Commons:Features

This page is presently inactive and retained primarily for historical interest. If you want to revive discussion regarding the subject, you may try using the talk page (though your voice may not be heard) or start a discussion at the Village pump.

Basics

The minimum features required is the possibility to upload pictures. We have that.

We need to state what license goes with pictures. When pictures without a license statement are ruthlessly deleted, people will put on a license message.

We can make pages 4 in a row for each subject on a page that is a container for a subject.

We can do this.

Therefore we can start. GerardM 19:48, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC)

We will not just be dealing in pictures - we should increase the 2MB file limit for sound/video and high resolution images. We should also introduce a "batch upload" mechanism for series' of media. I have previously suggested that all media uploaded should be given a generic name - "000001.jpg", the uploader would assign a title and description in their own language. When a user comes across something without a title/description in their language - they may simply add one. According to the users preferences, their language title/description would automatically be shown for media. This generic naming would overcome problems with uploading in different alphabets. --[[User:OldakQuill|Oldak Quill]] 21:32, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC)

You are right, but the thing is to get this thing going. We do not have to wait. All the things you mention are nice to have. As this environment will be experimental to start off with they can appear quickly when "readyish". GerardM 06:17, 22 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Exactly right, all we need to do is get the developers to setup "commons.wikimedia.org" and install the software.

Now, its more than 1 year ago ...any news for batch upload to a Wiki on MediaWiki-base? --Nyks 15:56, 5 January 2006 (UTC)

Batch upload is essential to take wikis beyond enthuiastic hobbyist use and into real organisations. Giving files unique numerical filenames will also solve the problem of over-writing existing filenames. cheers - Drstuey 06:38, 3 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Yes, but often it is desireable to over-write, ie: if uploading an improved version. Boffy b 23:38, 8 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Language neutrality

I think language neutrality is a necessary feature before we can begin. The choice of what language to use for the interface should be selectable in preferences. Anthony DiPierro 18:12, 28 Aug 2004 (UTC)

In other resources like the Chinese wikipedia there is a need for the choise between traditional or simplified Chinese as the user interface. As this is in principle the same problem, there will be an effort to get this coded. However, it is not *necessary* before we can begin with the Commons. It is an important "nice to have" though. GerardM 11:53, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Open Media

It would be nice if the features were compatible with ourmedia. Angela 15:17, 2 Sep 2004 (UTC)

See Commons:Collaboration with ourmedia Boffy b 23:50, 8 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Linking

We'll need direct linking, as suggested in the project plan ([[Image:MonaLisa.jpg]] should link to a local pic, if it aint there, it should link to commons:MonaLisa.jpg). As long as we don't have that, we just have extra storage facility, not a shared storage fascility. TeunSpaans 07:34, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I would put this one as the number 1 wish at this point. - Andre Engels 10:39, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Are you aiming to hard-wire this into the Mediawiki code, or would there be some sort of configuration whereby the various fall-back sources could be set up? I can imagine that the various companies & people who are using Mediawiki for in-house & personal wikis would be unhappy if they could not switch this feature off. --Phil | Talk 12:26, 24 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Any plans for this feature? 12:26, 24 Dec 2004 (UTC)

This has been implememnted for about a month I believe. It's great. Boffy b 23:49, 8 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Batch uploading

As soon as a file name is selected, another file name box appears below - and so forth. You should be able to select folders. Generic descriptions (as with bots) could be used. For example, one would have a folder containing a map for each state of the US - each file consistantly and logically named "Iowa.png" - the folder is selected and a generic description "A map of the state of {{filename}}, United States. {{pd}}". If the batch uploaded files are not common - they could be left briefly descriptionless (only license specified) and added to "Undescribed Uploads" personal special page. --[[User:OldakQuill|Oldak Quill]] 22:09, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Can I ask about: how can we do batch uploading in WikiCommons?--Tomchiukc 07:04, 18 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Keyword searching

I'd be looking for a way to assign multiple keywords to each picture/media file, and be able to search just the keywords. Simple adjectives and nouns could be added (and removeable) to make searching for existing files easy. An image could include its primary color, shapes, subject(s), etc. -- Netoholic 05:30, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Keywords searching is really very important, and we need for every file keywords in all known languages. If someone does not know English, he should be able to find all the uploaded pictures on the subject before uploading a duplicate. Keywords in other languages may and will be added by bi-lingual users that browse the directory or, eventually, by a multi-language database like this one for all keywords. --5ko 18:42, 1 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Thats right. In a database with 300,000 pictures and other stuff we need a veeery good system to find things.

