Commons talk:Commons Photographers User Group

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Meta[edit]

Find older Communications of the group at meta:Talk:Commons Photographers User Group. --Ailura (talk) 15:01, 18 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

A member in the news[edit]

Hopefully Jim.henderson doesn't mind me putting this here. :) A wikiphotographer is on the front page of the Queens Daily Eagle for his NYC-area photography! — Rhododendrites talk |  20:21, 5 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

@Rhododendrites: Nice!, thanks for sharing. -Another Believer (talk) 20:28, 5 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Very cool! Thanks for sharing. And congratulations to Jim – well deserved! --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 00:44, 6 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Collecting feedback on a brand proposal for Wikimedia 2030[edit]

Dear Commons Photographers User Group members,


My name is Samir Elsharbaty. I work with the Wikimedia Foundation's Communications team.


We are in the final weeks of Wikimedia community feedback on a brand proposal to support the 2030 goals and I wanted to make sure we had thoughts from your User Group.

Your feedback is valuable to us and we hope you will decide to participate in the process. You can:

  • Or send thoughts via email: brandproject@wikimedia.org

It’s a big topic, but this is not the final point of discussion. Instead, we are collecting community feedback to deliver a report to the Board of Trustees at the end of May. The report will summarize risks, concerns, needs, and opportunities in changing our branding.

Thanks!

--Selsharbaty (WMF) (talk) 21:02, 1 May 2019 (UTC)[reply]

New video project aimed at encouraging and empowering people to contribute[edit]

Hi all,

As some of you might already know, I recently launched a YouTube channel about "Taking photographs for Wikipedia" (German: "Fotografieren für Wikipedia"). The goal is to raise awareness for the fact that everyone can share images for the benefit of others through Commons and Wikipedia.

Here's some background: for years, I've been wondering where all the photos end up that people take at popular San Francisco tourist spots or in California's state parks. I guess some of these images simply get stored and consequently forgotten on harddrives somewhere at people's homes. – Whenever I've been taking photos along the Pacific Coast, people stopped by, and asked questions. Most of the time, a conversation about Wikipedia and my photography passion ensued. Yet, not a single person who approached me that way in the past seven years knew that "Taking photographs for Wikipedia" was even a thing. That's why I started the YouTube channel that aims at offering a mix of instructional videos and insights into interesting places or stories.

So far, I've created two videos:

Over the course of the next couple of months, I'd like to walk people through the whole process: from the idea for a new photo project to adding the image to an article on Wikipedia.

Now, here's how you can help: I'd like to get your input on what you think are relevant topics (e.g. my next episode might deal with "Techniques for taking a sharp image" or "What's in my photography bag?"). What else can you think of that I should cover in these videos?

