Hi,
2014-06-24 22:04 GMT+05:30 Nathan <nawrich(a)gmail.com>om>:
On Tue, Jun 24, 2014 at 12:25 PM, Chris McKenna <cmckenna(a)sucs.org> wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jun 2014, Magnus Manske wrote:
2. It means other projects can use files form
Commons. Nowhere it states
that Commons has to take whatever Wikipedias feel like storing there.
That said, it does feel like some people are using the very fine
toothbrush
to find and delete images that are not 100% obviously allowed.
The problem is that people from other projects are uploading files in a
good faith understanding that Commons will look after them, as they work on
the principle that unless something is provably unfree then it is acceptable
to host.
Unfortunately, Commons actually operates on the principle that if there a
possibility that someone somewhere may in future claim that a file is
unfree, with or without proof, and with or without merit to the claim, then
it cannot be held unless we have proof (of a higher standard than required
by professional copyright lawyers) that the file is completely free in the
US and the source country, now and at all conceivable future times, then it
must be deleted. There is also a great reluctance to engage with anyone who
has a lesser understanding of copyright than the self-educated and
self-appointed experts on Commons, and with anyone who has a lesser grasp of
English than they do. There is an equal reluctance to let anyone using the
images know that there are questions about a file.
Until this attitude changes, Commons is not and cannot be a reliable host
of media for other projects, and usage as such must be deprecated and an
alternative, reliable service project initiated.
----
Chris McKenna
Precisely, and well said. Projects should encourage contributors to upload
files locally, discourage and discontinue processes for moving files to
Commons, and begin working on the problem of making files across projects
searchable so that deprecating Commons as a project repository does not
become a long term barrier to file usage.
Commons is an independent project, not responsible to other WMF projects?
Fine.
No, that's not fine.
I am for encouraging upload to Commons, not locally, but at the same time,
because people take time and resources to upload these files, Commons review
should ensure that these files are not deleted for spurious reasons,
like it happens some times.
Let Commons users visit other projects, locate files
that meet their
rules, and copy them to Commons themselves. That way people like Yann and
others need not familiarize themselves with Commons rules or worry about
files being deleted; if Commons wants the files they can get them, or not.
FYI, I am one oldest contributor to Commons, and I have been admin
there for about 9 years (I don't remember exactly).
~Nathan
Yann