Help talk:Contents

This is not the page to ask for help.

This page is for discussion of the Help:Contents page itself, and its subpages. You may be looking for one of the following pages: Wikipedia:Help desk - For questions about Wikipedia and editing. Wikipedia:Reference desk - For questions on factual topics (for example: Who is the pope?) Or ask for help on your talk page, and a volunteer will visit you there! See also: Wikipedia:Village pump - For policy and technical discussions. Wikipedia:Resolving disputes - To resolve issues between users.

help search

When I search help there is an error «An error has occurred while searching: The search backend returned an error:» it does not say what the error is. Help search is broken. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Shabratha (talk • contribs) 13:58, 2 July 2014 (UTC)

• @Shabratha: thank you for pointing this out. There is currently technical work happening on Wikipedia's search functions. I have tested the search function on the contents page and I get the same error. I will ask for technical assistance. --Pine^✉ 16:13, 2 July 2014 (UTC)

@Shabratha and Pine: Could you enable New search at beta features? This has sometimes fixed this problem. --Glaisher (talk) 16:25, 2 July 2014 (UTC)

I don't want beta features. I want help to work. Kindly do the needful. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Shabratha (talk • contribs) 09:10, 3 July 2014 (UTC)

@Shabratha: The new "beta" search is due to become the default search here on August 27 (mw:Search#Timeline). Since the existing search code is being phased out, I doubt if anyone will be trying to fix it. So your options are to enable "beta" search or to wait for the new code. Please remember that most of the code developers are unpaid volunteers, just like the editors and administrators here. -- John of Reading (talk) 09:35, 3 July 2014 (UTC)

Help page says I should try FAQ, but FAQ search is broken too. Shabratha (talk) 10:00, 3 July 2014 (UTC) This is stupid. I tried fixing a picture which is against copyright, but nothing happened, so I came to Help. The help page does not mention copyright, so I tried help search. Help search is broken so I asked here, and the answer isn't «Here's how to do it», the answer is «Yes we know help search is broken, wait 2 months». Then I tried FAQ, but FAQ search is broken too. Then I asked at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Media_copyright_questions but no answer. Then I tried the beta search. Beta search sent me to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyright_problems but that says «Image copyright concerns are not handled on this board». It then sent me to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:CSD but that is very wikitechnical and has no help. If insiders know that beta search works and help search doesn't work, why do the help and FAQ pages use the broken one? This is stupid and it is a waste of time. Shabratha (talk) 10:28, 3 July 2014 (UTC)

@Shabratha: I'm sorry you got frustrated. The "search" boxes at Help:Contents and Wikipedia:FAQ use whichever search has been chosen by the user doing the search; there's nothing available in the software that can change this behaviour. I've tried searching for the word "copyright" in both these search boxes and got some fairly sensible answers.

Your question at Wikipedia:Media copyright questions#Aerial photos probably hasn't been answered yet because there is not enough detail. I've made a comment there. -- John of Reading (talk) 17:23, 3 July 2014 (UTC)

You need an FAQ on the help page for how to start a post on the talk page. I went to a talk page, and there were no subspaces to start a post that the article needed a description of 1 of the words. — Preceding unsigned comment added by YouRang? (talk • contribs) 16:32, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

The search for help within help is no longer searching for help within help. 99.104.125.199 (talk) 23:17, 3 December 2015 (UTC)

Protection query

Is this page semi protected or fully protected? 70.27.31.53 (talk) 00:58, 19 December 2014 (UTC)

Semi -- John of Reading (talk) 06:49, 19 December 2014 (UTC)

Copyedits to headings

I'd like to make the following changes to streamline the headings on this page:

1. I want info about browsing or searching » I want to read or find an article
2. I want to edit Wikipedia » I want to edit an article

I think both speak for themselves, but I can elaborate on my reasoning if necessary.—Neil P. Quinn (talk) 20:16, 10 January 2015 (UTC)

Support --Moxy (talk) 07:29, 11 January 2015 (UTC)

Sounds fine to me. the wub "?!" 12:06, 11 January 2015 (UTC)

Support sounds better if anything. --Mrjulesd (talk) 12:30, 11 January 2015 (UTC)

