It's getting harder and harder to find websites willing to host your pictures for you, particularly for free. If you want to give it a go, here are some tips.

First, you have to find a website willing to host your pictures:

• If you're lucky, you can find a free site that lets you upload pictures, but this is getting increasingly difficult.
• Your Internet access subscription may come with free image hosting. You can contact your ISP to find out availability and details on how this works.

Second, you have to make sure your image host allows other websites (such as Xanga) to "remote-link" to those images they host for you. Some websites allow images to be viewed only while the visitor is on that website, and "remote-block" access to those images when the visitor is accessing an image from another website:

• Some websites have a blanket policy to remote-block all websites from accessing their images.
• Some websites just hate Xanga, and remote-block images just from visitors at Xanga.

Third, you have to actually upload the images to your image host. Please visit the website of your image host for details.

Finally, you have to link your Xanga site to the image you're hosting on another server.

Here's what you need to do:

• Sign in and click on "New Weblog Entry" (or edit an existing entry) .
• Click on the "Photos" tab above the Editor toolbar.
• Select the "Link" option on the left, then type in the Photo Location (URL) of the image.
  
  Here's how to find the URL of the image you want to use:
  
  • If you use Internet Explorer on a PC: Right click on the image and select "Properties". A pop up window should appear that contains the URL of your image (next to the "Address" or "URL" heading)
  • If you use Netscape on a PC: Right click on the image and select "View Image". You should be taken to a web page that shows only your image. The URL of that page (in the address bar of your browser) is the URL of your image.
  • If you use Mozilla: Right click on the image and select "Copy Link Location."
  • If you use a Mac: Click and hold on the image, then choose "Open Image in New Window". You should be taken to a web page that shows only your image. The URL of that page (in the address bar of your browser) is the URL of your image.
• Click "Submit" to add the image to the entry. 
  • If you're using Internet Explorer, Xanga will automatically add the picture to your Weblog Editor window and you'll see it immediately.
  • Some browsers may not automatically add the picture to your xTools Editor window. If so, you will be prompted to cut-and-paste some HTML into your Weblog Editor window. Go ahead and do that.
• The photo has now been added! Finish your entry, and click "Save Changes" to publish it!

Check your regular private site to make sure the image is working. If it isn't working and all you see is a red-X, please read this for common reasons your remote-image hosting won't work.