URL shortener

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URL shortener is a service that turns a typical longer URL, like a permalink, into a much shorter URL, typically using a short domain, often per-site both for some silos, and several indieweb sites.

Why

• URL shorteners help you make better use of limited characters in editing tools where you would like to share a link but are restricted by a character count.

Criticism

• If you use an external URL shortener, you are beholden to their service being active and working. If the URL shortener becomes inactive, existing URLs created may be broken.
• "Aside from search engines, I can’t think of any other type of website that could disable so many links on so much of the internet in one fell swoop than a URL shortening service." urlTea now tr.im, this stuff is scary

Libraries

Open source libraries and implementations to run your own URL shortener:

• Yourls: requires Apache with PHP and MySQL
• ...

See Also

• permashortlink
• short-domains
• https://twitter.com/nrrd/status/1372256200012619776
  • "NFTs are just URL shorteners with a thick layer of grift applied on top" @nrrd March 17, 2021
• SgLinks the next URL shortener to go
• GitHub is deprecating their git.io service, encouraging people to use another shortener instead: https://github.blog/changelog/2022-01-11-git-io-no-longer-accepts-new-urls/
• URLTeam archiving project
• Third party URL shorteners should not be used in official communications: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/06/the-irony-of-ticketmasters-breach-notification-email/
  • "The irony of TicketMaster's breach notification email
    https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/06/the-irony-of-ticketmasters-breach-notification-email/TicketMaster has joined the long list of companies to lose their customers' information. As is common, they sent out an email to warn poor sods like me who might have had our details snaffled.Their email is particularly poor and contains a delightful example of how not to communicate issues like this. See if you can spot it: In the same breath as warning their customers to look out for suspicious links in emails, they include two obfuscated Bit.ly links! Anyone can create a Bit.ly link and give it any name. For example - https://bit.ly/TicketMaster-DataSecurity-Incident. I've written many times before about Bit.ly and why you should not use it. It stops users understanding where they're going, it trains users to ignore what a link says, it exposes your users to unwanted tracking, and it puts your links under the control of a 3rd party.If you are ever confronted with a Bit.ly link, add a + to the end of it to see its destination - for example https://bit.ly/TU-sign-up+. Companies need to do much better. Professional crisis communications writers need to understand the Internet and how to foster a culture of security. https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/06/the-irony-of-ticketmasters-breach-notification-email/#bitLy #CyberSecurity" @blog June 27, 2024