InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "COME FLY WITH ME"

Dawn (racetrack) wrote,
@ 2009-04-02 16:36:00

Entry tags:

graphics: frakkingcylon, rl: wtfery

Free Accounts w/Photobucket/Icon Limit Stuff.
So I was going through some of the icon makers out there that I commonly use for searching for PBs, and I'm finding a VERY startling trend. I've counted 10 different icon-makers who currently have "used" 25 gig of bandwidth (some in half a month; some with a week left). That's what you get with a free account with Photobucket. I just don't see how THAT many icon-makers are spiking over 25 gig of traffic, ALL in the same month. It just sounds... fishy.

Straight from the website. "Huge Bandwidth - Up to 25 GB of monthly traffic. Bandwidth is reset every month."

I currently have all of my icons on my own domain, so in looking at my detailed bandwidth usage. Over the two years I've used the domain, my icons have steadily gone up and up. Now I realized that my icon journal is not as popular as most others -- and that is no problem -- but last month, but icon's bandwidth usage JUMPED four gig. Might not seem like a lot, but when you consider that it's been pretty steady at 11.5-12.95 gigs, that's a huge jump. So. I went to look, and there's a few xanga (peacocks, yours are on one of these too) websites hotlinking, some forums, and some random other places. It's not a lot, actually. But it got me thinking...

I really don't think that icon-makers are going over 25 gig of bandwidth on their own, and I really wish I could take a look for y'all and see where the traffic was going. You can do a site:url search on Google (Google images seems to be the best way to go about that). I found that spock has a handful of people hotlinking from MySpace and a proboard. I don't know how often Google caches things though. And I also have no answers for those with free accounts. Obviously, you can lock the folders, but there's nothing to stop people from leeching your bandwidth with the right url, short of changing every single URLs address. I hope that I'm wrong about that. Anyone know if changing your folders to private/password protected keeps people from actually using the direct links to hotlink?

The other option is that Photobucket messed up on free accounts this month and somehow set EVERYONE's bandwidth lower or just had a hiccup. With as many people who have had the hiccup, I think questioning them might be an option. I realize it's free, but they may not be aware that something is messed up. It's all in how you go about it, so be nice if you decide to. XD

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vanya_elda
2009-04-02 05:52 pm UTC (link)

Yeah. I smell horse shit. I'm used to getting pinged by Photobucket about bandwidth near the end of the month on my first Photobucket for icons which has upwards of 35,000 icons. It became a monthly occurrence so I made a second Photobucket for icons which has maybe 5,000-6,000 icons right now. For March, I got pinged about the bandwidth on the NEW account but got no ping on the old account which is roughly 7 times in size.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	racetrack 2009-04-02 06:16 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, see. I totally call shenanigans too. I wonder if maybe they're all on the same server? And maybe that server is having issues? (Reply to this) (Parent)

	poems 2009-04-02 06:00 pm UTC (link)
	MINE? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	racetrack 2009-04-02 06:14 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, your Kelli Garner icons (that's how I found it, they were hotlinking a couple of mine). Only two or three, but it really depends on how often people are looking at a website. I know that Jen had some issues with hers, though I didn't find any hotlinkers for mine with hers. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	poems 2009-04-02 06:15 pm UTC (link)
	Wow. That's so strange! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	prefect 2009-04-02 06:26 pm UTC (link)
	The funny thing is I went way over 25GB last month but my links never stopped working. So I think it must have just been a glitch. Though 9 days into this month and I've already used 2.5GB. So hmm! (Reply to this)

	lolo 2009-04-02 07:00 pm UTC (link)
	I wouldn't even know where to find my bandwidth useage on photobucket. And.. I honestly have no flippin clue what my password is for it either, because it's saved into flock which is what I use for uploading. Though I do have all my posts on the community locked, so maybe that helps keep hotlinking down shrugs I've never actually paid attention to that. >> (Reply to this)

	vimes 2009-04-03 12:07 am UTC (link)
	Ugh. (Reply to this)

	lespommesau 2009-04-03 06:02 pm UTC (link)
	You'd think how easy it is today to make your own photobucket or other hosting account people wouldn't hotlink. I wouldn't doubt photobucket is having some problems. Also, your icons are pretty popular. I always seem them suggested for PBs in the RP comms. (Reply to this)

	omystarling 2009-04-14 10:05 am UTC (link)
	DAWN ADD MY NEW JOURNAL PLZ. :) (Reply to this) (Thread)

	racetrack 2009-04-14 10:19 am UTC (link)
	I will, I will! Wait. Who is this? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	omystarling 2009-04-14 10:21 am UTC (link)
	Chel! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	racetrack 2009-04-14 10:21 am UTC (link)
	AHA! I knew it looked familiar! runs off to add! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	omystarling 2009-04-14 10:23 am UTC (link)
	Huzzah! ;* (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	racetrack 2009-04-14 10:25 am UTC (link)
	And DONE. Now it's YOUR TURN! XD (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	omystarling 2009-04-14 10:28 am UTC (link)
	I gotcha sweet-cheeks! (Reply to this) (Parent)