[wp-docs] Hotlinking Images from the Codex

[Lorelle VanFossen]

The Template Hierarchy article featured a hotlinked image added recently 
from ScoutPress. 
http://codex.wordpress.org/Template_Hierarchy#Visual_Overview . I have 
some concerns over the issue of hotlinking images from the Codex:

1. Hotlinking images is bad manners no matter who does it and why. There 
is plenty of room on the Codex storage space to add more images to the 
Codex, so why not store them there? Or should we?

2. Hotlinking the image steals bandwidth and can take longer for pages 
to load. Why bother?

3. It isn't pretty when the image overwhelms the page and the visitor 
has to scroll around inside the iframe to see it. And due to its size, 
scroll a long ways past it to get to the rest of the content. Just ughly.

As it stands now on that article, I've put a thumbnailed (but large 
enough to be visible) image in, replacing the huge version. My version 
has been uploaded to the Codex. There are two links to view the full 
size image that cause the visitor to leave the Codex in order to view 
the image, though they could just download it from the original author's 
site for viewing later, remaining on the Codex.

The decisions we need to make in order to form some policies around such 
wonderful but questionable offerings are:

1. Should we permit hotlinked images from the Codex?
2. How should links to offsite viewing of full size images be featured, 
advising the reader that the link will take them off the Codex?
3. I haven't found a way to create an automatic thumbnail with MediaWiki 
to a hotlinked offsite image file. I had to create a thumbnail and 
upload it to the Codex first. This is double effort. Anyone had any 
success in this?
4. What other technical and "moral" aspects do we need to consider for 
including a hotlinked image or offsite content in the WordPress Codex?

Opinions? Advice?

-- 
Lorelle VanFossen
On the Road
Taking Your Camera on the Road - http://www.cameraontheroad.com/
Family History Blog - http://www.cameraontheroad.com/family
Lorelle on WordPress - http://lorelle.wordpress.com/