Wikipedia talk:A picture of you

Clarification on adding images directly to the page?

I sent this to someone who wanted to upload a photo but was worried about COI and didn't want to edit their page directly. I ended up putting it in their page on their behalf, but should we add a section clarifying that this is also possible to do and is not COI? WP:AUTOPROB specifies adding a photo to the page or adding a better one is fine so it would be nice to say this explicitly. Mvolz (talk) 10:57, 29 May 2021 (UTC)

Thank you for sharing this .I was actually ready to upload a photo but since you say you say you putted on the page on our behalf...Thank you so much Noluthando Phumi (talk) 17:37, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

"You don't have to create an account"

This document currently states that you don't have to create an account to upload a photo. I believe that's wrong. Is there something I'm unaware of going on here or is this simply inaccurate? - Jmabel | Talk 02:40, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Section Wikipedia:A picture of you#By email explains the process of indirectly uploading without an account. —⁠andrybak (talk) 10:27, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

The implication in the essay was that it's possible to upload a photo to Commons without creating an account, that account creation just has the benefit of being notified of changes to the image.

This may have been true in the past, but today you get a straightforward Please log in to upload files error message at Commons if you click the upload link without an account.

I've updated the essay to say that you need an account to upload a picture to Commons. Belbury (talk) 17:00, 18 October 2023 (UTC)

Updated for Instagram/Facebook/Twitter

Seemed like this could use a pass for modern social media usage, so I've boldly added sections for Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

(I started writing a "Submitting selfies" essay on Commons last year, without realising this one also existed, after seeing one too many cases where a minor celebrity clearly very much wanted to put a good photo onto their Wikipedia page, but was struggling to navigate Commons.)

The apologetic "Why we can't upload your images for you" section that was previously in this essay may have been true before widespread use of public-facing image sharing apps, but it's now very easy for a person to post a photo and verifiably release it a CC licence in the caption - Commons actually lists social media as an option at "When contacting VRT is unnecessary". Belbury (talk) 16:55, 18 October 2023 (UTC)

AI generated image?

The Instagram section of the page features an AI generated image, Instagram licencing example.png, Snowsuit blue.webp. It is marked as public domain on Wikimedia but I was not able to find any mention of licensing on the AI service's website, which is concerning. Besides that, I don't think it's appropriate to feature AI generated images on a page about uploading actual pictures of actual people. मल्ल (talk) 22:58, 2 March 2024 (UTC)

Thanks for flagging this, I used a fake example at the time because I couldn't find any good ones of an Instagram user clearly licencing a photo. I took a photo of a non-existent person from an AI category on Commons, but you're right, the provenance is questionable, the user has a lot of "created with the help of" uploads which may not be solely AI generated.

Looking around Commons for CC-BY Instagram selfies again today, File:Nilesh Ahuja.jpg meets the criteria so I'll replace it with a screenshot of that. Belbury (talk) 10:53, 3 March 2024 (UTC)

Advanced example

Skeeter Reece carrying Albert Alter juggling while on unicycle

@Pigsonthewing What do you think of this addition:

Skeeter Reece's wife wanted her husbands WP-article to be improved with this image, so she hunted down the photographer who took it in 1991 and persuaded him to release it on Commons. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 14:58, 9 April 2024 (UTC)

@Gråbergs Gråa Sång: Added. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 20:55, 10 April 2024 (UTC)

"Welcome to Wikipedia!"

I do think this phrase may do more harm than good in the introduction, for the casual non-Wikipedia audience that this advice is specifically being aimed at. (I took the phrase out when rewriting the page to add more social media guidance last year, but it's back.) To me it risks establishing an unfounded sense of "strap in, you're going to need a Wikipedia account to make this picture happen" for some readers, to the point where they might lose heart.

