Hi all,
I just started a group on Flickr called "Wikimedia Commons". I encourage anyone who has a Flickr account to join it.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/wikimedia_commons/
It can be used as a way to increase our presence on Flickr and explain the utility of CC-BY and CC-BY-SA licenses to Flickr users, on their own turf where they are much more likely to be receptive to helping us out. Flickr users who are unexperienced with wikis/Commons can post photos to the group where I am sure one of us will gladly transfer them, if they are useful. Flickr users can have the satisfaction of seeing their work in prime web real estate, especially if they photograph famous people for example. :) People who photograph plants can also post photos there to get them IDed before transfer to Commons.
I think some people also post comments on photos when they transfer them to Commons. It might be useful in such a comment to also post a link to this group now, to encourage them to learn more about how they can contribute to Wikimedia, the world's largest and most accessible of open content.
So anyway, all members and discussion now welcome :)
cheers, Brianna user:pfctdayelise
Brianna Laugher a écrit :
Hi all,
I just started a group on Flickr called "Wikimedia Commons". I encourage anyone who has a Flickr account to join it.
I have a big issue with Flickr and free licenses.
Flickr typically show "this photo is public" in a proeminent place, while their sign about copyleft is less clear.
Many people incorrectly conclude that "public" photos on Flickr are "public domain". In fact, what Flickr means by "public" is that these photos are publicly viewable by any Internet user, as opposed to restricted to friends or contacts of the user who posted them.
Consequences: 1) Many people assume they can download anything from Flickr and use them without any kind of restriction as long as there's "this photo is public". 2) Flickr users are not really aware of free licenses.
Maybe we should talk to Flickr about that issue. Their interface should be redesigned so as to minimize confusion.
On 23/01/07, David Monniaux David.Monniaux@free.fr wrote:
Brianna Laugher a écrit :
Hi all,
I just started a group on Flickr called "Wikimedia Commons". I encourage anyone who has a Flickr account to join it.
I have a big issue with Flickr and free licenses.
Flickr typically show "this photo is public" in a proeminent place, while their sign about copyleft is less clear.
Many people incorrectly conclude that "public" photos on Flickr are "public domain". In fact, what Flickr means by "public" is that these photos are publicly viewable by any Internet user, as opposed to restricted to friends or contacts of the user who posted them.
Consequences:
- Many people assume they can download anything from Flickr and use
them without any kind of restriction as long as there's "this photo is public". 2) Flickr users are not really aware of free licenses.
Maybe we should talk to Flickr about that issue. Their interface should be redesigned so as to minimize confusion.
Yes, you are right - the design is bad. I think it could be improved just by changing "public" to "publicly viewable". or "This photo can be viewed by anyone".
I guess that Commons regulars know this difference. :)
We can use this group as a visible presence on Flickr try to correct such mistakes as aggressively as possible, and possibly push for such interface changes. But I guess Flickr will still leave the default as "all rights reserved" -- most people are happy not to think about copyright of course.
Well, as an unrelated aside, I find it very interesting that Creative Commons ( http://creativecommons.org/ ) loves to push Flickr, counts Jimbo on its board of directors, and yet has never even mentioned Wikimedia Commons in even remotely the same way (see http://creativecommons.org/image ). Or, for that matter, Wikinews.
(No, I'm not bitter that Flickr is such a media darling...!)
cheers, Brianna