CZ:Media Assets Workgroup > Help requests

File is corrupt

I downloaded a file http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Bremsstrahlung.png for illustrating the article Bremsstrahlung, but when I upload it, I get the error "The file is corrupt or has an incorrect extension. Please check the file and upload again." The file seems perfectly allright to me. /Pieter Kuiper 06:08, 29 October 2007 (CDT)

PNG files are not uploading right now. I'm not sure why. I've written bugs. Stephen Ewen 20:33, 30 October 2007 (CDT)

I tried uploading this evening, and now it works, see Image:Bremsstrahlung.png. I also noticed that .svg works now. Great! /Pieter Kuiper 14:46, 13 November 2007 (CST)

Please let me know if you have any other troubles with media... I'm the guy that enabled .svgs. Thanks! Eric M Gearhart

Unsure of copyright

I've been doing some copyediting on Hilda Geiringer. I've found a couple of web images - the best are here. However, the copyright notice on the page is unclear - we might be able to use it here on CZ. Thoughts? Anton Sweeney 12:43, 30 November 2007 (CST)

This image illustrates why I consider it such a cardinal sin to not throughly document images, especially if you are the one to first introduce it to the Internet. What would have taken one person a mere 15 seconds to do would save potentially hundreds and hundreds of people headaches. Here we have an image that appears numerous places on the Internet. It has apparently been cropped from a higher resolution original, and part of that original contained a watermark, which one can see at the bottom of the image if they view it with an eye to seeing it. Yet in all the places this cropped image has spread on the Internet, at least that I have discovered, we have no indication, not even so much as a clue, as to the image's provenance, although I bet it could be found with some library-based research.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. :-)

The only way we can use this image of the underlying work on CZ is under a fair use rationale. So if you want to use this image, what you need to do is go to the image upload page for the image, and edit the page: under Licensing/Copyright status where it says author name, type in your CZ username just as it appears on your userpage and without brackets. Done.

Stephen Ewen 19:42, 30 November 2007 (CST)

Query

I remember reading somewhere that using media from the Wikipedia Commons is discourage because of possible copyright infringements, but that it is okay if the images were uploaded using a person's real name. There are several excellent images located at [1] that I want to use (mostly the cell related images, not the disturbing smileys at the bottom) and I wanted to check if these particular images are usable on CZ. Thanks in advance. Richard Pettitt 20:48, 10 January 2008 (CST)

I looked around there and found that the real name of WM Commons User:LadyofHats is Mariana Ruiz Villarrea (see here for example). That is the name to whom the images would be attributed, everywhere attribution is asked during upload.

Those are really impressive in quality, by the way! I've learned over time that most people who are serious about their images being re-used give their real name. One example of an exception is a food critic who dines anonymously and who is also a photographer, and who has been written up in Photography Magazine. His anonymity is clearly important to his career as a food critic. CZ hosts a few images by the fellow, attributed to his pseudonym--I don't have time to pinpoint the images right now.

Thanks for double-checking with another set of eyes.

Stephen Ewen 01:39, 11 January 2008 (CST)

Is this enough permission?

I am going to write an article about the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I found an excellent photo of the EPA building in Washington, DC that I would like to include it in the article.

The photo was at http://riverfall.blogspot.com/2007/06/washington-dc-day-3.htmlhttp://riverfall.blogspot.com/2007/06/washington-dc-day-3.html and taken by Mr. Simmons Buntin. I emailed him and asked for his permission to use the photo under a GFDL license and explained it briefly to him. I also referred him to urther GFDL information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GFDL.

He replied to me by email and said that he granted permission to use the photo.

When I uploaded the image, I was instructed to then add copies of the emails to the permissions form, which I did. That created a page entitled Image talk:EPA Building.jpg > Permission.

But it also said something about emailing the Constables. Does that mean that I should email those permission emails to the Constables as well? I am confused. Please help. - Milton Beychok 17:16, 28 January 2008 (CST)

It all looks good. The email is just to alert a constable to lock the permission page from further editing. I just locked it.

It does not appear the person released it under the GFDL but only gave permission for use, so it is tagged that way. Citizendium does not require photos to be under the GFDL.

We should add more CZ:Media_Assets_Workgroup/Example_permission_request_letters instances, one for requesting under an open license. Feel free to add one, if you want.

Stephen Ewen 17:02, 6 February 2008 (CST)

Need advice about two files from Wikipedia Commons

I wish to upload into CZ one photo and one image from Commons and need some advice. The Upload Wizard seems to have no choice that works for either of these two. Would appreciate advice:

(1) The photo [[Image:Vacuum Column.jpg]] was uploaded into Commons by me. I found the image on an online website. After an exchange of emails, I obtained permission to use the photo. The email correspondence involving that permission is now in the Commons OTRS system. I do not have copies of that correspondence any longer nor do I have access to the Commons OTRS system. I do know the website url from whence the photo came and I do know the date it was uploaded into Commons as well as the license type (GFDL). How do I go about uploading it into CZ? Step-by-step, please.

(2) The [[Image:Perkins triangle distillation apparatus.png]] was drawn by a Wikipedian (not myself) and licensed as PD-self. If I upload that into CZ, I will be asked to use the same license choice as was used in Commons. The dropdown license selection menu offers a number of choices, one of which is PD-self (the same as was used in Commons). But if I select that, it would indicate that I drew the image which is incorrect. How do I go about uploading it into CZ? Again, step-by-step, please.

Thanks in advance, Milton Beychok

I asked for the author's name for Image:Perkins triangle distillation apparatus.png so we can use it. I'll keep you updated.

As to the second, just use http://en.citizendium.org/wiki?title=Special:Upload&uselang=wikimedia in the normal way, not worrying about the OTRS.

We should work to find a replacement for that second photo in time; it's pretty poor in quality.

Stephen Ewen 16:32, 6 February 2008 (CST)

Any sample emails?

I want to email half a dozen entities (cities or manufacturers) asking permission to use their photographs of trickling filters (for wastewater treating). Are there any samples of how to word an email for that purpose?

And are there any specific website urls that I can recommend they read to understand the license choice we need? In other words, if your sample wording asks for a specific cc-sa license, at what url can they find an explanation of that license?

I need the sample wording as soon as possible. Thanks in advance, Milton Beychok 13:56, 20 March 2008 (CDT)

Milt, see CZ:Media_Assets_Workgroup/Example_permission_request_letters. You don't need to be as formal as that, of course, just use your good sense in tailoring an email for the specific audience. Also, the version there assumes a paper copy, but all they really need to do is return an email to you granting the permission or release. Stephen Ewen 14:18, 20 March 2008 (CDT)

Category: Media Assets Workgroup