Who is direct linking to my photos?

[wtang]

Is there a way to see who/what/where is direct linking to my photos? There are some photos I don't remember ever direct linking myself, yet pBase reports "1 direct link since Jun 7, 2003" or whatever. It would be nice to find out what forum/gallery/bulletin board is linking to my photos.

-Warren
http://www.pbase.com/wtang

[jchambers]

It is quite common for other discussion forums to direct link pictures. I took a quick look at your gallery, and there were some mighty fine pictures.

Some examples maybe a forum on bridges, and so someone whilst discussing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, direct linked your photo.

This happens to me quite a lot, and if it's in forums, I usually don't mind at all (actually I find it quite a compliment). In fact, I often direct link my own photo's, which is one thing I like about pbase.

However, if it is a professional website that would be a different story, or a direct link of family or friends.

So, yes, it would be nice to have some way of finding out who is direct linking our pictures.

[Barb]

I also would like to know what is a direct link - how to find out who is doing this and what I can do to prevent it.

[licxpyu]

http://www.pbase.com/priscillayu

[jeanb]

I had 3 direct links to a photograph recently, within hours of putting it up. Very flattering to think that someone liked it, but supposing they were critiquing it instead ? It would be interesting to know who they were.

If you don't want anyone to link, remove the photo then replace, so that it has another number.

[thresholdprod]

jchambers wrote
"I also would like to know what is a direct link - how to find out who is doing this and what I can
do to prevent it."

A direct link is when someone post's a link to your image url with .jpg at the end. This will cause the image to show up on another page. This is useful for discussion forums and ebay. You could also use it to have photos on website where you were close/over the storage limit/bandwith.
The bad side is someone could be linking to your photos on their site.In essences they are stealing bandwith from you/pbase for not hosting the photo themselves.

The only option I know of is asking Pbase to turn this feature off. I presently have mine shut off for this reason.

Pbase has log of where images get direct linked to but to my knowledge there is no way of finding out where without asking.

If you have an image direct linked to, replace it with one with a big copy right notice or a but ugly offensive photo if you want.

Try running a google search on the url for each size with .jpg at the end. If its been up a while you might find it.

[sheila]

I emailed Slug about this awhile back and he advised that as soon as pbase invests in some expensive software in the not too distant future, we will have the ability to check who is direct linking the images (and send them a bill )

Cheers
Sheila

[framewerkz]

There are some photos I don't remember ever direct linking myself, yet pBase reports "1 direct link since Jun 7, 2003" or whatever. http://www.pbase.com/wtang

Um, where might I find this? User profile? Main gallery page?

[sheila]

There are some photos I don't remember ever direct linking myself, yet pBase reports "1 direct link since Jun 7, 2003" or whatever. http://www.pbase.com/wtang

Um, where might I find this? User profile? Main gallery page?

Its directly under the Hits section on the main page of the image. I have 119 hits on http://www.pbase.com/image/1638196.jpg and I don't know why! Its an old Ixus or G2 photo I Photoshopped 18 months ago. I did give approval a long while back for a newsgroup to use my images so its possibly that.

Cheers
Sheila

[juliano]

I have 119 hits on http://www.pbase.com/image/1638196.jpg and I don't know why! Its an old Ixus or G2 photo I Photoshopped 18 months ago. I did give approval a long while back for a newsgroup to use my images so its possibly that.

Cheers
Sheila

Likewise, I had 786 hits in 2 months on one unremarkable image
http://www.pbase.com/image/17584324.jpg
and I really don't know why either ...

the Net is a vast ,unknown territory...
best
francis

[uncfleece]

just FYI, a hit will be added to this counter if someone even types in the URL of one of your photos with a .jpg at the end of the image ID. So, these counts may have happened on accident.

elise

[sheila]

Someone must really like my aboriginal didge player, Rodney as out of 432 hits, 33 of them were direct links.

http://www.pbase.com/image/14739381

I guess you just have to accept the fact that if your images are "out there", folk will download them. But an email asking would be nice!

Cheers
Sheila

[srijith]

I guess you just have to accept the fact that if your images are "out there", folk will download them. But an email asking would be nice!

But download is different from linking. By linking you are making the photographer or the hosting people pay for the bandwidth.

[srijith]

To get around this whole issue of illegal links,it would be nice if there was system in place wherein the album owner could specify the IP address or the domain name of the machine that can link to the albums.

Example: I link to my photos in pbase from my server srijith.net. So there should be a place in the account setting where I can specify that only request originating from srijith.net (or maybe the IP address, cos of virtual hosting issues) should be allowed direct link access.

This will give the user more control. Just knowing who is linking would not fully solve the problem, but I think this will.

[sheila]

To get around this whole issue of illegal links,it would be nice if there was system in place wherein the album owner could specify the IP address or the domain name of the machine that can link to the albums.

Example: I link to my photos in pbase from my server srijith.net. So there should be a place in the account setting where I can specify that only request originating from srijith.net (or maybe the IP address, cos of virtual hosting issues) should be allowed direct link access.

This will give the user more control. Just knowing who is linking would not fully solve the problem, but I think this will.

That sounds a good idea. So would I put my Internet Provider, in my case, Bigpond.com instead of your own server - in your case srijith.net in the account setting if Slug ever addresses this issue?

Cheers and thanks
Sheila