Wikipedia:Simple talk

Poorly worded or wrong interface message for Special link to non-existent user subpage

Following a link to a non-existent user subpage such as User:Mathglot/Sandbox gives the right top-of-page boilerplate message, apparently based on MediaWiki:Newarticletext, with some modifications to add strings like, "Before starting this page, please see m:Sub pages" absent from the basic message. So far, so good.

However, when a link is generated by a Special, such as (for me), Special:MyPage/Sandbox^{[blue always]} to the same non-existent user subpage, clicking it should result in the same top-of-page boilerplate, but it does not. Instead, I see this:^{[but see note]}

I don't believe Simple allows usernames with a slash character as part of the name, so this message is misleading at the very least. It apparently derives from MediaWiki:Noarticletext NS User, but either it is not adjusted properly to emit an appropriate message, or it is the wrong interface message entirely. Instead, I would emit something like this:

Note: if you already have a Sandbox subpage, the link above will not demonstrate the bad behavior to you, so you can use these links instead to observe it: Special:MyPage/Sandbox-999, Special:MyPage/Any old name here. Thanks, Mathglot (talk) 22:18, 11 August 2026 (UTC)

Would any bureaucrat (@Eptalon, Ferien, and BRPever:) please look into this? canadachick (talk) 18:46, 31 August 2026 (UTC)

I've noticed this (although, for me, it is any time I visit a non-existent userspace page). Wouldn't replacing {{PAGENAME}} with {{ROOTPAGENAME}} fix the grammar? Walnut (talk • changes) 23:48, 31 August 2026 (UTC)

Thank you both for saying about this and for notifying 'crats. I have looked slightly into this, it should involve adding a subpage variation based on en, I just haven't had the energy to see all the changes through this week, but over the weekend I should get the chance. --Ferien (talk | join TBA!) 21:14, 3 September 2026 (UTC)

Sincere apologies that this has been left for so long, I've forgotten to go back to this and I don't want it to be archived. I have a looked at it a few times since and it seemed a little daunting, it's something I would eventually have time to do but not over the next week. I will reping fellow crats @BRPever, Chenzw, Enfcer, and Eptalon: if any of you have the time to look into this before I do, it would be greatly appreciated. --Ferien (talk | join TBA!) 22:15, 11 October 2026 (UTC)

I have changed the wording which seems to have resolved the issue as far as I can see. Please feel free to ping me if there is anything else or if part of the issue remains unresolved. (On a sidenote, I thought admins could edit mediawiki pages and it did not have to be crats). BRP ^ever 02:57, 12 October 2026 (UTC)

Deaths in 2026, how many months back?

Hello, I think we usually have a window of 3 months for that page. This means that deaths in June 2026 and those in July go to their respective pages (that likely exist, but are redirects). Note also: in the past, there have been cases that those reported to have died were still alive, so I think the page is semiprotected right now. Whoever does the move, please append a reference if the respective entry does not have one. Eptalon (talk) 05:50, 8 October 2026 (UTC)

Deaths in 2026? Why do we do it like that? An article on 2026 deaths should cover all deaths. It should definitely link to the other articles at the very least here. Lee Vilenski ^{(talk • contribs)} 17:50, 8 October 2026 (UTC)

The article list the last few months, after that it's deaths in <month> <year>, for example Deaths in February 2026. Eptalon (talk) 18:00, 8 October 2026 (UTC)

But how would a reader know that, we don't even hat link to those pages. It's not like those pages are far too large either. Lee Vilenski ^{(talk • contribs)} 20:44, 9 October 2026 (UTC)

I agree with @Lee Vilenski, that is a weird practice. Better to just include all deaths in a given year. Garsh (talk) 04:11, 9 October 2026 (UTC)

At the moment, it looks like death in <month> <year> will be a redirect to deaths in <year>. Usually, about 3 months after the month, the current section f death in year wlil be copied over, and moved over the redirect. Note: I did not introduce this, it was there before... Eptalon (talk) 11:50, 17 October 2026 (UTC)

Can't create redirect without sources

I am trying to create a redirect page, but when I open up the page creator, it asks me for a topic. After I choose a topic, it asks me for sources before it will let me create anything. I understand this is to prevent people from creating pages without sources, but redirects obviously do not need sources. Is there a special redirect creation tool? GrimboEmerald (talk) 19:27, 15 October 2026 (UTC)

@GrimboEmerald: #REDIRECT [[Target page name]] should work when creating a new page. -Barras talk 20:32, 15 October 2026 (UTC)

No, because it asks me for sources before letting me add anything to the page. GrimboEmerald (talk) 17:20, 21 October 2026 (UTC)

@GrimboEmerald I believe you should be referring to the Article Guidance feature where there's a step that requires the editor to add sources before proceeding. However, at the topic selection page, there should be a line stating "Skip assistance. Edit without community guidance". You should be able to create the article manually after clicking on it. (I'm unable to recreate it on my side, but do remember seeing it when I was testing out during the experimental period) If the option does not appear, then you should be able to disable it via Preferences (Editing > Untick "Use article guidance when creating new articles"). Jolly1253 (talk) 02:06, 22 October 2026 (UTC)

English Wikipedia has a Redirect Wizard, but something like it doesn't really exist here. Axolitl (talk | contribs) 22:39, 15 October 2026 (UTC)

Also note, that many of our pages do ont have sources. Often, pages are started witrh 2-3 sentenves, and a stub tag. Only in a second stage, when they get extended, will references be added. Eptalon (talk) 11:51, 17 October 2026 (UTC)

Database reports

Hello,

A little while ago I noticed that the WP:Database reports have not been updated in quite some time. I am in the process of writing User:GarshBot to take over this task. This leaves me with some questions though: which database reports are no longer needed? Are there any new reports that would be helpful (en:Wikipedia:Database reports might be some inspiration)? How often should the database reports be run so that they’re still useful? Any feedback is appreciated. Garsh (talk) 18:14, 21 October 2026 (UTC)

AI

I am pretty sure that the article Bave Teyar is AI generated. Should the article be tagged? Barbara (talk) 23:11, 21 October 2026 (UTC)

I tagged it, I read about AI at WP:AI and it looks like there is process to getting the article removed.

Barbara (talk) 00:15, 22 October 2026 (UTC)

You can nominate it for quick deletion, criteria A7 and someone will confirm it and then an admin will delete it. Thx, fr33kman 02:13, 22 October 2026 (UTC)

New system for creating articles?

Hello! I'm new to wikipedia, when i try to make a new article it firsts asks me what is this about, and then i add sources, i remember that creating an article was very simple, what's next a draft system that is just like its from English Wikipedia or is similar to the English Wikipedia? Anyways, have a good day! - Some-normal-wikimedian (talk) 11:48, 22 October 2026 (UTC)