Thread: Hotlink Protection

Hi friends,

I'm trying to activate the Hotlink Protection in the cp. My sites are added correctly in the Allow Access list. The problem is that I get the Forbidden message when I click on a Gallery thumbnail on my site.
(no use checking the feature on my site as I have the protection disabled again).

The cp instructions are quite clear and just to make sure I have watched the tutorial as well. I don't think I'm doing any wrong, but maybe I'm missing something else, LOL.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Hmmm? L

Depends on how your pix are linked/loading.....if you loaded straight to the page, should be no problem, but you if used the URL method the associations are being prevented (I am pretty sure).

Thanks Vasili.

That made me think and experiment with a view options and the result worries me a bit. (Just for our fellow members: The Hotlink Protection in my cp is enabled for this experiment and these problems do not exist if the protection is disabled).

First: The pages I'm referring to is any one of properties for sale price range pages. I'm using the Gallery option that opens the image in a pop-up when clicking on a thumbnail.

Second: I then tried the various Target field option in the Gallery options dialog.
a) Popup: not working (opens url as you mentioned). Result = Forbidden.
b) Same browser window: Not ideal for me as the current window is an i-frame. Result = not looking great.
c) New browser window: I do not want image displayed in a large window.
d) Another window: Looks promising, but can't get it to open in a specified window. The problem here is also that it opens in a new window, BUT you can still link to the image from another site, even though my Hotlink protection was enabled.

Vasili, what is your take on Hotlink protection? Is it worth while enabling it?

The only other option I can use for the single images is to use the light box. It works okay with the hotlink protection enabled. It's only the popup giving problems with the protection enabled and opening the image in another window serves no purpose for the hotlink protection enabled.

I hope the above is clear enough to understand and I really value your inputs. Many thanks.

Originally Posted by Tom vR

Vasili, what is your take on Hotlink protection? Is it worth while enabling it?

I understand the logic behind it, and the urge to use it from all sides, but quite honestly, I am only using BV for certain types of websites nowadays based wholly upon how it builds in my mind using a "layered" aspect: everything BV includes now is really nice for the most part, but if you want to get into many of the "professional" functions and such, all to do-dads never seem to blend well.

If the concept of Hotlink was important to me for a website, I would seriously think about using a different foundation entirely (obviously the simplest to learn) that has many of the functions included that BV can only mimic, although unstable. For instance, the CMS foundations (like Joomla) is quickly gaining a lot of favor in my eyes, since it is dynamic php and has literally thousands of easy-to-install plug-ins available (including shopping carts), whereas only last year I would have tried to see how far I could tweak OSC......

Yeah....CMS is winning in my own mind, because it has so many of the stable integrated functions already there (like cart, gallery, downloads, eCommerce, etc.). I know this presents a challenge, but really look at Joomla, Tom. I am about ready to set aside the time to learn the thing myself, because I know it will pay off for me in the long run.

Thanks for the advice Vasili. I have never used anything else than BV, but was reconsidering using something like Front Page or Dream Weaver. I will now definately look into Joomla as well (Open Source right??). Can I still host here on VH with Joomla?

For now, I will rather go back to using the light box instead of using the gallery while enabling the hotlink protection.

Great advice about Joomla. Thanks again.

Yes, Joolma is OS, but despite the "Reviews" strewn about the net, from all my digging into things, it offers the most versatility (via plug-ins) and the easiest learning curve out there. I am definitely not prone to being a web-head this late in life, believe you me, but I think it the most obvious evolution for me from BV.

It is free via Fantastico! and I know if I ever get stuck, the throngs of "pros" on the Joomla Network can bail me out quickly and super-cheaply too (Lord knows, they charge an average of $500 for a fully loaded, over-configured totally tweaked out website, and when you consider buying a Flash template and getting one customized that can't do nearly 1/5 of what Joomla can, the prices being the same certainly do seem a no-brainer to switch!).

I have Dream, and it is no simple task to learn, Tom, not in the least. I have FrontPage also, but since it is no longer supported, it is no longer a consideration. I am considering buying Flash as a present for myself, but I really think I need to get wet with Joomla first....

C