• Okay, thanks, I'll go ahead and make the changes.—Neil P. Quinn (talk) 20:21, 12 January 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 5 February 2015

Bisinh (talk) 13:56, 5 February 2015 (UTC)

Not done: as you have not requested a change, but I suspect you are in the wrong place, as this page is only to discuss improvements to Help:Contents.
If you want to suggest a change, please request this in the form "Please replace XXX with YYY" or "Please add ZZZ between PPP and QQQ".
Given the nature of this page, you will also need to reach consensus before any significant changes are implemented. - Arjayay (talk) 14:40, 5 February 2015

there is no page for this

hi im tring to delete my user but there is no page on it does this mean i cannot delete my user or have you just not added it yet

Youtubelover116 (talk) 17:30, 20 March 2015 (UTC)youtubelover116Youtubelover116 (talk) 17:30, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

• It is not possible to delete user accounts .. see Wikipedia:Username policy#Deleting and merging accounts. That said pages can be deleted see WP:G7 -- Moxy (talk) 17:34, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

Proposal for Help:Contents expansion with elements of Help Menu

This is a proposal for an expansion of the Help:Contents page with elements from the Help Menu.

Permanent link of proposed change to Help:Contents:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Help:Contents/sandbox&oldid=661111846

Permanent comparison of above with present Help:Contents:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:ComparePages?page1=Help%3AContents%2Fsandbox&rev1=661111846&page2=Help%3AContents&rev2=660916607&action=&diffonly=&unhide=

Q. Why do this?

A. These are my reasons for proposing this change:

(a) The Help Menu is an under-utilised resource. The Help:Contents page get approximately 50X the amount of traffic as Help:Contents/Browse. So only one in 50 people notices the link to the Main Menu, and decides to follow it. I think it is a shame, as many of the links could be helpful, but they may never even be noticed let alone utilised.

(b) It would cut down on confusion. The "main help page" being separate from the Help Menu is in my view confusing, and what at least to me at first. While this doesn't remove the Help Menu it down much to explain it in terms of the main help page.

(c) If the help menu is not noticed or followed, where is the next continuation of help exploration? It is the very complicated help and rule navboxes at the bottom. I think if people follow the help menu links instead, the provided links are less confusing and off-putting.

(d) Possible elimination of the help menu, although it does retain some elements not in this design.

Views would be appreciated. --Jules (Mrjulesd) 15:46, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

• Support – nice way to make a useful resource visible. It used to be the Help:Contents page, and for good reason: it's the main help menu page (that is, the top page of the multi-page help menu system). The Transhumanist 03:42, 8 May 2015 (UTC)

• Thanks for your comments. Which is the top-level is a little confusing, as Help:Contents has a simpler url than Help:Contents/Browse, and also Help:Contents is accessed from the permanent left page column. But this should help to make things a bit simpler. --Jules (Mrjulesd) 10:42, 8 May 2015 (UTC)

• Support - all looks good to me....I say go for it....after a few more comments. -- Moxy (talk) 14:52, 8 May 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 May 2015

Kumachan1 (talk) 11:16, 24 May 2015 (UTC) HelpInsert non-formatted text he—re

Not done as you have not requested a specific change, but I suspect you are in the wrong place, as this page is only to discuss improvements to Help:Contents.
If you want to suggest a change, please request this in the form "Please replace XXX with YYY" or "Please add ZZZ between PPP and QQQ".
Given the nature of this page, you will also need to reach consensus before any significant changes are implemented. - Arjayay (talk) 12:18, 24 May 2015 (UTC)

Wikipedia Adventure nominated for deletion

Hi, I'm notifying you of a discussion because The Wikipedia Adventure is included in Help:Contents and it has been nominated for deletion. You can comment here: Wikipedia:Miscellany_for_deletion/Wikipedia:The_Wikipedia_Adventure_(2nd_nomination). Cheers, Jake Ocaasi ^{t | c} 15:59, 30 May 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 19 June 2015

Momir Petković (born 21 July 1953) is a Serbian Olympic wrestling champion- Should say "a Yugoslav Olympic wrestling champion" 86.15.37.255 (talk) 17:24, 19 June 2015 (UTC)

