Calling Images from OTHER Online Locations – Pros and Cons?

  • Resolved BothHands

    (@bothhands)


    10 years ago

    I’m building my first WP site using the Themify Basic theme (with built-in Themify ThemeBuilder). I’m working on a localhost using XAMPP.

    The Themify tools enable easy use of “shortcodes”, one of which installs an IMAGE into the Post and enables calling that image from any online location. So rather than uploading the image into my WordPress Media Library, I can use a URL pertaining to some other directory outside the WP environment.

    So far, I don’t like how WP tosses all my media assets into a single “Library” with no sub-directories. I see there are plugins for establishing sub-directories, but I’m trying to keep my plugins overhead to a minimum…

    QUESTION 1
    Is it possible to call images from online locations outside the WordPress installation BY MEANS THAT ARE ALREADY BUILT INTO WORDPRESS?

    QUESTION 2
    Is there any danger in calling images from elsewhere? A security danger? Or is it more secure this way? Does this weaken the structure/organization of the site, or does it strengthen it?

    I’d appreciate ANY advice on this

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
  • kmessinger

    (@kmessinger)

    I don’t like how WP tosses all my media assets into a single “Library” with no sub-directories

    They should go to uploads and then be sorted by month.

    Is it possible to call images from online locations outside the WordPress installation BY MEANS THAT ARE ALREADY BUILT INTO WORDPRESS?

    Yes but many sites will be set so you can’t do that. It is called hot linking and as far as I know not one of the best practices as you will be using that sites bandwidth.

    Also the images will probably load much slower and you would need to watch out for copyright issues.

    kmessinger

    (@kmessinger)

    If you are going to call them from your own directory on the same server WP is on then it would work fine. They just won’t be in your image library.

    Thread Starter BothHands

    (@bothhands)

    Thanks for helpful replies, kmessinger.

    Of course you’re right: uploads are stored by year/month…and maybe that’ll turn out to be all I really need.

    The “off-site” images would be my own, and would likely just be stored in a directory (with sub-directories) within my hosting account – just not inside the WordPress installation itself.

    In that case, I’m assuming retrieval of the images from the “outboard” directories would occur at the same speed as the WP site itself is served up… Would that be a reasonable assumption to make?

    I don’t want to implement this if it’s going to cause problems/complications down the road. And ESPECIALLY if it’s likely to cause any SECURITY weakness…

    kmessinger

    (@kmessinger)

    That is a reasonable assumtion

    It should cause no security issues in itself.

    Thread Starter BothHands

    (@bothhands)

    Thanks for these insights.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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