Help desk
< May 3	<< Apr \| May \| Jun >>	May 5 >

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.

May 4

How to ping a /64 range

Hello. I'm a bit concerned regarding some of the phrasing in the closure of WP:RSN#RfC: AllSides media bias ratings, but the IP editor who made the close appears to edit from a a single user0 who uses an IPv6 block of /64. Without making and getting approval for a bot that makes 2⁶⁴-1 edits, is there a way to send a mass ping to that IP range? — Mhawk10 (talk) 03:05, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Mhawk10: there isn't, and in fact, you cannot ping IP's at all. IP's don't use the notification system registered users have. The only type of notification they get - in some cases - is the "you've got new talk page messages", delivered via a giant orange bar below the page header. Victor Schmidt mobil (talk) 04:56, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Please excuse my confusion of the technical jargon with respect to pings. Is there a way to mass-deliver a talk page message to an IP range? It appears to be (predominantly) a single Comcast subscriber on a static IP that predominantly who from desktop. — Mhawk10 (talk) 05:02, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

It's not just about technical jargon, Mhawk: you're asking for a way to create dozens of talk pages, which will stay there for ever, and most of which will never be seen by anybody. even if this is technically possible, would it be a good idea? (I see that you are trying to contact the closing editor according to WP:CLOSECHALLENGE: it looks to me as if your other option is to take it to WP:AN). ColinFine (talk) 15:34, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Should we really be letting IP users close discussions like this? The RFC closer should be accountable for the close, and this isn't the case if it's an IP user whose IP address will change, and therefore may become uncontactable at some point in the future. Joseph2302 (talk) 15:39, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I'm inclined to agree, Joseph. But I couldn't find anything saying that IP users couldn't close discussions, and we have some long-staning and respected users who choose not to create accounts. ColinFine (talk) 16:02, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@ColinFine, "dozens"? 73.127.147.187 (talk) 08:51, 5 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Mhawk10 and ColinFine: Sorry for the late reply, I had IRL duties: I do not believe there is a tool to notify an IP range on each possible talk page. A /64 range has 2⁶⁴ or roughly 18 billion billion individual IP-adresses. Notifying each of them via a talk page messages would increase the current 1,249,930,245 by several digits - for a single /64 range. If the IP range edits are disruptive, an admin could apply a range block with a custom block message (which would, as already mentioned is generally seen) following a request at AN or ANI. Victor Schmidt mobil (talk) 20:21, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Victor Schmidt mobil Yes, I got that orange notification once. I need to create an account... 73.127.147.187 (talk) 08:53, 5 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Legobot removing RfC tags

I've been trying to re-add the rfc tag to this discussion but legobot keeps removing the tag saying the discussion has expired. It technically has but I want to keep it open to encourage a bit more discussion. I've added new timestamped text but it keeps happening. Any help? Vladimir.copic (talk) 05:16, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Figured it out - just added . Vladimir.copic (talk) 05:38, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

How do you add Wikipedia pages to categories?

I tried to put my user page in the category "Wikipedians in England", but failed. I put "Category: Wikipedians in England" at the bottom of my user page, but it only came out in red letters. I shall be very grateful if you could let me know how to add Wikipedia pages, such as my user page, to categories. Many thanks, YTKJ (talk) 08:22, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@YTKJ Minor mistake: You wrote Categories, but it's Category. See also WP:HOTCAT. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 08:37, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict) I am in that category and seem to have been automatically placed there when I added Template:Babel with an "in England" setting to my user page. You can achieve the same by changing "Categories:" to "Category:" in the link you added to your user page. Bazza (talk) 09:12, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Why Deshdrohi_2 is not indexing on Google?

Why this page is not indexing on Google. I think it was created directly that's why it is not indexing on Google. What should I do so that it will index on Google. 103.249.7.167 (talk) 09:52, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Articles will not be indexed by search engines for 90 days or until they have been patrolled, whichever comes soonest. Eagleash (talk) 10:34, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

It's also now been moved back to draftspace, and Google doesn't pick up Wikipedia drafts. Joseph2302 (talk) 10:43, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Probably the right move too! Eagleash (talk) 11:28, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

How to create a page?

Hello, I’m looking to create a page and add knowledge pages. Is this something I’m able to do? — Preceding unsigned comment added by IcyTheMedium (talk • contribs) 14:07, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@IcyTheMedium: It depends on what you mean by knowledge pages. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and it hosts articles (that inform readers neutrally, and without promotion or denigration of the subject). —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 14:12, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@IcyTheMedium, Start with WP:TUTORIAL and WP:YFA. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 14:27, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

If you are a beginner, the usual advice is to do some editing of existing articles before creating a new article. The other common advice is *not* to make your first article about yourself, your organisation etc.--♦IanMacM♦ ^{(talk to me)} 16:38, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

And you certainly don't hijack an existing article to be about a different subject, IcyTheMedium: that is regarded as disruptive editing. --ColinFine (talk) 20:08, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting first edit by new account. [[1]] TimTempleton ^(talk) ^(cont) 07:03, 5 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Link notifications

Tracked in Phabricator
Task T66090

Every now and then I receive notifications about new links to articles I have created. I usually help with dsambiguation pages with many incoming links, but once a disambiguation page is cleared of incoming links, I have to keep patrolling the incoming links of these pages. Is there a way to be notified of incoming articles for any article or page the same way I am notified about new links for articles I have created? I know it's a very specific question, and maybe the answer is somewhere over there, but I have been unable to find it. Thanks a lot for your time, --Metalpotato - ✉ 17:47, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Metalpotato: Nope, this isn't possible, but it is tracked in Phabricator, Wikipedia's bug-reporting system, as T66090. Graham87 16:07, 5 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, thanks a lot for the info, I'll check it out. --~~~~ Metalpotato - ✉ 16:50, 5 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Primary source or OR?

If I add the following information to an article: "John Doe did an interview", and cite the interview as the source, which policy am I in violation of? Am I using the interview as a primary source or would the claim be considered original research? Can't quite wrap my head around it. Throast (talk | contribs) 23:54, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

It's primary, so you can use it without attribution for WP:ABOUTSELF, and anything that might be self serving of contentious should be attributed. That's my understanding anyway. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 23:58, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I guess it was a bad example. Another one would be: "John Doe appeared in a film", and I cite the film as a source. Or: "John Doe was featured in an article", and I cite the article. I know there's an issue there, but I can't point to the relevant policy. Throast (talk | contribs) 00:05, 5 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

That's just primary sourcing, as far as I know. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 00:12, 5 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

WP:UNDUE maybe? Not due for inclusion because there's no secondary coverage? ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 00:13, 5 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

That makes sense to me. Thanks! Throast (talk | contribs) 00:15, 5 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]