FAQs on HOTLINKING
#1- What is hotlinking/direct linking/bandwith theft?
Bandwidth theft or "hotlinking" is direct linking to a website'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, journal, weblog, forum posting, etc.
Bandwidth refers to the amount of data transferred from a website to a user's computer. When you view a webpage, you are using that site's data transfer to display the files. Since web hosts charge based on the amount of data transferred, bandwidth is an issue. If a site is over it's 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.
(icon credit to: flyxaway_)
#2- How do I know if I am hotlinking?
Think about how you display an image graphic in HTML on your web page:
IMG src="image.jpg" height="350" width="200"
This tag tells the site to request the image.jpg file from the same server as the rest of the site. But if you were to hotlink an image from an outside server it might look like this:
IMG src="http://notmysite.com/image.jpg" height="350" width="200"
Every time the page is loaded, the outside server has to use it's bandwidth to display the image. To avoid this problem, don't link to files on servers that don't belong to you. To share images and files on your own web page, upload them to your own server or to one of the many free website providers.
#3- Why should I stop hotlinking?
Hotlinking can have a lot of undesirable consequences. One outcome 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 you is often a violation of copyright, making you open to litigation. The owner of the copyright could utilize DMCA law to have your site shut down and your information given for use in legal proceedings.
(most text answeres from http://altlab.com/hotlinking.html)
Bandwidth theft or "hotlinking" is direct linking to a website'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, journal, weblog, forum posting, etc.
Bandwidth refers to the amount of data transferred from a website to a user's computer. When you view a webpage, you are using that site's data transfer to display the files. Since web hosts charge based on the amount of data transferred, bandwidth is an issue. If a site is over it's 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.
(icon credit to: flyxaway_)
#2- How do I know if I am hotlinking?
Think about how you display an image graphic in HTML on your web page:
IMG src="image.jpg" height="350" width="200"
This tag tells the site to request the image.jpg file from the same server as the rest of the site. But if you were to hotlink an image from an outside server it might look like this:
IMG src="http://notmysite.com/image.jpg" height="350" width="200"
Every time the page is loaded, the outside server has to use it's bandwidth to display the image. To avoid this problem, don't link to files on servers that don't belong to you. To share images and files on your own web page, upload them to your own server or to one of the many free website providers.
#3- Why should I stop hotlinking?
Hotlinking can have a lot of undesirable consequences. One outcome 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 you is often a violation of copyright, making you open to litigation. The owner of the copyright could utilize DMCA law to have your site shut down and your information given for use in legal proceedings.
(most text answeres from http://altlab.com/hotlinking.html)