[Hi Big,
I was sent this from the OJC digest.  (Operation Just Cause).  It is ferret
related when you go to the site and look under F; many of FML subscribers
are there.  You can search thru the rest of the alphabet for much more.
OutlawDook]
 
Arriba Vista is taking images from websites without permission.  They send
a search spider through your web site and they harvest every single image
that you have and they put those image names into a database.  When someone
there and does a keyword search, they are given thumbnails of your image,
and when they click the thumbnail, the full size image is generated (your
image from your site) and can be downloaded directly off of their web site,
which means the person never has to visit your site to see more or to
download the image.  To get the full size image, they pull it directly from
your web server.  They are indiscriminate about whose stuff they pull I
even found a 400K graphic being linked to from a photographers site :(
 
Go see if you can find any more of your sites graphics there and Gunny I
didn't find your site linked to Yet but you know a lot of people and can
let them know so they look for their stuff - I am having help but we are
few and their search engine is spider driven.  :(
 
We know this is bandwidth stealing.  If you aren't familiar with how web
hosts charge for bandwidth, they generally give you an allotted amount, and
if you go over that, they charge you more money for every MEG that you go
over.  Every time Arriba shows the full size image of your image, they are
using your bandwidth which can increase the cost of your web hosting bill.
Bandwidth should be for the people who actually visit your site, not this
kind of search engines who are making a profit off of your images.
 
Arriba Vista is putting all the websites they are pulling images from into
a very prime position to go over the allotted bandwidth allocation and
therefore will be charged more by their web host.  We are suggesting that
you go to http://www.arribavista.com/ and search keywords that you might
have in your site.
 
If you find your images there do two things write to them at:
[log in to unmask] and request that your images be removed immediately
and that your web site should be placed on the block list so that no
further of their search spiders enter and harvest your images.  Request for
detailed information on how you may prevent any further harvesting by their
search spiders.  Then rename your images and upload a graphic that can be
displayed instead *G*
 
Please let your friends who do web building know about this site too.  This
site is making money off a lot of peoples hard work and that is wrong.
Just check it out and if your work is there or your friends work is there
do not hesitate go into action.
[Posted in FML issue 2628]