We're currently working on a grant proposal that is related to the
usability for uploading and embedding media files to Wikimedia
Commons. (This is an area that we will likely not be able to address
in detail as part of the Stanton project, so we're trying to parcel it
into a separate project.) As part of this proposal, I would like to
make a compelling case that pictures and other media uploaded to
Commons benefit from strongly from the increased visibility,
especially through Wikipedia articles. I'd also like to demonstrate
that images get used in multiple languages and multiple projects.
The simplest research approach that any volunteer could take is to
take a sample (say 50 featured media and 50 random ones) and to
catalog in a spreadsheet usage across Wikimedia projects, using the
CheckUsage tool. But I'm sure there are other approaches - both
quantitative and qualitative - that might work as well, e.g. based on
Wikipedia article traffic statistics.
I'd love to see some volunteer input into this question, which
essentially boils down: Why is Wikimedia Commons awesome, and why is
it worth investing in to make it even better? I've started a page on
Meta here if you want to contribute ideas on-wiki:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Case_for_Commons
But feel free to e-mail me off-list as well. :-)
Thanks for any and all help,
Erik
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Erik Möller
Deputy Director, Wikimedia Foundation
Support Free Knowledge:
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate