strange image problem - how does this work?

[Mark]

First of all, I realize that what I'm doing doesn't fall under most
people's list of best practices.

I have a page that I've put together that displays images of weather
maps. Each image is a link to the source's web page. I've started
seeing a really interesting problem with using an image from The
Weather Channel's website. The image I use for my link gets replaced
by a different image that has text on saying something to the effect
of "the image you have requested is not available". Yet, I can paste
the image's URL into my browser address and the image will appear just
fine.

How does this happen? And, is there any way to stop it?

(If any of you are asking why I set my page up this way, I did it so
that when I open the page I see the most current maps at that time
which is more helpful to me to get a quick glimpse of whats going on
and then I can open a website that I want more detailed information
from.)

- Mark

 

[rf]

First of all, I realize that what I'm doing doesn't fall under most
people's list of best practices.

I have a page that I've put together that displays images of weather
maps. Each image is a link to the source's web page. I've started
seeing a really interesting problem with using an image from The
Weather Channel's website. The image I use for my link gets replaced
by a different image that has text on saying something to the effect
of "the image you have requested is not available". Yet, I can paste
the image's URL into my browser address and the image will appear just
fine.

How does this happen?

They have found out you are stealing their bandwidth and have stopped you


Probably they are looking at the referrer and if it is not their web site
then a dummy image is served up.

And, is there any way to stop it?

Nope. It's their server, they can do what they want at their end.

Cheers
Richard.

 

[Disco]

How does this happen? And, is there any way to stop it?

Find out you IP of your site... eg...

if you are www.cheakywebsitethatusesotherpeoplesbandwidth.com, then ping
cheakywebsitethatusesotherpeoplesbandwidth.com and get the ip address.

Now, instead of
http://www.cheakywebsitethatusesotherpeoplesbandwidth.com/imagespage.html,
use the ipaddress like this... http://111.222.11.22/imagespage.html

Now, if the images on that page work, then you know that they do not like
you. Write to them a letter that you will come over and wash their car.
This may make it up to them.

 

[Jacqui or (maybe) Pete]

First of all, I realize that what I'm doing doesn't fall under most
people's list of best practices.

I have a page that I've put together that displays images of weather
maps. Each image is a link to the source's web page. I've started
seeing a really interesting problem with using an image from The
Weather Channel's website. The image I use for my link gets replaced
by a different image that has text on saying something to the effect
of "the image you have requested is not available". Yet, I can paste
the image's URL into my browser address and the image will appear just
fine.

I can link to eg
http://image.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_277x187.jpg no
problem, but larger images such as
http://image.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_600x405.jpg are being
blocked at their end (like Richard said).

 

[Csaba2000]

I can link to eg
http://image.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_277x187.jpg no
problem, but larger images such as
http://image.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_600x405.jpg are being
blocked at their end (like Richard said).

Curious. Even the larger image was not blocked on my IE 5.5

 

[rf]

Curious. Even the larger image was not blocked on my IE 5.5

May well be blocked by IP address range.

Cheers
Richard.