We should obviously be friendly, but I don't think this cross-the-threshold wording really fits. Belbury (talk) 10:23, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

I think you're tilting at windmills. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 14:08, 18 August 2024 (UTC)

As I see it one of our main target readers is a person who's complained on social media that their Wikipedia article has no picture, or has a bad one. They've already dismissed the idea of getting involved with Wikipedia to resolve that. We should be greeting them in a way that underlines that they don't have to.

How are you intending it to be read? Belbury (talk) 14:39, 18 August 2024 (UTC)

Even in your imagined and unlikely scenario, I fail to see why you think we should not welcome people; nor why you think that doing so implies that "you're going to need a Wikipedia account to make this picture happen". Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 11:32, 19 August 2024 (UTC)

I just think the threshold-crossing tone of "welcome" is at odds with the rest of the essay, which is very much that the reader doesn't necessarily have to step any further into Wikipedia or its processes, if they don't want to. It feels a little like someone knocking on my door to collect a parcel that they were told was here, and me opening the conversation by welcoming them to my house.

Taking a wider view of that, the lead section may benefit from making the point more quickly and reassuringly that providing an image is as easy as posting a selfie to social media. It'd be great to see this essay getting more use around the internet as a go-to "just post a selfie!" response whenever someone says that their Wikipedia article needs a better photo.

(Social media complainers was a rather narrow characterisation above, but I assumed that was basically this essay's main target audience; people who have implied somewhere that they want their Wikipedia article to have an image, or a better one, but where they're unlikely to join Wikipedia as a user to sort that out.) Belbury (talk) 14:16, 19 August 2024 (UTC)

Any view on that, or shall I wave down a third opinion? Belbury (talk) 12:56, 24 October 2024 (UTC)

I've asked for a third opinion. This still feels like a speedbump in the lead, to me, and one which probably needs more "no Wikipedia expertise or activity required" reassurance in the second paragraph if it stays. Belbury (talk) 16:25, 8 November 2024 (UTC)

Response to third opinion request:

In my reading of the phrase "Welcome to Wikipedia!" there is no implication, however subtle, that one would need to join Wikipedia or become an expert to provide a picture. Rather, to me, the phrasing is consistent with the friendly, direct tone of the lead paragraph. I appreciate the intention to minimize any potential barriers, but I don't think this phrase creates a hurdle or bump, and I think it enhances that tone. If the lead is entirely reworked, I don't think it has to remain, but I think it adds to the approachability of the lead as it is currently composed. — penultimate_supper 🚀 (talk • contribs) 19:46, 13 November 2024 (UTC)

pigsonthewing.org.uk

I understand that pigsonthewing.org.uk is the main author of this guide but why they have spammed an article of their own official website as a reference. This is totally unwarranted. Please remove it. Also, some kind of note at the note (like Wikipedia:Learning the ropes) that this is not a policy or guideline established through WP:AFC. Thank you. 2A04:4A43:8B9F:F2D7:54F1:56A7:C186:E8AC (talk) 23:15, 25 August 2024 (UTC)

 Done on adding a {{Wikipedia how to}} template to the top of the page.

 Not done on removing the footnote link. It seems useful enough as supplementary information. Belbury (talk) 14:40, 27 August 2024 (UTC)

That's not even close to spamming. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 07:02, 28 August 2024 (UTC)

How to

This page does not need a "how to" template. It is aimed at people who have not seen Wikipedia polices or help pages before. Such "in universe" clutter does not help them. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 13:07, 28 August 2024 (UTC)

Makes sense. Is it worth keeping the WP:APoY and WP:PICYOU shortcut reminders around? Some editors find it easier to remember shortcuts than full essay titles, and in some cases it may be useful to have a shorter, no-spaces URL when linking from off-site. Belbury (talk) 08:28, 29 August 2024 (UTC)

Working

I need a picture of me Aaron Weber on Google 2A02:C7C:C144:5E00:E0ED:4E2A:9DD5:C2EF (talk) 12:46, 4 November 2024 (UTC)

Wikipedia has no direct control over Google. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 09:23, 7 November 2024 (UTC)