User talk:Mikeblas/Archives/2022/April

Referencing error Will Smith

Hi, you fixed a referencing error in Will Smith (diff), which I introduced. I never give ref names because I usually add to articles with visual editor and use that cite function (I used the same cite tool in the 2017 editor here). Am I to understand I should be giving them a name? Apologies, I don't want to be giving other editors additional work! Solipsism 101 (talk) 15:07, 9 April 2022 (UTC)

Hey! I never use the visual editor, so I haven't a clue of how things look for you. In the raw markup, the text you added included <ref name=":0"/>, which tries to re-use a previously defined reference with the (rather awkward) name ":0". Problem is, such a reference wasn't previously defined. That left an error message in the article about the undefined reference. There was a previous reference in the article for this fact, and I used that reference by adding a name to its previously anonymous definition. That fixed the error, and appropriately referenced the content.

Since I'm completely unfamiliar with the visual editor, I can't offer any advice about avoiding this problem. Reviewing the article after making edits, though, is a good idea as it makes referencing errors like this one very apparent. Hope that helps! :) -- Mikeblas (talk) 19:09, 9 April 2022 (UTC)

Thanks, I will make sure to do that in the future! Best wishes, Solipsism 101 (talk) 19:19, 9 April 2022 (UTC)

Happy 15th adminship anniversary!

{{u|Sdkb}} ^talk 21:14, 10 April 2022 (UTC)

Thanks. (But: jeepers!) -- Mikeblas (talk) 01:35, 11 April 2022 (UTC)

New administrator activity requirement

The administrator policy has been updated with new activity requirements following a successful Request for Comment.

Beginning January 1, 2023, administrators who meet one or both of the following criteria may be desysopped for inactivity if they have:

1. Made neither edits nor administrative actions for at least a 12-month period OR
2. Made fewer than 100 edits over a 60-month period

Administrators at risk for being desysopped under these criteria will continue to be notified ahead of time. Thank you for your continued work.

22:53, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

Error introduced by ...

Hi Mikeblas

Please can you check more carefully before attributing blame?

In your edit[1] to Tau Cross (band), your edit summary says fix referencing error introduced by User:BrownHairedGirl.

However, my edit[2] did not introduce the error. The misplaced ref was there before me; my AWB edit just tweaked it.

Please will you make a WP:dummy edit to retract your error? BrownHairedGirl (talk) • (contribs) 21:40, 19 April 2022 (UTC)

Hello! As far as I can tell, [this version https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tau_Cross_(band)&oldid=1071901188] shows no referencing error messages. This version defines the same reference twice, once before the {{reflist}} invocation, and once after. That's weird, but doesn't cause an error message to appear in the rendered article. This version of the article isn't placed in any reference-related article clean-up categories.

After your edit, we have [this version https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tau_Cross_(band)&oldid=1083441396] and the article renders with this text: "Cite error: The named reference blabbermouth.net was invoked but never defined (see the help page)." Your edit added a name to the first reference, then invoked that reference (instead of repeating the reference) after the {{reflist}} invocation. {{reflist}} seems to clear all reference definitions, so your edit resulted in an undefined reference name error. This version of the article does appear in the Category:Pages with broken reference names category because of the error.

As far as I can tell, my attribution is correct. I'm glad you took the time to review the consequences of your edit and check my fix -- that's why I tag authors when cleaning up referencing issues. -- Mikeblas (talk) 22:00, 19 April 2022 (UTC)

It's a pity that you wrote all those words without actually spotting the problem.

See the version before I edited it. There is a ref after the {{reflinks}} tag which supports no assertion: it's just in the middle of nowhere. That's what AWB tried to fix, but ended up creating a GIGO error ... and that's what you overlooked.

Anyway, I do hope that you feel good about yourself for finger-pointing., rather than just doing what the rest of us do: quietly fixing glitches without snark. BrownHairedGirl (talk) • (contribs) 22:33, 19 April 2022 (UTC)

No snark here, and I don't need your pity. The problem your edit caused wasn't overlooked by me -- I spotted and fixed it with this change. -- Mikeblas (talk) 22:53, 19 April 2022 (UTC)