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Most of this intel was found at Tech TV before it was ruined and turned into G4TV.
If a link is not working simply email me and let me know. Be specific state the text to the link. Example: Virus Advise is a dead link on the help page.

Please read the note below on how to link to images
and files on/from other sites. You might already know
all this, but you may learn something new and useful
here.

===========================

WHAT IS HOTLINKING AND BANDWIDTH THEFT?
Bandwidth theft or "hotlinking" is direct linking to a
website's files (images, video, etc.). An example
would be using an <IMG> tag to display a JPEG image
you found on someone else's web page so it will appear
on your own site, journal, weblog, forum posting, etc.

Bandwidth refers to the amount of data transferred
from a website to a user's computer. When you view a
webpage, you are using that site's data transfer to
display the files. Since web hosts charge based on the
amount of data transferred, bandwidth is an issue. If
a site is over it's monthly bandwidth, it's billed for
the extra data or taken offline.

A simple analogy for bandwidth theft: Imagine a random
stranger plugging into your electrical outlets, using
your electricity without your consent, and you paying
for it.

HOW DO I KNOW I'M HOTLINKING?
Tags like the one below tell a site to request a certain image.jpg file from a certain server. <IMG src="http://notmysite.com/image.jpg" height="350" width="200">

If you add this code to a forum, journal, or another site, then every time the page you inserted your tag is loaded, the outside server has to use the original site’s bandwidth to display the image.

HOW TO LINK PROPERLY TO IMAGES, FILES?
To avoid this problem, don't link to files on servers that don't belong to you. To share images and files on your own web page, upload them to your own server or to one of the many free website providers. http://photobucket.com/ is a perfect solution for this. You download the photo you like, upload it to photobucket, and they automatically create a tag for you to display.

OR If you want to link to a nice photo, give people a link, and say “Check these out!” http://scifi.about.com/blstargate_apixjs.htm

That way the website’s bandwidth does not disappear without having actual visitors to show for, and the webmasters get credit for their work as well.

WHY BOTHER?

Because hotlinking and excess bandwidth use can result in sites being shut down early in a month, as the webmasters can’t afford to pay for the extra bandwidth you’re using without their consent and knowledge.