Yahoo!'s Smush.it feature is a lossless image optimization. If you dunno it, read here http://developer.yahoo.com/yslow/smushit/
The API is
- optimizing JPEG compression
- converting certain GIFs to indexed PNGs
- stripping the un-used colours from indexed images
- meta data is NOT stripped from JPEGs
Adding this has been discussed on WP with the main anti-argument that thumbs are not smushed and storage doesn't matter for WikiMedia. But that's not the point.
The point is to save 2-20% storage on original images. Not every wiki is Wikipedia and for some storage does matter. Same for the traffic on the wiki and from hotlinking images.
My request is to include the Smush.it API on Special:Upload.
The feature could be optional by adding a checkbox called "Smush.it".
A plugin for WordPress exists to give you an idea: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-smushit/
I don't see any disadvantage, except that the upload process may take a 2-3 seconds longer.
Version: unspecified
Severity: enhancement