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Hi everyone! We've been hard at work on refining our proposed Image Policy FAQ, and at long last, here it is -- below the cut. We hope that it answers your questions about images on Fanlore (ranging from "How do I add an image to a Fanlore page?" to "What kinds of images on Fanlore can I expect to have warnings?") Along with this FAQ, we're debuting a set of image templates which we hope will make the uploading of images (along with their meta-data) easier.
We welcome questions, comments, and feedback on the FAQ and on the image templates. Members of the wiki committee and members of the Board will be keeping an eye on this post and we'll do our best to answer questions in a timely way. RL does occasionally keep one or another of us offline; thanks in advance for bearing with us.
With no further ado...
QUESTION: How do I add an image to a Fanlore page?
There are two steps which you can do in either order. You need to upload the image, using our image template and then you need to link it in the appropriate page. Probably the easiest way is to edit the page you want to include the image on and add the link first. It should look like this:
When you save this edit, you will then see a red link for the image name. When you click on this, you will be taken to the upload form.
QUESTION: What information should I include when uploading an image?
When you are uploading an image, you will see a small form like this:
Please include as much information about the image as you can in the *Summary* field. Please edit the image page itself (i.e. access 'edit' on the page that you are on after uploading an image) to add the following information if you have it:
Creator: who made the image
Description: a text description of what's in the image (helpful for people using screenreaders or browsing without images)
Copyright: whether this image is in the public domain or if the copyright is owned by you or someone else.
Source: where you got the image from (eg, the URL if you found it online, "I scanned this from a zine I purchased in 1997 at Escapade," etc)
When you're editing the image page itself, please use the following template: http://fanlore.org/wiki/Template:ImageSummary
QUESTION: Do I need to add anything else, or can the image stand on its own?
When you upload an image, you'll be prompted to offer information which will go in the image's summary box (e.g. creator, description, copyright, source.) Images go on their own pages; article pages can link to those image pages, and that's how the image will come to appear alongside some text. Remember to use our image summary template to describe the image (it's here: http://fanlore.org/wiki/Template:ImageSummary)
If you're uploading an image for a specific article page, please include some text about the image you've uploaded within that article: explain why the image is important or interesting, tell readers what trends it illustrates or represents, write about why you wanted to preserve the image in the first place.
QUESTION: Can I upload copyrighted images on Fanlore without the permission of the creator?
Yes, as long as doing so would be a fair use! Here are some key aspects of fair use of images:
First, please make sure you give credit to the creator! (It’s also helpful for future editors if you make a note where you obtained the image.) Attribution is very important; we want to give honor to the fanartist(s) who created the work in the first place.
Second, the images should there to illustrate a point. Please consider whether putting the image on Fanlore adds new meaning or message. If you're going to upload an image, please also include some commentary on why the image is noteworthy. Fanlore is not an archive, so it's not appropriate to upload all of the artwork created by a given fan artist just to create a gallery of that artist’s work. Instead, we might upload a selection of images to illustrate that artist’s style or range, alongside some text about that artist and their work, and then link to the artist’s personal website instead. Or an image might be used to illustrate a particular fannnish trope, or a particular trend in fanart. Or, if the page is about the artwork itself, the article should make note what is interesting or important or beautiful about it.
Third, you should use the resolution/image quality you need to make that point. For instance, if you were working on a Fanlore article talking about illustrated borders on zine covers, or a particular artistic technique in icon-making, you might need a very high-resolution image to make your point. If you were writing a page about the details of a particular artwork, you’d want a good enough copy to be able to show those details. In other cases, a lower-resolution image will be enough.
QUESTION: How do I know what resolution is appropriate?
This is a very good question, and the answer is: use what resolution you need to make your point. Please use your best judgment! The OTW Legal team will review cases if a complaint is made.
QUESTION: What about images I've already uploaded? Do I have to go replace all of them with low-resolution versions?
You do not! If a complaint arises, and a review by the Legal team concludes that a lower resolution image would be more appropriate in a given case, it can be replaced then.
