Photos

Revision as of 13:13, 20 November 2012

Photos are an integral part of describing a geographic location and this is apparent in sites like Flickr and Panoramio and applications such as Google Earth and Picasa. Wikimapia enables you to enjoy photos of places by allowing you to upload them to their respective objects so that they will help describe places and make Wikimapia tags even more worthwhile and interesting.

As per the neutral point of view philosophy of Wikimapia (NPOV), photos which are compatible with our principles are essential to illustrate marked objects. Photos should also be relevant to its host object. If a photo does not accurately represent a place, then its portrayal is false and violates the tenets of Wikimapia. Photos that are not neutral, inaccurately depicted and do not provide a neutral or authentic source of information if challenged, may be deleted.

Priority is given to primary images, which show objects explicitly both externally and internally. However, the interpretation of photos in general can be a tricky business because the depiction of themes and compositions can be very broad indeed. With this in mind, we welcome the inclusion of secondary images which do not directly depict an object but are nonetheless pertinent to its description. These secondary images, which may have a lesser significance to an object than a primary image, are allowed as long as there is a direct connection with a host object.

If an object only contains secondary images, you should not remove them unless they are replaced with primary images - remember secondary information is better than no information. If there are free slots available, and you can add primary images in addition to existing secondary images, you should not remove secondary images on a whim. If you have doubts about the validity of secondary images, please seek advice in the forum.

Examples of secondary images are:

• company logos; emblems, coat of arms & flags belonging to localities, counties & states; armed forces & emergency services insignias etc.
• unique products originating or sold from businesses e.g. restaurant dishes, clothes displayed by mannequins/models, products packaging etc. These should be unique to the object.
• people at work to demonstrate the function of the object e.g. craftsmen/women showing a unique/rare skill, teachers & students in a classroom or assembly, tourists outside a popular point of interest etc. The object must be visible in the background.

Photo Upload Restrictions

There are restrictions on the type of images you can add. You cannot add images to an object if it does not represent it, this applies to images which are too vague or negligible. In addition, you cannot add images as a means to illustrate or demonstrate the function of a place if there is no direct association whatsoever. You cannot add images that fall in the following categories:

• Copyright images. Licensed images which have been used without permission and/or attribution. (See below)
• Obscene images. Explicit/shocking images of death, blood, gore etc.
• Nudity & Pornographic images. Strictly unacceptable examples of vulgarity. This includes suggestive images that exhibit blatant innuendos.
• Duplicates images. Copies of same image in one tag and photos taken with the same/similar camera angle.
• Spam images. Same image repeated in several tags.
• Politically-charged, racist or anti-religious images. Hateful, or slanderous images with malicious intent to offend.
• Non-relevant images. These include but are not limited to:
  • Personal photos, portraits, passport photos etc.
  • Cartoons, clip arts, GIFs etc.
  • Celebrities, sport personalities, models etc.
  • Religious symbols and pictures used to bless, adorn or revere an object or its religious significance.

Copyrighted Photos, Attribution & Watermarking

If you have permission to use an image or its license permits you to use it in Wikimapia, you should adhere to its conditions for redistribution. If you need to provide attribution or any other associated copyright information, you can enter the necessary details in the comments section of the image in question. This procedure is especially necessary for copyrighted images with watermarks. Please note, if you are a registered user then your name will be displayed beside the photo when it is enlarged (click on it), so that makes it a little easier to associate a photo with a comment.

You can also provide your own personal images with or without watermarks. However, you should be aware that by uploading images you agree to the requirements of Wikimapia's Terms of Reference.