# I can't figure it out. How do I share links to photos from third party hosts, and is it OK for them to display inline? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 19, 2022, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660 "2022-05-19T03:56:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/1 "2022-05-19T03:56:03Z")
(For an example, see [this post](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lunar-eclipse-5-15/964481) where @beowulff shared a photo of last Sunday’s lunar eclipse.) So how do I share photos now that we’re on Discourse? @beowulff used Imgur for the photo I linked to here, but I would be using Flickr. Rather than me trying to copy someone else’s hyperlink character by character, can someone give me a simple explanation of how to do it? And does it make a difference which third party host I’m linking to? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/2 "2022-05-19T03:58:54Z")
Just paste the URL of the photo onto a blank line. For example; [[https://i.gifer.com/Akbi.gif](https://i.gifer.com/Akbi.gif)] (without the brackets) gives us this gif of WWE Superstar™ Sheamus performing an amusing dance; [![](https://i.gifer.com/Akbi.gif) ](https://i.gifer.com/Akbi.gif) Or, to reproduce the post you’ve linked to; [[https://i.imgur.com/5U8oCkK.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/5U8oCkK.jpeg)] = [![](https://i.imgur.com/5U8oCkK.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/5U8oCkK.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/3 "2022-05-19T04:08:18Z")
[Lurch] You rang? [/Lurch] Links to Flickr work, too. Just go you your Flicker photo stream, and right-click on the image you want to share, and then copy the URL, and paste it into your SDMB post. I have found that not all sites correctly preview on SDMB, but Imgur and Flicker do. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/4 "2022-05-19T07:03:06Z")
Thanks all! ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/5 "2022-05-19T08:47:55Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > For example; > > [[sheamus GIF on GIFER](https://i.gifer.com/Akbi.gif)] (without the brackets) > > gives us this gif of WWE Superstar™ Sheamus performing an amusing dance; > > Or, to reproduce the post you’ve linked to; [![](https://i.gifer.com/Akbi.gif) ](https://i.gifer.com/Akbi.gif) Finally. What we all dreamed the Straight Dope could become. The half-century Fight is over. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/6 "2022-05-19T08:58:00Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Finally. What we all dreamed the Straight Dope could become. The half-century Fight is over. ![](https://c.tenor.com/N6ekg6goPXMAAAAC/shocked-sheamus.gif) “Dey shoulda sent a poet, fella.” ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/7 "2022-05-19T11:11:27Z")
Back in the day, hotlinking was widely frowned upon, primarily because it uses the host’s bandwidth to display an image elsewhere at the host’s expense. (In other words, as I understand it, the images shown here are linked directly to other servers on the internet, rather than being downloaded and served up by SDMB/Discourse image servers.) Notwithstanding SDMB policy, has this attitude been generally relaxed? I am wondering if it gets a pass here because SDMB view counts are usually going to be pretty small. If so, would the practice and policy be different if SDMB threads tended to get millions of views? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/8 "2022-05-19T11:42:29Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Rather than me trying to copy someone else’s hyperlink character by character… Good answers re including photos/gifs in posts, but I’m confused by the phrase in the op, “character by character.” Surely, you know how to drag your cursor across any text you want to copy, hit “control-c” (or go to the edit dropdown menu and choose “copy”), then insert your cursor where you want the text to appear and hit “control-v” (or “paste” in the edit menu)? No one ever needs to do anything “character by character” – have I completely misunderstood? Don’t mean to insult your intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/9 "2022-05-19T12:05:35Z")
Just be glad @Smapti didn’t use the icon where he wears a Seamus mask over himself dressed as a terrorist. There’s also a worm involved… I usually go through a period of trials whenever I intend to post an image. First, I’ll right-click the image and select “Open in new tab.” Then I’ll right-click the new image and select “Copy Image.” Sometimes the image will show in preview, but won’t post because Discourse flags it as embedded. So, I’ll try “Copy image address” and paste that into the post. Sometimes, Discourse will flag that as embedded as well. If that happens, I’ll copy the URL of the image (that was opened in a new tab) and paste that. That usually works. If it doesn’t, I’ll download the image, load it into my Google Drive, then copy the url from the Share link. It’ll post a thumbnail that the reader has to click to see the full sized image, but it’s better than nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/10 "2022-05-19T14:54:29Z")
I thought we had, or used to have, a rule against posting animated GIFs. Is that still in effect? > [@Can you post a GIF in a comment?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-post-a-gif-in-a-comment/938614): > > Can you post a GIF in a comment? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/11 "2022-05-19T16:21:05Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Is that still in effect? Nope. > [@Animated graphics in posts now OK](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animated-graphics-in-posts-now-ok/945025): > > After discussion, we’ve tentatively decided to allow animated graphics in posts. (We’ve been breaking links to animations up till now.) Please don’t make us regret we did this. Please, no animations in avatars. Not sure if that’s even possible, but if it is, don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/12 "2022-05-19T16:36:41Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/13 "2022-05-19T23:07:15Z")
Excellent! Thanks for all the help. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-figure-it-out-how-do-i-share-links-to-photos-from-third-party-hosts-and-is-it-ok-for-them-to-display-inline/964660/14 "2022-05-20T10:19:46Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Just be glad @Smapti didn’t use the icon where he wears a Seamus mask over himself dressed as a terrorist. There’s also a worm involved… What, you mean this one? [![](https://live.staticflickr.com/1634/24134445671_9ba353a900_c.jpg) ](https://live.staticflickr.com/1634/24134445671_9ba353a900_c.jpg) (I promise it makes sense in context.)