QUESTION: I am a fan artist and low-resolution images of my work are posted on Fanlore. They look bad! I want my work displayed in better quality.
If you give permission, we will be happy to upload higher-resolution images of your work to replace the low-resolution ones as quickly as our editing resources allow. (You are also welcome to do this yourself, of course, but we will make an effort to do it for you if you are unfamiliar with wiki editing.) We can also arrange to make sure that low-image versions are linked to higher-resolution versions on your site or elsewhere, if you provide us with the links.
QUESTION: I am a fan artist and I don't want any of my work displayed on Fanlore. Will you take it down?
As described above, some uses of images without permission are fair use, and as such we don't remove images automatically on request by the creator. Protecting fair use rights is hugely important for the benefit of all fan creators -- these are what give fan artists the right to make their work in the first place.
However, we are all fans here and want to respect your concerns as well. We will gladly work with you to ensure that your work is being used according to fair use rules. We will also make sure that your work is credited appropriately, link back to your own site, and if you wish use higher resolution versions of your work.
QUESTION: Wait! Someone uploaded my image without permission and it's not being used in any article. What should I do?
You have options! One option is to add text which contextualizes the image, or to ask the person who uploaded the image to do so. Another option is to leave a note on the talk page asking for the image to be deleted because its use doesn't fit fair use parameters.
QUESTION: What kinds of images on Fanlore can I expect to have warnings?
Images that are sexually explicit, depict rape or sexual assault, or depict people or characters who are underage engaging in sexual activity should have warnings on Fanlore. Users are responsible for reading and heeding the warnings provided by the person who loaded in the image. Risk-averse users should keep in mind that not all content will carry full warnings and consider whether they should set up filters for viewing images, as described below. If you think an image should have a warning, feel free to add the warning; bear in mind that other users may edit the page.
QUESTION: I just saw a disturbing image with no warning! How do I add a warning?
We have templates for Sexually Explicit Images, Images Depicting Non-con and Sexual Assault, and Underage Persons in Image. They can be found in the Templates section of the wiki, and here are direct links:
http://fanlore.org/wiki/Template:SexuallyExplicitImage
http://fanlore.org/wiki/Template:ImageDepictingNon-conOrSexualAssault
http://fanlore.org/wiki/Templates:UnderagePersonsInImage
You can add a warning by editing the page and adding the appropriate template.
QUESTION: Can I filter out all images when I am browsing on Fanlore?
Yes, you can. We have detailed instructions for how to filter out all images when browsing Fanlore. You can find them here: http://fanlore.org/wiki/Help:Filtering_images
QUESTION: I have other questions about images which aren't covered here.
Contact us and ask, and we'll do our best to answer promptly!
We welcome questions, comments, and feedback on the FAQ and on the image templates. Members of the wiki committee and members of the Board will be keeping an eye on this post and we'll do our best to answer questions in a timely way. RL does occasionally keep one or another of us offline; thanks in advance for bearing with us.
With no further ado...
QUESTION: How do I add an image to a Fanlore page?
There are two steps which you can do in either order. You need to upload the image, using our image template and then you need to link it in the appropriate page. Probably the easiest way is to edit the page you want to include the image on and add the link first. It should look like this:
[[Name_for_your_image_with_no_spaces.jpg|thumb|This is a caption for my image!]]
When you save this edit, you will then see a red link for the image name. When you click on this, you will be taken to the upload form.
QUESTION: What information should I include when uploading an image?
When you are uploading an image, you will see a small form like this:
Please include as much information about the image as you can in the *Summary* field. Please edit the image page itself (i.e. access 'edit' on the page that you are on after uploading an image) to add the following information if you have it:
Creator: who made the image
Description: a text description of what's in the image (helpful for people using screenreaders or browsing without images)
Copyright: whether this image is in the public domain or if the copyright is owned by you or someone else.
Source: where you got the image from (eg, the URL if you found it online, "I scanned this from a zine I purchased in 1997 at Escapade," etc)
When you're editing the image page itself, please use the following template: http://fanlore.org/wiki/Template:ImageSummary
QUESTION: Do I need to add anything else, or can the image stand on its own?
