Self upload tag?

Do we really need a tag for self upload?

It doesn't tell us anything about the actual contents of the picture, and I can't see why someone would ever want to use it for searching. The only other general tags* that I know of that don't have any bearing on the picture itself are the bad id, md5 mismatch and image sample tags - but at least they tell us that the artist has removed the picture, has changed the picture or actually made a bigger picture than the one shown on the site, which could actually be useful information for people who like the picture. Self upload just seems... pointless.

Tagging @kittey who seems to have heavily fleshed out this tag earlier today.

*edit: and the request tags, of course, but these also serve a purpose of being an easy way for taggers etc. to find images that want things adding.

The tag should be used in conjunction with proof. An explanation in the comments would be good, not just someone's unsubstantiated word that something is a self upload.

We also have other Danbooru-specific meta tags like corrupted_image, missing_thumbnail and broken_sample. The latter was a big thing when Danbooru 2 was new, IIRC. These are helpful for maintenance work and are completely objective.

I didn’t create the self_upload tag, but I’ve been populating it because I believe it serves as a helpful tool for approvers to alert them that they should hold a post to higher scrutiny and think twice before approving it. For example, IIRC, Provence doesn’t want his name on self-uploads and actually has the tag blacklisted.

OOZ662 said in forum topic #12829:

[…] self uploading is frowned upon and will be held to higher scrutiny than other uploads.

Some self-uploaders are pretty sneaky and have a Danbooru user name different from their artist name, don’t tag artist or source at all, or upload their art to other ’boorus first and then use those as sources. So whenever I notice something like that, I tag the posts to spare the approvers the work.

If their Danbooru user name is different than their artist name, how do you know it's a self-upload? Is it a case-by-case basis, where they've posted a comment admitting it?

I suppose it could be useful for warning approvers in the modqueue so they won't approve it. I don't think it's necessary to be as zealous about self-uploading as some people have been lately though. If the post is bad it shouldn't be approved anyway, and if it's good then what does it matter that it's a self-upload?

(FWIW Sankaku has a "meta" tag type for things like this that are extrinsic to the image. Here's a list: https://chan.sankakucomplex.com/tag/index?commit=Search&name=&type=9&language=any&order=count)

fossilnix said:

If their Danbooru user name is different than their artist name, how do you know it's a self-upload? Is it a case-by-case basis, where they've posted a comment admitting it?

Some detective work may be required. Sometimes the Danbooru user name is the same as the DeviantArt user even though the artist goes by a different name (now). Or their Danbooru name is listed as an alternate name in their DeviantArt or Pixiv profiles. Same goes for Patreon, Twitter and whatever else there is.

Sometimes the names are similar or I might only have a hunch, but in that case, most users fess up when asked about it. Usually they claim ignorance and promise not to do it again.

evazion said:

[…] if it's good then what does it matter that it's a self-upload?

Going easy on self-uploads makes them seem acceptable and entices other users to upload their own art too. There’s a fancy name for this kind of avalanche effect but it eludes me at the moment.

Broken window theory? It cuts both ways though. Having a tag for it with approved posts could give the impression that self-uploads are acceptable. It also opens us up to the classic complaint of "how come my upload was deleted when these other posts were approved?".

Isn't that the same discussion why self-uploaded posts are discouraged?

Provence said:

Isn't that the same discussion why self-uploaded posts are discouraged?

... which is why I referenced topic #12829 up there. I should’ve emphasized it more.

I was about to ask about the utility of having such a tag since self-uploading was allowed. I'm all against self uploads, but I don't know if having a tag which essentially reads "Hall of shame" is something positive.
If only the artists could open up an account somewhere else (dA, pixiv, you name it) and Dmail some user to use as a sponsor of sorts, that would be great.

Wouldn't that just accomplish the same thing though? If an artist's work is good enough to get consistently noticed and uploaded here then that should be how it goes for everyone -- they could ask maybe a friend or two at the least but not a dedicated uploader. Seeing a diversity of uploaders for the same artist shows that their works are liked on a regular basis.

That being said, I am being a little contrary to that last point since there are a few artists from which I'm the usual uploader for. TLLA comes to mind, and so does mechuragi. Tojikosan also uploads a lot from just one artist. Note though, that this is mostly because I like their work and so goes for other users. I don't solely upload art from any one artist in particular.