QUOTE (Ed-Kay @ Jun 20 2008, 09:59 AM)

What is "hot linking"?
HERE IS the description provided by XRS to someone else who had the same question you've asked. That link will especially explain to you why it is frowned upon.
In short, however, it's attempting to use an image by using a URL directly to the original provider of that image. You are (inadvertently, I'm sure) consuming that person's/entity's server to store the image, and the bandwidth (traffic) required to transmit the image from their server to the site where you've tried to post the image. They may have other uses for that bandwidth that they are paying for.
There are many ways to avoid doing this, and among them is using an image site such as photobucket.com
You can download to your own computer images you are trying to use, then upload them to your "album" in photobucket, and PB provides you with the code to insert in your RRMB post to produce the desired image. In addition, and even for those who have not registered, photobucket also has a large, searchable database of images - from all the members - that you can use the same way.
If I need a picture of a hot girl in a bikini, I go to photobucket.com, search "hot bikini," and I select from the 100's of offerings. I double click on one I like, copy the IMAGE CODE provided (one of 4 codes offered) then paste it in my message thusly.

photobucket is free. "Jessica," however, is not.