Forum:Image Naming

This is a policy I've implemented on two other Wikis successfully, and as the problem is becoming irritating here, I thought I'd introduce the discussion.

When a new article is created, I'm sure we all use the "Add image" function to bring some colour to them. However, what is really unuseful is the keyword search not detecting the best images. For example, searching "Vasquez" would result in this images being found:


 * File:Vasquez.jpg

But it does not register these ones:


 * File:05.jpg
 * File:Cod4sp-20090904-194808.jpg

because they do not have the image's content in the title. Similarly, the good picture of Ozone is named Picture_05.png, whilst Ozone.jpg is given to a poorly taken screenshot from the Hornet's Nest.

Here is the policy I have established on my home wiki. Please note that many of you will not understand the context of the names, but just read for the general idea.

Appropriate Image Naming

 * An image's name should be relevant to the image itself.. Pictures of images to be used in articles should be named for the article it is being used in, such as Image:Chaos 2.jpg or Image:Black_Hole.JPG.
 * When dealing with a different picture of the same visual (a picture of Thermidor 2 from Series 4, or from Series 5), it is the idea that we should merely add “series 5” to the end. Also acceptable is just altering the spelling slightly, or adding a slight bit of punctuation (Stingerr or Pussycat`)
 * When dealing with images from a battle, it is important to name the image appropriately, but not in so much detail that makes future uploads more difficult. For example, when dealing with a picture of Big Brother fighting Mace 2, the best name for the image would be Big Brother v. Mace 2. The image name is detailed sufficiently so that users searching for it in the Insert Images will be able to find it.
 * However, too much detail in the name can be bad. For example, if the aforementioned battle image was named Big Brother pushes Mace 2 into CPZ, it would confine the image to that very shot. If a user wished to upload a better quality image that featured Mace 2 flipping Big Brother, they would be unable to upload the image on top of the old one, instead being forced to upload the new image, mark the old for deletion, and then rearrange the article. Keep image names sufficient but not extensive.

Not acceptable

 * Code names, (i.e. "0.jpg"), etc. These names tell searchers nothing about the image's content.
 * Inappropriate names. Things like "Razer the coolest robot ever seen" or "Sir Killalot boogie" are inappropriately named. These will be deleted and renamed, or if the image itself is inappropriate, not uploaded again.

I would like to propose the implementation of something similar here, or at the very least, the changing of some image names.  Toon Ganondorf    (t    c)  02:26, July 31, 2010 (UTC)