User talk:DuncanHill

A Happy New Year to you all. Except you, you know what you did.

I had an idea for a JavaScript tool that could be used to selectively revert Harry's edits, so I put in a request, and one of the helpful people at WP:US/R has come up with a prototype. It's a short script that will replace a link of the form [[A|B]] with one of the form [[B]] when [[B]] is a valid redirect to [[A]]. I've done a few tests, and it seems to work very well.

You've been here a lot longer than I have, and I think you have a fuller understanding of the pros and cons of different linking approaches than I do. Do you see any drawbacks to running a script of this sort on the pages that Harry targets? I've been doing more-or-less the same by hand, but this is a lot quicker. Jean-de-Nivelle (talk) 22:57, 2 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Jean-de-Nivelle: Sorry for the delay in replying - have been taking a bit of a break from anything stress-inducing. I'm not really qualified to comment on scripts, beyond saying that of course the person running one is responsible for the changes made with it. But I will say I do greatly appreciate your efforts dealing with Harry the house. DuncanHill (talk) 00:42, 14 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. I hadn't realised quite how prolific he's been. Every new IP address leads to a score of affected pages, and each page leads to a dozen new addresses. It's bottomless! I'm relieved to have met little opposition from other editors so far, but I'm also concerned that the cure might become more annoying than the problem. I'll tread carefully. Jean-de-Nivelle (talk) 11:51, 14 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, could you help me out with this citation problem thing and the formatting! CtasACT (talk) 02:13, 6 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@CtasACT: Sorry for the delayed reply, I've been having something of a break. I only really looked at Haile Selassie because I have Category:Harv and Sfn no-target errors on my watchlist, so I see when edits cause such errors. I don't have a great depth of knowledge about His Late Majesty (though I have relatives who remember his residence in Bath during the War), and lack Amharic. Perhaps it would be best to ask at the help desk. I'd also suggest that patience is one of the greatest virtues for any Wikipedian - I know how frustrating it can be not to get a quick response, but we are all volunteers, and often have other distractions in life. DuncanHill (talk) 00:41, 14 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Appreciate you, i will take your advice! CtasACT (talk) 01:05, 14 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Template:Noble has been nominated for deletion. You are invited to comment on the discussion at the entry on the Templates for discussion page. Frietjes (talk) 19:21, 5 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, I saw you were fixing these error messages, but assumed you were just running a script of some sort. Sorry if I have been giving you a lot of work.

The problem seems to be that when I use for example {{cite gnis2|id=12345|name=Abc mountain}}, the template generates an anchor like {{anchor|Abc mountain USGS}}, but the software that checks for errors does not see the anchor. Is there any way the error-checking software could be fix to spot it? Or that {{cite gnis2}} could make the anchor visible to the error checking software? Aymatth2 (talk) 22:33, 24 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Aymatth2: according to Category:Harv_and_Sfn_template_errors:

Ways of resolving false positive no target errors include:

• adding the CITEREF to:
  • Module:Footnotes/whitelist – use this when many articles use the same long-form citation
  • a {{sfn whitelist}} template in the article

I don't mind fixing them, but it's best if people fix their own errors, or don't make them in the first place! DuncanHill (talk) 22:38, 24 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Does that mean any time I use {{cite gnis2}} I have to add {{sfn whitelist}}? Perhaps I could just wrap the two templates in another template. {{cite gnis2++}}, that calls first the one and then the other. Aymatth2 (talk) 22:57, 24 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Aymatth2:Now that's getting beyond my paygrade! I've always found the good people at the Village Pump - Technical very helpful for questions about templates. DuncanHill (talk) 23:01, 24 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The problem is fixed, sort of. You will not see any warnings for citations like {{sfn|... USGS}}. That does not mean they actually point to anything... Aymatth2 (talk) 16:18, 26 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

They are items that I created, there is no feasible reason to keep (the nationality of horn is not even identified in the article). I see no reason to engage in that sort of reversion - the film articles are a sea of overcategorisation, I honestly cannot see why you need to get involved. Process is one thing, but really, is there a need... ? JarrahTree 01:58, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

You don't own the category. You don't get to pick and choose which policies or procedures apply to "your" contributions. "I honestly cannot see why you need to get involved" is about as blatant an admission that you aren't here to contribute collaboratively as it's possible to make. DuncanHill (talk) 02:03, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Whoa, there was no need for further discussion at the CFD, and mason is in process of a larger more complex category change. Wow, I am very sorry, in AGF I think you are over-reacting. JarrahTree 02:14, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If it's a "larger more complex category change" then it should be presented as such, not as a single CfD. And "Please do not empty the category or remove this notice while the discussion is in progress" is not hard to understand. DuncanHill (talk) 02:19, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

wow the potential for misunderstanding here grows by each message. In AGF, I await the nominators actions rather than further comment.JarrahTree 02:32, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Do you know why we have policies and procedures? It's because when people follow them it saves a whole load of grief in the longer run. If "Please do not empty the category or remove this notice while the discussion is in progress" is too hard to follow then we're all fucked and may as well give up. DuncanHill (talk) 02:36, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The file File:Cornwallmainline.JPG has been proposed for deletion because of the following concern:

unused Wikipedia screenshot, future use unlikely

While all constructive contributions to Wikipedia are appreciated, pages may be deleted for any of several reasons.