All the best, --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 15:53, 11 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Thank for sharing. I, too, am surprised more people don't upload their vacation photographs to Wikimedia Commons. That's one of the first things I do when I'm home from traveling! -Another Believer (talk) 21:20, 11 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Another Believer: Yes, agreed. Now, what's the reason that so few people upload their photos to Commons? My guess is that this is simply an awareness problem (people don't know they can). What's your take on this? --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 00:38, 13 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Lack of awareness. Non-Wikimedians are not familiar with Wikimedia Commons, nor do they know their photos could be used to illustrate Wikipedia articles (even if they think that'd be cool!). For Wikimedians, some might not know about the mass upload option, so they could possibly put off the task of uploading because it's too much work. For me, I wish I could just go to my phone (Android) gallery, highlight a collection of pics, and mass upload them via the Commons app. I used to be able to upload images one at a time, but I've not been able to use the app to upload from my phone for quite a while now. I have so many images I'd donate if mass uploading from my phone were easy. -Another Believer (talk) 00:53, 13 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]
I second what Another Believer says about awareness. I often say that having a camera is like having a dog. When I take it for a walk (as I do almost every day) people come up to me for a chat when I stop to take photos. The conversations always end up at me taking photos for Wikipedia. Mostly people are interested in where they can find the photos I take and they naturally assume they can go on Wikipedia to look at them. When I then start to explain that no, they have to go to another site called Commons, the "photo library", to find them, that's when I lose my audience. I always get the feeling they will never try to find the photos. Wikipedia is a known site, Commons is way, way more obscure. Heck, when I started wiki-ing, even I thought that Wikipedia and Commons were two separate things with no connections. The Wikiverse can be very confusing for those not already contributing. To get people to upload photos here, you'd need to get Commons just as well-known as Flickr or Instagram and make uploading very simple.
One simple way of raising awareness about Commons would be to start "marketing" it for what it really is: A free library(data base) for images, videos and sounds. There are some very basic thing that Commons, compared to Wikipedia, has overlooked. Part of my day job is designing websites so here goes:
  • The top logo. On Wikipedia there is there is the globe and underneath it says it says: "Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia". On Commons there is just the logo and WIKIMEDIA COMMONS underneath. 'Commons' is a word that is not instantly understood in languages other that English so without an explanation it gets a bit fuzzy. Adding the words: "The Free Media Library" to the logo would help greatly. "Library" (or perhaps data base) is easy to understand (you can borrow from it and it grows all the time), "Repository" sound like where you stuff all the things you don't want any more and "Collection" sounds dusty and like it's already finished and you can't add to it and shouldn't touch it. (Btw, is "Media" really a good word to use these days since its meaning has shifted considerably since Commons started. See: Media)
  • The main page title (the text in the tab at the top of the window) on WP says: "Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". On Commons it just says: "Wikimedia Commons". Very anonymous. That phrase gets read and spread by search engines millions of time and is the best place to imprint a simple line, a catch phrase, about Commons. It could be: "Wikimedia Commons, the free media library".
  • The main page of Commons does nothing to encourage people to simply upload useful photos. The biggest text is about the Monthly photo challenge. While it's a great and friendly competition, the space it has on the main page is a bit misleading. Not all those who upload photos what to enter into a competition, they might simply want to contribute. There should be some text like: 'We need your photos' or 'You can contribute to this great free media library' or 'Donate your photos to the world of Wikis' etc. To search engines and photo people, the main page is a blank wall. Even the blue "Upload" button is user repellant! The mouseover says: "Special:UploadWizard" (Huh?) when it should say: "Upload free images, vidoes, sound or other media files".
  • The connection to Commons must be made clearer in Wikipedia. A dream would be that each time a photo/video/media is used in an article on another Wiki-project, a footer on the page would appear saying: "Photos and other media in this article are from Wikimedia Commons, the free media library" and of course linked to the main page. What we have now is the left column link under "In other projects" where it simply says Wikimedia Commons. Again, the name means nothing to the general public since it has no "fast thought connection" to what it does like the other projects has: Wikivoyage, Wikisource, etc.
  • When Commons is described among Wikipedia's sister projects, it's always called: "Commons, Free media repository". Again that awful word "repository". Even the word "media" is fuzzy since today it's mostly used to describe information outlets like 'social media', 'news media' or simply 'in the media'. Why not call Commons what it is in plain unambiguous word: "Commons, Free image, video, sound library(or data base)
Ok, too long and probably not exactly what Frank wanted, but I've been bugged by how invisible Commons is for a while now, and when asked, well... We can try all the things we like with videos and such, but if the concept of the site is not clear and easy to understand, it will be an uphill work. Maybe this should be brought up on another forum or perhaps the right users might read this. There are of course a lot of other things I could suggest, but this is enough for now. Cheers, --Cart (talk) 11:28, 13 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Cart, thanks so much for your feedback. I totally agree this is an awareness issue. Part of the issues described above can be solved by community, the other part by the Wikimedia Foundation. Pinging Zach McCune here, so he's aware of this discussion. – With regard to what we, as members of the community can do, I'd suggest that we take a fresh look at Commons' main page and decide whether we'd like to revamp it (or at least propose some changes). I'm not sure whether we'd also be able to change the page title… maybe others know. But there are definitely a couple of items on your list that could be improved with relatively low effort. How does that sound? --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 15:51, 13 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks Frank for not thinking I'm totally nuts. :) When improving something, it's always best to start with the easiest things and take it from there. This is not a "to do" list, but things I think are worth looking into. Let's see how it all develops. --Cart (talk) 15:58, 13 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]
I often introduce myself as a Wikipedia photographer.
Oh, do you work for Wikipedia?
Not exactly; It's all a volunteer thing, a hobby. I contribute pictures to the picture bureau, which is called "Wikimedia Commons".
If further discussion goes in the direction of organizational detail, I explain that we do more than only pictures, and more than only for Wikipedia, and we are affiliated rather than part of Wikipedia; not a daughter but a sister. More often they ask how I pick targets, so that's the direction the conversation goes. I don't see any great reason to make us more famous. The dorky name is indeed a minor handicap; better to pick a name that publicly associates us more closely with the WP brand, rather than try to establish a separate brand. Maybe Wikipedia Snaps, which sounds like it might be a snack but that's not a bad secondary association. And yes, it fails to identify the breadth of our offerings. Not a problem, as far as I see. Jim.henderson (talk) 19:17, 16 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Wikimedia Summit 2020[edit]

I would nominate myself to be a representative of the Commons Photographers User Group in Wikimedia Summit 2020, since this year's topic is focusing on the implementation of the recommendations in the conversations during the last year in Wikimedia Summit which I was there representing the User Group. Hamed Gamaoun (talk) 22:10, 13 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Works for me. Thanks for volunteering! -–Frank Schulenburg (talk) 00:19, 18 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Sounds fine to me. See you in Berlin. - Jmabel ! talk 01:32, 19 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Good news --Wilfredor (talk) 14:53, 12 February 2020 (UTC)[reply]
@Hamed Gamaoun: You never reported back here. Will this happen? Presuming you are going as a representative, what are you doing to gather thoughts from the group? - Jmabel ! talk 15:25, 25 February 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Too bad Jmabel; I'm sure you know but others might have missed the bad news about the cancellation for plague and there are rumors of doubt about Wikimania in Bankok. Jim.henderson (talk) 06:50, 1 March 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Friendly Reminder: Wikipedia 20th celebration "the way I & my family feels"[edit]

Greetings,

A very Happy New Year 2021. As you know this year we are going to celebrate Wikipedia's 20th birthday on 15th January 2021, to start the celebration, I like to invite you to participate in the event titled "Wikipedia 20th celebration the way I & my family feels"

Sorry, if you had seen/notified from any other post earlier, if not, the event have started from 1st January 2021 till 15th January and another one from 15th January to 14th February 2021 in two segments, details on the event page, participate today!!

