Honoring the Visual Storytellers: Ensuring Fair Image Attribution
Transparency and accountability are core values we uphold at The Drop Times (TDT). Every image used in our articles, interviews, and event coverage captures moments that define the Drupal community. As we refine our approach to image attribution, we want to share our thought process and the steps we're taking to ensure fairness and proper credit.
The Challenge of Image Attribution
Community-driven events present a unique challenge in attributing images. Many of the photos we feature come from organizers, interviewees, or publicly shared galleries like official Flickr streams under CC BY-SA licenses. However, in an environment where multiple individuals capture and share event moments, images often change hands, lose metadata, and become difficult to trace back to the original photographer.
Our intent is clear: We use these images to promote Drupal, its events, and its contributors, not for commercial gain. Yet, we recognize the importance of crediting creators for their work. When attribution is unclear, we make every effort to research and identify the rightful photographer. This process is not always perfect, but it is a responsibility we take seriously.
Recognizing Key Contributors
A special mention goes to Bram Driesen, the maintainer of the Drupal Flickr stream, whose dedication has motivated us to sort out the attribution system at TDT. His valuable insights and guidance have played a crucial role in improving our attribution process, including the admin reporting system to help identify omissions and refine internal workflows.
Refining Our Image Attribution Disclaimer
To address this issue transparently, we initially drafted an Image Attribution Disclaimer to communicate our stance. The original version outlined our effort to track attributions, acknowledged the challenges in community events, and invited anyone with knowledge of an uncredited image to reach out to us.
As part of our commitment to clarity and accessibility, we refined this disclaimer to be more concise while retaining its core message:
At The Drop Times (TDT), we are committed to properly crediting photographers whose images appear in our content. Many of the images we use come from event organizers, interviewees, or publicly shared galleries under CC BY-SA licenses. However, some images may come from personal collections where metadata is lost, making proper attribution challenging.
Our purpose in using these images is to highlight Drupal, its events, and its contributors—not for commercial gain. If you recognize an image on our platform that is uncredited or incorrectly attributed, we encourage you to reach out to us at #thedroptimes channel in Drupal Slack.
We value the work of visual storytellers and appreciate your help in ensuring fair attribution. Thank you for supporting open-source collaboration!
This revised version is more direct and action-oriented while maintaining the spirit of acknowledgement and openness.
Developing in Public: Why We Share These Updates
At TDT, we believe in the philosophy of developing in public—sharing our internal processes, decisions, and improvements with our readers. Whether it’s refining an editorial guideline, improving our tech stack, or addressing challenges like image attribution, we document our progress openly. This keeps us accountable and allows our audience to engage with and contribute to our evolution.
By blogging about updates like this, we invite community feedback, encourage best practices, and foster a culture of continuous learning. Transparency builds trust, and we welcome insights that help us improve.
How You Can Help Ensure Proper Attribution
The Drupal community thrives on collaboration and shared contributions. If you ever come across an uncredited image on our platform and recognize the photographer, we encourage you to reach out. Your help ensures we uphold ethical journalism and properly acknowledge the talented individuals who visually document our community’s journey.
By working together, we can build a more inclusive and ethical media space for the Drupal community. We’re excited to keep improving and sharing our progress with you. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to refine our approach and uphold the values that define The Drop Times.
— Editor, The Drop Times
