Have there been any changes in anti-hotlinking recommendations?

also related Qs on exclusions & blocking faked blank referers & UAs

[zollerwagner]

I'm updating my .htaccess files and wondering if the recommendations in this library file Mod Rewrite Anti-Leech Solution [webmasterworld.com] from 2005 are still applicable now?

Have there been any changes in search engine exclusions?

Would it be advisable to use the method JDMorgan wrote about at the bottom of this topic: Blocking hotlinking nowadays [webmasterworld.com].
That method would block faked blank referers or faked blank user agents, and blank referer and blank user agents except for the HEAD.