Hotlinking

[Karlie]

I've been on each and every member's stable site and have noticed that some
of the pictures are hotlinked. What I'm saying is do not hotlink pictures. Why? Because it's like stealing it from someone's server. At least if you upload
them on tinypic.com, or photobucket.com, they're not hotlinked and have been uploaded
to your 'own' server. Hotlinking can be considered severe in some cases.
Below is some more information that I have found on google explaining
hotlinking a little more clearer...

What Is Hotlinking?
Hotlinking, inline linking, remote linking and many other terms are used to describe a way taking images, or other files and embedding it directly into a website. In other words, unauthorized use of someone else's bandwidth. Hotlinked files are files Not stored on your own server. For example, a hotlinked image code would look something like this:


Why Do People Hotlink?
Most of the time it's because they're
lazy and don't care about uploading it.
Sometimes it also means they're pretty careless,
and don't give a leg how important the image may be.


Why Is Hotlinking Wrong?
If the person who owns the media file you are embedding into your own website gives permission to hotlink, then nothing is wrong. Sadly, this is not usually the case.
If you don't have permission, remote linking to any media and / or program file is theft.
Yes, theft.. even if it's a clipart archive offering free images, a music server giving away free tunes or a website with freeware... Unless the original website specifically states otherwise, hotlinking is stealing.
"Wait a minute" I hear you say, "I didn't steal anything, the file is right where the owner left it!" OK, let me explain this a bit. Each time a file is called from our servers we have what is called a data transfer request, or another way of saying it.. we have bandwidth used.
Bandwidth is a bit like gas for a car. Every time you drive (or a file is loaded), a bit of fuel (or bandwidth) is used up. Now imagine if each night one of your neighbors siphoned out a tiny bit for their own car... then other neighbors thought "I'll just take a couple drops as well"... by morning your fuel tank is empty. Your neighbors each thought taking just a tiny bit would be unnoticeable.. but added all up it left nothing for you.
Serving up images is not only usually our biggest consumer of bandwidth, when others remotely link to them (ie. embed them in their websites from our servers without our permission), we have to pay... bandwidth is not free! Most websites have a limited amount of data transfer and the website owners either have to cough up extra money each month to pay the fees, or face shutting down.


Other Reasons Why NOT To Hotlink
1. Rename the file and give the hotlinker a broken file.
2. Replace it with a very nasty file (think of whatever you'd most dislike seeing on your page and I can guarantee the website owner with the original content can imagine something ten times worse.)
3. Replace it with a notice that hotlinking is not allowed and an advertisement for their own website.
4. Contact the hotlinker's website host and submit a copyright / terms of service abuse report. In most cases this will result in the hotlinker losing their website.

Thanks to WebWeaver for their helpful information about hotlinking. ALL MAIN TEXT IS COPYRIGHT TO THEM.

Now instead of hotlinking, visit tinypic.com or photobucket.com to upload photos! Hotlinking is considered a crime, so watch out! Please Note: I don't want to sound rude in this, but I do care if some one else's pictures are stolen! I'm also not pointing this out to anyone in particular; I'm just saying...

[Emma]

Yes, that's a REALLY good point. Thanks for taking the time to post this...if you don't already have a photobucket account I suggest you make one. All you have to do is save the pic to your computer, upload it, then use the link from your photobucket. Anyway, thanks again Karlie. I hope everyone will take the time to read this & abide by it, and I should really add it to the EL rules.

[Corky]

Yup yup. I have to admit I've been lazy lately, but will start it again.

Question though, on photobucket there's the option of just loading the pic from a URL; is that ok? That's what I normally do; it saves you the time (and computer space) of actually saving the picture to your computer. (tough i have a lot of space, lol, so...)

[Emma]

Does the URL change so that it's a URL from your photobucket?

If so then yeah I'm sure that's fine...if not...what I do is save the picture, upload it, then delete it off my computer right away afterward so I just have the new link.

[Corky]

Ohhhh I thought deleting it would break the link...

But yes, it does give the picture a link like this: http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b145/Lilae/driving1.jpg

So I'm guessing either way works. I think the only difference is saving, uploading, deleting is the latter way gives the file name (driving1.jpg in the above link) the one you used to save it to your computer.

[Emma]

Yup, either way is fine