Board Thread:Support Requests - Getting Technical/@comment-375369-20130501132421/@comment-4674838-20130502021740

(Edit: Rewriting to explain more clearly)

So, there is a difference between changing the all of the links with |link=File: in the wikitext, and using an external JavaScript feature to do it automatically.


 * When you use, the software knows not to apply Wikia's lightbox &mdash; the popup window that comes up when you click on an image &mdash; to that particular image. Because you've specified a link, the intended functionality of the software is that clicking the image should follow the link, rather than opening the lightbox.
 * If you use JavaScript to re-write the links, the links won't actually work. This is because Wikia's lightbox JavaScript has already run and applied the lightbox code to the image. Clicking the image will open the lightbox &mdash; in fact, opening the lightbox is the intended functionality of the software in this case.
 * To get around this, you have to not only change the link to point to the File: page, but you also have to disable the lightbox so that clicking the image follows the link instead of opening the lightbox. Disabling the lightbox is interfering with the intended functionality of the software, and hence is not allowed on a wiki-wide scale by the Terms of Use.

So to summarize, using  is ordinary usage of the software and is perfectly fine. Using JavaScript to disable the lightbox &mdash; a core feature of the software &mdash; is not permitted on a wiki-wide scale.

As TK said, you're welcome to write in to Special:Contact to ask Wikia staff to clarify.

However, what I am relaying to you here &mdash; not allowed to disable the lightbox w/ JavaScript &mdash; is essentially the same thing they've told me in the past.