You may prevent the proposed deletion by removing the {{proposed deletion/dated files}} notice, but please explain why in your edit summary or on the file's talk page.

Please consider addressing the issues raised. Removing {{proposed deletion/dated files}} will stop the proposed deletion process, but other deletion processes exist. In particular, the speedy deletion process can result in deletion without discussion, and files for discussion allows discussion to reach consensus for deletion. --TheImaCow (talk) 20:54, 5 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, @DuncanHill! Thank you for fixing the mistakes that an editor had made in Environmental history of the United States and moved all of the correct sourcing to it's correct space. I also see that you are also a sfn/harv error backlog cleaner, correct? If so, nice to meet you! Thank you, Thecowboygilbert - (talk) ♥ 14:00, 11 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hello Duncan @DuncanHill! , you may remember you asked me to do a better description of C.E. Carrington's page as I had pointed out that after his name was (soldier) when he only served his country in wartime and was actually a historian. You changed the heading. Now under this is the wrong description for Norman Mackenzie. He was a life long educator and President of the University of British Columbia, which really built into the exceptional university it is today. He was non-political until made a Canadian senator after his retirement in 1966-69 because of his life long interest in International Affairs by his friend Prime Minister Lester Pearson. He shouldn't be described in the heading as (politician) but (educator) or something of the sort. Are you able to correct this?Or suggest someone who can? Thanks so much for all your help and fine work. William Macadam (talk) 11:28, 18 March 2024 (UTC)William Macadam (talk) 11:32, 18 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@William Macadam: Hi William, yes I do remember. I'll have a look at Norman MacKenzie (politician) later - just having a bite to eat before going to see my Dad. I think you should be able to move the page yourself, but if you'd rather leave it to me that's fine. All the best, DuncanHill (talk) 11:39, 18 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

DuncanHill That is very good of you. I do not know how to change a Wiki page title and assumed it could only be done by an accredited individual. Many thanks for your enormous assistance to old codgers like me and all your contributions. I certainly appreciate your unfailing courtesy.William Macadam (talk) 12:46, 18 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The references are indeed a bloody mess. I'm not finished yet: I literally realized that I had broken the "wikilink" refs seconds literally SECONDS before you reverted them. So respectfully (although not very respectful) I'm reverting your reversion, so that I can recover the good edits, and fix what's broken. Please just back off for an hour or so. I'm working on it: By creating proper citations interior to the "wikilink" templates, I gave the "harv" templates multiple targets to go after. I'm very sure that I can fix it.

And by the way, what I am DOING is trying to fix "harv" links that don't work, because the text-only references embedded in the "wikilink" templates are invisible to normal "harv" link software: The setup is deficient / defective / a kudge / not well worked out. I think I can make it work with a few deft changes.

So what the hell do YOU think you are doing?
Vexed and disgusted
166.199.8.19 (talk) 00:52, 23 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

OK, well I'll undo your breakages in the morning then. DuncanHill (talk) 00:55, 23 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Such a realist.;-) Carlstak (talk) 01:04, 23 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

They are re-instated, and there are no longer any "harv" breakages to fix.166.199.8.19 (talk) 01:44, 23 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Actually there are now lots of error messages showing, and you've removed the valid interlanguage links to de wikipedia. Again, I suggest you try to explain what you actually think you are doing on the article talk page, and allow others to help you. DuncanHill (talk) 01:48, 23 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

DuncanHill: Sorry, but I think you might have been mistaken: I carefully checked for any heading-block complaints and/or "red ink" errors, after editing and saw none. The only errors that I saw were the interlanguage links ("ill" template) to articles that don't exist. I think I removed all of those that happened to be embedded in the former text-only refs I converted to template format. So I'm not sure what the subject of your complaint is.

I also noticed that you removed all of the kludge "wikilink" templates / cleaned up the "sources" section. It looks good! Thank you.
166.199.8.19 (talk) 03:03, 23 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I am in the middle of making a couple of edits on this page. Last night I accidentally pressed publish instead of review, in the process temporarily messing up the references. I was in the middle of correcting these and while doing so you had already jumped in. While I respect your expertise, can I just suggest that you wait a day or so before you make corrections otherwise we have conflicting editor problems, and I now have to start all over. Best wishes for an enjoyable semi-retirement.Ishpoloni (talk) 10:17, 27 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Ishpoloni: Hi, thank you for your message. I don't see why you "have to start all over". The reference you added is now present and working correctly. It is hard for me to tell the difference between editors who take a day or so to correct their own slips, and editors who don't realise, or care, that they have made mistakes. You may want to consider using Template:In use or Template:Under construction. DuncanHill (talk) 12:04, 27 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hello again. No you are quite right about the reference now being correct, but it was only the first one and (still without their sources) I had made two other edits which disappeared. However, it was too late to be working last night, and it didn't take as long as I expected to redo them as soon as I found out how to deal with the competing editors section. Ive now finished, and hope I've not made any more errors. If I have, please do correct them, and thank you for your interest. By the way, as a retired librarian and part-time writer, I've always hated the Harvard system, wherever is to be found, because I feel it was devised for the printers' benefit and certainly not for the readers'. However, I suspect you may disagree! Best wishes,Ishpoloni (talk) 12:35, 27 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

