them. Are you talking about Wikipedia? Inter-wiki links refers to linking to other websites that are also wikis. For example, to link to my userpage on the Chinese Wikipedia, I can type [[w:zh:User:Kayau]]. Does that help? Kayau WP WB WN 13:30, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

security leaks

Moved from [7]

I am a retired US Air Force officer and pilot and I have served my country in theater, in wartime. I clicked this website for my last time only to deliver this message. I consider you as traitorous as Jane Fonda who abetted the enemy who was trying to shoot me down in Vietnam. I 86ed her and I hereby do the same to you. I hope your readership dwindles to include only other traitors like yourselves. Paul McComb, Utah

Wikileaks is not a Wikimedia project. --Nemo 19:18, 4 August 2010 (UTC)

edit section

hello, i would like to have the edit section left. can anybody help me?

thx. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 84.115.86.60 (talk • contribs) 15:23, 5 August 2010 (UTC).

If you register an account, you can in some projects choose to display the section edit button at the left, next to the section title. Is this what you mean? I don't think there's such an option on Meta, but on en.wikipedia it's "My preferences" → "Gadgets" → "Moves edit links next to the section headers". There's some documentation on the script here. Jafeluv 00:09, 6 August 2010 (UTC)

Adding a link

Hello from Canada. So I just created an account. I wanted to add an excellent link which has pictures/videos and information on mostly Russian aircraft to the bottom of the TU-95 Bear page. This website has several awesome fairly recent videos of this aircraft as well as a lot more. I don't think this link would be an issue copyright-wise and can be seen by anyone in normal web-surfing if they know it is there or stumble upon it in a Google search. This link could added at many other aircraft specific pages at Wikipedia. While the TU-95 page is very well done it would be even better with a link to the videos of the aircraft which this link would provide. I would have already done so but I figured I better ask about doing so in this forum 1st. John— The preceding unsigned comment was added by John K. 1957 (talk) 23:19, 5 August 2010 (UTC)

To upload those files, check commons:Commons:Licensing and/or ask commons:COM:VP; to add just links, check w:en:Wikipedia:External links. --Nemo 23:56, 5 August 2010 (UTC)

Global interwiki

Hi. How many times has it been proposed? I haven't found any discussions about it but I don't feel too original...

Currently, every project maintains its own interwiki links for each entry. Bots periodically read all entries on all the projects looking for interwiki links and copy them between the projects.

Terrible amount of redundant work and, as it seems, server resources as well. The end users suffer too, because they must wait often a few months for the links to get updated.

But it doesn't have to be like this! Or does it?

The idea is that there should be a global interwiki database. It would group entries from different projects into global interwiki pools. When adding a new entry, a user would insert a title of a corresponding entry in one of the other projects and based on this the appropriate interwiki pool would be selected. It would result in a new interwiki link pop up on all the projects immediately. Single action. No bots.

Additionally, the projects could be given a possibility to create local exceptions to the global rules. Currently it's not possible because bots will spoil it.

The fact that we have global user accounts indicates that such a database should be possible.

Is it? Lampak 20:50, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

It's in the works. See A newer look at the interlanguage link, Talk:A newer look at the interlanguage link and bug 15607: Implement the Interlanguage extension in Wikipedia. --Amir E. Aharoni 22:02, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

Different user name policies for a now unified user name across projects

Hello.
English Wikipedia has a very restrictive user name policy, banning company names ("Fiable.biz", our user name, has just been blocked for this.) and brands. Since Wikimedia user names are now unified, I think it would be much more consistent if the user name policy was decided at Wikimedia's level, not at the project level. If not, people register through a project, and later get banned from another. We just can't read all these many policies when registering.
What do you think? Fiable.biz 13:13, 29 July 2010 (UTC)

Company names are not allowed on many projects, not only on English Wikipedia. I'm welcome to see it's widened to Wikimedia level.--Aphaia 13:20, 29 July 2010 (UTC)

May be we need ,indeed some rules concerning the SUL names but I think in the end this can only come to the most restricting variant. For instance, some projects prohibit names with certain non-latin scripts and so on.--Yaroslav Blanter 14:42, 29 July 2010 (UTC)

Actually a recent discussion here on Meta and/or foundation-l has established by vast consensus that now a local project shouldn't block non-latin (or non-local) characters usernames. Such a policy has been removed on some projects (I'm sure of it.wiki and quite sure of en.wiki).

Companies are a different issue. If a unified policy should exist, I would suggest to block such usernames globally, but they could make sense and hence be allowed on some wikis depending on their scope (e.g. Wiktionary is different from Wikipedia, and we have lots of meta projects). --Nemo 14:19, 30 July 2010 (UTC)

Also, you just said "our user name". Part of the reason company usernames are prohibited is because they appear to represent the company, which from what you just said appears to be the case. Accounts can only represent individuals except in exceptional circumstances, and I'm sure that's a global thing. sonia 06:55, 9 August 2010 (UTC)

Wikimedia Adresses

Hi,

mostly on official pages in the Company's address is given as 149 New Montgomery Street, but on the Internet but often I can find a 39 Stillman Street, in Google StreetView, you see there is the logo of wikimedia on the door. Now I ask myself what is actually at the respective addresses, especially which facilities are located at the addresses.
Can someone provide clarity? 188.23.10.178 07:46, 9 August 2010 (UTC) 

It's simple, they've recently moved. --Nemo 08:47, 9 August 2010 (UTC)

For the record

Moved to User talk:Vapmachado#For the record. -AlexSm 17:24, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

New Wikiprojekt

I want to start a new Wikiprojekt which is a wing of de-Wikipedia. But I dont know who can help me. Am I right here? Ne discere cessa! 18:41, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

You should probably visit Proposals for new projects and determine what to do from there, I'd imagine. Kylu 19:54, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Requests for comment/Global banners

^ --MZMcBride 22:31, 1 August 2010 (UTC)