Forum Hotllinking is using another site's image URL to display the image in a post on another site. For example one uses the image URL of another site's image to display it in a post here. It's not fair or courteous to make the other site pay to host the image for us to display here. This costs the other site actually hosting the image money in the form of bandwidth. Not only do they have to pay to have the image displayed on their site but ours as well.
Hotlinking has cost OUR site a good amount of bandwidth. We've been paying for other site's posts in their forums. In the past it cost us as much as 1/5 of our bandwidth. We pay and the hotlinker gets a free ride. Bandwidth costs money.
Hotlinking will NOT BE TOLERATED!
If hotlinking is found or reported the user will receive one warning. The second offense will result in a temporary ban. If this is not enough deterrent it will result in the member being permanently banned.
I know this sounds harsh but just as we expect other sites to show us respect and courtesy we should extend the same to them. It's only fair.
If the other site does not mind download the image then upload it here.