Images are highly valued on the Hurricane Wiki, and help emphasize the nature of tropical cyclones and their effects. However, at the same time, the Hurricane Wiki is not an image host service nor is it just a place to upload your photos for external usage. Images posted on the Hurricane Wiki are meant for use on this Wikia and only on this Wikia, though external usage may be allowed if those external services do allow the posting of such images. This policy page details what photos can and cannot be uploaded on the Hurricane Wiki.
Encouraged images
Images like these are of high value.
The Hurricane Wiki accepts and encourages the following:
- Images of tropical cyclones and storms - Satellite, radar, and other images of tropical cyclones are allowed on the Hurricane Wikia. Other images of tropical cyclones may include photos taken within tropical cyclones.
- Images of the effects of tropical cyclones - Photographs showing the effects of hurricanes are accepted.
- Maps of tropical cyclones and storms - This class of images that are accepted include the following.
- Track maps - Maps showing the tracks of tropical cyclones, include those made using a track map generator or manually created are allowed. This also includes maps created for the purposes of forecasting.
- Maps of hurricanes, in general - These include tropical cyclone wind fields, reconnaissance flight paths, and climatological maps. This also includes tropical cyclone impact maps.
- Track maps - Maps showing the tracks of tropical cyclones, include those made using a track map generator or manually created are allowed. This also includes maps created for the purposes of forecasting.
- Images which enhance the meaning of meteorological related material - These images include logos of meteorological agencies, images of the satellites used to collect meteorological data, famous meteorologists, etc.
- Official forecast graphics - These images include data from models, charts, etc.
Limited use images
Images like this are of low-value and should be kept in moderation.
The Hurricane Wiki accepts the following, but please keep images in these classes in moderation:
- Images to be used as identifiers for on-site activities - Images displaying generic alert symbols, lock symbols, and on-site acitivites like betting pools are allowed, but should be limited.
- Miscellaneous nature images - We love images of nature! Though these are allowed on the Wikia, please keep these in moderation. This is a tropical cyclone forum site, not a nature picture site.
- Images to be used to represent oneself - We allow images which represent oneself, like your city and food that you like. However, these images should be uploaded only to be posted on your own userpage. If you upload these images and not use them or post them elsewhere, they will be promptly deleted.
- External applications of tropical cyclones on otherwise non-meteorological websites - Using a hurricane as a persona are rather unstable images that will most likely be deleted. However, some may be allowed, if they do not promote or emphasize the activities of other websites.
- Profile pictures - Profile pictures are allowed as long they're appropriate.
Restricted images
Images like these are of no value and will be deleted.
The following images are not allowed on the Hurricane Wiki and will likely be deleted:
- Images with zero meteorological application - Images of miscellaneous animals, things (ex. staplers) are not allowed on the Hurricane Wiki.
- Inappropriate images - Images with sexual or imply sexual content will be promptly deleted. Other inappropriate images may also include those with hateful or questionable content.
- Images to be used as spam - Though this is a broad definition, images used only to spam other users (including numerous blank photos) will be deleted.
- Images which cannot be used on this site, due to copyright restrictions - Images which do not comply with Hurricane Wiki's three licenses, found below, will be deleted.
Licensing images
For images to be posted on the Hurricane Wiki, they must comply with at least one Hurricane Wiki's three image licenses, which can be selected when uploading an image. Our image policies ensure that a wide variety of accepted images can be uploaded via these licenses.
You took the photo.
This license should be used only if you are the sole owner and photographer of the uploaded images. Images with combine several external images may also be licensed with this license.
I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.
In case this is not legally possible,
I grant any entity the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.
This image is from the United States government
This license should be used only to tag images which are courtesy of the US Government, and the US Government only.
Ths image is from Wikimedia
If this image is was originally uploaded to a Wikimedia website, then use this license. Wikimedia images are automatically in the public domain. Keep in mind of fair-usage images on Wikimedia, which likely cannot be used on the Hurricane Wiki.
The creator of this work, a contributor to a Wikimedia Foundation project, has released it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.
In case this is not legally possible,
The creator of this work allows any entity to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.