AnimeSuki Forums

052569 · 2007-07-11, 19:31

When I provide an URL to an avatar, the forum actually downloads and caches it in the database. Is is possible to enable hot-linking to the URL instead?

This allows me to cycle the avatar image automatically with a script. My old solution was cron + symlinks, which works but is less than optimal. Since it only somewhat worked I was less enthusiastic.

I recently discovered PHP & mod_rewrite, and it works a lot better. It also allows automatic format & size conversions. Now that it really works, I'm keen to try it out.

***GHDpro*** · 2007-07-12, 02:02

There is no such option in vBulletin. And I think it's for a good reason: if we allowed off-site avatars anyone could use an avatar of any file size, as it would be impossible to verify it (I suppose avatar resolution could still be dictated as 100x100, so that wouldn't be a problem).

SeijiSensei · 2007-07-12, 07:32

This same idea (using a script to rotate avatars) occurred me once a few months back, but I decided it was a bad one. Even more of a concern to me than avatar size would be the security issues it raises. Letting members link to off-site scripts could expose the site to potential exploitation. It would take some doing, but I can see the potential for mischief here.

2007-07-11, 19:31	Link #1
052569 Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA	Allowing linked offsite avatar? When I provide an URL to an avatar, the forum actually downloads and caches it in the database. Is is possible to enable hot-linking to the URL instead? This allows me to cycle the avatar image automatically with a script. My old solution was cron + symlinks, which works but is less than optimal. Since it only somewhat worked I was less enthusiastic. I recently discovered PHP & mod_rewrite, and it works a lot better. It also allows automatic format & size conversions. Now that it really works, I'm keen to try it out. __________________ When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute--and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity. -- Albert Einstein

2007-07-12, 07:32	Link #3
SeijiSensei AS Oji-kun Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 74	This same idea (using a script to rotate avatars) occurred me once a few months back, but I decided it was a bad one. Even more of a concern to me than avatar size would be the security issues it raises. Letting members link to off-site scripts could expose the site to potential exploitation. It would take some doing, but I can see the potential for mischief here. __________________ Taking Anime Seriously - Politics by the Numbers - Sports by the Numbers - MAL List - Avatars - Images

2007-07-12, 02:02	Link #2
*GHDpro* Administrator Administrator Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Netherlands Age: 45	There is no such option in vBulletin. And I think it's for a good reason: if we allowed off-site avatars anyone could use an avatar of any file size, as it would be impossible to verify it (I suppose avatar resolution could still be dictated as 100x100, so that wouldn't be a problem).