User talk:CommonsKiwi

Hello! Thank you for your efforts to improve Wikipedia, and in particular for adding references, as you did to Shinkansen! However, adding a bare URL is not ideal, and exposes the reference to link rot. It is preferable to use proper citation templates when citing sources, including details such as title, author, date, and any other information necessary for a bibliographic citation. Here's an example of a full citation using the {{cite web}} template to cite a web page:

Lorem ipsum<ref>{{cite web |title=Download the Scanning Software - Windows and Mac |publisher=Canon Inc |work=Ask a Question |date=2022 |url=https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index?page=content&id=ART174839 |access-date=2022-04-02}}</ref> dolor sit amet.

which displays inline in the running text of the article as:

Lorem ipsum^[1] dolor sit amet.

and displays under References as:

1. ^ Download the Scanning Software - Windows and Mac". Ask a Question. Canon Inc. 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-02.

If you've already added one or more bare URLs to an article, there are tools available to expand them into full citations: try the Citer tool, or in the wikitext editor, try the reFill tool, and in the Visual Editor, the reference dialog can convert some bare urls into a full citation. Once again, thanks for adding references to articles. Danners430 _{tweaks made} 11:19, 20 February 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Hi this was a deliberate decision. The automatic citation generator in the visual editor cannot handle PDFs, and the "Website" template didn't seem appropriate for a document. What template would you suggest? CommonsKiwi (talk) 11:31, 20 February 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Cite Web does still work just fine for online citations - indeed it automatically detects them and displays a PDF icon next to it. As an example:

{{cite web |url=https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/company/ir/factsheets/_pdf/factsheets2025-02-01.pdf |title=Tokaido Shinkansen |publisher=JR Central}} displays as "Tokaido Shinkansen" (PDF). JR Central. (italics mine)

Note that I don't speak Japanese, so that's my best approximation based on the latin text I can see! Danners430 _{tweaks made} 11:56, 20 February 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, thanks. I will update the article. It is a bit confusing that this citation type is labelled "Website" in the visual editor. "Website" generally refers to an HTML webpage, not any file accessed over the internet. CommonsKiwi (talk) 12:45, 20 February 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Aye… Visual Editor has… issues! Danners430 _{tweaks made} 12:47, 20 February 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Please can you declare what previous accounts you have used? If this is a legitimate clean start you can email me or email the arbitration committee as they keep a register of approved clean starts. Thanks. Spartaz ^Humbug! 05:54, 24 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, I only ever remember creating one previous account that I used for two(?) edits. I don't think I have access to it anymore anyway, it was several years ago. Do you still want an email? This seems like a weird thing to be worried about, so I am wondering if there is something else you are concerned with? CommonsKiwi (talk) 09:50, 24 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, I have been through quite a few temporary accounts (due to frequently cleared cookies), could this be related? CommonsKiwi (talk) 09:52, 24 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]

After a quick read of WP:Clean start, I can say this is definitely not a clean start.

A clean start or fresh start is when a user stops using an old account to start fresh with a new account.

I did not stop using an old account to start fresh with this account. In the past I have preferred to edit as an IP/temporary account, but I decided to create this account so I could upload to Wikimedia commons and (eventually) be able to edit protected and semi-protected articles. Further, I do not believe I have ever created a negative reputation on any of my IP/temporary accounts.

You are not obliged to reveal previous accounts; however, it is strongly recommended that you inform the Arbitration Committee (in strictest confidence if you wish) of the existence of a previous account or accounts prior to seeking adminship or similar functionary positions. Failure to do so may be considered deceptive, and be poorly received by the Wikipedia community.

Given I am not applying for anything, I'm not sure how this aligns with your second statement, maybe the page needs updating.

Thanks, CommonsKiwi (talk) 10:20, 24 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]

No it's fine, you have addressed my concerns. There is always a problem with banned users registering accounts to participate in AFDs and while your account doesn't have that edit profile I was impressed your first edit was a table bearing in mind that after 20 years and 50k+ edits I am guaranteed to mess that edit up first time. Spartaz ^Humbug! 11:01, 24 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]

I have previous IP/temporary account experience with tables (and use the preview button), so that's might be why. I can assure you I have always participated in AFDs in good faith. CommonsKiwi (talk) 11:44, 24 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Lol, well you do better than this old codger. Spartaz ^Humbug! 11:59, 24 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Hi CommonsKiwi, I noticed you reverted my edit on LiFePO4 batteries as 'spammy'. I apologize if the tone was off. My intention was to provide a helpful voltage reference for users. Could you advise how I can rephrase this to be more encyclopedic and neutral? Johnchow24 (talk) 14:55, 26 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]