Wikibooks:Reading room/Archives/2017/August

Arial, Helvetica and etc.
When no font is specified, a fixed format block produced by " " indentation is rendered in a fixed pitch font. To obtain variable pitch I think of specifying Arial or Helvetica. Which of these or another similar font is advisable for the population of readers? I'm not fussy about the choice but want to avoid specifying a font which can cause difficulty. Thanks, ... PeterEasthope (discuss • contribs) 02:09, 31 July 2017 (UTC)
 * Can you show me the page that you are editing? —Justin ( koavf ) ❤T☮C☺M☯ 00:27, 8 August 2017 (UTC)
 * The question is pertinent to every source text page in the Oberon book.  Oberon.Sort.Mod is one.  Thanks, ... PeterEasthope (discuss • contribs) 16:17, 8 August 2017 (UTC)
 * To make some text a certain font, just do
 * P.S. Both Arial and Helvetica are sans-serif. |Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default= PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }}|Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default=  PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }}|Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default=  PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }} 03:33, 8 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Actually, using  is safer than  . —Justin ( koavf ) ❤T☮C☺M☯ 04:24, 8 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Right oh. Have a look at Oberon.MediaWiki.Mod.  Thanks, ... PeterEasthope (discuss • contribs) 16:24, 8 August 2017 (UTC)

Images in new page not displayed
Ref page Bicycle Locks. One image displays. None of the others display. Clicking the failed images goes to en wiki commons as it should to view the images as they were stored. IsItDownRightNow says there only a 404 error from the faulty image address. In that case, how does clicking it display it at wiki? Gurus please comment.Armchair (discuss • contribs) 10:45, 24 July 2017 (UTC)

Sorry folks! Solved it soon after! The failed images could not handle 200 pixel widths. For some reason, one image could. Increasing all image widths to at least 250px solved it, but still does not explain why the images were correct and in place when the page was first saved. Regards to all. Armchair (discuss • contribs) 11:06, 24 July 2017 (UTC)
 * Btw, in your initial question, as an alternative to an external link,
 * one could use wikilink markup,
 * --Pi zero (discuss • contribs) 12:30, 24 July 2017 (UTC)
 * --Pi zero (discuss • contribs) 12:30, 24 July 2017 (UTC)
 * --Pi zero (discuss • contribs) 12:30, 24 July 2017 (UTC)

Hi I thank you for your kind suggestion. I think I may have mentioned something about all that on my Editing Wikitext pages. Armchair (discuss • contribs) 15:26, 7 August 2017 (UTC)

Redirecting a page to another
Hi, Can somebody please remind me how to redirect a page? Armchair (discuss • contribs) 15:15, 7 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Use  :) --George (Talk &middot; Contribs &middot; CentralAuth &middot; Log) 15:58, 7 August 2017 (UTC)

Thanks George, that did it. Armchair (discuss • contribs) 18:00, 7 August 2017 (UTC)

Use of the Transwiki: namespace
What is it's use?
 * Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default= PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }} 03:59, 3 August 2017 (UTC)
 * m:Help:Transwiki. This is useful because sometimes there is content on a Wikipedia that is written like a guide and can be imported here. —Justin ( koavf ) ❤T☮C☺M☯ 05:05, 3 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Importers and Administrators can bring a page in from another Wiki. It is placed by default into the Transwiki namespace where it can be worked on before being moved into the mainspace. QuiteUnusual (discuss • contribs) 14:10, 4 August 2017 (UTC)

Is the End of StackOverflow Documentation an opportunity to improve Wikibooks ?
StackOverflow will "sunset" its Documentation feature on August 8 (Blog post). All contributions to Documentation are licensed under CC-BY-SA licence. Therefore it should be possible to massively import content to Wikibooks and improve some important wikibooks such as R Programming. We just need to find the right way to cite contributions from StackOverflow contributors. Any volunteer ? --PAC2 (discuss • contribs) 16:34, 3 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Good find. Someone (me?) could use wget to download them on the day that they are closed. —Justin ( koavf ) ❤T☮C☺M☯ 08:13, 4 August 2017 (UTC)

PrefixIndex Gadget
I would like a gadget that gives me an option at the "tools" section of the left sidebar to visit, where   is the full title of the page, namespace and subpage included. So, if I was at, I would get. |Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default= PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }} 15:09, 16 August 2017 (UTC)
 * I had already seen this one on the French Wikipedia. It could be useful to get all subpages. JackPotte (discuss • contribs) 16:02, 16 August 2017 (UTC)

Need regex to clean my mess
I was trying to fix the  error, but introduced a whole slew of problems. I need to find some regex to actually fix the errors I made. (talk * contributions)

Here is an example:
 * Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default= PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }}|Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default=  PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }}|Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default=  PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }}|Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default=  PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }} 16:28, 20 August 2017 (UTC)
 * It becomes very complicated when we have more then three nested templates. But in your case, you can erase everything from "{{#switch:" to "August 2017 (UTC)". JackPotte (discuss • contribs) 22:19, 20 August 2017 (UTC)

Adding a disclaimer to Template:Cannabis
While I was archiving RFDs I noticed this template. I think we should put a disclaimer on it, like: "Wikibooks and the Wikimedia Foundation is not responsible for any consequences of using cannabis illegally." There's going to be that one person who sues Wikibooks for it so I am just saying we should put that on the template. |Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default= PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }} 14:28, 12 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Are there other examples of this sort of disclaimer pre-existing on any of our templates? --Pi zero (discuss • contribs) 14:41, 12 August 2017 (UTC)
 * I don't think so. But this is drugs so we should be careful. And maybe one on the suicide manual. |Wikibooks=PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions|#default= PokestarFan*Talk*Contributions  }} 14:57, 12 August 2017 (UTC)
 * In considering such a move I would want to carefully survey how we have handled similar situations in the past. It can sometimes happen, in these sorts of legal concerns, that putting a disclaimer on one thing can increase one's potential legal vulnerability for other things one doesn't similarly disclaim; therefore one should be very sure to consider carefully lest one start down a slippery slope.  On the other side of it, there is the matter of disclaimers already inherent in our license etc.  I suspect any such disclaimer would be, in effect, a courtesy.  --Pi zero (discuss • contribs) 15:22, 12 August 2017 (UTC)

I don't really think this is necessary: laws are different in different places and I think most anyone who is reading up on recreational drugs probably knows that they are illegal in a lot of places. I mean, can anyone really imagine the scenario where this is the first time someone is learning this information? Additionally, we don't have a similar template for alcohol--why is that? —Justin ( koavf ) ❤T☮C☺M☯ 16:50, 12 August 2017 (UTC)
 * I agree with Justin. If someone's reading a wikibook related to cannabis, then it's quite reasonable to assume that they're well-versed with the legal implications in their country. What wikibooks would you apply this to in any case? If it's talking about the chemistry of cannabinoids or the medical uses, then I see no need for a disclaimer. (only if the wikibook begins to discuss recreational usage) --George (Talk &middot; Contribs &middot; CentralAuth &middot; Log) 17:21, 12 August 2017 (UTC)