A compelling argument for hosting images yourself

When you want to put an image on your website or blog, you can either host the image yourself or embed an image hosted elsewhere. Embedding an image from, say, Flickr or Youtube usually isn't going to cause you much trouble besides a blank space if it's removed. However, if you embed an image from someone else's personal or business site, you risk serious embarrassment if they decide you're just a leech. Case in point: this decidedly NSFW tale of website that brazenly copied another's design, even down to embedding the original's picture logo. Trust me, you don't want something like this to happen to you. Lesson: if you're going to borrow an image from someone else's site, place the copy on your own server and acknowledge the original source.