Please have a look at the event page: '"Wikipedia 20th celebration the way I & my family feels"

Let's all be creative and celebrate Wikipedia20 birthday, "the way I and my family feels".

If you are interested to contribute please participate. Do feel free to share the news and ask others to participate.

Marajozkee (talk) 11:57, 7 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Wiki Loves Africa 2021 initial review[edit]

Dear Commons Photographers User Group members,

Wiki Loves Africa 2021 is now over and the fun of selecting the top images begins. As with last year, we are asking Wikimedians who are interested in reviewing the submitted images for Wiki Loves Africa to let us know. Please fill out the form at this link to put your name forward https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrCPPKQvqR-fEJEPj0Wm-zBCWn0kThfP0MGF73IdKJIbh9wg/viewform

Thank you.

Ceslause Ogbonnaya

Invitation as guest speaker to Episode 2 of WikiAfrica Hour[edit]

Dear Commons Photographers User Group members,

I hope this meets you well.

My name is Ceslause Ogbonnaya, from Wiki In Africa. Last month we launched the WikiAfrica Hour with our first ever episode featuring outgoing Wikimedia Foundation CEO, Katherine Maher. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyG_DCysivx59E2olI_BEcQ

We started WikiAfrica Hour, a monthly vodcast, to build the community of Wikimedians across Africa by:

  • Interacting with guest(s) and ask questions from the context of and relating to African Wikimedians;
  • Providing a platform for Wikimedians to discuss topics, issues, projects and collaborations to promote synergy and more advanced knowledge within the Wiki communities across Africa, and
  • Sharing current updates, and highlights of Africa Wikimedians activities undertaken by Africa Wikimedians with the African audience, and those globally who are interested.

For the next WikiAfrica Hour, we would like to discuss the role photography plays within a Wikimedia context. With this in mind, and given your experience, I would like to invite one or two volunteers among you as a special guest speaker on this 2nd episode of WikiAfrica Hour. This episode is slated for 28st May 2021 at 4pm UTC.

Wiki Loves Africa has just finished. Wiki Loves Earth has launched. African Wikimedians are enthusiastic participants, but Wikimedia Commons and the photography world are complex sectors. We would like the WikiAfrica Hour discussion to provide insight into how Wikimedia Commons works ‘behind the scenes’.

Your involvement in the Commons Photographers User Group is the reason why I am contacting you. African Wikimedians are probably not aware of the photography user group, and would benefit immensely to hear about its goals and the benefits of being a member.

The vodcast is run live using StreamYard, with the support of Andrew Lih from the Wikipedia Weekly Team. WikiAfrica Hour is a live broadcast and will be simulcast on the Wiki in Africa YouTube and Facebook channels, as well as Wikipedia Weekly YouTube and Facebook channels. The episode will remain for reviewing on both YouTube channels.

I look forward to hearing from one or two volunteers among you, as you confirm your availability. Please let us know if 28 May 2021 at 4pm UTC is convenient.

Regards,

Ceslause Ogbonnaya

1.https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_In_Africa 2.https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiAfrica_Hour 3.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Commons_Photographers_User_Group 4.https://www.youtube.com/c/wikipediaweekly 5.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyG_DCysivx59E2olI_BEcQ

Rehman needs our help.[edit]

Wilpattu National Park, a photo by Rehman

Hello colleagues I don't know how many people reading here, but let's give it a try...

I've been in contact with Rehman last couple of weeks, he is a Wikimedian from Sri Lanka, a member of this group, a great Commons photographer, WP article writer, and sysop, and simply a long-term contributor in good standing, a true gentleman if you like. He has not been active on Wikimedia projects last months, and this has a reason. Sure we are all hit by Covid-19 pandemic, but as it seems, for Rehman the situation has turned critical. Back in summer he had to bring his mother to hospital due to Covid, sadly after some weeks she has passed away, and by now for treatment and other costs he has debts somewhere between 15,000--20,000$. This is not possible for him to shoulder himself, he also has to help his sister who is bringing up two small kids on her own. Apparently Sri Lankan state does not provide sufficient support to those who need it due to Covid impacts.

From what I know so far, unfortunately WMF does not have any Covid-related support for its volunteers (it's a shame, WMF could provide that if it was willing to do...). So my first thought is of course a crowdfunding campaign. Probably it's more effective when using a public platform such as GoFundMe, but I myself unfortunately have zero experience... Anyway it's important that as many of us Commoners as possible would participate. We should appreciate it, that someone like Rehman is out there on Commons and active, but I'm afraid it's now only possible with a help from us all.

Any constructive comment is more than welcome, first of all I would like to know: Who (apart from myself) is willing to help? Who has experience with crowdfunding? Has anybody further ideas what we can do? Many thanks in advance, really any input is highly appreciated. Rehman has approved to go for a public fundraising, so the posting of the above info should be OK. Regards --A.Savin 01:10, 16 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks so much for your message, A.Savin! I'm ready to help. I don't have any experience with crowdfunding, but I can provide financial support for our colleague and friend Rehman. Thanks again, --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 04:29, 16 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I can't create a crowdfunding campaign. But IMO it would be useful to create it. --XRay 💬 05:14, 17 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I also think we should help and i also don't have experience with crowdfunding. --Ailura (talk) 18:08, 17 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]
There's absolutely no doubt we should; especially in light of missing WMF support. Regards --A.Savin 03:51, 18 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I helped a bit by creating the video (not anymore available) for Jee's campain in Indiegogo, but I have no created the campain. As far I remember Jee created the campain, and it's logic, it is likely more easy for the beneficiary to recover the money if he is the creator of the campain rather than if it is one of us and then we have to send them the money internationally... Christian Ferrer (talk) 19:16, 17 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Note that creating a crowdfunding campaign can likely be done with a few click. The questions being: which text to put? aim to convince who? with use of media? if yes what media? ect... Christian Ferrer (talk) 19:32, 17 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for getting this started! --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 03:56, 28 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Just tweeted the link to the donation campaign. Please help spreading the word. Thanks, --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 18:17, 28 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Represantative in Wikimedia Summit 2022[edit]

