Securing online content and images

[Hippy]

Securing online content and images can it be done ?

The Internet is a great visual tool for displaying artwork and photos. However, because the source code for Web pages is easily accessible, there is no tried and true method to completely secure your copyright-protected work on the Internet,
other than not posting them,
any more than you can prohibit people from photocopying text in a book.
I've seen a variety of ways that people have used to block stealing of photos and artwork that are posted in Web pages.
One way is to disable the right-click,
another is to replace the good image with a bogus image on mouseover.
Both of these ways, at best, slow a visitor down.
Let me explain why each of these do not provide a good level of security for your online content and images.
Disabling right click I've seen many requests from people for script that disables the right-click on their Web pages.
Very often, someone has seen this on another Web site and thought it was a good idea for securing their own artwork or photos.
However, although a visitor doesn't have access to the right click for the page displayed, they generally do have access to the menu bar, and on the View menu, there is a Source option that allows people to open up the source code in a text editor, such as Notepad.
You may think that the source code isn't going to help them much, but it does. For example, say the following HTML code is in one of your pages, and this displays a photo that you took and are selling on your Web site.
<.img src="awardwinningphoto.jpg".>Viewing the source gives the visitor the name of the image file, and the path to the Web page gives the visitor the rest. So, say for example the path to the page where the above HTML occurs is "http://www.cohowinery.com/html/awardwinningphoto..htmAll someone needs to do is open up the file "http://www.cohowinery.com/html/awardwinningphoto.jpg in the browser, and once they view it in the browser, they can right-click on it and choose Save Picture As. Replace Image on Mouseover Another trick that Web designers and developers use to prohibit stealing of artwork and photos is to replace one image with another image when the visitor mouses over it. This also would seem to be great for securing online images. After all, if they can't right-click on the image and choose Save Picture As, they can't steal the image, right? However, as with the right-click, the best this does is slow them down. If someone really wants to steal an image, they can easily view the source and get the filename and path to the image, and do what I described above.
Then how can I secure my images?

Many Web designers and developer would answer that question by saying to not post the images, but if you make your living out of selling your photos or paintings, this may not be an option for you, so there are a few things that you can do.

Post lower quality graphics.

When someone tries to steal an image, they won't get a great quality picture, just a representation of what the image looks like. If they attempt to enlarge it, the quality will be poor enough to discourage even the most determined. Use a digital copyright. A digital copyright acts as a digital signature, and as with digital signatures, you need to purchase a digital copyright and use a graphics application to add it to your images. I'm no expert on this, so I won't even attempt to explain how it works or how to do it. Take a look at resources on line from experts if you're interested in using a digital copyright for your online content and images. If I understand this correctly, a digital copyright doesn't print but provides a legally binding way for you to recover loses if someone appropriates your intellectual property. Use a watermark on the image. A watermark is a usually text overlayed on top of an image, perhaps a copyright symbol, your name and the date. It will certainly discourage people from taking images, but it can also disfigure an image to the point where it may not be distinguishable. This option is my least favorite of the three. Why? If I want to print out a picture to see if it goes with my favorite bedspread or the couch in the den, the watermark disfigures the image to the point where printing it will not give me a good idea of whether the picture will work for me or not, making me far less likely to buy the finished product because I don't know if it's exactly right for what I want.While the information age does bring new problems and opportunities for people to cause harm, as you decide what is best for displaying your artwork, photos, and other online content, keep in mind that most who come to your site are just there to browse and perhaps shop and buy. Consider how you want people to use your site and provide needed security without inhibiting how visitors will use your site.

[Hippy]

Thank You Karen, For your reply to this ........Hippy....

[Sheri~]

People*
Don't you all think it is about time to get over yourselves*
I have always put my work out there for anyone who chooses to use it....
However, once again I will have to say that certain people are getting somewhat big heated & believe that in reality
" Own Up To What Is Yours "
and stop behaving like children.
I am so grateful that at least Hippy and Debi understand..
So go Look Into Your Own Mirror....
Enough Is Enough!!!
Those are my words and if you have any problem with them then please send me a message and you WILL GET A RESPONE*
? My last words are why in the heck are some people so darn
" Insecure>"
Tks to anyone who chooses to read this and again I welcome any discussions..
My work is free just so long as there is NEVER NEVER ANY
$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Made....

Get The Point****
My words may obviously not be as well written as Debi's, yet we still believe and stand for the same thing****

[Marie Bolt]

yes true

[Hippy]

No one has even said you dont deserive creadit for the themes you post ....But like some of them have said did you invint the code...some one tought you ,on top of what you have learned your self...but this is not the isue here ..., its the way the codes are put together and the end results that maters...the creaters of themes here do not care for the copy rights of there themes just the simple thank you for there trubble of aranging them to make it looks like it does when posted that maters ...and AGAIN NO ONE CAN MAKE ANY ONE THANK YOU FOR THE THING YOU DID WHAT EVER IT WAS TO COME UP WITH WHAT YOU POST FOR ALL TO ENJOY !!!You will get your Thank you from who ever if they are conseiderit to the person that posted the theme...I dont care who wrights the code and neather does the people that use them...Its how the code is put together and the end prosess that counts here for others to use for FREE ,WITH NO STRINGS ATTATCHED...other then the simple Thank Youif this is to much for you to handle then I know a site you will fit right in ...where every one only does what the B---- says to do and she will clame your stuff too if they just change one dot in your work...now lets .quit all this and get along and share FREELY .......Hippy....

