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
> 
> 
> 

Well, maybe they have some duplication detection algorithm? Anyway, on the scale of Stack Exchange, a 0.00001% increase is not going to matter for the fees the company pays to Imgur.

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.
[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.
> 
> 
>