**Author:** `folengo`
**Description:**
A [[ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Village_pump/Archive/2009/05#Crediting_photographers_in_article_pages | discussion ]] took place on Wikimedia Commons' Village Pump on 19 May 2009 on how to best respond to the pressure from photographers wanting their names to be credited on article pages.
It was suggested that instead of (or in addition to) crediting photographers on article pages, we should make our best efforts to keep the copyright EXIF metadata when available.
It was understood that the underlying reason for excluding EXIF data from resized pictures and thumbnails until now, was the concern that sometimes cameras add an overwhelmingly heavy amount of EXIF metadata.
Our conclusion is that some sort of compromise has to be reached between these two concerns, by including at least some EXIF metatada, if not all of them.
A) Perhaps, really small thumbnails like those used in categories, (that means 120px or smaller) might be allowed to remain void of metadata, while larger thumbnails or resized pictures would compulsorily include at least the most useful metadata.
B) The most useful metadata which should be included in most resized pictures and thumbnails should be :
*ImageDescription,
*Copyright,
*DateTimeOriginal,
*DateTime,
*GPSLatitudeRef,
*GPSLatitude,
*GPSLongitudeRef,
*GPSLongitude,
*GPSAltitudeRef,
*GPSAltitude,
*IPTC:Credit,
*IPTC:CopyrightNotice, and
*IPTC:Byline.
C) The message at the bottom of description pages ([[ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Metadata-help | metadata-help ]]) should be reworded with a less ambiguous wording. When a user reads "This file contains additional information (...) ", he remains clueless on whether that means the original file, or the resized 800px preview present on the description page, or both.
**See also:**
* T5361 Image author, description, and copyright data saved in EXIF fields
* T2657 Pull copyright metadata from files on upload
* T21791 Add source to thumbs (comment/EXIF metadata)