[Wikipedia-l] non-logged in users using upload utility

[lcrocker at nupedia.com]

> I have unmixed fellings about this: people who are not logged
> in should not be able to upload. People are spending very valuable
> time on removing illegitimate uploads so we should be very strict
> on this. I would even suggest the rule that unused pictures are
> fair game. Being able to check this is not a nice-to-have but a
> must-have. If we cannot integrate the different Wikipedias enough
> to do this easily, then we should decide that each gets its own
> upload space. Disk space is cheap, the time of contributers is
> certainly not.

There's two issues there: as for upload privileges, those in favor
of restricting them to logged in users make a good case, so I'll make 
that happen soon.

The second issue is should the Wikis share uploads.  I'm of the 
opinion that each Wiki should be an island unto itself, both 
conceptually and physically.  Images are conceptually "inline" 
content, even though they are implemented as external links for 
technical reasons. Isolating them for each wiki and making all links 
internal makes it possible to encapsulate them, say, for a CD, or for 
backup.  The combination of database + upload directory should be 
able to reproduce a Wiki in its entirety.  I would even go so far as 
to say that eventually, inline-rendered external image links 
shouldn't be allowed--they should be treated like all other external 
links rather than being rendered.

If that means having to upload flags 20 times, sobeit.  There might 
be good reasons for some Wiki to want to use different flag images 
anyway.