Hello,@Ailura, Frank Schulenburg, Kwameghana, Shreya.Bhopal, Filipinayzd, and OtuNwachinemere: and dear friends, in Wikimedia Summit 2022 is going to take place on September 9-11, 2022 and we need to decide on one representative from our user group to be sent. as per the application form:This year, Affiliate representatives will go through a lightweight application process to develop the list of attendees in a fair and transparent way. Each Affiliate is eligible to participate, if they are compliant on reporting, and recognized by the Wikimedia Foundation before 31 March 2021. In order to assign the limited on-site slots, each interested Affiliate’s engagement and interest in Movement Strategy work will be considered. You have until April 17 to fill out this application. The final invitation list will be announced on April 29 after a thorough review of all applications. so we need to act fast thank you. -- Suyash Dwivedi (talk) 18:27, 11 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, Suyash, we definitely should be represented there. I guess i'm the person closest to Berlin (if we want to send a board member, i don't know whether we have to do that). Probably that also means that online timezones are not really practical for most of us. Maybe Frank is there anyway? --Ailura (talk) 18:43, 11 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Well, anyone can be a representative from us (I am also interested), all we need to decide in time I have gone through the application form there are lots of questions related to Movement Strategy that we need to discuss prior to the application deadline -- Suyash Dwivedi (talk) 19:54, 11 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
we can
  • Open a thread right here
  • Discuss within the board (telegram/google doc/??)
  • Schedule a board meeting during the Holy Week
What do you think? Ailura (talk) 08:27, 12 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, I might be at the conference in my role as ED of the Wiki Education Foundation. I support someone else being the official representative of our user group. --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 20:47, 11 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Somebody who is well engaged with the activities of the UG, I think, should represent us at the conference. Frank will also be there, meaning there is an opportunity for another member to be there. I cannot attend this time but maybe in the future. -Filipinayzd (talk) 03:15, 12 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]


Suyash Dwivedi will represent the User Group in Berlin. --Ailura (talk) 16:36, 16 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Support. Safe travels Suyash. OtuNwachinemere (talk)

Group registration Commons Photographers User Group[edit]

it is with great pleasure that I become a member. as much as you want to count on me, I also hope to count on you to learn better. Best regards.--Adoscam (talk) 15:29, 2 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Welcome, Adoscam! It's great to have you as a new member of our group. All the best, --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 16:01, 2 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks Adoscam (talk) 17:13, 2 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]

How to submit images of Valuable Images[edit]

I already know how to submit images for the evaluation of quality images. But I have difficulty submitting applications for outstanding images and valuable images despite following the instructions. Can someone by 10 minute video conference show me please? i need it.--Adoscam (talk) 17:19, 2 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Presentations[edit]

Our virtual meetings are proving to be meaningful exchanges. For future meetings I can gladly contribute a few short presentations (each 15 up to 30 minutes - except the AI presentation, which takes about one hour - may be I can reduce it to 30 minutes). Some are already prepared, as I have also used them in our local photo club or in photo courses. Topics would be for example "Aperture", "AI in Photography", "HDRI" or "Car Photography". The presentation on car photography should perhaps provide different aspects than the upcoming one from User:MB-one. My presentations are in German, a translation into English should not be an obstacle. --XRay 💬 06:40, 8 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]

(Initial Review) Notification of Affiliate Expiration - Renewal pending submission of reporting (from meta page )[edit]

Greetings group contacts,

This is a notification to bring to your attention that your organization is currently past due on its required annual reporting. Wikimedia Affiliates are required to submit an annual activity report covering the entirety of the 12-month agreement period in order to prompt review for a renewal. Reports must be written in English, posted to meta via the Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal.

This page is used to track how organizations and groups are meeting reporting requirements described in their agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation (e.g. chapter agreements, thematic organization agreements, user group agreements). It is the central place where affiliates can add reports about their activities, share their plans, and even news or social media channels with the wider movement. When new reports are available, organizations and groups should add them to this page to keep their columns up to date.

As noted on the meta Reports page, your organization’s 2022 annual reporting became past due in 2022-04-26. Please be sure to:

  • Post your 2022 annual reporting to the meta via the Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal as soon as possible to return to compliance with your user group agreement.
  • Check that your group’s page is also up to date with past report links for historical record-keeping, and
  • Please send an email to Wikimedia-l in order to share with a movement-wide audience.

If you have any questions or need any further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to wadportal@wikimedia.org.