When you upload an image, you'll be prompted to offer information which will go in the image's summary box (e.g. creator, description, copyright, source.) Images go on their own pages; article pages can link to those image pages, and that's how the image will come to appear alongside some text. Remember to use our image summary template to describe the image (it's here: http://fanlore.org/wiki/Template:ImageSummary)
If you're uploading an image for a specific article page, please include some text about the image you've uploaded within that article: explain why the image is important or interesting, tell readers what trends it illustrates or represents, write about why you wanted to preserve the image in the first place.
QUESTION: Can I upload copyrighted images on Fanlore without the permission of the creator?
Yes, as long as doing so would be a fair use! Here are some key aspects of fair use of images:
First, please make sure you give credit to the creator! (It’s also helpful for future editors if you make a note where you obtained the image.) Attribution is very important; we want to give honor to the fanartist(s) who created the work in the first place.
Second, the images should there to illustrate a point. Please consider whether putting the image on Fanlore adds new meaning or message. If you're going to upload an image, please also include some commentary on why the image is noteworthy. Fanlore is not an archive, so it's not appropriate to upload all of the artwork created by a given fan artist just to create a gallery of that artist’s work. Instead, we might upload a selection of images to illustrate that artist’s style or range, alongside some text about that artist and their work, and then link to the artist’s personal website instead. Or an image might be used to illustrate a particular fannnish trope, or a particular trend in fanart. Or, if the page is about the artwork itself, the article should make note what is interesting or important or beautiful about it.
Third, you should use the resolution/image quality you need to make that point. For instance, if you were working on a Fanlore article talking about illustrated borders on zine covers, or a particular artistic technique in icon-making, you might need a very high-resolution image to make your point. If you were writing a page about the details of a particular artwork, you’d want a good enough copy to be able to show those details. In other cases, a lower-resolution image will be enough.
QUESTION: How do I know what resolution is appropriate?
This is a very good question, and the answer is: use what resolution you need to make your point. Please use your best judgment! The OTW Legal team will review cases if a complaint is made.
QUESTION: What about images I've already uploaded? Do I have to go replace all of them with low-resolution versions?
You do not! If a complaint arises, and a review by the Legal team concludes that a lower resolution image would be more appropriate in a given case, it can be replaced then.
QUESTION: I am a fan artist and low-resolution images of my work are posted on Fanlore. They look bad! I want my work displayed in better quality.
If you give permission, we will be happy to upload higher-resolution images of your work to replace the low-resolution ones as quickly as our editing resources allow. (You are also welcome to do this yourself, of course, but we will make an effort to do it for you if you are unfamiliar with wiki editing.) We can also arrange to make sure that low-image versions are linked to higher-resolution versions on your site or elsewhere, if you provide us with the links.
QUESTION: I am a fan artist and I don't want any of my work displayed on Fanlore. Will you take it down?
As described above, some uses of images without permission are fair use, and as such we don't remove images automatically on request by the creator. Protecting fair use rights is hugely important for the benefit of all fan creators -- these are what give fan artists the right to make their work in the first place.
However, we are all fans here and want to respect your concerns as well. We will gladly work with you to ensure that your work is being used according to fair use rules. We will also make sure that your work is credited appropriately, link back to your own site, and if you wish use higher resolution versions of your work.
QUESTION: Wait! Someone uploaded my image without permission and it's not being used in any article. What should I do?
You have options! One option is to add text which contextualizes the image, or to ask the person who uploaded the image to do so. Another option is to leave a note on the talk page asking for the image to be deleted because its use doesn't fit fair use parameters.
QUESTION: What kinds of images on Fanlore can I expect to have warnings?
Images that are sexually explicit, depict rape or sexual assault, or depict people or characters who are underage engaging in sexual activity should have warnings on Fanlore. Users are responsible for reading and heeding the warnings provided by the person who loaded in the image. Risk-averse users should keep in mind that not all content will carry full warnings and consider whether they should set up filters for viewing images, as described below. If you think an image should have a warning, feel free to add the warning; bear in mind that other users may edit the page.
