Hotlinking is bad.. or is it?

[TYSON]

As of last night the PSB server is now caching all images that you post.

That means that if you make a post with a link to an image located on someone elses server, the PSB server will detect it, copy the image locally and then change the image path in your post to the local url.

In other words, you no longer have to download a picture then upload it to your photobucket/image host to post it.

Description of hotlinking is below.

Bandwidth theft or "hotlinking" is direct linking to a web site'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 in your post

Bandwidth refers to the amount of data transferred from a web site to a user's computer. When you view a web page, you are using that site's bandwidth to display the files. Since web hosts charge based on the amount of data transferred, bandwidth is an issue. If a site is over its 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.

[Brougham]

PSB - taking over the internet, one image at a time...

[Cam]

Ooooh, very clever.

[Desmo]

He only wants to increase his pr0n collection.

[Daise]

hi-five!!

Wow guys, on the cutting edge of technology!

[Daise]

ps: so does that mean all photobucket pics will now be hosted on here too? (PB etc blocked at work )

[Deej]

The wonders of Sweat Shop Boy.... [shakes head and shrugs]

[Responseless]

very handy feature, stops images being red X'd too

[delete_me_kthxbai]

ps: so does that mean all photobucket pics will now be hosted on here too? (PB etc blocked at work )

Should be.

Sounds like you just want to make that new server actually work!

[TYSON]

ps: so does that mean all photobucket pics will now be hosted on here too? (PB etc blocked at work )

Yep

Test:

[TYSON]

Something i forgot to mention was that this will slow posting down if you have a lot of images as it downloads them to the server when you hit submit post.

Shouldnt slow it down too much, but if your posting a couple of megabytes of images it could take a few seconds longer for the post to submit.

[Brougham]

so if it's seemed to have stalled, don't keep hitting the "post reply" button as you'll end up double posting a crapload of images.

[Daise]

sha-wing!

PSB is

Thanks behindthescenesguys

[TORQ]

sha-wing!

Daise: still getting erections ever since leaving Australia ...

Noice

[shmoo]

So whats the real purpose of this? Is it simply to save other peoples bandwidth? Cause i mean your still stealing peoples images arent we?

[TYSON]

Save others Bandwidth
Avoid the dreaded Goatse that some do when you hotlink their images
Avoid the Red X from sites that block hotlinking
Avoids broken content when images get deleted.
Images are hosted on a non saturated network link (ours)

[Brougham]

edit - beaten like this kid would've been...

[Rob]

What about lolcats???

[TYSON]

Just post the image from their site and it will copy it locally.

[Rob]

Ah good