Best regards,

Wikimedia Affiliates Data Portal


:::::::::::::I start a report for the year 2021, anyone can submit it in this page TOUMOU (talk) 09:59, 8 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Here's the link to the report for 2021. All reports can be found under “Annual Reports”. I also just filled out the questionnaire on Meta. Best, --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 15:13, 8 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Call for volunteers jury member Wiki Loves Africa 2022[edit]

Hi to all of you. We are looking for a few volunteers who can be part of the jury team for the Wiki Loves Africa 2022 competition, a photographic, video and audio contest. The 2022 theme is Home and Habitat. We will be very happy to have a few volunteers accompany us in this image evaluation process. We already say thank you in anticipation. Best regards. Adoscam (talk) 14:46, 30 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Adoscam, thanks so much for asking. How many volunteers do you need? When would the jury process take place? All the best, --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 20:28, 2 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Dear @Frank Schulenburg
Thank you for your reply to this request. We are going to start the Jury process tomorrow. The Jury is presently being finalised (you can see some of the members here).
The tentative timeline is as follows:
Round 1 - yes/no round
  • 6th July - opens
  • 12th July - closes
Round 2 - rating round
  • 13th July - opens
  • 22nd July - closes
Final ranking round
  • 25th July - opens
  • 1st August - closes
Winner’s discussion:
  • 3rd-5th August
Please email me isla at wikiinafrica dot org to let me know if this is something you would be interested in being part of. No pressure, if not ;-). Islahaddow (talk) 11:49, 5 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Something we could help with?[edit]

Hello, as many of you know we have had from time to time problems with fake images among the winners of WLx or also in FP noms. Those edits were very essential (like changing a background) but were not documented anywhere. WLx discourages this kind of edits and are not aligned with the contest rules. After I saw the winners of WLE Egypt this year I was really disappointed to see a couple of obvious fakes (I reported it to User:Summering2018, feedback still peding) that may displace real nice pictures and I was wondering whether we should offer help here as a user group avoid exactly that. I believe that not all juries have member who can spot that kind of fraud. What do you think? Poco a poco (talk) 12:49, 28 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

If somebody cares, finally I had to open 4 noms for deletion as I got no feedback from the organizers:
You are of course welcome to participate there. Poco a poco (talk) 15:34, 4 September 2022 (UTC) PD: FYI, too @Romaine: [reply]
It looks like these were uploaded to 1x before they were uploaded to Commons, so we do need verification via COM:VRT. I left a note at one of the DRs. I will say that the username of the person here and on 1x is the same, so it's probably legitimate, but we do need evidence. — Rhododendrites talk |  19:22, 4 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

WMF Board Election[edit]

The WMF Board of Trustees election has started. Votes will be accepted until 23:59 (UTC) on 6.9.2022. View candidate statements, verify your eligibility and vote. --Ailura (talk) 19:47, 28 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

An open letter to the Wikimedia Foundation about Wikimedia Commons[edit]

Hello, at our last meeting, we talked about an open letter to the WMF. I have now published a proposal. Please have a look at the text, and at the talk page. Kind regards, Ziko van Dijk (talk) 17:51, 19 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

The open Letter is now open for signing at Commons:Think big - open letter about Wikimedia Commons. It was a topic at the WMF Conversation last week, see [1]. Ailura (talk) 20:06, 23 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
WMF has answered to the letter: Commons_talk:Think_big_-_open_letter_about_Wikimedia_Commons#WMF_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Commons_open_letter -- Ailura (talk) 10:26, 26 November 2022 (UTC)[reply]

time Equity please[edit]

Can we please have a meeting that is suitable for ESEAP, so far every meeting this year has started between Midnight and 5am in the ESEAP region. Gnangarra 02:14, 6 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

We should be more fair to our colleagues from the East, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.   — Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me 02:50, 6 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Wikistories on Commons: a proposed visual content tool in WikiCommons[edit]

Greetings, everyone!

The WMF Inuka team is exploring having the Wikistories tool on Commons, so we want to get your feedback.

Our proposal

The Inuka team believes the Wikistories tool would significantly increase our projects' visual form of knowledge if we introduce a Wikistories workflow in WikiCommons. The above thinking is because the Commons is a repository of freely licensed media files that is discoverable across other projects and languages.

We have carefully outlined what we want to achieve with the tool on Commons, and we are optimistic about a good outcome. However, the Wikistories on Commons initiative is still a proposal that will require the WikiCommons community's feedback/ input on our design explorations before we commit to the work.

Our request

In the next three weeks, the Inuka team would want you as a member of the Commons community to:

  • Read more about the initiative.
  • Attend our proposed office hours, where we will present our design exploration and discuss our plan with this proposal.
  • Give feedback on this initiative and share your input about the design exploration on the talk page we have created.

We have provided three spots for office hours.

Please click on the date that works for you and register to attend the office hour. If you can't attend, that is fine. However, we will appreciate your feedback about the design exploration and the Wikistories on Commons proposal on the talk page.

We, the Inuka team, are excited about this work's possibilities, and we look forward to having you all onboard at every phase.

Thank you!

UOzurumba (WMF) (talk) 19:09, 17 October 2022 (UTC) On behalf of the Inuka team.[reply]

Wikistories on Commons conversations with the WikiCommons Community[edit]

Greetings, Everyone!

The WMF Inuka team would like to thank everyone who attended the Wikistories office hours, provided feedback, and asked questions about our exploration to incorporate the workflow in Commons. We received valuable input from the office hours participants who attended the different office hours, and we have summarized the discussions here.