QUESTION: I just saw a disturbing image with no warning! How do I add a warning?
We have templates for Sexually Explicit Images, Images Depicting Non-con and Sexual Assault, and Underage Persons in Image. They can be found in the Templates section of the wiki, and here are direct links:
http://fanlore.org/wiki/Template:SexuallyExplicitImage
http://fanlore.org/wiki/Template:ImageDepictingNon-conOrSexualAssault
http://fanlore.org/wiki/Templates:UnderagePersonsInImage
You can add a warning by editing the page and adding the appropriate template.
QUESTION: Can I filter out all images when I am browsing on Fanlore?
Yes, you can. We have detailed instructions for how to filter out all images when browsing Fanlore. You can find them here: http://fanlore.org/wiki/Help:Filtering_images
QUESTION: I have other questions about images which aren't covered here.
Contact us and ask, and we'll do our best to answer promptly!
Tags:
Initial Thoughts/Feedback
1. I am concerned that the level of detail that is being asked to accompany every new image will be a significant barrier to participants. Specifically, the demand that every image be justified as to why it is being uploaded. In some cases, the items are being uploaded in order to offer others an opportunity to comment - to do what wikis are designed to do - which is to build a basis for discussion in order to allow others to come along and add text or flesh out the topic. Of course, in order for that to work, I think we need to help direct people to these areas where additional discussion is wanted/needed.
So I'd tweak the policy to avoid implying that every image needs to be accompanied by a dissertation and a full blown analysis. And I'd make it explicit this wiki is not academic focused - and keep the Wiki firmly in the fannish sphere.
ex: For this section - "Second, the images should there to illustrate a point..." - I'd add at the end....
"This does not mean you have to write a dissertation on every image or feel obligated to manufacture a reason that sounds academic or scholarly. Fanlore is a fannish wiki and we want to document what *fans* think is important and noteworthy. In some cases, uploading a zine cover to document the existence of a fanzine is in itself a good enough reason. Or perhaps you want to upload an image in order to invite others to discuss a trope, a fanwork, or a trend. If this is the case, then please consider using the 'Needs more commentary' Template."
2. Images and Permission On 'Unused Images'
I'd adjust this next bit to indicate that you don't have to (nor should you) have to track down one person in order to ask them to make your edits. Also, to stress that deletion is not the first 'go to" choice.
QUESTION: Wait! Someone uploaded my image without permission and it's not being used in any article. What should I do?
"Another option is to leave a note on the talk page asking for others to add the additional commentary. It may take a few days for people to respond, but since Wikis are collaborative efforts we want to include as many possible POVs and incorporate as many ideas as possible. If neither of these options work, you can leave a note on the talk page asking the image to be deleted because its use doesn't fit fair use parameters."
3. You might want to include a section to address the concerns artists might have upon seeing their art labeled as explicit, depicting rape or depicting underage sex ("Explicit? That's not explicit. That's just Snape waving a banana around. He's not going to do anything kinky with it! Wah!")
Something like: "Help! I think an image is incorrectly labeled as sexually explicit, depicting rape or sex with underage characters. What do I do?"
and...... I''ll let others take the initial stab at answering this tricky question. ;-)
4. And last......"I see an image that is lacking all the required Summary Information on the Image page. Should I just delete it?"
"We ask that you do not delete an image simply because it seems to be missing some - or all - of the Summary information. First, head over to the page where the image is being used in an article - you can find that by looking at the "what links here" section at the bottom of the image page. The copyright and attribution info is often placed on the article page where people will actually be viewing the image. If you want, you can transfer the summary info to the image page, but it is not necessary. Also, keep in mind that many images were uploaded under different image policies so the info may not have been included for a reason.
If there is no copyright info (source or link to where the info came from) then you can contact the person who uploaded the image to see if they have the info. You can also attach a Gardener notice asking for help in tracking down source and usage info. There are thousands of images on Fanlore that have been uploaded by many different people so there are bound to be inconsistencies. "
Re: Initial Thoughts/Feedback
Re: Initial Thoughts/Feedback