Tardis:User images

Our user image policy regulates the nature and number of images you can upload and use on your user page. In general, we have few regulations about the content of pictures you have on your user page, but we are concerned about the number and size of those images. This policy is closely related to our user page policy and our image use policy, both of which you're encouraged to read.

Definition
A user image is commonly understood to be an image which is only used on a user page, user talk page or a user signature.

A user image is not:
 * any image which appears on a user page or user signature It's possible to use pictures on your user page which appear on other pages around the wiki. To put it into concrete terms, a picture of you is a user image, because it won't appear on another page of the wiki —  unless you happen to have worked on a Doctor Who-related project. A simple screenshot of the First Doctor is likely not a user image — unless you have heavily altered it.
 * an avatar image Avatar images appear to the left of your name on your user page. Avatar images are held on the wikia, not the tardis.wikia, domain. They follow you around regardless of the particular wiki you're on. We here at Tardis have no power to regulate them.
 * an image you have uploaded to demonstrate a technical problem on the wiki Sometimes, things go wrong on the wiki. In such instances, we want you to feel free to upload images which demonstrate whatever technical problems you're having. Even though these images may reside on your user talk page, or an admin's, these are not user images.
 * images you currently have in a sandbox subpage of your user page Sometimes, editors create a sandbox on a subpage of their user page, so that they can work on articles or templates they intend to later upload to a different namespace. They may have a picture on such a page which is destined to be in normal article space or template space, but which isn't there yet. Such pictures aren't user images. For instance, if I'm rewriting Steven Taylor on a subpage of my user page, I might put some pictures of Steven there which don't yet appear elsewhere on the wiki. These aren't user images, despite being located in the user namespace, because I never intended them to adorn my user page.

License required
A user image must bear a license template, like all pictures on this site. It is important to publicly acknowledge the copyright holder for the image. Thus it must bear a license like screenshot, bbcdvdcover, PD or GFDL. When you upload any image, there's a drop-down menu which appears at the bottom left of the page. Just choose one of those licenses.

However, you should take greater care with user images than other images. Because user images aren't actually being used in to illustrate a concept academically, it is extremely unlikely that their usage constitutes fair use as understood by international law. We reserve the right to delete any user images that we feel aren't "fair use". In general, it's better that user images be your own work or public domain images.

In addition to a copyright license, all user pages must bear user image. This helps us keep user images separate from other images. This is important, because user images don't have to be related to the Doctor Who universe, whereas most other pictures do. Putting user image on your picture prevents mistaken deletion.

Size and number
Each individual user may upload no more than 3 user images. The total file-size of these three images cannot exceed 500 KB. It is strongly suggested that the individual file size not exceed 100 KB.

If you exceed hit or exceed the 3-image limit, you will will be informed and given the opportunity to mark whichever photos you'd like with the delete flag. If you fail to mark a picture for deletion within one week of being notified, and you have actually exceeded the 3-image boundary, the admin staff will delete the most recently-uploaded pictures which exceed your limit.

For example, you upload pictures A, B and C on a Wednesday, the first of the month. You are immediately informed that you are at the user image maximum. On Friday the third, you upload pictures D and E. By Thursday the ninth, though, you've not placed the delete tag on any of your pictures. One of our admin then comes by and deletes pictures D and E, because they're the latest pictures, and therefore the ones that put you afoul of our policy.

Content restrictions
User images do not have to be about the Doctor Who universe. However, user images must be "safe for work". They may not contain nudity, excessive gore, or other content which is unsuitable for a family audience, or would be likely to disturb or offend other users.

Our administrative staff may delete such pictures at any time, without warning. Pictures which are actually illegal in the United States where the Wikia servers are housed — such as, but not limited to, child pornography — may earn you a permanent ban, and will be sent on to Wikia for further processing.

Your own work
While you are encouraged to upload your own work as a user image, it's important to remember what that means. All content uploaded to a Wikia wiki is effectively released into a particular type of public domain. This means you are likely giving up ownership of your own work by uploading it here. Please consider very carefully the risk to your own financial interests posed by a Wikia upload. (See Licensing for precise details.)

Avatars
As discussed above, avatar images are not hosted at this wiki, and therefore aren't strictly under our jurisdiction. However, if you place an image there which violates our content restrictions, above, we will request that you remove it. If you don't remove it, will will refer the matter to a Wikia staff member. For more information about avatars, please see this help page.