Is the goal here to make it clear that posting without a source is a community faux pas, or to enforce it via moderation?
I think it should be a community faux pas AND enforced via moderation.
- What if an artist creates a quick mockup and doesn't feel they need to provide a source? Should the lack of source immediately result in removal of the content?
I'm confused here. If an artist creates a mockup, aren't they the content creator, therefore they don't need to cite their source?
- What if there is a link to the website on which the content is located but no direct attribution? Should that content be removed?
Given that this is the internet, I think "This content isn't mine, here's a link to where I found it." is acceptable citation.
- What if it's attributed to the correct artist but the wrong image?
As I said above, I think the standard should be "Link to where I found this image" (and maybe Artist's Name), so there should never be a wrong image. If there is, it's not correctly cited.
- If a poster uses art and specifically mentions it's not theirs but don't provide a source, should that content be deleted?
Yes.
Where are the borders defined for "proper sourcing"?
I think I answered this already. Link.
How can we realistically ensure that content is accurate and useful while not dramatically overworking the moderation staff?
If you make the standard, "image should be linked to place where you found it, it's simple enough to compare if the linked image and the posted image are one and the same, with a computer program.
Finally, if Links are chosen as an appropriate standard, then embedding with ALWAYS have correct attribution because it is linked by default.
