Great idea, dearly needed. Thanks for cross posting. SJ
🌍🌏🌎🌑
On Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 11:17 PM James Heilman via Wikimedia-l < wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
To clarify option one is just support for conversion from MP4 to WebM within Mediawiki generally. It is not specifically looking at one method to do this. Thus greater support for option 1 does not mean less support for option 2, as option 2 is a method of fulfilling option 1.
Best James
On Tue, Mar 31, 2026 at 4:46 AM Butch Bustria via Wikimedia-l < wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
Hi Folks,
There is an active proposal on the Commons Village pump that could significantly change how video uploads are handled, and your input is needed.
🎬 The Proposal: Allow the Upload Wizard to automatically convert MP4 to WebM
Currently, uploading MP4 files to Commons can be a hurdle due to patent restrictions, often requiring uploaders to use third-party tools like video2commons to convert files. The Wiki Med team has developed a new capability that would automatically handle this conversion directly inside the Upload Wizard, making the process much smoother.
There are currently a few different approaches being discussed and voted on:
- Option 1: Auto-conversion – Convert the MP4 to WebM during upload and
discard the original patented file.
- Option 2: Direct MP4 Uploads – Allow users to upload MP4s directly,
retaining the original file for the future (when patents expire) but transcoding it to WebM or another free format for viewing, similar to how TIFF files are handled.
Whether you are passionate about user experience, concerned about software patents and open formats, or just want an easier way to upload educational videos, the community needs your perspective.
Head over to the proposal, review the technical and legal discussions, and cast your vote!
🔗 Read the proposal and vote here:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Village_pump/Proposals#Allow_the_...
Sincerely,
Butch Bustria
Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/... To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave@lists.wikimedia.org
-- James Heilman MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/... To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave@lists.wikimedia.org
Looks like strong support across the board. DJ, what is needed to implement a solution?
🌍🌏🌎🌑
On Fri, Apr 10, 2026, 1:46 PM Samuel Klein meta.sj@gmail.com wrote:
Great idea, dearly needed. Thanks for cross posting. SJ
🌍🌏🌎🌑
On Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 11:17 PM James Heilman via Wikimedia-l < wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
To clarify option one is just support for conversion from MP4 to WebM within Mediawiki generally. It is not specifically looking at one method to do this. Thus greater support for option 1 does not mean less support for option 2, as option 2 is a method of fulfilling option 1.
Best James
On Tue, Mar 31, 2026 at 4:46 AM Butch Bustria via Wikimedia-l < wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
Hi Folks,
There is an active proposal on the Commons Village pump that could significantly change how video uploads are handled, and your input is needed.
🎬 The Proposal: Allow the Upload Wizard to automatically convert MP4 to WebM
Currently, uploading MP4 files to Commons can be a hurdle due to patent restrictions, often requiring uploaders to use third-party tools like video2commons to convert files. The Wiki Med team has developed a new capability that would automatically handle this conversion directly inside the Upload Wizard, making the process much smoother.
There are currently a few different approaches being discussed and voted on:
- Option 1: Auto-conversion – Convert the MP4 to WebM during upload and
discard the original patented file.
- Option 2: Direct MP4 Uploads – Allow users to upload MP4s directly,
retaining the original file for the future (when patents expire) but transcoding it to WebM or another free format for viewing, similar to how TIFF files are handled.
Whether you are passionate about user experience, concerned about software patents and open formats, or just want an easier way to upload educational videos, the community needs your perspective.
Head over to the proposal, review the technical and legal discussions, and cast your vote!
🔗 Read the proposal and vote here:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Village_pump/Proposals#Allow_the_...
Sincerely,
Butch Bustria
Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/... To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave@lists.wikimedia.org
-- James Heilman MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/... To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave@lists.wikimedia.org