Hotlinking Bastard Scum Retaliation… What Do You Think?

So, I just got myself a hotlink blocker, after noticing a few websites that have been pirating bandwidth off this site. (I got busy/lazy, and didn’t update, and the old plugin didn’t do enough, I guess.) Should I display this image (which I’m currentl using)?

Or should I get the old goaste.cx JPG and add a caption about how only assholes hotlink?

What do you think?

On the one hand, it’s a punishment to the hootlinker that seems fitting — but on the other hand, I guess it punisher’s that hotlinker’s readers more… especially, for example, in forums where the hotlinker might be long gone. Hmmmmmmm.

4 thoughts on “Hotlinking Bastard Scum Retaliation… What Do You Think?

  1. I’m setting up my website (again), and instead of causing possible traumas, I’m linking a custom image with “Hotlinking is for losers” and then some Creative Commons info for any hitlinking bastards out there. Some people are really (still!) just ignorant, so I opted for the softer choice of words. :D

  2. Gord,
    I suspect it’s one way to know you’re reaching people…. on some level… Being on blogspot, my bigger concern is getting credit for my work; hotlinkers, scrapers, and their ilk don’t always mention where it was they scraped it from… I’ve actually begun inserting links to myself within my own posts – sort of like how a hip-hop / rapper does his own shoutouts within the song. Seems to be working thus far.

  3. Okay, y’all convinced me to just put a banned hotlink image. I’ve noticed a few scrapers, but I don’t think there’s much one can do about those unless one has an RSS feed… or, as Chris points out, links to oneself! :)

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