(Solved)Securely storing and retrieving images

[eluser]markanderson993[/eluser]
Alrighty well I have created an uploading system where upon signing up a user gets a unique folder 40 characters long created for them in an uploads folder. Here is my folder schema.

System
Uploads
Htdocs

Is it a good practice for the uploads folder to be outside the htdocs folder and is it a good practice for each user to get their own folder? If there is any conventional way to organize images and retrieve them(serving them from a php file so as to protect the original location and thwarting bandwidth thieves) could someone please point me in the right direction?


Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks,
Mark