(Please Read) About Hotlinking. It's Bad for all

[FreakOtaku]

Bandwidth theft or "hotlinking" is direct linking to a web site's files (images, video, etc.). An example would be using an <img> tag to display a JPEG image you found on someone else's web page so it will appear on your own site, eBay auction listing, weblog, forum message post, etc.

Bandwidth refers to the amount of data transferred from a web site to a user's computer. When you view a web page, you are using that site's bandwidth to display the files. Since web hosts charge based on the amount of data transferred, bandwidth is an issue. If a site is over its monthly bandwidth, it's billed for the extra data or taken offline.

A simple analogy for bandwidth theft: Imagine a random stranger plugging into your electrical outlets, using your electricity without your consent, and you paying for it. Bottom line. It's bad try to get all your images off of Photobucket. if you can't find it on photobucket then copy the link of the image and upload the picture to your own album in photobucket. Not to mention alot of pictures have anti hotlnking thingies and when you use an image directly from their site a picture saying "No Hotlinking" will appear instead of the image you want to show appearing. If you don't have a photobucket account and don't feel like making one then just give me the image URL and i'll upload it to my album where it won't be deleted. i'll also give you the link to the picture in my album.

[FreakOtaku]

Also Hotlinking can have a lot of undesirable consequences. One is the so-called "switcheroo". If you've linked to an image on someone's server, what's to prevent them from changing the image you linked to? This can have humorous results. Since most sites, forums, etc. have strict policies about offensive images, it wouldn't take much for an aggravated webmaster you've been stealing bandwidth from to shut you down completely with an unwanted "switcheroo".

Displaying an image or file that doesn't belong to could be a violation of copyright, making you open to litigation. The owner of the file could utilize DMCA law to have your site shut down and your information given for use in legal proceedings.

[FreakOtaku]

Bottom line again is hotlinking is bad and the forum could get shutdown from it so be careful.

[myvpops]

Got it. That was a very good summary, btw, I know more about it now. Very informative.

I fixed my avatar now, by the way - for the last time, hopefully - and it's not hotlinking either, I believe, by these standards. I used Photobucket like you suggested.

[FreakOtaku]

That's good and Cassie could you make this board a stickie?

[StarsOfCASSiOPEiA]

Sure, done! ^^

[FreakOtaku]

Thanks i don't want the site to get shut down because of something like this

[StarsOfCASSiOPEiA]

Yeah, that'd be MAJORLY annoying. T-T