Talk:Archive:Media Assets Workgroup

I see no reason for "media assets editors." Editors properly so called are decisionmakers about content in particular fields. "Media Assets" does not correspond to a particular field, ergo it is interdisciplinary. The workgroup would be listed under "Project Workgroups," or some such general title, at the bottom of CZ:Workgroups, along with the Topic Informant Workgroup. No one in the TI Workgroup may approve articles, so mere membership in that workgroup does not confer editorship. --Larry Sanger 08:47, 29 May 2007 (CDT)

More to the point, if a particular person or body of persons is supposed to have authority to make binding decisions of any sort, what sort of decisions those are, and the processes whereby the decisions are made, need to be very carefully spelled out. Generally, and this is true not just here but in all cases, I think it is better not to give anyone any special authority unless it is really necessary. Is it necessary that any special workgroup have some particular authority you have in mind? That's the #1 question I would want to ask myself. --Larry Sanger 09:05, 29 May 2007 (CDT)

Agree about "Editors" -- but could there be, perhaps, Media Assets Constables? Or, if not that, a specific constable or constables already empowered could have the special task of montitoring an e-mail address for Media Assets questions requiring constable assistance? I do think that, as CZ grows, and more and more media materials are uploaded, it might be very helpful indeed to have some kind of 'dedicated line' for these issues. Russell Potter 09:56, 29 May 2007 (CDT)

Quick Question, has it been determined if individuals will be appointees or volunteers? If the latter, I'd like to assist.--Robert W King 09:20, 1 June 2007 (CDT)

I don't care if we call them Willy Wonka, but the functions I am laying out are important:

• In panel, act as arbiter in difficult cases regarding "fair use", in accordance with CZ:Fair Use Policy, Media.

Who else? No one? Anarchy? Individual editors? A non-specialized body? Would it not make sense to let people who deal with these matters everyday deal with it? People like, oh, lawyers for example?

• Along with other content editors, request deletion of media content when

1. It is of such low quality it would be better to delete it and search for a replacement.
2. The media would reasonably be considered offensive to a living subject depicted therein (e.g., an image, especially the lead image in an article, depicts the subject in a way that may infringe their personality rights).

My thought here is to not have to bother subject editors with this, and since this is content, constables cannot do this.

• Acting individually or in panel, approve project-wide templates?

Who else? No one? Anarchy? The Editor-in-Chief (why bother him or her)? Individual editors and authors (read: anarchy)? What's to ensure that templates correspond to an overall strategy? "If I like my set of templates better can I use them? Who sez no?" Which body will do this? Even WP has a process to approve major templates before using them!

Stephen Ewen 12:29, 29 May 2007 (CDT)

Well, let's think some more about this. Imagine that there were a dozen of you out there, each wanting to start a different project workgroup, each wanting a different kind of authority over a different aspect of CZ. This makes me nervous. I'm not saying we won't do it, I just want to step carefully. --Larry Sanger 13:02, 29 May 2007 (CDT)

Well, I can appreciate that nervousness. At the very least, this Workgroup needs to have approval power over media templates. I will make some edits along these lines. Stephen Ewen 18:31, 29 May 2007 (CDT)

On the same token, I seriously doubt that this workgroup will lay groundwork for a dozen groups to lay claim to an area in CZ. What areas are left? In point of fact, this workgroup is one that has and will continue to cry out loudly for an organizational "focal point". Some group needs to be over media and template policy and help, and if I were a member of the Editorial Council or any other, I would certainly want to delegate certain aspects of that to a specific and specialized body. Also, media is 1/3 of the content on Citizendium--or is it more, since "a picture is worth a 1,000 words"? Either way, it is only befitting that media be placed within a specialized workgroup, even for editors' own sake, and again, I cannot see that branching all over into other areas. In certain areas, including this crucial area of images, audio, video, and templates, CZ needs a group of specialists. While it is true that every writer of publishable material is trained such that they must become expert in use of media to support their outputs, who among them would not greatly prefer to have a staff devoted to doing that tedium work for them? None, I would venture--especially important in a volunteer effort, I'd say. As I have now re-tailored this proposal after some good commentary, I see it as beneficial only and having no drawbacks. Let this proposed workgroup serve CZ contributors as envisioned. Because it will increase the copesetic outputs of the whole..long past when I am gone! Stephen Ewen 04:10, 2 June 2007 (CDT)