Takeaways from the discussions

Most questions asked during office hours were aimed at understanding the tool's features and its moderation in Commons. We answered the questions based on our design thoughts; some other comments were insights for the Inuka team into areas of consideration while working on the initiative to optimize the tool's usage when it is developed. Therefore, the above suggests curiosity from Commons contributors about the Wikistories initiative. The Inuka team sees this as a sign to proceed to the next step of this project unless the community collectively thinks otherwise.

What next?

We are allowing other community members to read the office hours note, ask follow-up questions or provide feedback about the initiative for the Inuka team’s awareness and engagement as we proceed on this project. The Inuka team will post periodic updates to help the WikiCommons community stay aware and involved during the project phases.

Best regards

UOzurumba (WMF) (talk) 15:49, 9 November 2022 (UTC) On behalf of the WMF Inuka team[reply]

Image upload[edit]

Hi,

I recently uploaded some images on commons while editing this page. One of the images which is a page 2 of a series of images was marked for deletion. It is a screenshot of participants of an event...I facilitated the event, took the images with Greenshot software, and uploaded it. I have also uploaded quite a number of screenshot in the past without an issue. I'm wondering if there's a rule about screenshot I'm not aware of, please share link if any. Thank you!Olugold (talk) 07:21, 19 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Did you tell the participants explicitly that you would take that screenshot? Ailura (talk) 14:30, 31 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Online meeting about Wikimedia Commons! January, 5th[edit]

Wikimedia Commons: rescue is close! Or, is it?

Hello, German Wikipedia invites for January, 5th, 2023! We will talk about the history and future of Wikimedia Commons. With us we will have guests from the Wikimedia Foundation, to report what is going on right now.

The first hour of the evening (starting at 19.00h CET = UTC+1) will be in German and the second hour (20.00h, with our guests) in English.

More information (in German) and the link to the Senfcall meeting you will find on this page. Everyone is invited! Ziko van Dijk (talk) 18:11, 29 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

A couple of requests, can you clarify UTC time so those of us outside Europe can make accurate calculations. On that on that front I assumes that you 18:00UTC that makes it between 0200 and 0500 for most of ESEAP can we request a time that is more inclusive. With the first hour in German can there be translations as many of the import questions and information are in that part. Gnangarra 09:53, 4 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I am also confused about the time (UTC) and link -- Suyash Dwivedi (talk) 19:12, 4 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not readily finding the URL to join, could someone post it here? - Jmabel ! talk 16:21, 4 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]
The link is in the Ziko's post. --XRay 💬 16:52, 4 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@XRay: I meant the link to the conference itself. I now see it, halfway down the page. - Jmabel ! talk 18:54, 4 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]
The time is 18:00 UTC (english part from 19:00 UTC), the link is here. Ailura (talk) 20:05, 4 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Hello people and especially @Gnangarra: , thanks for the interest, and I hope I can answer everyhting (thanks to Ailura for pinging me):

  • Link to the meeting: it is indeed on the page linked to, so who ever wishes to join the meeting, can click here: here.
  • Time: the time is 19.00h Central European Time. I am not good at explaining time zones, but sure Google will have the right answer. (And Ailura should be right: 18.00h UTC.)
  • Time slot: the meeting is part of a series of open meetings of German (language) Wikipedia. The time slot is the traditional one. But if is there interest, I would like to discuss to arrange a second online meeting in English only and with a different time slot.
  • Translation: I understood that it was inconveniently short time for the WMF to arrange an interpretor, but especially: our senfcall platform does not allow for a simultaneous interpretation (is that the correct term?). We decided not to switch to Zoom. - Should there be the interest for another meeting, and translations from English to other languages, I would be in favor of that.
  • So this means that we have not translations provided by specific services. But I talked to the colleagues, and we will try to translate via the chat function. I can try to make the slides bilingual?
  • My short lecture about "Why WMC is so broken": I recorded it, and produced an English version as I was at it. I suppose I am going to provide in the evening's schedule time for watching the video on YouTube individually, and having thereafter the discussion again together on senfcall.

These are my thoughts at the moment. Feel free to ask, and maybe see you tomorrow evening (CET). I am now going to put some English information our DTS-page in German Wikipedia. Ziko van Dijk (talk) 20:58, 4 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for your consideration of others you have hit on a very important topic to the community. (deepl translation: Vielen Dank für Ihre Rücksichtnahme auf andere, Sie haben ein für die Gemeinschaft sehr wichtiges Thema aufgegriffen.) Gnangarra 05:12, 5 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Here is a Timestamp. --Ailura (talk) 13:50, 5 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Resources to bring new contributors[edit]

Hi Everyone,

We have all been discussing and thinking about ways to bring new contributors to Commons and the community – in various forums.

One of the solutions could be to repurpose our existing tools/media and create contemporary ones that could be relevant for the next few years and be simple, adaptable, and engaging. Like an animated video or a few graphics for sharing on social media. We could even create a well-designed landing page for potential photographers here on Commons that could be shared on social media as well. I recently discussed this during the CPUG meeting.

Example video

For the same, I wanted to pose the following questions to the CPUG.

  • Do you agree with the need identified above?
  • Do we have any existing assets that can be used to introduce Commons to the uninitiated or our newcomers? Which would be repurposed for the future.
  • Does anyone have any suggestions on what ideas and media would be best to bring in newcomers and introduce the platform?

