I may be a mod, but I'm still essentially an idiot when it comes to computers and online culture.When I first learned about HTML and how to post pictures, I became a bit of a "hotlinking fool"--posting pics from others sites, both here and on the OG. When posting pics on the OG of girlies and the like, I eventually ran into a problem where I discovered the hotlinking costs those website owners money--oops! Bad idea, obviously. One website owner (who I had linked pics from) even came on the OG and mentioned that I was only one of several folks who had been hotlinking, so he had to make changes to his site (or whatever--I still don't fully understand how this works). Anyway, the pics from his site would then become red Xs, so I figure that that particular problems was solved. I therefore got a membership to ClubPhoto (I think that was the place), to host pics. I did this for a while until ClubPhoto had too many people hosting pics (and it cost them money), so then they started to charge for the service, so I cancelled my membership. Ever since, I've essentially refrained from hotlinking pics, though I still do it from time to time (I always now at least list where the pic originally came from). Even though I knew it was not a good idea, I figured (perhaps incorrectly) that any website masters could alter those images (or whatever) in order to stop the link, if they had a problem with it. I must admit that I do not know if this is really the case.Anyway, I recently got some prompt on my computer (a little window) from some site called Swords.com, that said something about "illegal hotlinking detected", and it wanted my to "register for prosecution purposes" (it asked for a password). It also had a "cancel" option, so I hit that, not knowing what else to do.What I want to know is this--an I in some sort of major trouble here? I honestly did all of this hotlinking stuff thru ignorance--if I had known how complicated this could get, I would never have done any of it. I'd even go back and erase all the hotlinks I've ever done, but I can't remember every thread from every site I've been on. This really sucks, and I'm afraid of going to jail of being sued or getting Kirik and other webmasters in trouble--I did not intend for any of this to ever happen, and I will NEVER hotlink anything ever again! Does anybody know anything more about this stuff? Am I in massive trouble, or am I worrying over nothing?Thanks,TFS
AFAIK, it is not illegal to hot link a site's content.
From a moral pov, opinions differ.
Basically if you run a site with a web hosting service, you get 2 kinds of deals: Either you get a small amount of space with unlimited bandwidth, or you get a huge amount of space with a monthly bandwidth quota, with extra billing if you exceed this cap.
This bandwidth gets used up no matter how the content is downloaded - whether someone visits your site, or if it's hotlinked. The issue is that if you have a bandwidth cap then you want to get the most use out of it, so if the primary goal in putting up content is to get people to visit your site (for advertising dollars per hit etc), then this is a waste of money.
But it's pretty straightforward to stop people hotlinking your stuff, as long as you know html and javascript. If you don't, I guess it depends on your web design tool. In any event, in my book it's incumbent on the web designer to prevent hotlinking if that's what's wanted.
Hotlinking can work for you too. For example, I host a few clips on my site. By sticking the url on the end of the clip, if someone hotlinks it they are advertising my site for me (and my school). But I have one of those no-bandwidth-cap deaies going...
Wow, you've really stepped over the line this time. All the raping and murdering was one thing, but hotlinking? You just had to go too far, didn't you? Hope you have fun in jail. ;-)
OK--thanks, guys! :)
i don't know where i stand on this. when it comes to posting rotties, i hotlink. if it comes to actual MA content/info, i may hotlink or put in link of the URL in question.
i don't think you are in trouble. i think swords.com was trying to scare you and others off from hotlinking.
where's our resident barrister? :-)
SG,I posted this on the OG too, and the consenus seems to be that it is no big deal (for me)--but I still don't want to cause other people problems by costing them money, so I'm done with hotlinking at this point.Thanks for the info/imput.Peace,TFS
Get yourself a fake passport and head to colombia ASAP. Your life as TFS is over as you know it.LOL--thanks, Mike!
we won't tell them you are Spadacchino elsewhere ;-)
busy with work, have not checked OG yet.
"Anyway, I recently got some prompt on my computer (a little window) from some site called Swords.com, that said something about "illegal hotlinking detected", and it wanted my to "register for prosecution purposes" (it asked for a password). It also had a "cancel" option, so I hit that, not knowing what else to do."
I got the same prompt when I clicked on some thread in the Weapons Forum!
Zulrik,I got the same prompt when I clicked on some thread in the Weapons Forum!DUDE! That's where it happened to me!Peace,TFS
TFS,
when you have a chance, pls check your yahoo mail. i forgot your main email. unrelated issue.
thx.