This series of pages is for the worldwide Wikimedia community to provide input on the content of images (and other media) that should form part of Commons' collections, and to discuss whether any current policies need updating.

According to existing policy, the formal aim of Wikimedia Commons is to provide a media file repository:

• that makes available public domain and freely-licensed educational media content to all, and

• that acts as a common repository for the various projects of the Wikimedia Foundation.

A discussion is happening now at Commons talk:Project scope/Update 2013/Stage 2 on how part 2 of this review should be structured. Please comment there.

Over the last few months there has been a lot of discussion within Commons as well as outside about what the scope of Wikimedia Commons should be. Discussions have largely but not entirely focused on issues concerning the small proportion of holdings that relate to sexual imagery and to privacy/the rights of the subject. Both have complex moral and legal dimensions, and neither has yet been fully resolved. More generally, some of our polices have been in place for some time, and are overdue for a review.

Part 1 (completing now)

The intention initially is simply to gather a wide range of views from the wider Wikimedia community and to encourage constructive discussion. Plenty of time should be allowed for that - no specific deadline is envisaged.

Part 2 (not yet started)

Beyond that, we will need to see how the community wants to take things forward. There may be one or two suggestions, perhaps, that rapidly gain wide support and which could be adopted quickly. More contentious issues may need collaborative work on a proposal that has gained support during this initial phase. Finally, we may need to run some formal polls.

See Commons talk:Project scope/Update 2013/Stage 2 for the current discussion on how best to structure part 2.