In the context of “digital commissions,” which it sounds to me like they’re talking about, a digital gallery is almost certainly the context-- you don’t get too many clueless doofuses talking like this in a professional capacity. Also in the context of digital commissions, it’s customary to retain signatures and links.
In a professional capacity, it seems kind of nuts. I do illustration professionally, and I almost always sign my work. If a client doesn’t want a signature, they’ll usually request that and pay extra. I can’t imagine a scenario outside of a digital gallery where I’d expect a link back, aside from maybe an online magazine illustration, which, now that I think of it, usually provide a link back.