Once we have collected your thoughts, we could bring in the Foundation Communications team to support this work in line with their Annual Plan focus – I would also love to see who from this forum would be happy to contribute to discussing this further and co-working on taking this forward.Thanks -- Suyash Dwivedi (talk) 18:14, 31 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

  • I agree with the need.
  • I gather that the initiative you are proposing is specific to photographers (plus, possibly, videographers).
  • There would be some country-specific aspects to this, varying with FoP laws and degree of protection for personality rights.
  • We should be particularly focused on recruiting in areas (geographic/subject matter) where we are currently weak.
  • Our best asset is simply our content!
  • I would think that the appropriate content would be a mix of showing some things we have well covered and others that are precisely the sort of thing we are seeking and largely lack. Ideal if we can come up with cases where there is an obvious analogy (e.g. great coverage of some U.S. or Western European national park vs. almost none for something of equal importance elsewhere in the world; prominent authors whose pictures we have, vs. entire countries where we have almost no such pictures; etc. - Jmabel ! talk 16:48, 28 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Does it make sense to create a page to gather the initiatives of the CPUG members in Wikimania?[edit]

Hello, I've just submitted a proposal (deadline is March 28th) for a workshop in Wikimania Singapore. I can share the details about it, but I wonder whether it would make sense to have a dedicated page for that. I imagine that others would also like to share some content or even organize something in Singapore. Poco a poco (talk) 10:26, 12 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Conversations with WMF on 3 May 15:30 UTC about image upload moderation[edit]

Have a look here, although it's more focused on maintainers than photographers. —DerHexer (Talk) 13:27, 28 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Flickr Foundation would like your input[edit]

Hello! I'm Jessamyn West, working with George Oates at the Flickr Foundation. 👋 I know she's coming to talk to you in a week, in part about a tool we're working on in partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation: Flickypedia. This is a re-envisioning of an old favorite tool Flickr2Commons (with Magnus Manske's okay) which could use some updating. In short: we want to help people share content between the sites more easily and get more photography into Wikimedia Commons. We'd like your input on what tools you use, especially if you've used Flickr or Flickr2Commons in addition to Wikimedia Commons. We've been in touch with Frank Schulenburg and he helped us plan out the survey and suggested we reach out here and in the Telegram channel.

The survey is here and should take 10-15 minutes of your time. Sharing of any person information is entirely optional. Feel free to share it around to other people you think could offer input. This is me on Wikipedia, and Flickr, and I also sometimes share public domain images on Wikimedia Commons. Nice to meet you and thanks for your time. Jessamyn (talk) 14:28, 31 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

2024 Commons Conference[edit]

Hi Folks

I have found organising conferences like Wikimania 2023 fun, I've seen how enjoyable and beneficial to the community they are. I'd like to do it all again this time for the Commons Community. I have some thoughts about a 5 day event targeting about 100-150 people. If anyone is interested please stop me for a yarn in Singapore or comment here. Gnangarra 05:20, 3 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

It would be a pleasant surprise to see a hundred people crossing an ocean or a continent for this purpose. If a dedicated day as sidebar at Krakow Wikimania brings a hundred for a few hours, or a couple dozen at Toronto WCNA this year, then I can be much more confident in an independent picture event. Jim.henderson (talk) 13:58, 4 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
We have 28 people signed up at Commons:Commons Photographers User Group/Photowalk/Wikimania Singapore 2023 for this year, waiting to see what happens in Krakow next year is too late for organising a 2024 event. Singapore is good opportunity to at least have some discussions. Gnangarra 14:12, 4 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I'm open for a discussion! :) —DerHexer (Talk) 22:26, 4 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Do you have an update on this? I think it would be great to have an event. -- Ailura (talk) 15:02, 18 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I'm still open to organising a Commons Conference in August-September of 2024, either linked to Wikimania or stand alone. My preference is for stand alone as these event get lost/distracted in Wikimania. Gnangarra 08:36, 26 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]
As you may be aware, we don't have an own budget. The submission deadline for a Conference Grant will be February 5, is this too soon to make a concept? Are there more volunteers for this? Ailura (talk) 09:45, 5 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
A family matter kept me from going to Singapore. What happened there? Jim.henderson (talk) 14:00, 27 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]
From what I saw good numbers of people starting the walks but too many conflicting activities, I never got to any presentations so I cant comment on the interest. Wiki Loves Living Heritage competition voting was about hale of the total in person attendees. Gnangarra 06:54, 1 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Follow up – I'm wondering if people might be interested in doing a Commons Photographers User Group mini-conference as a pre-conference to Wikimania 2024 in Katowice. There is a lot to photograph in the area, so it could be a combination of sessions and learning, as well as photo walks and outings in the surrounding area. I know a number of Wikimedians were interested in visiting nearby Krakow or Auschwitz, both of which are near Wikimania. - Fuzheado (talk) 17:10, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I suggest a whole program track around Commons especially as Commons is approaching 20 years, it worth looking back, get a sense of where we are and where we need to be. Gnangarra 14:49, 5 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Agree! An entire Commons track would make a lot of sense. Maybe have the Commons Photographers Group lead the way with this track? I believe we are the only UG/affiliate that has "Commons" in the name, though we could likely bring in people like the photo contest folks and GLAM (WREN, AvoinGLAM, et al) - Fuzheado (talk) 15:09, 5 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Partnership between CPUG and Maithili Wikimedians User Group[edit]

Commons Photographers User Group and Maithili Wikimedians User Group Partner to Promote Free Photography and Open Knowledge in Nepal

CPUG and Maithili Wikimedians
CPUG and Maithili Wikimedians, Inter-Community Wiki Meetup

The Commons Photographers User Group (CPUG), an international user group of photography enthusiasts, and the Maithili Wikimedians User Group (MWUG) Nepal, a user group of the Wikimedia Foundation that works to promote the Maithili language and culture on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, are pleased to announce a new partnership to promote free photography and open knowledge in Nepal.