Not done as you are in the wrong place, since this page is only to discuss improvements to Help:Contents.
If you want to suggest a change, please request this on the talk page of the relevant article in the form "Please replace XXX with YYY" or "Please add ZZZ between PPP and QQQ".
Please also cite reliable sources to back up your request, without which no information should be added to, or changed in, any article. - Arjayay (talk) 20:01, 19 June 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 September 2015

110.247.86.241 (talk) 07:10, 24 September 2015 (UTC) --110.247.86.241 (talk) 07:10, 24 September 2015 (UTC)--110.247.86.241 (talk) 07:10, 24 September 2015 (UTC)'Bold text'

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. Cannolis (talk) 07:25, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 6 November 2015

122.169.183.98 (talk) 11:10, 6 November 2015 (UTC) photosubmission@wikimedia.org

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. --I am k6ka ^{Talk to me!} _{See what I have done} 12:33, 6 November 2015 (UTC)

TOTD

I have removed the tip of the day as per previous talks on the matter. -- Moxy (talk) 22:29, 20 November 2015 (UTC)

@Moxy: Things change, and so has the tip of the day. There are some very good reasons to include the TOTD these days:

• The department has been revitalized, with strong ongoing support to keep the tips and the tip library up-to-date and relevant. JoeHebda is doing one hell of a good job as the TOTD's driving force.
• Many new tips have been added to the collection.
• Tips are checked, double-checked, and triple-checked before they "go live". There is a buffer of about 60 days of tips reviewed and ready for their go live date.
• The tip has been reformatted to match the style of the Help:Contents page.
• Placed at the bottom of the page, it doesn't compete with the contents, while providing all the benefits of a daily useful tip.
• The tips are designed to solve problems and provide powerful resources the reader might otherwise miss.
• It's one of WP's help departments, providing an alternative way to learn the ropes (with a tip library, categorized by area of activity).
• It's a distinct feature of WP, and part of its personality; it also employs some advanced templating, which editors may find very useful.
• There's no better place for a dynamically renewing helpful tip than Wikipedia's main help page. ;)
• It's the equivalent to "random article" for the help department.
• It's like the "selected article" feature of portals, but highlighting a help page.
• It's an added incentive for newbies to return to the help page each day, to see what the daily tip is, and each time they do they are exposed to Wikipedia's main help categories again, which helps familiarize them with the project faster.
• It's fun and interesting! Which are keys for effective teaching and learning.

Keep in mind that the tip was on the page for 46 days (until removed) without generating any complaints. Please consider returning this quality feature to the Help:Contents page. Thank you Moxy. As always, in support of every aspect of the help department, yours sincerely, The Transhumanist 12:30, 21 November 2015 (UTC)

I think Its just to overwhelming (takes up half the page) for a small amount of info that people were not looking for. A link would be fine but no need to dominate the page with one hint. The reasons outlined at Help talk:Contents/Archive 6#RfC: Redesign of Help:Contents still hold true...and is the only item removed completely...no mention of merits to include...noone though it was a good idea to dominate the page with one random hint. -- Moxy (talk)

@Moxy: 365 "random" hints per year. But I like to think they are the 365 best tips we could find—to get up to speed quickly and become a more capable user. They are highlights of the help system. And being at the bottom of the page, it is a nice daily bonus to the overview preceding it, that users can come back to again and again. If the TOTD attracts a readership, and I suspect it does, those individuals return to Help:Contents, which is a good thing. (Another opportunity to read the manual). By the way, there are a couple other points I forgot to mention in my list above:

• Each tip includes a link to the tip library, which is a mini-help system that summarizes and draws the reader into the overall help system pretty well. A subset that is useful to help get up to speed as a skilled user.
• The TOTD is portable, meaning users can take it home with them (that is, place a piece of the help system on their user pages or user talk pages). This makes it more likely they will read a little bit of WP's help documentation each day, thereby improving their skills and know-how as editors of the 'pedia.

