Requests for comment/Disable upload for selected users

The following request for comments is closed. The request for comment period is over.

In Persian Wikipedia (Fa WP), we have come to the realization that many file uploads either have copyright issues (and eventually get deleted), and that there are not enough users (admin or otherwise) actively working on monitoring the new uploads, checking the older ones, etc.

It was once proposed to disable uploads of free images locally (i.e. to only allow uploading fair-use images), and move all free image uploads to Commons. However, since the number of Commons users who are fluent in Persian is even less than the number of users in Fa WP, we believe this will be a change for the worse.

Many of the copyvio uploads are carried out by otherwise helpful users. Most of Fa WP editors are from Iran, where copyright law is not seriously enforced, therefore certain users violate the Wikipedia Copyright policy but their other edits and activities are valuable. Also, the community of Fa WP is not very large. For these two reasons, it is not practical to block users just because of uploading copyvio files.

Two possible solutions have been proposed, and I have been asked to look further into these possibilities. In order to get advice and learn about previous similar efforts, I am creating this request for comments. Unlike most RfC's there will be not voting here. It is exactly what it says: request for comment.

Proposals

Proposal 1

It has been proposed that local admins/bureaucrats should have the ability to prevent file uploads by certain users:

One option is to remove the autoconfirmed status of the users who have frequently uploaded copyvio files.
Another option is to create a group that don't have upload rights, and add certain users to that group to prevent them from uploading files.

The idea is to prevent uploads without blocking the user. Input about this approach is appreciated.

Proposal 1

Certain users are interested in having more permissions (such as permissions to move and rename images), without being admins. A similar group exists in Commons, and it has been proposed that we should have such a group in Fa WP and add interested users to that group. Again, suggestions are more than welcome.

Proposal 3

Create a new group with the upload right, and add users to it once they have demonstrated an appreciation and understanding of copyright law. Ajraddatz (Talk) 22:00, 9 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Very good point. Another alternative is that all users get automatically promoted to this group once they reach a certain limit (e.g. the same limits used for autoconfirmed), but admins/bureaucrats have the permissions to remove a user from this group, selectively. This has two benefits: (1) it reduces the burden on admins/bureaucrats; fewer demotions are needed than promotions. (2) there is no objective way to measure a user's "appreciation and understanding of copyright law", but there is an objective way to measure lack of that understanding. Huji (talk) 23:00, 9 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Exactly, this is how it is done in many projects. Just specify that non-uploaders only become uploaders after a certain procedure, not just when the account is sufficiently old.--Ymblanter (talk) 07:38, 10 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Can you give some examples of such projects please? Huji (talk) 16:12, 18 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

For example, I remember that in Russian Wikipedia one can only upload files after x days (used to be after 4 days, now they changed I believe to 14 or smth). If one needs to upload files locally before that date, they may apply for an uploader flag, and any administrator can grant the flag. Now consider a situation when an account never becomes an uploader automatically, and anybody who wants to upload files locally needs to apply for the flag.--Ymblanter (talk) 16:30, 18 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]