Question for Internet gurus re: [img] function

[Paddy]

How can a link to a photo placed inside the brackets change, morph, or be redirected to a different photo?  The specific link I'm referring to is [note: this is the link, with spaces included to keep it from being a live link: h t t p : / /w w w. c o ur t e r.o r g/ g u n s/ rifles/m44l.jpg] which will initially show a photo of a Mosin M44, but subsequently become something else.

How does this happen?

Edit:  I initially entered the link in this post.  After submitting, I clicked on the link and got a different photo.  The website where the photo appears apparently redirects live links to another, offensive photo.

[Justin]

If you're linking it from a website that isn't yours, all the person has to do is upload a new image with the same exact file name to that location.

It's a common tactic for thwarting bandwidth theft.

[Paddy]

Ok Justin, that explains it then.  Posting that link to the M44 just got me banned from THR.

[Gewehr98]

Common tactic, especially on e-Bay and other online sales forums. I had a similar problem, but it was somebody using a link to one of my own hosted images for a gun they had on sale at www.Gunsamerica.com.  I considered switching the image to something less attractive as a reminder to the bandwidth thief, but didn't want to cause collateral damage.  Luckily, a quick email to the individual was all it took to change the image to their own, vs. the one of my gun.  

If that's why you were banned from THR, I'd at least bring the circumstances back to the moderators there for reconsideration.  True, you linked to somebody else's website for an image, but you had no control of what file they substituted afterwards...

[Gewehr98]

As a footnote, I just entered that URL, removing the spaces, and got a nice picture of a M44 Mosin-Nagant carbine.  I'll not do the thing here, because it probably does redirect to something less attractive. Maybe Oleg can take a look and see what you were trying to convey as far as the original intent of your posting on THR.

[Paddy]

The picture of the Mosin is what I intended to post, it was replaced by something else.  I just received an email indicating I'm unbanned.  Thank you, Oleg.  It was a misunderstanding; however I've learned my lesson about posting live links to other websites content.  I did not know I was a bandwith thief and it won't happen again.

[cordex]

They appear to allow a single use from a given external referrer but after that, they point to a ... slightly less attractive image.

[Oleg Volk]

RileyMc has been un-banned. We figured out that no ill intent existed.

[Guest]

I hope it wasn't the one some gal got me with a couple of years ago.

[Gewehr98]

I'm trying to find the thread over on THR.  RileyMC doesn't show up as a username there, however.  

[mtnbkr]

Just about every ISP gives it's users multiple megabytes of web/ftp space.  Put images there and link to them.  No bandwidth issues then.

Or, run an old PC as a webserver from your broadband connection and put your images there.  The only problem with that is that during periods where your files are getting viewed a lot, your internet connection will slow down.

Chris

[garrettwc]

Or, run an old PC as a webserver from your broadband connection and put your images there.  The only problem with that is that during periods where your files are getting viewed a lot, your internet connection will slow down.

Hey Chris, I was wondering about this. How would you point to the webserver on your home network? I have been reading all the tech stuff for our local broadband provider and they use dynamic IP addresses. Static address is available but comes at a big premium. Do you have to pony up the extra $$ for the static address?

[mtnbkr]

Here's how I do it...

I have my server on my internal network.  I'm running HTTP and SSH.  On my DSL Router (not the modem, but a Netgear Router), I enabled Port Forwarding and pointed any HTTP and SSH traffic to the IP of my server.  What that does is take any traffic going to my public IP 4.4.4.4 (not real IP) on port 80 to port 80 on my webserver.  To get around the dynamic IP issue, I set up a free account with dyndns.org and created a DNS entry that points to my IP.  I then set my router to update dyndns.org whenever my dynamic IP address changes.  Theoretically, I should only have to remember my domain name and not the IP, but it doesn't always work properly.  Since I mainly use it for family and private stuff, it's not a huge issue.  If I were running it for general public consumption, I'd probably go static or get a "paid" account with dyndns.

http://www.dyndns.com/

I use an older version of this router: http://www.netgear.com/products/details/MR814.php

Chris

[garrettwc]

Well ain't that just the slickest thing ever. Never occured to me that you could set the router to ping a DNS service and upate your IP.  Thanks for the idea.