Question: I occasionally see suggested edits only changing the image from a link to inline.

[![An edit where "picture of the question" as a link to i.stack.imgur.com/scbOP.png was changed to display i.stack.imgur.com/KzJje.png with ALT text "picture of the question". The content of the two images is identical.](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Opf1a.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Opf1a.png)

I have rejected a couple as "This edit causes harm", but now I just click "No Improvement".

The line of thinking on the harm is wasting additional Imgur storage for a duplicate image when they could have just adjusted the markup. But it occurred to me that they might be able to detect and link them to one entry.

Should I care? Just approve these? Reject them and leave a comment?

In the case of this example, the images are identical. So they downloaded the file and uploaded again.

```
md5 scbOP.png KzJje.png
MD5 (scbOP.png) = 520c151187e8eb8358da363d025c95c6
MD5 (KzJje.png) = 520c151187e8eb8358da363d025c95c6

```

Answer: 
> 
> The line of thinking on the harm is wasting additional Imgur storage for a duplicate image when they could have just adjusted the markup.
> 
> 
> 

The "harm" is already done; the image has been uploaded, and approving or rejecting the edit isn't going to change that. Stack Imgur doesn't automatically delete images that aren't linked anywhere (if they did, that would mess up a bunch of [imgur-maze](/questions/tagged/imgur-maze "show questions tagged 'imgur-maze'") posts on [Puzzling.SE](https://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/imgur-maze)). AFAIK, there's only one situation where Stack Imgur images are automatically deleted: [red-flag deleted posts](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/378543/294691) have their images removed from Imgur. This isn't that situation.

There are many, many, many, many images stored on the Stack Imgur servers of pure spam, duplicate images, random stuff posted to chat... I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just focus on whether or not the edit itself improves the post. Is it a useful edit, exact image link aside? That's the important part to consider.
[If done properly, the imgur link shouldn't change](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/382174/can-we-strip-preceding-whitespace-out-and-check-for-https-being-present-whe#comment1274790_382174).

See this .gif:

[![Reusing an imgur link by copying the original imgur link, deleting the link and the markdown text, and pasting the original link into the image upload widget](https://i.stack.imgur.com/scSjd.gif)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/scSjd.gif)

The problem is, I think users are creating new screenshots or images of the linked image, rather than simply reusing the already created imgur. In my opinion, I think embedding images are a valid edit, though they should be low on the list of priorities in terms of editing a post. As [Glorfindel said](https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/383177/342074):

> 
> Sometimes, inlining an image significantly improves the post, by saving users a lot of clicks when trying to read all information in the post. Sometimes it doesn't, if the image only serves as a reference. Make your judgement on that basis alone. I guess you could leave a comment to the editor, to inform them of this quicker method of inlining.
> 
> 
>