User:Luke Westwalker

From Shared

Why have I decided to stop contributing on shared:

Regretfully, after frequently asking questions and many posts to Lounge, after comparing the amount of time I was spending on meta-discussions to real benefit of the project, I took decision to stop editing and uploading images to shared. The overall situation looks too unclear and I hope it will improve soon to the extent allowing me to feel comfort and usefulness of my contribution to the project.

No guidelines

There is much to be done and cleared up, for example patrolled categories just asking for fixing descriptions to consistent and user-friendly format. Currently one could say the mess is continually getting worse with every upload (no category guidelines).

GFDL images

The most burning question are in my opinion images with GFDL license, still imported to shared. I could nowhere find any clear policy concerning usage of GFDL images in CC-licensed Wikivoyage. I only found contradictory deletion arguments, ([1], [2], [3]) which may soon cause confusion to future new users (like me) to shared. Therefore consistent licensing policy and compatible deletion rules are most necessary here. The problem of GFDL on Wikivoyage is much wider than images only. I tried to give a meaningful example in the Lounge (however I could have mistaken there – you need 101 copies to be oblifged to provied full text GFDL license). So as not to repeat that example let me just say that including GFDL images in the guide pages is in my humble opinion against two of the goals of WV: gen:Goals_and_non-goals - individual article printouts and inclusion in other travel books. The clear policy towards GFDL images covering all possible situations is essential (for they are still uploaded).Then it would be easier to work out clear rules of including pictures in the articles that could secure safe future of the whole project.

(In)accesibility

Another question is accessibility of shared to average international users with average English-speaking skills. May be now it is alright for you German guys, but shared is much too inaccessible for intenational community. Practice of German edit summaries[4] discourages international cooperation. Asking questions in one place should not result in obtaining answers in the other, as a non-German-speaking person may need it in the future. Therefore in my opinion the most urgent priorities to be introduced are:

• comprehensive help pages covering basic rules,
• list of eligible licenses, categories guidelines,
• image page template to make pages consistent,
• naming conventions (otherwise you may end up with continuosly doing [5]).

I tried encouraging for the above in the lounge[6], however have not received precise feedback, and am afraid any future newcomers may not receive either. Lack of such basic information on rules made me lose a lot of time for seekling answers everywhere.

As WV is still young and upspringing may be I can rejoin later when the project becomes stronger. I also declare help in achieving any of the goals above but lack of sense of direction makes me depressed.

Thank you for having read all this. Please excuse and accept my apology if did not manage to write the above politely enough and you feel offended with my words. I am not expecting comments, however if you have anything to add to the above, please do.

Luke Westwalker 14:46, 4 November 2007 (CET)

User Ub

User Ub is away. I can't contact him. In my opinion images should be deleted. Anyway, wait a while, please. I'll post a message in his talk pages. Gobbler