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Tuesday, July 30, 2024

"PUBLIC DOMAIN" image on Wikimedia

I rarely, if ever know why one specific photo or video of me naked seems to get extra attention at some point in time, but it has worked out that way for a long time. Suddenly multiple people will comment about or ask questions about one photo or video within a short period of time.

The most possible and likely reason for it is probably because someone either recently posted the photo or video somewhere, or someone shared a link for where to view it on a page or site that gets many views.

For one image in particular, this has occurred several times now. The image seems to get lots of attention for a short period of time, then the attention seems to subside before later receiving much more attention again.

The image is posted and available on Wikimedia at:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_Steckel.jpg

This is the actual image:

The image was posted online on a photo website where the default settings for an uploaded photo set the usage rights to public domain. Since all photos and videos of me naked are actually and literally public domain, not only was there no need to change the setting, but changing the setting to anything more restrictive would present images and videos of me naked with false or fraudulent usage rights.

Within a short time after being available, the photo shown was uploaded to Wikimedia through something called an "upload bot" I actually only discovered this once people began contacting me asking about the photo and how I got it uploaded there. I could only tell them that I had nothing to do with the photo being on Wikimedia.

The photo seems to have met certain standards for clarity and number of pixels, as well as being a photo that filled a niche in a desired category for Wikimedia.

Although there's no way to know who views, downloads, or uses the photo, there's an additional page for the image called "pageviews analysis" that counts the daily views. That page, along with any comments directly to me are the only way to know how much attention the photo might be receiving at any given time.

https://pageviews.wmcloud.org/?project=commons.wikimedia.org&platform=all-access&agent=user&redirects=0&range=latest-20&pages=File:David_Steckel.jpg

The photo is also one of the top results when web searching "David Steckel naked" or "David Steckel nude", especially using Google or Bing. It's also probably the only photo of me naked that is not on an adult website, but is on fully public web page without any restrictions or limits on who can view or download the photo.

Ironically enough, there's no legal grounds for me to dispute the use of the image on Wikimedia. In essence, Wikimedia is legally entitled to display and to offer a public domain image unless it can be proven beyond a doubt that the image is not and was never made available anywhere, at any time under a public domain usage license. Since that proof doesn't exist, and proof of the opposite does exist, there is literally nothing I can do about the photo being publicly offered for viewing and use by anyone, for any reason or purpose. (Not that it would be proper for me to even try to influence how a public domain image is used. It's also useless at this point to even consider influencing the use of the photo, since aside from no recourse being available for it, the photo has already spread and been used too widely.)

It's known that the photo has already been used and published in two German language religious type of books.

One is entitled "Scham und Ehre" (Shame and Honor).

(Scrolling down slightly may be necessary to find the photo)

https://books.google.com/books?id=Nao2DAAAQBAJ&pg=PT216&lpg=PT216&dq=david+steckel+naked&source=bl&ots=julLneDBdO&sig=ACfU3U1otxCptTTuJXH5LjFCjFIYB_jHeA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwikqY_j8c6HAxU7RTABHczuN3A4FBDoAXoECB4QAw#v=onepage&q=david%20steckel%20naked&f=false

The other book is entitled "Selfie - I Like it".

(Slightly scrolling downward again might be necessary here)

https://books.google.com/books?id=NfR3DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=david+steckel+naked&source=bl&ots=cfgjutl-GS&sig=ACfU3U0R7_kIqzgcjKy_LFIjlGCmwJos8w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwikqY_j8c6HAxU7RTABHczuN3A4FBDoAXoECB8QAw#v=onepage&q=david%20steckel%20naked&f=false

The links above are for the e-book version, but both are also published in printed form. I do have a copy of both books in spite of not knowing the German language, but it's not necessary to know how to read German to see that I'm naked in the books. I have no idea how many copies of the books have been sold, but anyone who possesses a copy also possess a photo of me naked and named, due to the title of the photo.

Since the books are both available in print form, even if the internet disappeared, the photo of me naked in the printed books would still exist.

Since the two books have been available for some time now, it may not explain why the photo periodically gets more attention for a while.

The photo may not be the most extreme for revealing me naked, but in it my penis is clearly visible and my balls are at least partly visible for anyone to see. It's also on a fairly reputable website that's purpose is to make available and offer photos for others to see and use.

So to repeat, I did not upload the photo to Wikimedia, and did nothing to encourage it. I did not even know that Wikimedia had a "bot" that sought out specific sorts and types of images until the bot found an image of me naked and uploaded it there. Because it's a public domain image, the whole thing is out of my hands. Wikimedia had just made use of and amplified the fact that my naked body is truly public domain.

It seems likely that of all photos and videos of me naked that are available, this one image is one that will remain available into the distant future.