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Thanks for Stopping By and Getting Informed

From the lens Hotlinking: What Is It, And Why Is It Bad?.

Let's make sure that we do our part to give credit to photographers, artists, writers, and anyone who is offering their work for free.

And let's ALL contribute something to the web for others to use, since most of us have used clip art or other free graphics at some point.

  • TonyTheJet May 18, 2012 @ 12:40 pm | delete
    My question is, what if you own both sites and want the main site to take the brunt of the bandwidth blow, anyway? Is there anything in Google's algorithm that might recognize that you are hotlinking images (but not recognize that you are the owner of both sites) and penalize you for doing so?
  • Greekgeek May 18, 2012 @ 4:32 pm | delete
    Eek, I sure hope not! No, I've never heard of Google applying a penalty for hotlinking.

    I hotlink my OWN images from my website all the time, for precisely the reason you mention: I can upload them to my own host at a good resolution without worrying about a third party image host like Photobucket slapping me with a bandwidth filter or degrading the image quality. Then I can display my images anywhere on the web with HTML.

    It's fine to hotlink as long as you have rights to display those images and permission from the person paying for the bandwidth (you) :).
  • DesignedbyLisa Jan 12, 2012 @ 9:00 pm | delete
    Very well explained!
  • mamabush Sep 28, 2011 @ 11:35 am | delete
    I don't know anything about this, but I'm happy to say that I was accidentally doing it the correct way. :)
  • Ghaelen Sep 8, 2011 @ 1:37 pm | delete
    Am new to Squidoo, so this kind of information is really helpful. Thanks!
  • MysticTurtle Sep 5, 2011 @ 5:52 pm | delete
    Thanks for explaining something we don't read much about.
  • serenity4me Jul 13, 2011 @ 6:20 pm | delete
    Nicely put, very interesting about John McCain ( a bit comical ). Have a great night.
  • HelanaRirosknee May 4, 2011 @ 9:52 pm | delete
    Boy, did I really need this lens. Thanks for the great information. I'm sure I will be referring to it constantly.
  • Pukeko Feb 25, 2011 @ 6:49 pm | delete
    This is really great information. And that link to McCain's page really made me laugh. So this lens is blessed by the humor angel. If you want to add a link on my humor blog, go ahead (if you don't want it thought of as humor, that's cool too.)
  • ShirleySunshine Feb 22, 2011 @ 10:44 am | delete
    I am so delighed with all the information you have shared with us Greekgeek, it is SUCH A HELP!
    This is so useful, I don't think I even knew what Hot Linking was until I read this!! Maybe that's why a lot of people do it, they don't realize they are doing wrong!
  • darciefrench Feb 21, 2011 @ 12:18 pm | delete
    EEK! I have work to do. Now, is it hotlinking if I copy image location on Squidoo lenses, since we're all sharing anyway?
  • Greekgeek Feb 21, 2011 @ 12:40 pm | delete
    No, that's not hotlinking!

    Although in that case, of course, you have to make sure you have permission to use the image. :)
  • darciefrench Feb 21, 2011 @ 5:20 pm | delete
    Oh good -:) Think I'm probably ok as off the top of my head, I'm mostly linking to free squid graphics. How about Allposters? I read the suggestion, which I'm using, to copy image location and then link to where you can buy the poster. I'll be changing that anyway as I now am an allposters affiliate.. but since I have you, what are your thoughts on that? Many thanks!
  • Greekgeek Feb 22, 2011 @ 1:04 am | delete
    When you're an affiliate selling products, you're not hotlinking, because you've been given permission to use the graphics. In fact, some sites like AllPosters and Zazzle give you codes to display their graphics, because that way they retain control over the images (and can take them down if the product is discontinued). Other affiliate programs like Amazon associates instruct you to download the photos and host them yourself.

    The basic idea is just that you need permission. Becoming an AllPosters affiliate is a great way to get permission to use their excellent image library, even if you don't make many sales!
  • SoyCandleLover-Maker Feb 6, 2011 @ 9:28 am | delete
    Phew! I saw your intro and thought I might have been guilty at some point. Thanks for the clarification about hot-linking.
  • Gloriousconfusion Jan 17, 2011 @ 6:25 pm | delete
    This is really clear and helpful information. I never knew that hotlinking was bad - I actually thought it was doing the photo owner a favour, because it directed people to their website! So thanks for the enlightenment. And Angel Blessings to you too
  • passionatehouseremodeler Jan 14, 2011 @ 12:21 am | delete
    Did not know this! Very helpful info!
  • ElleDeeEsse Dec 11, 2010 @ 11:14 pm | delete
    Thanks for this. I didn't understand this aspect at all so it has been really helpful. Fortunately I also don't have a full handle on html yet so I'm not guilty of hotlinking :)
  • BingeSite Nov 29, 2010 @ 8:59 am | delete
    A lot of sites now replace hotlink images automaically, those who don't can easily do so. So yeah hotlink at your own risk. Anyway people can use good free sites like 3ezy.net to host full size images and hotlink them without porn ads or popups. its nice to follow rules sometimes.

    great post, dint know about the mccain thing. hehe
  • Rajays Nov 16, 2010 @ 11:15 pm | delete
    Thanks for this wonderful explanation on hotlinking. Really helpful. I have also been browsing your other lenses about Zazzle images and CSS layout lenses - all such a goldmine of very useful information. Thank you so much.
  • JaguarJulie Sep 25, 2010 @ 8:53 am | delete
    Well, I know all about it from the receiving end? You know that some guy in a forum is hotlinking to one of my top lenses and then Google image search is picking up on his page for my image? grrrrr
  • Greekgeek Sep 25, 2010 @ 1:17 pm | delete
    OOOO how annoying, and you can't even delete the image and re-upload it, can you? That's the fish picture, right?

    If it's hosted on your OWN site, you can change it to a NO HOTLINKING YOU THIEF! Graphic and get egg on his face. If it's hosted on Squidoo, though, I don't know what you could do. I'd almost be tempted to email Squidsupport and ask them to delete the image entirely -- if it's gone, nothing will come up when he hotlinks it! -- and then re-upload it. This time, maybe, with a teensy caption to give a link to your site.

    And/or you could post on that forum and call him out for bandwidth theft, or write to the forum admin.

    It's a pain, though. Grr!
  • aj2008 Sep 23, 2010 @ 6:53 am | delete
    This is so helpful and simple to understand - am wondering if it may also be helpful to add a module - or dare I even suggest a new lens ;) - that mentions any scenarios where it may be OK to hotlink.
  • Flynn_the_Cat Sep 19, 2010 @ 1:38 am | delete
    Also the McCain example was awesome :D
  • Greekgeek Sep 19, 2010 @ 2:10 am | delete
    Isn't it though? :D And the internet is such a delightfully evil place; John McCain is forever linked in my mind to the "Gray Ambition" YouTube video, thanks to the idiot staffer who had him give a speech in front of a green screen that many, many vidders had fun playing with.
  • Flynn_the_Cat Sep 19, 2010 @ 1:34 am | delete
    Damn it - stop writing really good pages about really obvious topics that I then have to bless!

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Greekgeek

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