Today that is definitely not the case. I am not able to find my uploadet pictures through the search of commons.

How should others find? (I give them always german and english names and put them into categorys).

I suggest a descripton field wihle uploading the picture. There the user can enter keywords for his picture. Mayabe differnt fields for different languages. One for the native language of the user one for english and something like a dropdown menue for addional languages. A field for an international keyword (for proper names, etc) would be a great solution too.

(to have a keyword for every picture in every language is a nice vision, but with todays possibilities it is not possible.

Metoc

Dia show

One feature that would make it interesting is having a diashow for a topic. These diashows, could be shown in a wikipedia or commons itself similar to a thumb. When hitting the sweet spot the dia show will run. GerardM 13:29, 20 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Pick of the day

To show of that there are quality pictures, we could have a "pick of the day". I would prefer when the items selected are first published on Commons. The two benefits are: showcasing nice pictures and, making the main page more attractive. GerardM 13:29, 20 Sep 2004 (UTC)

This has now been implemented. Gerrit 13:10, 27 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Renaming

It should be possible to rename/move images.

Actually, there must be a special policy on renaming/moving/replacing/removing images. One change could have an effect on several projects that use a given image (once it's made possible).
--tsca 23:43, 24 Sep 2004 (UTC)

It should also be possible to rename it while uploading: the upload form should have a field for "name", so that it won't be necessary to rename imm036.jpg prior to uploading to the Commons. --Gerrit 09:10, 25 Sep 2004 (UTC)

excellent idea, would save time and original filenames... However, what happens if one realises that the filename is not the right one for the picture? When trying to rename, I get error: can't submit the form...Jul

Probably the best solution would be to allow multiple filenames for the same image (think links in Unix).
--tsca 14:59, 27 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Interwiki

We should add interwiki links to all known uses of each image in wikipedias to the image description page - this way it will be possible to replace it with a bot later when Commons images will be usable by other wikimedia projects. Ausir 16:21, 27 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Once images from the commons can be used on other projects, it would be good if "what links here" showed all uses of the image across all projects. If that's not possible, it will be important to keep manual lists so images don't get deleted as a result of people thinking they are not being used anywhere. Angela 00:23, 23 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Is there any work in progress? --Rhododendronbusch 11:18, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Image space primacy

I would like to propose that the image space be used as the location for storing information about images, that the category space be the primary method for viewing similar images, and that the article page be used infrequently, if at all. (I have already made this suggestion on the Village Pump, and it received primarily positive reactions.) Allow me to explain how this could work.

With the current article-based system, a user who uploads a media file has to edit several pages, and many different pages have to stay in synch. For instance, if I upload a picture of a Beagle catching a frisby in New York's Central Park, I would want the image to be included in the collections of images of "Beagles", of "Canis Domesticus", of "frisbies", and of "Central Park (New York City)". So I would edit all four of these articles and add links to the new photo – and if the article does not exist, I would have to create it.

With the new category-based system, the image description page of the new image would include Category:Beagle, Category:Canis Domesticus, etc. All the information about what an images is would be in the image description page itself. By viewing a category, such as "Beagle", a user would see thumbnails of all photos in the Beagle category. (This is an upcoming feature in the next version of the software, from what I understand.) So the Wikipedia article on Beagles would link to the category page on the Commons. Articles would be unnecessary on the Commons.

There are pluses and minuses to this approach, but I think, all in all, it is superior to the current, article-based system. Quadell (talk) 16:58, 2 Dec 2004 (UTC)

For me, the minuses outweigh the pluses. I still prefer the article-based system (as I already said in the Village pump. Ausir 15:37, 3 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Search default settings

I like to suggest to set the default for Preferences / Search result settings / Images to yes (I miss something like Commons:Suggestions). --Wolfgangbeyer 15:51, 26 Mar 2005 (UTC)

TeX

If it is not possible, this is a feature-request: Is it possible to generate some ChemTex (or any other TeX variation) and link to this TeX-File? Something like a template-tex or so? --Rhododendronbusch 11:20, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Upload Process

The process at Commons:Project_plan#Upload_process should be a priority for implementation. --Komencanto 7 July 2005 11:53 (UTC)