P.S. Thank you for the templates suggestion. I had not heard of them before. What an excellent idea. There is so much to understand for someone who really only wanted to add a single page and who seems to have been temporarily hooked!.Ishpoloni (talk) 12:39, 27 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Ishpoloni: As both a reader and an editor I despise the Harvard system! I could just about understand it being used during an ink famine, but never otherwise. One of the reasons I despise it so much is that it is so prone to error. I just go around fixing its more obvious failures. "Only wanting to add a single page" is how it starts... DuncanHill (talk) 12:40, 27 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Greetings User DuncanHill. Somehow a mysterious edit got made as part of a larger (yet still small) copyedit I made to the Pentworth House page. In the middle of nowhere, the simple lowercase word “hi“ was inserted. When I saw your edit summary calling it a “stealth edit“, I went back to try and figure out when it actually had been made, and by what editor. Yet all I can make out is somehow, it appeared as part of the edit I made. I have no grasp of how it could have, as it most certainly was not by intention. Maybe my fingertip hit an “autofill“ option to add the word “hi“, but how that would’ve happened, and how it would’ve appeared in the middle of nowhere is beyond me. So I would like to put your mind at rest: I can’t explain how it happened; I cannot see how I could be responsible for it . But it absolutely appears to have occurred as part of my edit. I’m glad you caught it, and we can put the matter to rest. Yours, 2601:196:180:DC0:7474:D120:7B26:38CF (talk) 19:23, 27 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for catching and fixing my screwup. Thanks. Nirva20 (talk) 02:01, 4 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Nirva20: No problem - I keep an eye on Category:Harv and Sfn no-target errors and try to fix new ones as they come up. The doi in that source does still work, so you could update the url if you wanted. All the best, DuncanHill (talk) 02:03, 4 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I would like to add my thanks too. Alex Zivoder (talk) 20:37, 20 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hey, @DuncanHill. Did the categories categorization change recently? I haven't looked at it in a couple of days and recently noticed that it's now categorizing based on a person's last name as well and a title's second word.. Instead of just doing the normal first letter categorization. Cowboygilbert - (talk) ♥ 02:20, 22 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Cowboygilbert: Yes, I noticed that too! I think it must be sorting according to the defaultsort, like content categories do. Not sure why or how the change happened though. DuncanHill (talk) 09:29, 22 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

It does help to flush out more old sfn/harv errors though so there is some light to it! Cowboygilbert - (talk) ♥ 13:30, 22 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Precious

Five years!

--Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:23, 22 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I have been slowly working through eastern Ellsworth Land, and find that the majority of the features are incorrectly categorized under Palmer Land. I think I have found the source of the problem:

• An unsourced statement in the Palmer Land article states that "In its southern extreme, the Antarctic Peninsula stretches west, with Palmer Land eventually bordering Ellsworth Land along the 80° W line of longitude." That roughly corresponds to the west end of the English Coast (see File:Bryan Coast to Ellsworth Land.jpg.)
• However, Alberts (1995) says of the Antarctic Peninsula ¨"The major peninsula of Antarctica, extending from Prime Head in the north to a line between Cape Adams and a point on the mainland coast south of Eklund Islands." Palmer Land is the southern part of the peninsula, north of this line, and Ellsworth Land is south and west of this line.

You can find the Eklund Islands (NW) and Cape Adams (SE) on File:Antpen-en.png, and with a bit of effort you can find them on File:Ellsworth Land - Palmer Land.jpg. The feature descriptions in Alberts (1995) are roughly consistent with the line from the islands to the cape. The definitions of the "lands" have no political or administrative meaning, but I think we should conform with Alberts (1995) and the USGS. When they say Mount Poster is in Palmer Land and the Wilkins Mountains are in eastern Ellsworth Land, we should say the same.

However, some editor in the distant past worked through many of the feature descriptions changing "Ellsworth Land" to "Palmer Land" in the text, and changing the categories and stub templates to match. I am going back to Alberts (1995) and the USGS for feature descriptions, so am correcting the text. Would you be interested in working through the indvidual feature article, which are steadily turning into redirects, correcting the categories? Thanks, Aymatth2 (talk) 16:58, 23 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Aymath2: Hi, sorry I'm not in a position to commit to anything at the moment. DuncanHill (talk) 11:50, 24 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I suppose the 200-odd miscategorizations have been there for more than ten years without anybody noticing them, so correction is not urgent. Fixing the text was more important, given the number of sites that clone Wikipedia, and I have done that. Thanks anyway, Aymatth2 (talk) 12:09, 24 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]