I already changed the software so it only accepts uploads from users who are logged in. I did this two days or so ago. It might help if Jimbo would actually install the latest version ;) Magnus

We just never gave the programmers a good set of requirements for the uploader. On Mon, 25 Feb 2002, Lars Aronsson wrote: Actually, there's a good reason for it: the images aren't obviously linked to anything in any article. This is an ABSOLUTELY essential piece of information to have: what articles *use* the image in question? If no article uses an image after 24 hours, perhaps we should delete the image (or put it in a queue to be deleted by a human). So, the point is, without a context, unless some image is at face value obviously worthless to any Wikipedia article (e.g., porn advertisements), it's difficult for us to tell whether an image really is appropriate for the 'pedia. It would even make it easier for us to determine whether an image is copyrighted. One way around this would be to attach images to unique articles, so that the uploading of an image would be logged in a particular article's history. I don't know if I like this suggestion, though, I'm just throwing it out there for your consideration. Here's another thing we need in that upload form. We should ask people to choose: (1) I have created this image and release it under the GNU FDL (or contribute it to Wikipedia); (2) I personally certify that this image is public domain (if checked, add a text box requiring that a source be given--a URL or else a book title, say); (3) other? If none are checked, then the uploader wouldn't accept the article. Under some schemes we might want (1) to require that the uploader identify which article the image is going to be used in, and (2) to check that the image title is linked to from that article. But (1) might be done automatically, I guess... Doing these things would remove a fair bit of the abuse. It would certainly make it a lot easier for the community to act as a check on the abuse. They already are, sort of--but each one individually should be, which isn't the case now. Maybe--would prevent people from uploading porn in place of legit images, for instance. Maybe...? Larry