MIPL
"Image Processing Steps:

(1) The image is sized down by interpolation by a factor of two to
reduce some of the noise.

(2) A long, narrow high-pass filter is applied in a vertical orientation
to help reduce some of the instrument signature. This signature is seen
as the streaking that is noticeable in the original data.

(3) A long, narrow low-pass filter is applied in a horizontal orientation
to create an intensity average for the image.

(4) The results of these filtering operations are the stretched to
approximate a Gaussian distribution.

(5) The results of the high-pass and low-pass processing steps are
averaged together to form the final product.

(6) The image is flipped about the vertical axis to correct for the
camera orientation."

Parker
"Image Processing Steps:

(1) Vertical banding in raw image removed using Vicar software with long,
narrow, highpass box filter, oriented parallel to banding in image.

(2) Performed moderate histogram stretch in Adobe Photoshop on
Macintosh desktop computer.

(3) "Flattened" broad shading variations in scene by
copying image and creating a "mask" in Photoshop with
the shading inverted with respect to the original image. This mask
was then merged with original scene and a second histogram stretch performed.

(4) Physically stretched image in Photoshop in direction perpendicular
to the narrow dimension of foreshortened craters by 151.25% in order to
approximate an orthographic view of the scene."

"RAW IMAGE POSTED - April 6, 1998 10:30 AM Pacific Daylight Savings Time
JPL MIPL CONTRAST ENHANCED IMAGE POSTED - April 6, 1998 1:45 PM Pacific Daylight Savings Time
JPL TJP CONTRAST ENHANCED IMAGE POSTED - April 6, 1998 5:30 PM Pacific Daylight Savings Time"

So - for 3 hrs 45 minutes - a rapidly processed image was published using their automated processes (which given they were not in a final mapping orbit was not yet perfected). Then, that afternoon, after Tim sat down and figured out the best manual technique - a better version was released. All the while, the raw data as recorded by MOC was published anyway, so anyone could have a go at processing it themselves.

Where's the crime, exactly? The raw image was there for all to see from the outset. And unless you are completely and utterly mad ( and by that I mean that you wake up in the morning and think 'I am an onion' ) - NONE of the posted images - the raw, the MIPL, Tim's - none of them - look like a face and none of them are a false representation of any sort. Because of the pressure that came from on high to take and release these images - fueled by the Hoaglanderati, it was a rushed job and a unique and new image release process that was always going to result in images processed less well than their very best. That MIPL image is not the very best that could be done with the data, but the data was there for other people to try with in the mean time. Does that mean there was an intentional effort to subdue details in any way - no. If they had removed the MIPL image and replaced it with Tim's would there have been a conspiracists uproar - yes.

Doug