[WikiEN-l] Fair use issues; we need serious help

[Charlotte Webb]

On 7/12/07, George Herbert <george.herbert at gmail.com> wrote:
> It would help if the people spearheading non-free image use cleanup
> campaigns weren't deletionists on the issue.

The other option might be to leave a big steaming mess.

This is a red herring anyway. In article space, deletionism and
inclusionism are matters of personal taste, and therefore take a back
seat to matters of serious business, the gravest of which being
copyright policy.

Even the most extreme inclusionist will delete an page that is
entirely copyvio, even if it's a topic for which we absolutely do need
an article (not that I consider myself the most extreme, mind you, and
not that I have the power to delete anything -- I'm just speaking in
general, for anyone with any sense at all).

I don't see any difficulty in taking the same approach to images which
don't meet "fair use" criteria, in particular the irreplaceability
requirement. As an inclusionist I can say "yes, we do need a picture
to illustrate our beautifully crufty article about _____, but we don't
need *that picture*" without feeling any guilt or hypocrisy about it.

If that makes me a two-faced bitch let's just agree to disagree on it. ;)

—C.W.