Red Cross

[beano500]

Maybe this should be in website feedback. But I'll start here.


You know how sometimes the "[ pic ]"...."[ /pic ]" linking doesn't work?

You just end up with a red cross.

I've tried linking a few shots from Webshots recently and ended up with this.

Of course, I can see it - but then it dawns on me that no-onwe else gets it.

I've tried making doubly sure the image is in a Webshots PUBLIC place. And picking up the link when I am logged out as a Webshots user, so that I know it should work.

So what's the answer? I know we've covered this one somewhere before, but why doesn't it work for me?

For example - what do YOU get here:

[FourWheelDrift]

This is what I see.

[robertuk]

I guess it might have to do with company policy on external or 'hotlinking'.
( Nothing to do with pistonheads )

When you get a free online photo gallery the idea is you email friends the link and they visit.
The website has branding on all the pages and some visitors may sign up with them. Your friends/relatives may purchase some of the photos online (especially if they are in the shot!) and the company generates £££.

When you just link to the image,
you bypass all the branding.
Since they are paying for the web hosting,
they do not like this practise.

Most companies now prevent hotlinking.
(quite easy to do )
Images that worked before, will no longer appear on external sites.

Some companies have a logo/website address on the actual image (like fotango). So even if its displayed in a place like pistonheads, people know.

R


>> Edited by robertuk on Saturday 26th February 13:43

[GetCarter]

I see a shark.

[beano500]

GetCarter said:

I see a shark.

Well why doesn't everyone else then?

(It's a black tip reef shark - and I love the pic even though it's murky 'cos it freaks Mrs Beano out everytime when she thinks how close it was!! )

[FourWheelDrift]

Possibly only people who have logged into Webshots themselves during a current internet session can see it?...maybe?

[GetCarter]

I'm almost certainly wrong here... but might firewalls be an issue (I'm using one, and can see the shark - but I get a lot of red crosses unless I turn the firewall off)

<< ducks for cover as people tell me I'm wrong.

Nice pic BTW Beano... and If I haven't mentioned... how dare you nick the name of my first dog!

[HankScorpio]

Maybe Mr Carter is signed in to the hosting page or has that pic in his local cache.

But maybe not.
I can view the file as a direct request:
http://image36.webshots.com/36/3/7/32/281530732OwSVZk_ph.jpg
but still doesn't show in here.

Maybe it's something to do with the new thing that resizes images to 750 on here and it's interaction with the host..? (clutching at straws)

But if I host it at 800 wide, I get it showing OK at 750 on here.



Must be the interaction between PH and webshots...

[HankScorpio]

But I now also get it in the top post after going out and coming back in so must be a cache/reffer issue.

Talk about thinking out loud!

[GetCarter]

HankScorpio said:

Maybe Mr Carter is signed in to the hosting page or has that pic in his local cache. ...

nope - neither

[GetCarter]

Just to confirm... never even heard of webshots, and never seen this pic before. (My computer is brand new, so I'd have to have seen it in the last week or so).

I do however regularly see pics that other poeple say have 'red crosses'. Absolutely no idea why.

..so I've posted a link to the PH computer forum... they are such clever gits in there... and now I'm intregued.

(still can't spell though)

link to gits thread here www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=95&t=158903



>> Edited by GetCarter on Saturday 26th February 15:25

[rich 36]

Look out shark...

[GetCarter]

Ted has spoken.

[robertuk]

I spoke but no one listened !
(see my post above)

see, anti-hotlinking told you guys

:-)

R

[HankScorpio]

Earlier I said:

so must be a cache/reffer issue.

I said it too!! OK, can't spell referer but you get the jist.
I too have protection and only allow nice forums to display inline.

Not sure how you get it Steve, only thing I can think of is that if you were using a proxy, someone else may have downloaded it in to the proxy cache and you get it from there.
Other than that, I'm foxed....

[GetCarter]

HankScorpio said:

Earlier I said: so must be a cache/reffer issue. I said it too!! OK, can't spell referer but you get the jist. I too have protection and only allow nice forums to display inline. Not sure how you get it Steve, only thing I can think of is that if you were using a proxy, someone else may have downloaded it in to the proxy cache and you get it from there. Other than that, I'm foxed....

hmmm... but I always seem to see pics when others see red crosses. Maybe I'm just lucky.

[HankScorpio]

Just as a public service, I offer PH friendly hosting for the odd image if anyone wants to use it. Also resizes to forum friendly 700 wide too

www.hankscorpio.com/publicgallery/

[HankScorpio]

Just to be clear, not "odd" as in wierd!!

[seaton]

beano500 said:

For example - what do YOU get here:

[beano500]

seaton said:

Brilliant!


Well thanks for the ideas chaps! I'm that much wiser than the start of the day!