diff --git a/res/include/md/about.md b/res/include/md/about.md index f308888..53d09e1 100644 --- a/res/include/md/about.md +++ b/res/include/md/about.md @@ -4,16 +4,27 @@ ## For how long will my files be stored? -Files will be removed if they have not been viewed for 120 days. A view is -counted when someone visits the file's download page (pixeldrain.com/u/somefile) -or views the file through a list the file is included in -(pixeldrain.com/l/somelist). +Files will be removed if they have not been accessed for 120 days. When a file +is downloaded the expiry time is reset to 120 days from the current day. This +only happens when someone downloads more than 1% of the whole file in a single +request. So if you have a 5 GB file the timer is only extended when you download +at least 50 MB. The expiry timer is not updated when it was already updated +within the last 24 hours. -If you upload a file while logged into your pixeldrain account you will be able -to delete the file yourself from the download page of the file. If you are not -logged in and you accidentally upload something you shouldn't have, just don't -share the link. The file will expire eventually. File links are not indexed or -published anywhere. As long as you don't share it nobody will see it. +File expiry is often seen as a downside of pixeldrain. But keep in mind that 120 +days is a very long time. Roughly four months. This means that you can keep a +file active for an entire year by only downloading it three times. Files which +are only very sporadically downloaded can stay online indefinitely. All this +time the file is using storage space and processing power on our servers, which +costs real money. + +If you would like to use pixeldrain for backups or long term storage, then the +free plan is _not the way to go_. It is only meant for publicly sharing files. +For real storage you should use the [pixeldrain filesystem](/filesystem). + +If you are (ab)using pixeldrain for free storage, you should not be surprised +when the rules change at some point and all your stuff suddenly disappears. That +would never happen when using pixeldrain's filesystem. ## What cookies does pixeldrain use? @@ -25,9 +36,9 @@ When you use the style selector on the [Appearance](/appearance) page a cookie called 'style' will be set. This cookie controls the appearance of the website for you. -When uploading a file pixeldrain will save a list of file links on your -browser's local storage. This data is **only** used for viewing your upload -history on the [history page](/history). +Pixeldrain does not use tracking cookies. We also don't use fingerprinting to +track our users. The only information that is saved is the information that you +manually enter or upload. ## How does the transfer limit work? @@ -63,6 +74,34 @@ transfer limit. If you want to limit how much of your transfer cap others can use then you can configure a limit on the [sharing settings page](/user/sharing). +If the person who downloads the file also has a premium account then their own +data cap will be used first. + +## How does hotlinking work? + +Hotlinking happens when someone downloads a file from pixeldrain without +visiting the pixeldrain website. This can be through embedding media files on +third party websites, or using download managers to download files directly. + +Pixeldrain has a "hotlink protection mode". This activates when we detect that a +file is being hotlinked while neither the downloader nor the uploader of the +file has a premium subscription. When this happens a CAPTCHA test will appear on +the file's download page, and the file can only be downloaded once the CAPTCHA +is solved. When enough people complete the test the hotlink protection will be +removed and the file can be downloaded normally again. + +There are two reasons why we implemented hotlink protection: + +File hosting services are often used to spread malware and other nefarious data, +hotlink protection makes it significantly harder for people to abuse the service +in this way. This was the original motivation for implementing hotlink +protection, it has been very effective at preventing digital attacks. + +Hotlinking also uses pixeldrain's bandwidth and processing power without letting +the user know that they are using pixeldrain. People who don't know that they +are using pixeldrain are less likely to purchase a premium plan. The download +page is our primary source of new customers, we need to make sure it is seen. + ## Will premium improve my download speed? No, the download speed is limited by the stability of the connection between diff --git a/svelte/src/file_viewer/viewers/RateLimit.svelte b/svelte/src/file_viewer/viewers/RateLimit.svelte index b67d4bd..a5dfc68 100644 --- a/svelte/src/file_viewer/viewers/RateLimit.svelte +++ b/svelte/src/file_viewer/viewers/RateLimit.svelte @@ -21,13 +21,10 @@ let file = { Hotlink protection enabled

- Hotlinking protection has been enabled for this file. This happens when - a file is downloaded many times outside of our file viewer page (this - page). Usually this means people are using download managers like - JDownloader 2, Aria2 or wget. Using a download manager circumvents - pixeldrain's advertisements and we lose money because of that. More - information about this protection mechanism can be found on the home page. + Hotlinking protection has been enabled for this file. This happens + when a file is downloaded many times outside of our file viewer page + (this page). You can find more information about hotlink protection + on the FAQ page.

