In wiki it is extremely easy to use other peoples image resources for inclusion in your work through TransClusion.

While the outright "taking" of these images (and bandwidth) is usually inappropriate (an InvoluntaryTransclusion), what about thinking of the idea in an open "source" type of way.  By creating a BillBoard for and to the other site.  This means that instead of text pointing to the other site, in the form of a link, an image from their site is used as a link to their site. We then duplicate, in part, what small banner ads do in weblogs. Although, the current trend is for weblogs to move away from these banner type things, to text based ads.  

Is this BandwidthTheft?:
# Some are thrilled to be linked to in this manner.
# Some even promote the idea. [http://ranchero.com/netnewswire/badge.php]
# The provider gets to see their referrer logs. [http://meatballwiki.org/wiki/BillBoard#logs valuableStats]
# How much bandwidth do these images/banner use? 
# Banners would be appropriate for BillBoards, need to be explicitly oked for images.
# This practice is perfectly legit (ethically, not just legally), except maybe in a handful of special cases. 
# No logic behind complaining about the bandwidth -- most sites desire traffic, right? In most cases the increased traffic should be worth the bandwidth cost of what is effectively an ad.

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Examples of using images in a BillBoard manner:

Having this image --> http://www.greenpeace.org/images/greenpeace_3853_logo_en_GB.gif

linked to this site --> http://www.greenpeace.org/international

but as it seems this wiki doesn't have html turned on, I am not sure how to show you exactly, but hopefully this makes the point.

: The ProWiki software implements this as [http://www.wikiservice.at/prowiki/wiki.cgi?IllustratedLink ProWiki:IllustratedLink]  (name just invented). -- HelmutLeitner

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[#logs]Log statistics intepretation:

I have been asked by several commercial sites to host a few of their images since I could then provide them with effectively tailored 'viewing' statistics.  So far, I have not done much to meet their needs, so I don't even know what such a service might be worth. 

I would be interested in collaborating with anyone that wants to poke at this idea further.

An addendum with respect to the 'bandwidth' concerns:
* host site operators could be asked to explicit agree to the use of their bandwidth to serve such images, something I expect quite a few would agree to, especially if such images were relatively small (say less than 100k in size).
* I have used relatively small imbedded images that belong to my Clients, hosted at one of my own sites but imbedded in other content, to generate interesting business relationship statistics.  In this scenario, the cost of the bandwidth can be incorporated into the price of the reporting service.

-- HansWobbe

P.S. I added a link to this segment of this page, rather than placing my comments 'in-line' since that broke the automatic numbering sequence.  Sadly, I have not found a way of making a link to another part of a page without refering to the whole page in this usemod markup.  Can someone tell me if I am just missing something?  Alternatively, am I un-necessarily worried about reloading the page since the overhead of doing so is insignificant?

Hi Hans,  I think there are #anchors available in this wiki.

Thanks.  I did indeed find these #anchors, and am now trying to understand how they relate to the PermanentAnchor(s) that apparently we do not have, here at meatball. 

This is an interesting idea of why BillBoard's are not a good idea.  [http://www.macintouch.com/macmini04.html#jan21 Innumeracy]


This site uses an interesting term,  [http://www.oldamericancentury.org/gallery.htm hot-linking], it suggests it would be better for you to host the images elsewhere, but hot-linking is permitted.