A Farewell To Wiki

I'm taking this opportunity - seizing it, in fact - to announce that I am no longer going to contribute to Wikipedia.

I signed on to the interactive encyclopedia site, which anyone can help write or edit, less than two years ago, and I wrote several articles for the service. I have elected to refrain from further contributions, largely on the issue of photography.

Wikipedia has strict standards for photographs used on their pages, much more than for accuracy, apparently. The site doesn't allow copyrighted photos to be used in their articles unless permission has been granted by the copyright holder (which never happens), the copyright has expired (hard to prove), or there is rational fair use of the said photos. While I used photos that were likely copyrighted, I took great pains to explain how they constituted fair use on the grounds that they were only used to depict the subject and nothing else. Also, I noted in the case of one article I wrote that the pictures I used were from an advertising campaign from nearly thirty years ago, so how could the copyright possibly still be in place?

Yeah, tell it to the judge. Wikipedia refused to accept my perfectly logical and reasonable arguments in favor of the use of such photos, and they constantly deleted them. I stood my ground, reinstating the photos and making it clear that I had a perfectly sound "fair use" rationale, but when it became apparent that they just wouldn't see it my way, I decided that was it, and I wouldn't bother any more. So the photos in question are gone, and so am I. I've had it; I can't go on making the same arguments if no one at Wikipedia will accept them.

So long, Wikipedia, it's been good to know you. Really.

At least my accuracy was never in question. :-|