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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
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    34

    Question linking links question

    First, I'd like to apologize if this post is in the wrong place.
    Second, another apology for being so .... dumb. BUT, here goes.

    Some webhosts, such as free places, won't allow the hosted to insert an image link anywhere else on the web, such as to place a photo on ebay, However they will allow the hosted to insert their URL link anywhere on the web. (signatures, show and tell, whatnot).

    What's the difference?

  2. #2
    they basically have sort of a image link protector. I forgot what it is called but Control panels like cPanel have them built in and such so other people can have your images on their sites sucking up your bandwidth.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    New Zealand
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    It's called HotLink Protection.
    TJR Networks - Quality web hosting for everyday people...

  4. yeah, hotlink! Found within most CPANEL accounts!
    INVISTA Hosting
    INVISTA Web / E-Mail Hosting
    "service you can depend on"
    formerly Graphite Six

  5. #5
    ya thats it =) I just had a brain fart is all.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
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    34
    I completely understand the CRS. I have a cronic case of it myself, .... if I remember right.

    I think I understand a little. This HotLink gadget, does it let us know where our images are stolen to or is that another program altogether? I'd be mighty interested in getting/having something like that.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    New Zealand
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    What it does is stop an image on your hosting account being loaded from another domain. It won't stop people copying it and putting it on their site, but it will stop them placing the image on your server on their site and so it won't waste your bandwidth.
    TJR Networks - Quality web hosting for everyday people...

  8. #8
    Indeed, which prevents the free host being hit by a big bandwidth bill.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    34
    I still don't quite understand the difference between linking a photo that appears as a photo on the page and linking a link that appears as a link on a page. Hits are hits, either way arent't they?
    They're both links on the page.
    Maybe it'll sink in when I'm another year younger.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Quad Cities, Iowa
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    1,606
    Are you trying to say a link to a photo such as: http://domain.com/image.jpg? Or do you mean loading an image from your hosted account from another website?

    Those are 2 different things, in the first scenario it's just a link, it shouldn't matter, it doesn't take any bandwidth. In the second scenario, without hotlink protection, an image is loaded which takes bandwidth away from your hosted site. Which is why some free hosts prevent images from a hosted account to be loaded from other websites.

  11. #11
    I think he meant actually showing the image on his site using the img tag

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    United Kingdom
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    301
    Indeed, which prevents the free host being hit by a big bandwidth bill.
    Exactly.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    34
    "I think he meant actually showing the image on his site using the img tag" TheSoldier

    Yes, that's it. Why does it take more banwith to display an img tag link than it does to display an url link linking to the same img?
    A link is a link by any other name is still a link. No?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    New Zealand
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    It doesn't take more bandwidth to load an image in a page than to click on a link and load it. However, when you hotlink an image and make it part of your page using the img tag you are using up someone else's bandwidth for your own benefit. Basically if you link to an image you are saying "go look at the cool image this site has", but if you make it part of your page it makes it look like it is your image when it isn't.
    TJR Networks - Quality web hosting for everyday people...

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    34
    Maccrazy-- "It doesn't take more bandwidth to load an image in a page than to click on a link and load it."

    That makes sense to me, which is why I can't seem to grasp the banwidth concept.

    Maccrazy --- "However, when you hotlink an image and make it part of your page using the img tag you are using up someone else's bandwidth for your own benefit"

    I'm back to feeling/being dumb.
    Maybe I need to research the term "hotlink"?

    Maccrazy ---- "Basically if you link to an image you are saying "go look at the cool image this site has", but if you make it part of your page it makes it look like it is your image when it isn't."

    But it IS my image. I still don't understand.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    New Zealand
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    If the image is on your server then it is not an issue of hotlinking. If someone else tries to use the image on your server without your permission, then it is a case of hotlinking.
    TJR Networks - Quality web hosting for everyday people...

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    34
    Maccrazy- "If the image is on your server then it is not an issue of hotlinking."

    It is on my server, it is my image. Yet, the hosts say we may not use our own uploaded images to post onto mb's, auctions, etc.

    Maccrazy ---- "If someone else tries to use the image on your server without your permission, then it is a case of hotlinking."

    That would be a case of more than just hotlinking! But now I think I understand the word "hotlink".

    Why would hosts get upset then if we upload our own image, insert our own image into an img tag into our own auction or mb?

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Quad Cities, Iowa
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    1,606
    Ok,

    I will try to make this simple. If you had an auction, and you put a link in the auction that says "Check out this image" http://yourdomain.com/image.jpg. No bandwidth is being used from yourdomain.com to show that link. The only time bandwidth would be used, is if someone clicks on that link. Then it would take bandwidth to deliver that image to the viewers browser.

    However, If on the auction you have an IMG Tag so the graphic is loaded and displayed to every viewer, then everyone viewing your auction would be loading the picture from yourdomain.com, and every viewer would be taking bandwidth to download/load the picture in there browser.

    The 2 major differences is a link "http://yourdomain.com/image.jpg" Takes No bandwidth to display, and bandwidth is only used if/when the visitor clicks the link to display the image. When they do click the link they would be taken away from the auction site, and would be directed to yourdomain.com

    With an Image tag, where the graphic is loaded in your auction page. It does take bandwidth. Because the picture has to be downloaded from yourdomain.com, so it appears on your auction page. Every visitor to the auction would have no choice but to contribute to the bandwidth usage, because each time the auction is viewed, the image is reloaded.

    If you are viewing this page right now, you are taking bandwidth from WebHostingTalk. Your browser automatically downloads the web page and all graphics that need to be shown, so it can display it to you. If you used an IMG SCR in this page to show YOUR IMAGE, your image would have been downloaded 140 times already (because that's how many times this thread has been viewed). However if you just had a link on this page which points to your graphic, and only 10 people clicked the link. Your picture would only have been downloaded 10 times.

    Now let's say you have a relatively large picture.... 350KB
    In the first example: 140 visitors X 350KB = 49MB of bandwidth.
    Second example: 10 x 350KB = 3.5 MB of bandwidth.

    That is why your host probably does not allow it, because of the increased bandwidth usage.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Quad Cities, Iowa
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    1,606
    Originally posted by DireFog
    Why would hosts get upset then if we upload our own image, insert our own image into an img tag into our own auction or mb? [/B]
    I don't think the host would be upset if you uploaded the image to the auction site (Ebay allows this), and used an IMG SCR to show it. Because it would be taking the auction sites bandwidth to display it, because the image would be stored on the auction sites servers.

    But if you upload an image to your own Web Space that you get from your web host, and then put an IMG tage on your auction page to display that picture. Then everyone viewing that auction would have to connect to yourdomain.com to load the image. Which would take bandwidth from your web host.

    I don't think alot of paid hosts prevent you from doing so, because if you pay for the diskspace and bandwidth, you should be able to use it. Alot of FREE hosts do prevent this to save on bandwidth though. If you are using a paid hosts, and you need that feature, then it may be time to find another host.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    34
    By Jove, I think I've got it! Thank you AuthorityHost!!!

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Quad Cities, Iowa
    Posts
    1,606
    Glad I could help!

    Have a great day!

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