Wikipedia talk:Did you know/Archive 12

message: I still think we should update more often, we are not using valid suggestions. It isn't particularly fair. Highway Return to Oz... 13:12, 23 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: While I agree, this is a volunteer effort and requires admins that want to take the time to do it. I think you did fine to ask folk once but it may not be effective to do that too many times or people might be annoyed. People do the updates as time and interest allow. Maybe we need more PR about why this is a good part of the project.. ++Lar: t/c 19:41, 24 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Update Frequency

message: Could someone please update DYK? The things have been sitting there for quite a while, and the suggestions are languishing. Cheers ASAP, Highway Return to Oz... 11:39, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: It's been up for 22 hours now. Highway Return to Oz... 15:35, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: It's been updated. If you see it go a while feel free to ping various admins or ask on the admin noticeboard... I wouldn't panic till 36 hours though. ++Lar: t/c 22:56, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Sorry, I pinged quite a few admins. ;) I would do it if I could. Highway Return to Oz... 22:58, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Update! 

message: I clicked on "history" at Wikipedia:Recent_additions_20 to find out who attempted to add Edgeworth's limit theorem (while failing to actually link to that page!).  It seems that edit history is only for the template.  How can I find the relevant edit history? Michael Hardy 22:16, 24 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: You mean: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Did_you_know&action=history? I am not sure what you are talking about. Can you be more specific? Thanks. --LV (Dark Mark) 23:47, 24 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Where's the edit history??

message: Why is this only for new articles? heqs 23:37, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Policy. The FA process is for older articles that deserve to be highlighted for being really good, and this process is for remarkable newly created ones. ++Lar: t/c 01:23, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Where's this "policy"/rationale stated? Was this always the case (since DYK was started)? My own thought is that it would be better to not restrict it to new or hugely revamped articles. Brand new contributions should generally not be featured (at least not on the main page). Articles containing such remarkable facts should be in slightly more "stable" versions. heqs 11:17, 31 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  A question 

message: A DYK nomination was made for the :Boy Scouts, with the interesting fact that the uniforms were designed by :Oscar de la Renta.  I think it was a worthy DYK.  The nomination was made on the July 26, though the article was "expanded" (previously was a redirect) on July 24.  The date discrepancy was pointed out, but it was not moved to the 24th (until I noticed it yesterday and made a copy to the 24th, when it was still w/i the 5 day window).  It seemed that all of the objections were addressed and it was viewed as a good add.  However, it seemed to be passed over in favor of earlier articles still on the list.  In the meantime, its time "expired" and it was removed by HighwayCello for expiry.  Though "5 days" have passed, I think that it should still be considered for the next update, as it appears that it was only a miscommunication that kept it off the page. — ERcheck (talk) 21:51, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: There isn't an exception to it really, and I'm not quite sure how stubby it was before. Highway Return to Oz... 21:54, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Okay, it was a redirect until the 24th, but it's still expired. And if you had a problem with my action, you can always come to my talk page if you wish to discuss what I did. Cheers, Highway Return to Oz... 21:57, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text:  I have no problem with your actions (see my comment on your talk page), I was just trying to chronicle the things that took place and noting that it was removed due to expiry.     Your help on DYK is appreciated. — ERcheck (talk) 23:02, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

text: Since I've been a party to the request, I would not make this particular update myself.  I'm hoping that you or the next updating admin will consider the special circumstances.  As for helping with DYK, I am certainly interested....as of this moment, the RFA is still open.  I'll check back later. — ERcheck (talk) 23:04, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text:  We tend to discourage picking your own requests (had a bit of a contetremps about that a while back) but just having a request pending doesn't preclude you from doing an update! Just pass your own over to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. ++Lar: t/c 23:39, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

text: I asked at WP:AN, but I don't see anything happening. Unfortunately, I won't be able to update it for a while, but I'll keep helping out. ;) Highway Return to Oz... 22:42, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks for asking HC... I would do it but I'm pretty heads down and don't have the 40 min it takes me. ++Lar: t/c 23:39, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Samir did it...again. Highway Return to Oz... 10:11, 31 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Boy Scout nomination 

