Sorry about the quoting. I just joined and I'm copying this from the archives. The issue is important so at the risk of breaking quoting netiquette I just have to argument with the practical points which Brianna brought up.
Brianna Laugher:
"One way which might help a bit, would be to create a tag (possibly invisible) that would trigger a notice on CTs that said, 'please delink this image now or risk redlinks!'"
Me:
This already exists. From simple: "+VfD Conscious puts deletion marker Duplicate on Image:IC_(400x).jpeg" and "+VfD Wikipeder puts deletion marker Copyvio on Image:Hésiode.jpg". CommonsTickers should have instructions on what to do in these cases. And some do:
From de-wiki on +VfD (translated loosely): Check the image and if necessary comment on Commons. If the image is properly marked for a speedy deletion, remove the image from use and, if possible, replace with a free alternative.
From fi-wiki on +VfD (translated loosely): Check the image and if necessary comment on Commons. Specifically: "puts deletion marker": replace the image "copyvio, logo, noncommercial, speedydelete": If valid, take image out of use.
Note, that I have specifically adviced against removing images marked with subst:nsd or what ever. If the deletion request is removed and proper source is given, no one in fi-wiki could know it if someone had delinked the image. In fi-wiki I have adviced to remove images only in the two cases mentioned above and naturally also after the image really is gone.
The problem is that less than 10 tickers have any instructions.
Brianna Laugher:
"So on one hand we have local projects upset at us for deleting images in use and on the other we have projects who seem not to even care when we notify them. It is a difficult balance to walk."
Me:
On the third, the largest, hand we have projects that are just fine. I've never heard a complaint from most of the wikis and not even from fi-wiki - although they have had the opportunity. And do we have projects upset at us, or just induhviduals from them? I actually find it very strange that some users (like two ever) come to Commons to blame the admins. They should go yell at the person who uploaded an image or who took it in use in a local project.
All in all, I don't see a reason to change anything in the way we delete images and I don't think that anyone should remove links to images marked with subst:nsd/nld/delete/deletionrequest/deletebecause. However, I don't oppose to having a bot that removes links to images *after* an image has been deleted.