This opinion has been formed based on a recent rip of my work off site and since that time I've drawn some conclusions about the kind of people that download resources in general that add to the potential problems that resource providers face. People don't have to agree with my solution or conclusion but these are the things I've come to believe are best and true.

To start off:

A lot of people provide resources but some- and I don't know what the percentage is- have removed theirs due to rips and other violations. I don't think it should ever get that far - in fact, the only reason to completely remove resources are for the sake of selling them on your own site but thats not what this is about.
I used to provide mid sized stock and texture photographs on this site as well as PS. patterns and seamless tiles. I still do in a more limited way but the limitation isn't too bad if people are honest and have a basic understanding of what crediting means because I do want credit as I know many resource providers do. It's only fair to expect acknowledgment- if a person doesn't have the digital media they want or need- a particularly nice photo for a background, a paintable texture, a nice assortment of fancy brushes, gradients, fonts etc.- and has to acquire them from people who create these things then how difficult is it to say "Credit for (insert name of contributing resource) goes to (insert name of resource provider)?"
I'm sure that most people would do this thing that I ask but here is the reality about 'normal, honest, people' who are looking for resources on the net:

They are browsers. They cruise sites geared towards artists and designers, they wade through archives of fonts and clip arts, they download whatever catches their eye and carry on in this way till it's time to stop and do something else- like eat, play a game, or actually create their art/designs. They don't worry too much about terms of use, or End User License Agreements- it just doesn't occur to many of them and for the ones that do very often they will come across badly written or out of date ones e.u.l.a.'s or non-existent ones. Many times they acquire huge collections of resources that require filing and will inadvertently (or deliberately) overwrite or delete any identifying information that the files contained.

I used to be one of those people and to some degree still am. It's just part of the process of looking for resources. I have put together a better filing system than I used to have and have ditched most of the stuff that can't be identified at all and it's because I want to be professional about it. If I find a great resource that I absolutely know I'm going to use in the future I HAVE to be able to identify the provider. Not everyone is going to join DA (or name your favorite art site) just to post a comment or send a note to that effect and not everyone is going to pursue their artistic goals from a professional point of view but at the very least they should find out the name of the person who created the file they hope to use- but none of this matters to the people who don't care one bit about whats right and whats wrong and just collect resources to use in whatever way they see fit which includes hosting them off site to entice people to visit their page and click on ads.

The problems starting to arise from downsizing recourse resolutions can be summarized in these general requests for high res. resources I have been receiving and I will give my answers as best as best I can for the present time - and please bear in mind that nothing is written in stone:

1. "Can I use this (high res.resource) for a future project?"
Most likely "YES" with limits.
I will first go and check out your page to see if you have a proper contact e-mail/name and the kind of work you do and see if you know how to credit properly.
If I already know you I most likely will send you that (1) particular file as mid or high res. and await the results before sending you another. If I don't know you but see you appear to be a sincere artist and/or trying to sell work and follow the rules I will probably ask you for contact info if it's not present and include an e.u.l.a. for a mid size picture (I keep track of this information anyway) and will tell you what a high res. one would cost you.
(This attitude seems to root out certain kinds of people that I would rather not put my faith in.)

2. "Can I use this (high res.resource) for my desktop or personal (real world) project?"
hmmm.."MAYBE"
I will first go and check out your page to see if you have a proper contact e-mail/name and the kind of work you do and see if you know how to credit properly.
The answer most likely will be along the lines of: "You can use the resource as it currently stands in personal (real world) projects that don't entail profit without giving me credit but otherwise, NO, I will not send you a higher res. file for such projects".
Why not? I really don't expect anyone to scan a card they made for their mom and post it on this site, school newspaper editorials, or any number of real world projects that don't demand recognition of the resource.

On the other hand, while I'm fully entitled to receiving a credit for commercial projects or anything that gets posted on the internet I only have so much actual power (and desire) to enforce my rights. Tied very closely into that idea is the fact that in order to decide on the merits of pursuing a particular case of e.u.l.a. violations I have to KNOW about the violation in the first place. So, knowing that I can't KNOW about any and all possible uses of my resources in the real world or the digital world I am not likely to open my stuff up to still more potential violations (usually thefts) than I have to.

To summarize these points: Anyone who sends out high res.files is basically kissing them goodbye- I'm knowingly doing it every time I say "YES".

3. "Can you send me this (high res.resource)?"
Probably "NO"
l first go and check out your page to see if you have a proper contact e-mail/name and the kind of work you do and see if you know how to credit properly.
The answer will likely be "NO" since you don't tell me what it's for in the note/comment. Just recently I got a request like that and the person's gallery was full of apparently paid-for commissions for illustration work. Not one of the pictures had a crediting of the resources used but the whole thing looked like an online portfolio.

***

Life would be a whole lot easier if the people that make these requests could provide some pertinent information in the initial inquiry in the first place- such as in the old days when we wrote letters that had to have an address, proper salutation, and a signed and printed name on the bottom as well as the reasons for writing in the first place. I realize that on the internet things are different and you have to be very careful in who to place your trust in - and if in thinking about that you get a slightly cold shudder then know that thats how I feel as well every time I get a request from a total stranger who wants to use one of my creations. I would love to empower all the amateur artists and designers out there but I won't do it if I get the feeling that I'm going to regret it so on a final note I will just say this:

if you just want to make art for fun then use the resources and don't forget to credit but don't bother asking for high res. files unless you are prepared to answer some personal questions. Same goes for making a buck off of using mid sized res. files- providers want to know about you and how you intend to profit even if they don't charge money for their resources.
And high res files: we are for the most part strangers- and if that's the way you want it to stay then don't even bother going there.