Image Changin' Etiquette

Requesting a sticky on this for basic info. Also requesting not-too-much conversation here, since it would be nice to see the crowner link immediately upon clicking the sticky and not just the first time.

Page images, while they are an important part of wiki culture, are fortunately not anywhere near as divisive as topics on Trope Repair usually are. There's generally only one question involved on the issue of a page image- does this image accurately reflect the sentiment of the trope without requiring context from the referenced work?

Keep this fact in mind above all else. Page images aren't a popularity contest. The only consideration in your head when making a page image is whether or not it's helpful to the page. If a trope can not be described accurately with a picture, then don't give it one. As regards this topic no picture at all is an improvement over a bad one.

Now, this being written, note that if multiple pictures are presented that accurately demonstrate a trope, at that juncture the decision of which to use as a page image is subjective. If that point is reached, post a crowner* (type in the title of the page at the end) with the options available. Try to put up all the suggested images if you know where they are in the Image Bin. If their location has not been specified, post the crowner and hope that someone who does know where they are can put them in. Remember that anyone can add new options to the crowner. As long as the image is uploaded and you know its address, you're good to go.

Remember that these aren't hard and fast rules- a sufficiently ugly page image, even if it demonstrates the trope, can still be nominated for replacement, as an example.

Anyway, um, have fun, I guess.

• Pursuant to the creation of a special Page Image crowner, anyway. Which would probably make sense if this is enough of an issue for it to have its own forum.

edited 21st Dec '09 11:48:07 AM by Some Guy

The other thing to remember is that a trope that has a number of good images can have an attached Image Links Wiki page, where all of the images are listed. Right now, there's no icon for Image Wiki Pages, so you need to add a pointer to it in the description of the trope. Additionally, linking the images on an Image Wiki Page keeps them intact when the Image Bin is cleared of unlinked images periodically.

edited 15th Dec '09 12:44:21 PM by Madrugada

I fear it's just going to make people even more stodgy about changing around images until they get to the right one. In six months, you're going to get people saying "You must have unanimous consent, a crowner after the third post and a 30 day cooling period! Seig Heil!". OK, maybe not the "Seig Heil"...

They called me mad, mad!

So...anything going with the sticky request?

One question is, if we find a better picture for an existing trope, do we absolutely have to start a thread on this forum before we change it? It's certainly not a major change to an existing page and a lot of us would rather not go through the hassle of discussing on the forum considering how minor it is. Of course, if people don't like a picture change than it can be easily undone.

No, I think this is just when you see a page that needs a new image but you don't have one readily available and want to ask for suggestions. Or you have one but you're not sure how appropriate it is. Or you have five and you need to pick one.

This forum, like the thread before it, I see as something for your convenience. At the end of the day, it's a minor piece of work and it's probably something that is more appropriate if all discussion was on the page's adjoint while if we want things to be fixed we should do something to make it easier for people to fix things. Having the forum as an option makes it easier, making it mandatory doesn't.

Hi, is it true that threads here are periodically deleted, on the order of like once a week, if they're alread resolved?

I'd like to make a couple points.

1: Sometimes a picture can't fully depict a trope, but the trope page sucks without a picture. In that case I think it's be okay to have an imperfect picture. As long as it isn't misleading, and it adds some benefit to the page I think we ought to allow it.

2: People are getting a little to trigger happy with the Just A Face And A Caption accusations. For example, the Yangire page I was accused of proposing just a face and caption- and what I had proposed was a image of Ryoko Asakura wielding a knife with scary evil eyes. I mean... if that's just a face and a caption then what isn't? You don't need to know who Ryoko Asakura is. You see a cute girl with a knife and scary evil eyes... I think you get an idea of what a Yangire is. I wouldn't complain except I've seen this accusation pop up repeatedly when it really isn't true.

3: Related to point 1, for some tropes a face and a caption is the best we can do. For example the old picture on Tsundere was a face: Shana blushing while looking angry. The caption then gave the context: "Stupid Wiki- I'm not editing you because I like you or anything". An idea like Tsundere is incredibly difficult to depict with just a picture, yet it also suffers a lot without one. Text fails to describe it too. Combined a picture and text can do a much better job.

4: I think the main point is that a picture should not require you to know who the picture is of to understand it. (A few cases like Superman and Jesus are probably exceptions). For example, the Tsundere picture, while Just A Face And A Caption, you didn't need to know who Shana is to understand the image. That's the important thing. A picture and caption should be able to depict the trope (or at least part of it) without any knowledge of who the picture is of. If Just A Face And A Caption can make that work, then fine.

edited 9th Jan '10 5:58:24 PM by Sackett

Most of that is true, but:

Just A Face And A Caption is bad whether or not you know the person in the picture. Because even if it is Jesus or Superman or something, if it's just a picture of them with no other information, then all the picture means is "this is an example of this trope." And, really, that's what the examples section is for.

The caption is supposed to be the extra information, although that's mainly for when a picture isn't sufficient due to the nature of some tropes.

Not all face-and-caption images are Just A Face And A Caption. If you want to know why Just A Face And A Caption is bad, that page is the best place to start.

edited 24th Mar '10 1:31:27 PM by FastEddie

If you think a pic is bad, please do not yank it then start a thread. Please include a link to the old image at the start of the thread. Spoilers and NSFW are grounds for an immediate yank regardless.

I would disagree. A bad image is more harmful than no image at all.

Does the second part stand though? I've stopped by a thread and the OP yanked the image, didn't post a link to it, and somebody said it fit and I couldn't verify for myself. Would including the original pic in the post be a good idea?

Sure, a link to both the article and the image yanked would be handy.

In the case of non-trope images, should ever game/series etc. always have a picture if applicable? Besides NSFW images, of course. There's quite a lot of games without one that could use one. I'm not saying we should instantly make one for every game, but some could use one, whether it simply be the box art itself, or maybe something more unique.

There's no reason why not.

Can someone tell me how to put one up? I honestly don't know how.

An image? Check the Tools menu for the Image Uploader item.

I'm having some trouble. I'm trying to post a Crowner page, but I can't get past the part where it asks if I want to create the page. I don't know where else to ask this. Help please?

What is the title of the crowner you want to create?

It's Image Pickin for Mother 3. Here's the link I tried to enter. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner_create_subject.php?desc=ImagePickin&subject=Mother3

Well, it worked for me.

Not sure why it doesn't like you. Were you rude to it?

^Weirdly enough, the "No" button worked. I guess it's just pessimistic around me.

Thanks so much!