Do I link to a file's original source or its copy in the Files section?

[Jeth Calark 12]

The wiki article for Call of Duty: World at War mentions that the game "requires PunkBuster update to play on protected servers which is no longer hosted on EvenBalance's website" but provides no fix for this issue. A fix is available on a clan forum thread linking to a MediaFire zip file upload. Since something like a MediaFire upload from a personal account is susceptible to disappearing easily, I uploaded the fix to PCGW's Files. Obviously, I'd like to update the wiki article with the fix and its zip file. For downloading the file, which is the preferable source to link the reader to: the file's original source or its upload in the Files section?

If I link to the original source, in the future people may find it has disappeared and assume it is no longer available. (I feel the Files section does not get a lot of visibility from the average visitor.) On the other hand, linking to the original source prevents a possible, gradual ballooning of this site's bandwidth usage and costs. Other sites are more likely to have better infrastructure and money to host mass downloads. I could put both links in the article, but it would look funky.

[Garrett 214]

For files from file hosting sites the wiki page should link to the local mirror only to avoid dead links in the future (this also makes it easier to check which files need to be mirrored). The original source can be linked to on the file download page. The source forum topic can be used as a reference on the wiki page if applicable.

​

Proper sites (fan sites, FilePlanet, etc.) tend to be reliable enough so can be provided alongside or instead of a local mirror.

 

GameFront/FileFront is an exception due to being region-locked, so links to that site should be replaced or mirrored where possible.

[Jeth Calark 12]

Pretty much what I was thinking. I'd also suggest that this advice be added to the editing guide.

[Mirh 103]

Can't you just link the problem here?

To the how-to-use-pbsetup section?

[Garrett 214]

Can't you just link the problem here?

To the how-to-use-pbsetup section?

 

​PunkBuster is game-specific. Games that have discontinued support can't be updated using pbsetup.

[Mirh 103]

​PunkBuster is game-specific.

The problem might be game-specific, but the solution is common to all.

 

​Games that have discontinued support can't be updated using pbsetup.

Really?

Ok I checked. Jesus, I didn't know they started to do this. I regret those days when the drop down menu showed a million of games.