[benihana]

Static images being easy to share does not mean links are difficult to share. It means static images are easier to share.

[thwarted]

Are they? Save an image to a file, attach to an email. Cut and paste a link into an email or an IM. Or provide a link to a page with the image: same exact work as a link to a non-image. This is, at the very least, the same amount of work.