Board Thread:Wiki Discussion/@comment-3492791-20140523192544/@comment-5264386-20140602100807

I do agree with Zelron on the point of impersonality. Using an overly formal register (tone) for the guidelines would definitely be inappropriate, not to mention that using syntactic structures from impersonal styles (such as 'bureaucratese' or 'legalese') would reduce the accessibility of the text for most readers. However, I also agree with Daifukkatsu about giving specific conditions regarding commentaries; certain types of videos will require a explicit rule to eliminate ambiguity surrounding whether they can be uploaded or not.

Anyway, I'm happy with most of what has been produced so far, though I have made a few alterations (such as grammatical changes, deleting unnecessary reiterations and combining sections): -

Dark Souls Wiki: Media Policy
External media such as images and videos not only make pages more detailed, but the wiki more interesting to look at. However, as useful as they are, they are just as easily destructive. To ensure that pages remain easily navigable, the information concise and the wiki legitimate, we have some guidelines for media use.

Copyright and Plagiarism
We are proud of our wiki, because it is the product of the hard work of many individuals; however, occasionally, we must include some work is not our own. We do not have the rights to take all material related to the games we love, as some is protected under copyright law. Most information borrowed will fall under fair use, as it is being used for strictly educational purposes. However, caution must still be taken to ensure all our content is being used legally.

Other information can be taken from other sites, and while there is only so many different ways to describe the same thing, directly copying information from other sites is plagiarism. To ensure the legitimacy of our wiki, we must source and write our own information; not simply be a collection of information taken from other sites. All information not quoted directly from the games should be originally written by the authors and editors of our articles. Likewise, all images which are not part of the in-game files or "official" promotion should be captured by the authors and editors.

Uploading Media
Some rules must be observed when uploading a new image or video:

Images

 * Images should be of good quality. If you can't tell what it is, it might as well not be there.
 * Images should be in the .png format.
 * Don't add duplicate images. If we already have it, we don't need it.
 * Follow the naming convention for files. Look at other images in a similar category to what you're uploading to see what the naming convention is. Having similarly named files makes them easier to find when needed. 9iR6584ie.png is much more difficult to locate than Throwing Knife II.png.
 * Don't upload images that are not intended for use on an article, user page or forum thread. If you upload an image, be sure that you use it; otherwise, it will be deleted.

Videos
The guidelines for uploading videos are similar to the guidelines for images; however, a few extra ones apply:
 * Like with images, videos should be of a good quality. HD video resolutions (720p and above) are preferred; however, anything below 360p should be avoided.
 * Videos which run for longer than 5-7 minutes should be avoided, as they are less likely to convey information directly and concisely.
 * The uploading of videos which promote a YouTube channel, such as gameplay commentaries or "Let's Plays", is strictly prohibited. The wiki is a source of information, not an advertising billboard.
 * Ideally, videos demonstrating locations of in-game items should be a direct run from the nearest bonfire to the item's location. Videos showcasing weapons or spells should only show what the weapon/spell looks like when used.

Linking Media
Simply linking to a video is not a way of evading our uploading policy; having a link in an article means the linked video is still subject to the uploading policy. If a picture or video complies with the media policy, then post it on the page. -

I think this still manages to convey the message, but in a streamlined form. I felt that the paragraphs in the previous "Images" and "Video" sections were slightly unnecessary, since they stated information that was then (or would be, in the case of Videos) reiterated in later dot points. I also set the max time limit on video length between 5 - 7 minutes, just in case some items take a while to get to from a particular bonfire; it can be adjusted if need be.