message: ...whether some WikiMagic can be added to the template. I mean the template would be much more interesting if it was just a bit randomatic - i.e. showing random five from DYKs currently in the selection pool (let's say from the past five days). I understand it would require a rather complex mechanism to work behind the scenes, but after all, this is the front page!
I mean - DYKs found appopriate for the front page would be added to the base by admins, divided into two cats - with and without pics. Some elaborate script would then choose one current DYK with a pic and four without and display such a set every time a template would be loaded by somebody (different set, obviously, that's the goal). After five days since the date of the original creation/expansion of the article, the DYKs would be removed from circulation either automatically by the script or manually bya admins.
Some portals use mechanisms that alternate the shown "selected article" or "selected picture" etc. according to the day of the week. Can't this variable that adopts the value of "currentday" or whatever be set to "random"? If not, how about a combination of day/hour/minute/second, which would generate fairly randomatic numbers too?
I guess those are just some loose ramblings, and I hope I managed to get my idea accross - perhaps some WikiScript or JavaScript magician can say whether it would be feasible to do that? Bravada, talk - 19:55, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, randomization is possible. See Wikipedia:Featured content for an example of a page which shows a random featured article and featured picture on each page refresh. Something similar could be done for DYK if people were interested in it. Could potentially have the benefit of not having to update so often - just put a couple dozen DYK items in the 'randomization hopper' and change them every few days. --CBD 22:03, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks for your reply! I was thinking about it more, however, and I figured out we would need some  solution to sort entries by topic (so that you wouldn't end up with six Eurovision songs or French residences at the same time), as well as another one that would make the template of the size needed on a given day (according to the length of Today's featured article, In the news and On that day) etc. so it might be even more complicated than it seemed to me originally. After some more experience with the current solution I guess it's not that bad with it staying that way - that said, if somebody would like to approach this challenge, it would be sweet! Bravada, talk - 22:37, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  I was wondering... 

message: "at the bottom of the date the article was created (not the date you submit it here), with the newest dates at the top"
Some users seem to misinterpret the sentence "with the newest dates at the top" and then put their article on the top of the specific date. How about removing the mentioned sentence? It doesn't seem needed. People can see for themselves that which date is which. Aran|heru|nar 15:31, 24 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Some confusion with the guidelines 

message: A possible copyvio was reported at WP:AN/I on :Image:Laas Gaal.jpg.  Because it was so exposed on the front page, I speedily removed it from the DYK template, so now there isn't an image there.  I've also removed it from the Laas Gaal article.  I hope this was the right thing to do, but I thought it best to act quickly.  -- I@n 14:09, 26 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Possible image copyvio

message: Seriously, is this supposed to happen?
* Update 1, August 26, 02:37
* Update 2, August 27, 18:38
I get that admins have lots to do, but this is just a bit ridiculous. —smably 00:15, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks. On a more positive note, I should mention that I love DYK, and I really appreciate the work that the admins do to keep it updated. I just wish I could do something about the long time between updates (can I?). →smably 13:51, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  40 hours between updates? 

message: I've turned down many DYK articles because of lack of references (or just having external links).  I want to one up the reference requirement: would anyone support requiring DYKs to be in-line cited per WP:CITE?  I think it would encourage article quality. -- Samir   धर्म 08:31, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I think this is reasonable. At the very least, I think there should be a requirement that the facts mentioned in the summary are inline-cited. →smably 13:51, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Considering that DYK featured articles are just Work-in-progress, we should not insist on in-line citations. Also, most of the new articles are created by new editors, hence it wd be tough for them. However, references are a must for an article to be featured on DYK. --Gurubrahma 06:43, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: The problem is that we've had DYK's taken down lately because the tagline on the main page while "referenced" at the bottom, is quoted to be incorrect.  Perhaps, as Smably says, a stipulation that the tagline specifically must be referenced?  BTW, good to see you back on DYK Guru -- Samir   धर्म 12:03, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

text: I don't. Quite many DYK articles I do are translations from the Polish WP - how would you like inline citations to be done in that case? Rather than mount formal requirements (which already preclude a number of very interesting, well sourced facts like ones from Good Articles), I'd rather see the updating admins actually read the articles rather than pass terribly inappropriate ones such as the one on full-body scan. Regards, Bravada, talk - 15:42, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Part of the fun in updating DYK is reading the articles!  My favourite part of the update -- Samir   धर्म 05:19, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

text: Agreed. It's a good candidate for activities that can provide the most fun with your clothes on  ... I really must get out more :-) --Cactus.man ✍ 10:38, 2 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: You have to wear clothes to do updates? I did not know that. ANYway, I always used it as a criteria if came down to an either or. Not sure I'd use it as a full blocker the way copyvio or currently on AfD might be. ++Lar: t/c 14:20, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I don't think he said you have to be wearing clothes, just that you can be. 65.205.28.104 20:57, 7 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: [[WP:CITE]] and DYK noms