PJ

HOT LINKING

First a definition, then a lengthy and detailed explanation.

Hot linking is basically when someone inserts a link on a web page without obtaining permission from the person who owns or pays for the server where the object of that link is stored. Many people create hot links because they don’t understand what it is or how it causes a problem. Today, offenders can be traced. Hopefully this article will prevent the ignorant from getting into trouble over this issue.

A web host is a person or company who owns or leases computer servers. The host offers this service to customers in one of two ways. Either the host sells his service for pay, or the host provides the service for free to the customer because advertisers pay the fees.

When you have a web site hosted on someone else's servers, there are two kinds of expenses you have to pay for: the storage space you use, and bandwidth. Bandwidth is the capacity of data that can be transferred as traffic between the computer server and the visitor’s computer.

Web hosts allow for a certain amount of bandwidth. But for popular pages, images and links, the bandwidth can reach very high levels. Most hosts charge more for higher bandwidth.

Allow me to illustrate this with an example. Let’s assume that PJ wants to post a message on this forum and include an image. When PJ inserts the image into his message, he actually inserts a link to the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address for that image’s location, and not the actual picture.

If PJ has this image stored on his hard drive, the link will only work as long as PJ is logged on to the internet. Once PJ turns off his computer or logs off, that link is broken. So to prevent this, PJ must transfer that image to a location that is accessible on the internet 24 hours a day.

Thanks to bpalmatv, we have a storage server available that has the 24 hour a day accessibility. The URL address for that server is http://65.160.96.70/ On that server, bpalmatv created a sub-folder "images" within another folder named “hhplace” to store all of our uploaded images. So all PJ has to do is to upload his image to http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/images/ Then that server appends that URL address with the filename for that stored image. PJ then posts that new appended URL link into his message.

Whenever someone reads PJ’s message, that generates two-way data communication (bandwidth) between the server computer and the visitor’s computer. This bandwidth has to be paid for by someone. Fortunately, bpalmatv is willing to absorb this cost, up to a limit.

What I have described so far may sound like “Hot Linking”, but it isn’t. That’s because the person who controls or pays for the storage server has given permission for the linking.

But suppose now that PJ has decided that he wants to post the images he has stored on bpalmatv’s server in other places on the internet besides this forum. When PJ posts the links at those locations, he is actually increasing bpalmatv’s storage server bandwidth. And this increase in bandwidth increases the cost for bpalmatv. This is “Hot Linking” because bpalmatv has not authorized posting links at sites other than http://hhplace.org/

Server owners and customers, like bpalmatv, have the capability of preventing “hot linking” when users won’t do it voluntarily. Computer software exists that can prevent linking from unauthorized locations. So if your link results in the display of a message instead of your image, then you are guilty of “hot linking”.

I hope this explanation is clear. Post any questions you may have.

p.s. This has been edited to include the corrections as posted in jo's message below.

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click .... click .... click .... The sensual sound of stiletto heels on a hard surface.

jo

I don't think that a lot of people realise that the elements of a web page might actually come from diverse physical locations.

Your post above is a good point. All of the text is stored at www.hhplace.org as are all the images for the buttons, smilies, and so on.

However, the avatar image is actually at: http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/images/1052778978.gif and the little image of white shoes in the signature line is located at: http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/images/1052778978.gif and that means that the owner of that server is being charged for bandwidth every time someone looks at the message on hhplace.org.



See: http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/viewtopic.php?t=2213 for a lead in to this thread. The images that people upload to http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/ should only be incorporated into forum messages at hhplace.org . Those image links should not be included in forum messages on other forums, or as image links on other websites.




Additionally, it is possible that some people have found the image upload site by chance and used it without even being aware that it was in some way associated with this site. Some users may not have even ever been here.


To make things crystal clear, can I suggest that a note is added to the upload form on the image site to say that this is the only site that is allowed to link to it, and that all other inbound links will be non-functional.

PJ

jo:

Thank you very much for catching my error. I don't know why I missed it when I proof read my original posting.

I have decided to edit my original posting to avoid any confusion rather than make another posting with the correction.