Our goal here is to help users become better users. A nice little daily supplement of knowledge, easy to digest, adds up quickly. ;) The Transhumanist 00:53, 22 November 2015 (UTC)

Tip of the day... Custom signatures Signatures in Wikipedia are identifying information that you put after writing a comment on a talk page. They tell other editors who wrote the comment and when. This can be done by writing ~~~~. Signatures can optionally be spruced up with colors. To add color to your signature, go to the Preferences link at the top of the page. In the nickname box, enter [[User:MYUSERNAME|<font color="MYCOLOR">MYUSERNAME</font>]]. Replace "MYCOLOR" with a color you like, such as "red" or "green". Replace MYUSERNAME with your username. Finally, check the "raw signature" box, and save your preferences. Now, when you type four tildes ~~~~ in a talk page, your new signature will appear. The color names that can be used in standard HTML are given in the standards document here. Using the hexadecimal RGB-style colors (such as #008000) you can choose any color you like from about sixteen million, not just the 140 colors that have names in standard HTML. More complex signatures are possible; however, your signature as typed into the box above should not be unnecessarily long. Long signatures make pages larger and harder to edit, and are discouraged. Prior tip – Next tip Read more: Wikipedia:Signatures   Signature tutorial   Become a Wikipedia tipster – Tips library, by subject To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd3}}

---

Copied from the totd talk page:

Is there a way to make this smaller? Having it take up half the page with so little info is a bit much on a help page full of topic specific info. -- Moxy (talk) 16:07, 21 November 2015 (UTC)

Greetings Moxy and The Transhumanist - Chiming in with my two cents worth. Perhaps the right side blue box (like on this page above, across from TOC) could be used instead? It is positioned with {{right|{{totd3}}}}. BTW, I really like the side-by-side look of the Help:Contents page.

My suggestion is, at Additional searches section, to move the searchboxes to the left (same one-half page format as most of the Help Contents page), and add Totd3 template on the right side paired with the searchboxes. I don't know the "magic wikicode" to accomplish this so I'm hoping either of you or another editor can help if this sounds like a reasonable solution. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 17:09, 21 November 2015 (UTC)

Shit ..just wrote stuff at the tlak page...but this half thing sounds like it could work.-- Moxy (talk) 17:41, 21 November 2015 (UTC)

(end of copy)

---

Fitting it into a column in a 2-column format works for me. We can format it to pretty much fit anywhere. The Transhumanist 07:43, 22 November 2015 (UTC)

Done Matching the section format of the page, rather than using the blue box to the right. The Transhumanist 09:20, 22 November 2015 (UTC)

• Thanks! The Transhumanist for making this update. It looks great and fits right in with the other page sections, two-column format. I agree, it looks better on the left column. Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 21:51, 22 November 2015 (UTC)

Help please arbitration committee

 Vanjagenije , 1 , 2 , 3.

• 213.230.77.167 (talk) 06:09, 5 March 2016 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 4 May 2016

Robertmaschio (talk) 20:45, 4 May 2016 (UTC)

I am requesting a complete removal of the entry on the personal section of my wikipedia page with regards to a frivolous lawsuit brought against me 7 years ago, which was dismissed. The daughter of the man who brought that lawsuit against me posted a link to a tabloid reports, wherein she repeats an unsubstantiated quote from a section of the dismissed lawsuit. These were allegations made against me that were so weak & dishonest & proven to be factually inaccurate that they whole lawsuit was withdrawn. Therefore, I am requesting a complete removal of the following contribution: Maschio was accused of assault and battery in 2009. He allegedly choked a staff member at a "Make-A-Wish" fundraiser grabbing him by his necktie and lifting him off the ground when he was told bidding on an art item had closed. He allegedly yelled "let's take this outside" at the victim. In no way is this appropriate or relevant for the personal life section of my wikipedia page. In NO way has it ever been verified as to it's accuracy, it is simply repeating an allegation. - Robert Maschio 5.4.2016 Robertmaschio (talk) 20:45, 4 May 2016 (UTC)

Hi Robert, The material in question has been removed - and I have left a warning with the user that replaced it as well as a general warning on the talkpage of that article. IMDb is absolutely not an appropriate source in this situation. SQL^{Query me!} 01:54, 5 May 2016 (UTC)