New AboveTopSecret.com Image Hotlinking Policy (updated again)

Originally posted by SimonGray
As SkepticOverlord stated, this can be a big problem which is generally unforeseen by many. Out of Internet-politeness and common courtesy, this is a reason the new Image Hotlinking Policy has been created.

I agree that it is a noble cause.

However the solution proposed I feel should be a viewed a short term solution; a patch as we come up with something better. To remove viewable cited external images from a website over bandwith issues is shortsighted and represents a compromise rather than mutualistic solution.

We should employ our server to track which images are causing burden. And then, temporarily host them on the ATS server while the subject matter is causing drain; and pertinent to member conversation. When the image in question is no longer being hyperactively viewed by members of our site the link should return to the viewable-but-external source with appropriate citation below.

Computers can solve issues like these and macros can be established.

A picture is worth a thousand words and we are trying to convey ourselves to one another when we meet on discussion boards.



I am,

Sri Oracle

Well done for implementing this guys!

Kind of a variation of the slashdot/digg effect!

I was going to post on the conspiracy board about my web server suffering a denial of service attack initiated by abovetopsecret.com

Another win for ATS in my book, this policy shows a lot of consideration for others.

As a side note, are there any image hosting services that you would reccomend to users or that are 'endorsed' by ATS?

Maybe all such images could be hosted in house, with an advert preceeding them? OK, I will stop before I am lynched by the others!

Second side note, well a question really, I wanted to put a l33tsig in my signature on posts (it shows the stats of my computer and all that kind of nerdy stuff there), but was unsure if the little link would violate the terms regarding advertising third party sites. Could you possibly clarify your position regarding this for me?

All the best.

Originally posted by DeepCoverUK
I was going to post on the conspiracy board about my web server suffering a denial of service attack initiated by abovetopsecret.com

denial of service, is that like being banned, or is that me just reading into this message posted when it was.

Another win for ATS in my book, this policy shows a lot of consideration for others.

As a side note, are there any image hosting services that you would reccomend to users or that are 'endorsed' by ATS?

Maybe all such images could be hosted in house, with an advert preceeding them? OK, I will stop before I am lynched by the others!

Second side note, well a question really, I wanted to put a l33tsig in my signature on posts (it shows the stats of my computer and all that kind of nerdy stuff there), but was unsure if the little link would violate the terms regarding advertising third party sites. Could you possibly clarify your position regarding this for me?

All the best.

Well I don't think you should act based on fear of lynching. I can't answer your last question I am not part of ATS, nor am I elite.

Hello Redge,

A denial of service attack is where so much network traffic is sent to a computer through the network, that it ceases operating properly.

In the case of hotlinking images here, so many people can visit a thread with a photo on, it can cause a punier web server to go offline. This is an inadvertant denial of service attack, although it could always be a conspiracy

Here is a link to the wikipedia article on the slashdot effect, I hope it explains better than I can.

en.wikipedia.org...

I saw a list of similar terms on that page, and wonder what the ATS effect should be called, maybe 'tin foiled'?

Here is a link to the wikipedia page on denial of service attacks:

en.wikipedia.org...

Although I may suffer the type of denial of service attack you mention, if I keep on posting very bad puns and jokes here

I think the main concern of the ATS site owners here is that other sites aren't big enough to support the thousands of additional hits. Kinda like when you host a small party for like 10 people and all of a sudden a few thousand show up all at once just to look at your vase.

so they politely are just asking you to host them yourself on photobucket or here or elsewhere and then linking to that. ATS servers can handle it but littler sites cant. The hosting sites like photobucket and imageshack can handle huge amounts of hits they don't care.
'
its it or as mechanic32 says JUST CLICK THE LINK THE PICTURE IS STILL THERE.

And as for respect to the copyright owners intellectual property...

it would be just nice of a person to acknowledge other peoples art or pictures. but it rarely happens. I think the site owners are just saying play nice. all you got to do is give the proper credit where credit is due.

But I don't think I can speak for the site owners. Just what my impression of what SkepticOverlord was talking about.

[edit on 10-1-2008 by radiodjguy]

Originally posted by anxietydisorder
I use a lot of pictures in my posts and I find this new development as a crushing blow against posts I've made in the past.
Images that I've even taken myself are now linked and my posts look like crap.

I'll read and re-read SkepticOverlord's post to try to understand it, but I find this very upsetting.

Exactly, this traps us arguing in the left-brain prison. Pictures and symbols need to be seen side by side to make connections. If it's just a bunch of "external image" links, awesome posts become completely ordinary.

Oh Dear I think I need to edit a post or two.

For my very challenged BB code standpoint is the following true?

A Pic say on BBC which would be Common Rights I think, would be displayed with: - is a spacer to stop code..

[im]link[/i-m],

If however I uploaded a pic with common rights to P/Bucket:

[img]link[/im-g]

But If I drew that picture myself, it would be:

[ats]link[/at-s]

Also if a Pic then had no common rights, or consent had not been obtained it would be the link:

[img]link[/im-g]

If though I had uploaded the First image mentioned from BBC to P/Bucket I would:

[ats]link[/at-s]

?

And further any image uploaded to ATS if permission or Common Rights apply if needed, is always then

[ats]link[/at-s]

Guys is there also a unique ATS - BB Code Doc for ease?

Also if using Firefox and the BB code Extension, are there any commands/actions of that that should be avoided when posting on ATS in general, due to issues such as this thread outlines.

Ooops lol.

Elf

[edit on 28-12-2008 by MischeviousElf]

I am new to ATS and I'm having problems loading an avatar. It keeps telling me I have to do it through your media server but it won't let me log into it with my normal name and password and when I try to register for it it says registration is closed. Is there any way possible to get my avatar on here? I have the pic I want to use saved on my computer and photobucket. This may be a stupid question but I really would like an avatar on here.

[edit on 13-3-2010 by DARKCYDE_CROWLEY]

[edit on 13-3-2010 by DARKCYDE_CROWLEY]

reply to post by DARKCYDE_CROWLEY

Check out this thread for more info on uploading an avatar.

If you are having trouble logging in to MATS then my first question would be whether or not you changed your password after registering. MATS doesn't recognize password changes made on ATS but retains the initial password of the account unless changed within the MATS domain.

Hope this helps.

Question....

using the img code

using the ats code

whats up with the spacing? and why is it inserting a character return? (thats "enter") to come up on the next line? I searched but no one addressed this anywhere - if it was brought up previously in this thread I apologize for not reading all the posts (I got impatient) - my first thought is that no one brought it up because ats has such an awesome, already existing library of emoticons - why would anyone make their own (cause I was bored)
intentional character return


I'm asking in this thread because its more image related than emoticon related ♥