Think Before You Link

I decided to create this page to educate others about direct linking to images and the problems it causes. It's also known as Bandwidth Stealing. unless the individual has given you permission to direct link, DON'T DO IT!

What is Bandwidth?

Excerpt from "Legal Issues on the Internet" :

"(files) loaded to or from servers is called bandwidth. Every time you upload a file to your ISP, surf the web or download a video, you are using bandwidth. Bandwidth is limited. Why? Because it actually is a bunch of wires or fibers connecting servers to the global network. And wires can only carry so much data. When someone attempts to get more data than can be handled by the wire, the transmission of the data is slowed down.

Most Internet Service Providers ("ISPs"), limit the amount of data that a site can use during a particular time period. As an example, an ISP might limit you to 1gb of data per month for your flat fee, then charge you an extra $10 for each additional gigabyte. Some of the more obnoxious ISPs actually just block transmissions when the bandwidth is exceeded (effectively putting that site out of business for a time).

It's common practice to load most of the images, sound files, videos and documents in your web on your own site. It's common among amateurs and beginners to link to images and other files directly to some other server instead of putting them on their local server. So not only do they "steal" the image, they "steal" the bandwidth!! Another term for direct linking to images on someone else's site is commonly called "hotlinking."

DO NOT do this! It is not fair and it's just plain wrong.

So before you link, Think! And then don't do it!

Please feel free to take one of my buttons below to link to this page (and that's ok to do :) Just right-click and link to http://www.pixelfactoryonline.com/dontlink.shtml. A text link is fine too!

If you would like to contribute a button, I'd love to have it. Email me here. Proper credit will be given to you. We're all in this together!