Wikipedia:WikiProject Images and Media/Tasks and tips
Here are some tasks you can do to improve image and media use on Wikipedia, and some tips on how best to do them.
Many free images can be moved to Wikimedia Commons. An easy way to find them is by looking through Category:Copy to Wikimedia Commons.
- Tip: The Move-to-Commons assistant is a toolserver app that can make this easier, and FileScripts is a javascript tool that makes it easier still.
- Tip: Only free media can be transferred to Commons, and not all free media is eligible. For instance, a file is considered public domain (PD) here on the English Wikipedia if it is PD in the U.S., but Commons also requires that an image be PD in its country of origin.
- Tip: Please do not transfer images that have unaddressed problems, such as a missing source or questionable license. First fix the image, and transfer it when you're sure it's in good shape. If the image is suspect, you may want to nominate it for deletion instead.
- Tip: Be sure that the image at Commons has a valid description and categories, and that all important templates have transferred successfully. You can then click the "Check now" link on the Commons image to certify that the image has been manually reviewed.
Many images have cryptic or unsuitable names and have been tagged with {{rename media}}. Each of these should be given a better name. These are found at Category:Incomplete file renaming requests.
- Tip: There is currently no easy way to rename images, but it is expected that soon this will be easy to do. Until then, simply suggest a better name within the template, like
{{rename media|BetterName.jpg}}, and a bot will eventually move the image. - Tip: If the image is free and should be transferred to Commons, it's easy to do both. Simply upload it to Commons under a new name, and tag the local image with
{{Now Commons|NewName.jpg}}. A bot will replace all instances to the new name, and will nominate the local image for deletion once it is orphaned.
Our very best images and media on Wikipedia, as determined by common consensus, are honored with special significance.
- Tip: Featured pictures were covered at this Wikipedia Signpost article. You can comment at the current candidates to say whether you think they fulfill our featured picture criteria.
- Tip: Valued pictures not quite as good as featured pictures, but are still remarkable. See the Signpost coverage, criteria, and current candidates.
- Tip: There are also featured sounds (criteria, current candidates), and a picture peer review process. Your comments would be helpful at any of these fora.
Copyright law is complicated and frequently misunderstood. Questions are at Wikipedia:Media copyright questions. Discussion on media copyright is also found at Wikipedia:Files for discussion and Category:Non-free content review requested.
- Tip: Since Wikipedia's servers are within the U.S. jurisdiction, files must follow U.S. copyright law in order to be used on Wikipedia. Overviews of U.S. copyright law can be found at User:Quadell/copyright and Cornell University's factsheet. Official documents from the U.S. Copyright Office are the best source: "Duration of Copyright" and "International Copyright Relations" are particularly useful.
- Tip: For works created in other countries, it is often necessary to know the copyright laws of those countries. Useful information can be found at Wikipedia:Copyright situations by country and List of countries' copyright length. Commons also has helpful information at Commons:Commons:Licensing, and a user has summarized some of the most difficult cases at Commons:User:Lupo/Hairy copyright.
- Tip: Wikipedia:WikiProject Copyright Cleanup may be of assistance in difficult cases.
Non-free images and media must conform to our strict Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria in order to be used. Understanding these criteria is critical for any discussions of their use.
- Tip: The subcategories of Category:Wikipedia files that may violate copyright contain images with problems that need to be addressed, or the images will be deleted within seven days.
- Tip: All such images need non-free use rationales. Our official guideline is here, and we also have examples and a how-to.
In the sub-categories of Category:Wikipedia requested photographs are many requests for images. Pick a subject and reduce the number of requests.
- Tip: Check article to see if images have been added since the request was made. You can also go through Category:Articles which may no longer need images and see if the {{reqphoto}} templates can simply be removed. ImageChecker can help find such pages quickly.
- Tip: If you have an image of your own that matches a request, upload it! You can also search Wikimedia Commons for images, check pages of other languages of the article for useful images, or try other sources.
- Tip: If you cannot find an image, you may still be able to expand the image request, or improve the parameters of the {{reqphoto}} template.
At the Graphic Lab, you can help improve existing images.
Images which may not be suitable for use on Wikipedia can be listed at Wikipedia:Files for discussion for further discussion.
- Tip: A handy how-to guide to image deletion is at Wikipedia:Guide to image deletion.
- Tip: If an image is tagged as free, but there is reason to doubt the tag, it should be listed at Wikipedia:Files for discussion instead for discussion and investigation. Some images can be speedily-deleted; the criteria for this are listed at Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion#Files.
- Tip: Both Quickimgdelete.js and Twinkle are tools that make it as easy as clicking a button or two to nominate an image for deletion or tag it for speedy-deletion. These tools also inform the image uploader, and performs other tasks as well.
Some image maintenance can only be performed by administrators, primarily because they involve image and media deletion. Areas where administrators can use their extra tools to help include closing discussions at files for discussion, keeping the backlog in Category:Wikipedia files that may violate copyright and Category:Rescaled fairuse images more than 7 days old to a minimum, and deleting files now available on Commons.
- Tip: The following categories may have administrative backlogs which need to be cleaned out.
| Wikipedia files with unknown source – No backlog currently |
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| Wikipedia files with unknown copyright status – No backlog currently |
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| Wikipedia files missing permission – No backlog currently |
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| Wikipedia files with no non-free use rationale – No backlog currently |
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| Disputed non-free Wikipedia files – No backlog currently |
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| Orphaned non-free use Wikipedia files – No backlog currently |
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| Replaceable non-free use Wikipedia files – No backlog currently |
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Wikipedia files with a different name on Wikimedia Commons – No backlog currently
Wikipedia files with the same name on Wikimedia Commons – 3 items
Non-free files with orphaned versions more than 7 days old needing human review – No backlog currently
Requested RD1 redactions – 22 items