[Hippy]

I would like to Thank all of you for posting your responce's to the matter...I hope we can all get along,and do what we like doing ,and that is to share what we can for others to enjoy for Free...Peace and Love to all of you.......Hppy.... Ps; have to give all the members here a great Big Thank you for being here ...I have seen a lot of theme sites come up sence I started this one ,and they sure look and preformlost better then any thing I haveever come up with...so it puzzles me that you wouldeven wont to be here at all....So Again Thank you for Sharing here with me and all the members here........Hppy....

[Debi wildflower]

I THINK MAYBE IF NONE OF US PUT OUR NAMES ON THE LAYOUTS WE MAKE THEN ALL THE SQUABBLES WOULD END. A THANKYOU IS NICE BUT OUT ON THE NET...HOW IS ONE TO KNOW WHO MADE WHAT GRAPHIC WHEN THERE ARE SOOOOO MANY DIFFERENT VARIABLES OF THE SAME GRAPHIC???? IT IS TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE!!! EVEN IN LINKWARE WHICH (I PERSONALLY USE FROM TIME TO TIME) ....I HAVE SEEN GRAPHICS BEING USED OVER AND OVER BY VARIOUS PEOPLE ... SO WHICH ONE CREATED THE GRAPHICS???? I DON'T KNOW!
I SPEAK TRUTH.... ANY & EVERYONE WHO CARES TO SEARCH FOR THEIRSELVES CAN VOUCH FOR THE STATEMENT I JUST MADE. TO SAY THANKYOU IS A COURTESY BUT NOT A REQUIREMENT. TO SHARE WILLINGLY IS TO SHARE WITHOUT ANY OBLIGATIONS OF THOSE ONE SHARES WITH. TO MAKE A DEMAND IS NOT SHARING. TO NOT SAY THANKYOU IS NOT BEING COURTEOUS. WHAT GOS AROUND COMES AROUND. WORDS ARE SIMPLY THAT! WE MUST BE THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE. THIS GO'S FOR ALL OF US. WE CAN AND WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CONTROL ANYONE OTHER THEN OURSELVES.... ABSOLUTE FACT!!! ANOTHER ABSOLUTE FACT IS ALL PEOPLE LEARN FROM EXAMPLE FASTER THEN WORDS. LIKE THE SAYING GO'S ...ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THEN WORDS. (WINK) WE CAN NOT CHANGE THE WORLD DIRECTLY WE CAN ONLY CHANGE OURSELVES. COMPLAINING AND CRITICISM ONLY CREATES MORE DYSFUNCTION. THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THINGS AND WAYS NOT TO DO THINGS. WE ARE ALL TEACHERS AND ALL LEARNERS NO ONE IS PERFECT. I AM SORRY IF I OFFENDED ANYONE FOR IT IS NOT MY WAY.....HOWEVER THE TRUTH IS WHAT IT IS AND NO ONE CAN CHANGE THAT!!! I CAN SEE MORE INTO ALL THIS THEN WHAT MEETS THE EYE... TO THINE OWNSELF BE TRUE!!! THE EYES CAN SEE BUT THE HEART DETERMINES THE VISION..WITH THAT BEING SAID .....
BB & HUGZZZ, DEBI
PS. SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS...NOT YELLING AT ANYONE (WINK)

[Melanie A Carroll]

Hippy this is so right, It is a shame but we are losing more and more of our rights in different ways every day. Not much we can do but just keep positive and stay true to our selves. It is a shame though 10 or more years ago privacy wasn't such a problem but we have put so many bills into act that a person doesn't really have such a word as "privacy" any more, sad to say. America changed a long time ago. I remember the day, we all do...

Hugs to all Melanie

[Hippy]

[AnGella]

I'm just catching this today.  I do mark my images and my code.  It's not my ego that causes me to do this.  When I use (cc) images or (c), I agree to attribute the parts I use in the whole image.  I add their names and I add my own as artists have done for centuries. 

 

This practice has nothing to do with ego, for me it has to do with my respect for the artist who is sharing their work with me and ultimately the user.  I mark them so that when some one sees that image on a page and they like it, they know where they can go to get it.  I label my codes so that if one day it no longer works, the person using it can find me to fix it, because I do write my own codes.  I opened the source code for my ning site as Hippy outlined above, and I found the HTML that corresponded to the CSS and I wrote my codes.  I didn't use the ones provided by Ning because they were more complicated.  I want my codes to keep working and I have had to write patches for them in the past when Ning makes changes.  This has mostly been for our Skinny Ning themes.  I share my codes and request you add the origin for this purpose.  If you don't, then it makes it harder for the user to fix it when or if it is broken... by Ning updates of course.  lol

 

I make many of my images and the ones I don't, I attribute as requested by the artist.  It isn't that hard for me to give them their props for the work they shared with me.  It also helps other designers find images they may wish to use in a different way.  I think if anyone bothered to look at all the links I provide, it might even help them see how I did it. 

 

In short, I am not an egotistical jerk, I am just trying to do things in a professional manner.

[Hippy]

[harobed]

This is alot of great info ,thanks!

[Lady Shadow)0(]

Thank you yes for this :)