LOL, this thread is pretty entertaining.
While I'm here, I'll mention a system that predated both remotethumbs and sponsorpromo. I checked and the date on the PHP script they supplied is August
2003. I don't know if the program is still active, but it did the following:
1. Rotated unique galleries and uploaded thumbs to my server
2. Provided traffic back through header/footer clicks.
I doubt they were even the first to do it either...