The two groups held an in-person meeting and workshop in Rajbiraj, Nepal on October 7-8, 2023, to launch the partnership and begin planning for future activities. The meeting and workshop were attended by photographers, Wikimedians, and other interested individuals from Nepal and India, including Suyash Dwivedi, Vice-Chair of CPUG, Shreya, Events Coordinator of CPUG, Sukeerti and Pankaj Deo, President of MWUG along with its board members.

During the meeting, the two groups discussed their shared goals and objectives and developed a plan for future collaboration. The groups agreed to work together to organize workshops, training sessions, and other events to help Nepali photographers learn about free licenses and upload their work to Wikimedia Commons, a free media repository that anyone can use. The groups also discussed ways to promote the use of free photography in Nepal, such as by working with local media outlets and educational institutions. The groups believe that free photography has the potential to play an important role in promoting education, understanding, and cultural exchange in Nepal.

The CPUG and MWUG Nepal are excited about the potential of this partnership to make a positive impact on the Nepali community. By working together, the two groups can help make Nepal a more informed and engaged society and make its rich culture more accessible to everyone. About the Maithili Wikimedians User Group, Nepal The Maithili Wikimedians User Group (MWUG) in Nepal is a user group of the Wikimedia Foundation that works to promote the Maithili language and culture on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. The MWUG Nepal organizes workshops, training sessions, and other events to help people learn about and contribute to Wikimedia projects in Maithili. -- Suyash Dwivedi (talk) 18:39, 18 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Social media?[edit]

I made a New Year's Resolution to start fresh on social media in 2024. That mainly means leaving Twitter behind and starting up on Mastodon, BlueSky, Threads, and, most relevant here, Instagram. I suspect several other members of our user group are active on one or more social media sites. Would anyone be opposed to modifying the membership table to include an explicit column for social media links? In the meantime, be my Instagram friend -- same username as here. :) — Rhododendrites talk |  20:29, 27 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Rhododendrites, I think it's a good idea, but we're electing a new membership coordinator in january, maybe it would be good to wait a few more days. Ailura (talk) 14:46, 1 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Your most memorable shot 2023 (January / February 2023)[edit]

It’s that time of the year again: since 2018, we have shared our most memorable shots of the past twelve months with each other. Now in its sixth iteration, the “Most Memorable Shot” has become a tradition we cherish at the beginning of each new year. No matter whether you’re a member of the Commons Photographers User Group or not, please feel invited to share your most memorable picture of 2023 on this page. -- Suyash Dwivedi (talk) 17:55, 15 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Suyash.dwivedi Is this meant strictly for pictures, or could it also be a video I shot? Ainali (talk) 18:30, 31 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Ainali Yes, please feel free to add videos as well. -- Suyash Dwivedi (talk) 19:44, 31 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

SDC tool fixes[edit]

FYI, if you are a user of the SDC tool by Magnus Manske (you should be!) there are some fixes for some common issues that I've documented here. It makes adding structured metadata to images much easier, especially when looking at a Commons Category. See: User_talk:Magnus_Manske/sdc_tool.js#Solutions_to_two_common_problems - Fuzheado (talk) 14:57, 31 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

New group of interest - Wiki Covers Events[edit]

Hi all,

You may be interested in a new community of practice that was started after some discussion on the Commons and GLAM Wiki Telegram groups – meta:Wiki Covers Events. This was started to "share best practices for documenting events as they happen (festivals, sports, concerts, awards, etc) and improve content on Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, Wikipedia, and beyond."

There is a significant overlap between this UG and the focus on event photography in that new group, so I hope we can collaborate to document projects and best practices. Thanks! - Fuzheado (talk) 10:35, 2 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Wikimania submission?[edit]

Is anyone from this UG submitting any Commons related sessions for Wikimania? - Fuzheado (talk) 16:34, 2 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Since there's no response, I wanted to note I will be part of a submission related to Commons:WikiPortraits, but if anyone else is interested in doing a workshop during Wikimania related to portraiture or lighting, let me know. - Fuzheado (talk) 20:19, 8 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

New article on eclipse photography[edit]

FYI, there was no Wikidata item for this or any related Wikipedia articles, so inspired by today's eclipse-mania in North America... en:Eclipse_photography. - Fuzheado (talk) 21:02, 8 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Call for volunteers jury member Wiki Loves Folklore 2024 in Benin[edit]

Hello everyone. In this context of the evaluation of images of Wiki Loves Folklore 2024 in Benin, we are looking for two volunteers to be part of the juries which will help us to evaluate the images. I will be happy to have feedback by April 13, 2024 at the latest. If I can if you have any questions, I remain available. Best regards. Adoscam (talk) 13:44, 9 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

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