Wikipedia talk:Image use policy

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[edit] Proposal - allow only Commons images

I'd like to propose that Simple Wikipedia should dedicate itself to using only freely available images - those found on the Wikimedia Commons. I feel this is important because one of Simple's purposes is to provide text for easy translation. Because our articles are so strongly meant for easy re-use, we should provide relevant images that are also. I am confident that, now that the Commons has grown to 400,000 media files and is still growing, that all of our image needs can be met.

To accomplish this, the first step would be to request that the developers close off image uploading. I believe they can leave it open for admins, who may need to upload images for special purposes (like the site's logo). After that, we can begin reviewing each image currently in use, starting with those marked "fair use" or with no copyright tags. We'll also change the internal system messages, help pages, and image policy to reflect this change and make the new procedure easy for new users. -- Netoholic @ 07:26, 25 January 2006 (UTC)

The only problem I have with this proposal is that there seem to be many images (on EN, at least) that should be on commons (they are GFDL or PD), but are not (yet). I think throwing out GFDL/CC/PD images just because they haven't been migrated to commons would be a 'cutting off our nose to spite our face' endevour. Freshstart 09:59, 25 January 2006 (UTC)
Most of the images here were originally copied from en:. We can copy to Commons (giving credit to the en: contributors). Once it's on Commons, we can remove it from here. See Category:NowCommons. -- Netoholic @ 16:01, 25 January 2006 (UTC)
Sounds a big project, but I think it would pay off once it was sorted. Archer7 16:19, 25 January 2006 (UTC)
Me too. So much easier to do it now, though, rather than later. -- Netoholic @ 19:12, 25 January 2006 (UTC)

I guess the other issue is fair use and other pics that can't be put on commons. Now, I tend to believe Simple can serve its purpose without the 'pop culture'-related images, like movie posters, album covers, and poke-digi-anime-mon ones. But there are still things like seals and coats of arms of governmental entities that would be nice to have, but often aren't commons-compatible. Freshstart 07:04, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

If we created an image request area, would that address it? That way, admins (or, if possible, other experienced editors) could retrieve and upload those exceptions. -- Netoholic @ 08:29, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
Ah, excellent job of creative thinking. Sounds like a good way to handle the exceptions. I mostly agree with the idea of trying to use free images even more exclusively than EN (I've only added links to pics/maps already on commons, rather than uploading anything here), so I'm really not trying to be a butt, just trying to think of any possible issues now, to try and help make sure we don't 'paint ourselves into a corner'. Freshstart 08:08, 27 January 2006 (UTC)
No, really, it was a good point. I'd really like to see how creative we can get if we limit ourselves to free images. Where there is a true encyclopedic need for fair use images, having the source and rationale (use reason) is very important here, so that someone translating a page has everything they need to decide if they can use the image. -- Netoholic @ 08:28, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Why is "upload file" still on the sidebar?

If uploading images on simple is banned, could it be easier if the devs could disable file uploading altogether from the server level? --LBMixPro<talk|to|me> 22:19, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Mostly, so that it can be used to upload other kinds of media files (Spoken articles, etc.) and maybe user images (see below). -- Netoholic @ 23:14, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] User images

And by user images, I mean images of/by users for their user page. There are several images (see Special:Newimages) already uploaded that I've not removed yet during the "purge" as a result of our image use policy. Should these and future images be allowed to remain? License-wise, we could make people move them to Commons, and that's what I think we should do, but is there any compelling reason to allow user images here? -- Netoholic @ 23:14, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

So long as they are licensed PD or GDFL or a licence that is alike to either; and the image is not offensive, I see no reason why user images (and user images only) shouldn't be kept - so long as there aren't too many uploaded we could limit it to 1 or 2 to each user, just to be sure. Its not like the image will be used in other places, so forcing commons on people would be slightly pointless. Note this is just my personal opinion. - T. Moitie - Talk - Esperanza 23:22, 7 September 2006 (UTC)