{:else if file.availability === "ip_download_limited_captcha_required"}

diff --git a/svelte/src/home_page/FeatureTable.svelte b/svelte/src/home_page/FeatureTable.svelte index 1bec3f5..c4e3211 100644 --- a/svelte/src/home_page/FeatureTable.svelte +++ b/svelte/src/home_page/FeatureTable.svelte @@ -1,17 +1,6 @@
@@ -53,7 +42,10 @@ onMount(() => {
- Downloading + + info + Transfer limit +
6 GB per day
@@ -75,10 +67,10 @@ onMount(() => {
- +
Hotlinking not supported
@@ -102,10 +94,10 @@ onMount(() => {
- +
120 days (4 months) @@ -209,101 +201,6 @@ onMount(() => {
- -

- Files on pixeldrain have to expire eventually. If we didn't do this the - website would keep growing forever and we would run out of money pretty - quickly. -

-

- Pixeldrain uses a postponing system for expiring files. When a file is - freshly uploaded it gets 120 days by default (240 days if you have the - pro plan). After these 120 days we will check when the file was last - viewed. Files which are regularly viewed could still bring new users to - the platform, it would be rude to show these people a File Not Found - page. So if the file was viewed in the last 120 days we will simply - postpone the next check a month. If the file was not viewed however, it - will be deleted. -

-

- Views are only counted when someone visits the download page in a web - browser. This makes sure that users can see that the file comes from - pixeldrain. -

-

- This way we can minimize dead links, and you won't have to tell your - friends to 'hurry and download this before it expires'. -

- - - -

- Paying for bandwidth is the most expensive part of running pixeldrain. - Because of this we have to limit what can be downloaded and by who. -

-

- Normally when you view a file it's on pixeldrain's file viewer. The file - viewer is the page with the download button, the name of the file and a - frame where you can view the file if it's an image, video, audio, PDF or - text file. -

-

Rate limiting

-

- It's also possible to link directly to a file instead of the download - page. This circumvents our advertisers and branding and thus we lose - money when people do this. That's why I added 'hotlink protection mode' - to files. This mode is enabled when a file has been downloaded five - times more than it has been viewed through the file viewer. When hotlink - protection mode is activated a file cannot be downloaded through the - API, the request needs to come from the file viewer page. On the file - viewer you will see a CAPTCHA to fill in when you click the download - button. -

-

- More information about Hotlinking on Wikipedia. -

-

Hotlinking with a Pro subscription

-

- When you have a Pro subscription you will get a monthly data transfer - limit for all the files on your account combined. Files you download - from pixeldrain are subtracted from the data cap. If you have hotlinking - enabled your data cap is also used when other people download - your files. -

-

- In principle there is always someone who pays for the bandwidth usage - when a file is being downloaded: -

-
    -
  1. - If the person downloading the file has a Pro subscription their data - cap is used. -
    2. -
  2. - If the person who uploaded the file has a Pro subscription and - hotlinking is enabled on their account, then the uploader's data cap - is used. -
    3. -
  3. - If neither the uploader nor the downloader has a Pro subscription - the download will be supported by advertisements on the download - page. -
    4. -
-

- The bandwidth cap on your account is a 30 day rolling window. This means - that bandwidth usage will expire 30 days after it was used. Your counter - will not reset at the start of the next month. -

-

- When a list of files is downloaded with the 'DL all files' button each - file in the resulting zip file will be counted separately. -

- -