Quote from flowinmyboat
The only way I can see a solution to the problem is for all scan groups to get online readers, because a lot of people don't want to download, which is the only option most scanlators give.
Using readonline options in addition to downloads won't stop other online-reader sites from adding the project to their own collection. I've been offering readonline versions of my scanlations since late 2005. Few people bothered to right-click and save-as every single page, so they weren't shared much. The moment I started offering download links, those projects were everywhere. I think it's the download links that make it easy for others to nab the entire project and reupload it to their own sites. If scanlators started offering nothing *but* online versions, then they'd see a reduction in the amount of reposting. But they would have to do it in a way that both satisfies the netgeneration's need for built-in "readers" and the oldschool people's need for fast-loading time. The benefit of downloading is that you don't have to wait between pages because you already have the entire project on your computer. Using readers is like trying to watch a youtube vid with a bad connection - you have to wait every few seconds for the next tiny bit to load. Scanlators would also have to find an affordable host for all those pics since a lot of scanlators rely entirely on free file hosts to share the download links. If they're not even offering direct downloads, then the odds of them being able to afford readonline options is nill. We don't like ads or donations, right? So they'd have to pay for it themselves out of the goodness of their hearts. Few scanlators have that kind of money, especially for popular/long series that are going to require a lot of space and bandwidth. That may change as webhosting gets cheaper, since scanlators have proven they're more than willing to invest time and money into sharing their work with others, but right now it's not really feasible for any but the ad-heavy sites and those with a loyal fanbase willing to donate to help support them.