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What is Hotlinking?
Hotlinking occurs when one web site is loading images or other graphics from another persons server.
When is Hotlinking Wrong?
When the hotlink is done without the other parties consent or knowledge.
Why is hotlinking wrong?
Hotlinking is not only bad netiquette, it's theft. Hotlinking to an image steals bandwidth.
What is bandwidth?
Bandwidth is to websites what gasoline is to cars. It's what powers them and enables them to be seen on your computer monitor. Every time you go to a website and look at a page, all the little images and words that are stored on that site's server get sent through cyberspace to your computer. Bandwidth is the energy used to send those images and words. Every time you look at something on a website, it uses up a little bit of that site's bandwidth.
Most sites only get a certain amount of bandwidth (measured in gigabytes) per month, and if they go over their allowance, the site either shuts down for the rest of the month, or the owner of the website has to pay additional fees for any bandwidth over and above their allowable amount.
Isn't Linking to Another Web Site a good thing?
A hyperlink is a good way to provide more information to a web surfer. A hyperlink takes the surfer to the new site. It can be done using a graphic, text link or both. A text link might look like this; "HRC Domains". The html code for the text is http://www.hrcdomains.com. That is the proper use of a hyperlink.
A hotlink, for example, would display the logo by using a link to steal the graphic on the page by linking to site, "http://www.hrcdomains.com/logo.gif" and that would be Hotlinking and would be wrong. The HOTLINKING is normally done to images or graphics that will enhance the "offending" site without a link to the original site, without the knowledge or permission of the image owner.
If this still isn't clear, the following example is the last hope.
The electricity used in virtually every building is metered. Once a month someone pays for the power used in that home or building. Hotlinking would be the same as hooking up to that meter and then powering the building next door, without permission. A month later the bill would be twice as large and still have to be paid. If everyone in the neighborhood would do the same "HOTLINKING" the bill would be huge and soon the first building would be shut off. Then no one has power.
Would you be mad? Would you think that was a pretty crappy thing to do? Would you consider that theft? Would you feel like they'd stolen money from you, by forcing you to pay for their electricity without your knowledge? That's what hotlinking is, and that's why people get so angry about it. So don't do it.
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