[WikiEN-l] Non-free images, there has to be a better way

Thu Jul 7 16:25:32 UTC 2005

>> This argument is getting a bit tired. Do you have an
>> [[IBM 360]] in your backyard?
>
> Someone appparently does:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IBM360-65-1.corestore.jpg
>
> GNU FDL.
>
> So you see, giving up too easily is a bad idea.

Again, I'm sorry for making that typo. The system
in question is the [[IBM 1360]]. Three images showing
it were recently uploaded to Wikipedia with explicit
permission of the copyright holders. They were deleted
on sight in accordance with your decree.

According to the uploader all IBM 1360 units have now
been disassembled. Obtaining a free image may not be
possible. We certainly don't have any now. This is an
article which would greatly benefit from having pictures.

>> And, sadly, it seems that Jimbo's fatwah against UWP has
>> increased the number of far-fetched rationalizations for
>> fair use on Wikipedia.
>
> I consider this quite unfortunate.  I think that our use of fair-use
> should be restricted solely to pictures of absolute historical
> importance for which there is no possibility of a free alternative.

I would be fine with such a policy. And I argue that
if we can tolerate a few fair-use images where they
are the only ones available we can also tolerate a
few used-with-permission images where those are the
only ones we can obtain. See [[Z machine]] for another
example.

Regards,
Haukur