Questions On Posting Photographs? Answers Appreciated.

[Liberalynn]

I love the photographs in the posts here, and I also love to post photographs too but have some questions, about posting them. I know that the answers are probably common knowledge to most, but I am still pretty clueless about them.

I have always read about direct linking being a "taboo" but am too technically illterate to know what "direct linking" actually means or entails, despite having been around the net since about 1998. So I usually just avoided posting photographs in the past. So can anyone explain this to me? So I don't inadvertently end up doing it.

Also is there specific sites to grab pictures of public figures from and ones to avoid in order to avoid serious copy right issues? I usually just use "Google" images to find them, and then post the fuller sized image. I know I have read in other posts that people have found images on "Google," too, so that's technically okay right?

Just making sure, and apolgize in advance for these amatuer questions. Thanks in advance for any answers and advice you can give this techno dolt.

[mykpart]

1. I'm kicking this, 'cause I want to know, too!

[Oeditpus Rex]

2. If you google a photo and then post it

from the URL where you find it, that's direct linking. You're linking to the host site, which means you're using that site's bandwidth because the image you post here is really only a link to the image on the host site. That's why it's considered taboo, though almost everybody does it (including me). :blush:

The technology of this forum allows that link to be displayed as an image — but it's really only an image of that image.

Does that make sense?

Think of it this way: Whenever you type a character on your computer, you don't actually "type" it as you would on a typewriter. There aren't any physical characters anywhere on your screen (unless you write on it). What is there is code that produces an image of the characters.

If you feel guilty about stealing bandwidth, you should use an image-hosting site such as Photobucket (http://www.photobucket.com). It's free, and you can store images there to post here or anywhere else without using other sites' bandwidth.

:hi:

[Liberalynn]

4. Thank you, that makes sense now.

I do have a Photobucket account, so I will start using that, to post here.

[displacedtexan]

3. I'll explain how I save, upload and post images later today...

... as soon as I finish reading the news and updating my blog.

Meanwhile, sign up for a free photobucket account and create
a folder called 'my pictures' (or whatever you want to call it)
on your computer.

[Liberalynn]

5. Thank you,

I do have a Photobucket account, so I will start using that to post pictures here.

[nickgutierrez]

6. Here's the answer:

The best way to do it is to upload the .jpg or .gif files - smaller, web-oriented file formats - to an image-hosting website, then link to it from there.

Direct linking from somebody else's server means that the file in question is being directed to this website straight from that other server, which can be a massive bandwidth hit when the website it's being posted to is as busy as this one. So, direct linking, (or, as it's called, hotlinking) is frowned upon.

I'm not fully up on the copyright issues - I just know that I'm probably ok if I use public domain sources like the AP or Reuters.

[Oeditpus Rex]

8. Wire service photos and stories aren't in the public domain

They're paid for by subscribing media.

This is why it's web etiquette to post no more than four paragraphs of a story, then a link to the rest. It isn't just about not making long posts, it's a copyright issue. Skinner could get in some deep kimchi if everybody posted wire stories in their entirety.

But you're still probably safe because AP, Reuters et al aren't likely to hunt down people who re-post their work, unless they do it a lot or as a commercial venture.

Edited to note the last paragraph refers to photos. I still wouldn't do it, but you're not likely to get busted for it.

[Liberalynn]

11. Thank you both

for the information on the copyright issue. It is also good to know the rules about not just the photographs but the articles too.

[ChoralScholar]

7. Photobucket also recently made this easier, by

being able to upload from URL. So, go to your site, get the URL, plug it into Photobucket and host it from there. Saves a step from the old way of saving it first.

[Liberalynn]

9. That is good to know.

It does sound a lot eaiser.

[Maestro]

10. I think you know how to post photos now, but

if you want your sig line to not have those img tags, use the direct url link in your sig not the tag code.

[Liberalynn]

12. Thank you,

I will do that. :pals: