Hot-linking is linking to an image or content of a web page that is not on the same website.
Can be used for good purposes with clean motives. Ex: in order to have a profile image on the Globalscape board, you have to link to an image stored on your own website space. The profile image link originates on one site to show content from another site and in this case, with permission of the owner of the site. My profile on the discussion board at Globalscape shows an image that is not stored on thier server, but on my website space.
But hot-linking is more known for a hostile act of theft of content! Some message boards are FULL of it where people link to other than thier own site to an image that proves their point in some way.
Someone surfing the net finds an image they like. They get the URL address of that image on the site it is already on. Then on their own site they point to that image and PRESTO that image appears without ever storing the image.
All free clipart sites say download to your own machine, do not link to us. Linking to the image on their site is hot-linking.
Even used with permission to link to an image off-site, the linking to that image is a drag against the bandwidth of the site with the image. When the image is linked without permission, it is a double whammy to the originating site. Though the visitor never TOOK your image, they are USING your image, stealing your website resource. The worst part? If the image is popular, the image can actually use up all your allotted bandwidth at YOUR webhost shutting down your website, and no one even knows the popular image is yours!
You can do some things to stop hot linking. But WHAT you can do is limited to what your web host allows and what type of server you are on.
- BEST OPTION, if your host allows this fast easy way to stop hot linking: define who can link to your image files, and block everyone else. You can prepare this simple file in NOTEPAD. No special tools are necessary.
- If your host has cPanel installed, you can use the HOT LINKING protection built-in. This option actually writes your .htaccess file for you! Saves you one step.
- htaccess file also has other features (password protection, block users, sites, etc) so it is wonderfully useful.
TECHNICAL INTERVENTION - WINDOWS SERVER:
- Sorry folks. You are left out of the easy method of htaccess! No built-in hot-linking protection. You will need a mod re-write to cause Windows to block access. Contact a programmer to do this for you!
NON-TECHNICAL - all servers. More time consuming but can give you a sense of satisfaction for turning the table on the abuser! 3 step process:
1. Identify the image being drawn into the offending site. Lets say they are taking checkmark.gif
2. Take the offending image out of your website page and put it back in.
- If you are pulling the image into your page using code then you will need to change the name of the image file in the code and change the name of the image file using FTP software
<IMG SRC="h**p://www.samisite.com/images/checkmark.gif" border=0> would become:
<IMG SRC="h**p://www.samisite.com/images/checkmk.gif" border=0>
Publish/Upload your changed web page. You will be pulling in the NEW image file, not the old one. If you use that image file in other places, you will need to adjust the other areas too so YOUR website will still function normally, while breaking the link the other site has.
3. Now the fun part. Use an FTP program (or your site manager/control panel) to upload a NEW image called checkmark.gif, the same name that they are using to draw in the image. The other site does not know you changed YOUR image. They will still be linking to the original image name. If you upload a different file, you can drive them nuts, legally and properly so. Remember, as soon as you upload the new image with the old name, their web page will display the new image.
They will have to change the link to your new image name to show it again. But most people will not. They see what you have done, replaced images and drop the issue and seek other people to steal from instead. If the offender changes the links to grab your charts again, just rename your links/images again, and this time, be more forceful in the image statement. BADSITE.COM STEALS IMAGES usually leaves a bad taste, especially if you can send an email to stop, and even post on a blog, message board, etc offered by the website. MOST will not keep chasing the same files over and over. He might come back a month later to check so he would need to be watched now and then for compliance.
Many people put a simple image that stays stolen like the one below.
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Some people change out the image with an AD for the proper site
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If the image being stolen is an animated GIF or Flash SWF, you can replace it with an a moving notice.
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I have done this!!!
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And I have done this too!
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This one combines the TAKEN statement and an ad for the proper site (STOLEN was not preferred language for this site owner) I prepared this notice.
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