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I created this thread in response to that other thread.

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click .... click .... click .... The sensual sound of stiletto heels on a hard surface.

jo

Umm, there was an error?

What error? I didn't see one. I just posted a few words of clarification.

Heelfan

Hello PJ & Jo!

As a (very) low-tech simple heel enthusiast with no high-tech knowledge like you computer wizards, I can't understand all your technical stuff.

However, in simple plain English, are you both saying that none of us forum members should be posting the URLs to any other sites? For instance, many of us recommend a great pair of shoes on a particular supplier's website and promptly give the domain name. Are you saying this very common practice is wrong, or have I misunderstood you?

Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

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Onwards and upwards!

Ionic

I expected a confused query such as Heelfan's.
PJ and Jo you will have to explain the difference between the harmless insertion of a web link url name and the 'deep linking' you describe where you pull content out of their web servers to build your page here, for example in one of these threads with an embedded jpg image.

quarter-tecchie only /I

[I admit to offending once or twice, lazily pulling in an odd shoe image from the odd shopping site here or there]

jo

There is no problem with people posting messages in hhplace.org and putting in a clickable link to another page on another site, such that when you click the link you are taken to the other site. That is the whole basis for how the internet is supposed to work.

There is no (bandwidth) problem in posting a message on hhplace.org that contains a clickable link that takes you to a single image on another site. However, note that as that site may remove the image from their server sometime in the future, then it might be better to copy their image to another more secure server, and link to it there instead. However, both the "link-to their-image-on-their-server" method and the "copy-their-image-elsewhere-and-then-link-to-it" methods do raise some copyright issues.

There is a problem with including the image itself in a message at hhplace.org and the image is actually coming from the remote server of the original owner, automatically, every time the message is read (that is, the problem occurs when the image is actually visible in the message without having to do anything -- compared to just being a link to click on). That is called hot-linking, and in most cases the owner of the image probably would not like it, and may suddenly block such access. Some sites already block this sort of linking. Additionally, the image may not be available for ever. Once the owner removes the image, or blocks the remote access (hot-linking), then the hhplace message is useless.





The separate (but related) issue that bpalmtv raised was that sites other than hhplace.org were hot-linking the images from his server. His server can legitimately be hot-linked from hhplace.org but there is no permission to hot-link from elsewhere; and those other sites including those images on their pages will find next week that the image fails to display.

PJ

In response to those who are still having difficutly with my detailed explanation above, here is another attempt while keeping it as simple and short as possible.

1. Images that are to be viewable on the internet should be stored on a server that is always connected to the internet.

2. bpalmatv has use of a computer server that is always connected to the internet, and us High Heel Meeting Place forum members have permission to use it to store images.

3. An image link is an internet address (URL) that identifies both the exact location where that image is stored, and the image's filename.

4. When we upload our image to bpalmatv's server, this generates an unique image link for that image.

5. We insert this image link into our posting so that others can view our image.

6. Now here is the IMPORTANT point. bpalmatv is offering us this storage space free of charge, but ONLY for posting those image links in messages here at http://www.hhplace.org. bpalmatv has NOT given us permission to post those image links at other locations on the internet.

7. If your image is stored on bpalmatv's server and you post it's image link at a location other than http://www.hhplace.org, you are guilty of Hot Linking. And for all of you hot linkers, don't be surprised if someday soon, your images change to an error message.

I hope this basic explanation helps those who are not technically inclined. If not, just ask.

__________________
click .... click .... click .... The sensual sound of stiletto heels on a hard surface.

Firefox

Excellent explanations PJ, but for the really non technical people I can reduce all that to these points.

A. Don't post any images stored on Bpalma's picture server at any place(website etc) other than HH board (ie here) because I asked you not to. I don't ask you not to do anything, unless for good reason (see B)

B. If you do so, you will cost Bpalma money he hadn't budgeted for and he may well withdraw his picture server because of your misuse.

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Click Here for the best High Heeled Street Pics on the Web

PJ

oh Firefox, you are such a show-off

__________________
click .... click .... click .... The sensual sound of stiletto heels on a hard surface.