Why does the system download local copies of images?

Support
1

I made a topic in the DevForums, but I’ve encountered this:

image

and I have questions:

  1. Why they automatically download local copies of images?
  2. Why it always start with upload:// and ends with .png?
  3. What is it meant to be used in Discourse?
2

I am sure there are many but in checking the Discourse settings for a site found

download remote images to local

Convert remote (hotlinked) images to local images by downloading them; This preserves content even if the images are removed from the remote site in future.

3

Because downloading images from other web sites is unreliable (they might get deleted) and rude (you’re using their bandwidth).

Unless images are really small (there is a site setting defining small) they get processed into a .png to save space. They start with upload:// because that’s the way to refer to those uploads in markdown.

I don’t understand this question.

4

I mean “why is it meant to be used in discourse”