Commons:Welcome, Flickr users

From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

A screenshot from the FlickrLickr project, which allows volunteers to automatically harvest useful images from Flickr to the Commons.

This page is to introduce users of Flickr to Wikimedia Commons, and encourage them to use open content licenses to support our mission.

Wikimedia Commons (or "Commons") is a media repository under the umbrella of the Wikimedia Foundation, who also run Wikipedia. Commons hosts and organises media content (such as images) primarily for the benefit of Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. There is significant overlap between Commons and Flickr, but Commons is not a free web host and it is not a personal media host like Flickr is. Commons:Project scope explains what content is appropriate for Commons.

Commons only allows media released under free licenses. Of the licenses Flickr offers, Commons only accepts CC-BY (Creative Commons Attribution) and CC-BY-SA (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike). Specifically, licenses with non-commercial (NC) or non-derivative (ND) requirements are NOT considered 'free licenses'.

[edit] Why should you consider helping Wikimedia?

The Wikimedia Foundation runs this site, Wikimedia Commons, as well as the most well-known project Wikipedia.

[edit] What can you do to help Wikimedia?

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Commons

• Commons talk:Licensing/Explaining why Derivative Work and Commercial Use must be allowed
• User:FlickrLickr a collaborative project to harvest the best free-licensed images from Flickr
• Commons:Flickr files outlines the review process that currently takes place of Flickr images on Commons
• mw:Extension:ImportFreeImages an extension that allows wikis to easily import free-licensed images from Flickr into their wiki (not in use at the Commons)
• Category:Commons. Flickr - various Flickr-related resources.

[edit] Flickr links

• Wikimedia Commons group
• How to change your default license
• How to change the license of a single photo (PDF screenshot guide)

[edit] Other links

• Short description of CC-BY and CC-BY-SA (as well as other Creative Commons licenses)
• Why non-commercial (NC) are not considered free