This page is not the correct place to ask for help on how to create a page. Please direct any questions you may have to the
Teahouse, where friendly volunteers are able to assist you. Thanks! |
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For instructions about how to create a page, click here: Wikipedia:How to create a page - or here: Wikipedia:Your first article.
If you are having trouble following those instructions, ask for help here: The Teahouse, where friendly volunteers are able to assist you.
Do not post your questions or test edits here. This is not the place for them. -- MelanieN ( talk) 23:53, 21 September 2016 (UTC)
Last week I declined a request for semi-protection of this page. I could see that the page was being used for random requests for help from clueless newbies, but I was hoping that additional messaging might be enough to guide them to the right place to get actual help. But the random requests and test edits have continued. To the regulars who watch this page: what are your thoughts about semi-protection? I generally don't like protecting talk pages, and WP:Protection policy discourages it. ("Talk pages are not usually protected, and are only semi-protected for a limited duration in the most severe cases of vandalism.") But this talk page isn't being used to discuss changes in the main page, as talk pages are intended; it is being used almost entirely for test edits and misplaced requests for help. I hate to simply lock out the newbies who are looking for help, but they aren't getting any help by posting here. They need to go to the Teahouse or other help locations. If they couldn't post here, would they follow the guidance on this page and go where they can get help - or would they simply give up in despair? Is this a case for WP:IAR? Let's talk about it. -- MelanieN ( talk) 11:27, 28 September 2016 (UTC)
@ Ymblanter, CambridgeBayWeather, MusikAnimal, NeilN, Callanecc, and KrakatoaKatie: It's been 3 1/2 weeks since we started this discussion. We decided not to semi-protect, but maybe to change the warnings at the top of this page. Also, additional warnings were put on the main page. Since then, nine non-autoconfirmed users have posted here on the talk page. In all cases it was their first and last Wikipedia edit. Many of the posts were semi-coherent "help me create a page" requests. One was spam. One was outright vandalism. Some were test edits. None were constructive, or of any value to the poster or to us. We have deleted them, sometimes with a comment on the user's talk page. In no case did the comment on the user's talk page have any effect, or help them with their questions, or help to retain them as editors. In all cases they made a random edit here and then disappeared. Bottom line, we gave it a try, but clearly it is not accomplishing anything to let brand-new users post here. Warnings and notices have no effect. Page-watchers are having to deal with inappropriate edits, without any positive results. I have reluctantly concluded we should add the two top-of-the-page links that NeilN suggested - not as orange notices, but as the first comments on this page (if there is a problem with mobile users not seeing the page-top notices) - and maybe delete or archive all other content on this talk page so that is the only thing they see - and then semi-protect this page. The "semi-protected" notice at the top of the main article already directs them to WP:New contributors' help page, not here, so there is absolutely no reason any non-autoconfirmed editor should ever post here. What do the rest think? -- MelanieN ( talk) 22:56, 23 October 2016 (UTC)
The semi-protection expired two days ago and suddenly the page is filled with inappropriate edits. I am going to protect it again, for 6 months this time. It seems even more clear that allowing lost newbies to edit here is not doing them, or anybody else, any favors. . -- MelanieN ( talk) 23:09, 30 January 2017 (UTC)
Thanks for the article. If "Method 2" is not anymore recommended, perhaps update the numbering on the page. Confused me a bit. RainyVision ( talk) 12:46, 10 August 2019 (UTC)
This page is not the correct place to ask for help on how to create a page. Please direct any questions you may have to the
Teahouse, where friendly volunteers are able to assist you. Thanks! |
This project page does not require a rating on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | ||||||||||||||
|
For instructions about how to create a page, click here: Wikipedia:How to create a page - or here: Wikipedia:Your first article.
If you are having trouble following those instructions, ask for help here: The Teahouse, where friendly volunteers are able to assist you.
Do not post your questions or test edits here. This is not the place for them. -- MelanieN ( talk) 23:53, 21 September 2016 (UTC)
Last week I declined a request for semi-protection of this page. I could see that the page was being used for random requests for help from clueless newbies, but I was hoping that additional messaging might be enough to guide them to the right place to get actual help. But the random requests and test edits have continued. To the regulars who watch this page: what are your thoughts about semi-protection? I generally don't like protecting talk pages, and WP:Protection policy discourages it. ("Talk pages are not usually protected, and are only semi-protected for a limited duration in the most severe cases of vandalism.") But this talk page isn't being used to discuss changes in the main page, as talk pages are intended; it is being used almost entirely for test edits and misplaced requests for help. I hate to simply lock out the newbies who are looking for help, but they aren't getting any help by posting here. They need to go to the Teahouse or other help locations. If they couldn't post here, would they follow the guidance on this page and go where they can get help - or would they simply give up in despair? Is this a case for WP:IAR? Let's talk about it. -- MelanieN ( talk) 11:27, 28 September 2016 (UTC)
@ Ymblanter, CambridgeBayWeather, MusikAnimal, NeilN, Callanecc, and KrakatoaKatie: It's been 3 1/2 weeks since we started this discussion. We decided not to semi-protect, but maybe to change the warnings at the top of this page. Also, additional warnings were put on the main page. Since then, nine non-autoconfirmed users have posted here on the talk page. In all cases it was their first and last Wikipedia edit. Many of the posts were semi-coherent "help me create a page" requests. One was spam. One was outright vandalism. Some were test edits. None were constructive, or of any value to the poster or to us. We have deleted them, sometimes with a comment on the user's talk page. In no case did the comment on the user's talk page have any effect, or help them with their questions, or help to retain them as editors. In all cases they made a random edit here and then disappeared. Bottom line, we gave it a try, but clearly it is not accomplishing anything to let brand-new users post here. Warnings and notices have no effect. Page-watchers are having to deal with inappropriate edits, without any positive results. I have reluctantly concluded we should add the two top-of-the-page links that NeilN suggested - not as orange notices, but as the first comments on this page (if there is a problem with mobile users not seeing the page-top notices) - and maybe delete or archive all other content on this talk page so that is the only thing they see - and then semi-protect this page. The "semi-protected" notice at the top of the main article already directs them to WP:New contributors' help page, not here, so there is absolutely no reason any non-autoconfirmed editor should ever post here. What do the rest think? -- MelanieN ( talk) 22:56, 23 October 2016 (UTC)
The semi-protection expired two days ago and suddenly the page is filled with inappropriate edits. I am going to protect it again, for 6 months this time. It seems even more clear that allowing lost newbies to edit here is not doing them, or anybody else, any favors. . -- MelanieN ( talk) 23:09, 30 January 2017 (UTC)
Thanks for the article. If "Method 2" is not anymore recommended, perhaps update the numbering on the page. Confused me a bit. RainyVision ( talk) 12:46, 10 August 2019 (UTC)