NSWiki:Image use policy

NSwiki Image Use Policy

The final image use policy on NSwiki is currently not settled, due to problems with the upload function. Until then, please use these temporary guidelines:

Instructions for image use

The instructions listed on a few linked pages for image use are, quite frankly, wrong.

Posting a picture

• To post a picture, simply paste the URL of the linked picture in the text of your article.

• The wiki software automatically recognized common file formats and extensions, and will display your picture correctly.

• Pictures will be added to your article using the same editing techniques as any other element. If you don't want your picture appearing in the midst of text, you should leave a blank line before and after your posted URL.

• There is a wonderful tutorial on Wikipedia, absolutely none of which currently works here. Do not use Wikipedia guidelines for pictures - yet.

• If you are comfortable using tables, you can wrap text around your picture. This will interfere with the Info boxes if not used carefully, so preview first.

<div" class="plainlinksneverexpand">

The magnificent flightless hippo

Captions

We have created a simple template to make posting images with captions more straightforward. It uses the syntax:

{{Image|image URL|alignment|title|caption}},

where alignment can be left or right. For an example, the image to the right was created by:

{{Image|http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/sirocco.jpg|right|The flightless hippo|The magnificent [[flightless hippo]]}}. 5718132376779054875518

Guidelines for image size

Big files create slow page loads

Remember when you post that many wiki members still use dialup connections. Unnecessarily large pictures will cause them to abandon otherwise worthy pages. The same is true for overuse of sheer numbers of pictures. Be polite in your use of pictures.

Use smaller images in Infoboxes

You should also be aware that the Infobox elements are fixed in size. Don't try to put too large an image into the infobox. Try a different way to showcase your work. Nation and Region standard infoboxes are 300 pixels wide, Character infoboxes are 200 pixels. Try not to exceed that for flag and character pictures.

Wide pictures are harder to see

Don't include pictures that are wider than most browser pages. If your picture is too wide to fit, use a link or a thumbnail instead.

See Europe for an example of a well-designed thumbnail link.

Guidelines for image hosting

NationStates flags can be linked directly from your nation page on NS. Note that this in no way implies that NationStates condones or endorses linking to their site, but it appears they are willing to turn a blind eye to sites like this that are wholly devoted to the game. Please don't abuse their trust or damage this relationship.

Since image uploads aren't currently avaiable, you should find a place to post your own pictures. Linking to other public sites isn't always a good idea, as many sites now block third-party linking. This is true on major free hosting sites such as Geocities, Angelfire, and Tripod. The most reliable source is often your own ISP, as they may have included free webspace as part of your overall package. If you have your own paid webspace, you can almost certainly link to it from NSwiki.

When using any of these sites, don't assume that just because you can see the linked picture that others can as well. Your computer stores a cached copy which sometimes fools your browser into not looking in the correct place to show the image. Refresh your cache after posting to verify a successful link, especially with a new provider.

Some web hosts will give better results than others.

• Photobucket.com seems to perform well, but has been known to drop entire libraries due to maintenence issues. Keep backup copies if you need to restore, because they won't.
• Freewebs.com has some noticeable linking problems. While they may not forbid linking, they don't encourage it.
• Contact me if you only have one or two pictures to stick up out of convenience - I'll gladly put some suitable images on my server for NSwiki, but my space, like all webservers, is limited. IdioC- エドtalk 21 July 2005 17:41 (GMT)
• list other choices, please.

Obscene or questionable pictures

NSwiki follows essentially the same guidelines as NationStates. If you post an image that would get you deleted on NS, that picture is not welcome on NSwiki. At least one NSwiki nation has been deleted on NationStates when a moderator spotted a flag in questionable taste here on the wiki. You don't want that to happen to you.

Remember, the wiki belongs to the entire community. If you run across a clearly obscene picture, you can edit it out. In that event, you should explain your reasons on that article's Talk page. If it is merely questionable, start a discussion on the Talk page without deleting. Consensus will decide its fate.

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