No tinyurls please December 1, 2004 8:59 AM Subscribe
Can we please not use tinyURL in postings and especially in FPPs.
They are of no benefit and they put a another layer of vulnerability between readers and the content. And they are guaranteed not to work at some point in the future.
Not only do the URLS expire they are recycled. So even if they don't point to tubgirl now they might in the future.
They are of no benefit and they put a another layer of vulnerability between readers and the content. And they are guaranteed not to work at some point in the future.
Not only do the URLS expire they are recycled. So even if they don't point to tubgirl now they might in the future.
Unless you're in a bulletin board or e-mail situation where the bare link must be displayed and there is limited horizontal space in which to do it, there's no reason to use tinyurl or its ilk.
posted by mcwetboy at 10:03 AM on December 1, 2004
posted by mcwetboy at 10:03 AM on December 1, 2004
Yeah, my browser doesn't care how long the URL is. Also, I don't want to click on something if I have no idea where it goes.
posted by driveler at 10:14 AM on December 1, 2004
posted by driveler at 10:14 AM on December 1, 2004
Looking at tinyURL they say the redirections are now permanent but that hasn't been the case in the past. And of course no guarantee in the future.
However they point out another way tinyURLs are objectionable for MetaFilter. You can hide affiliate information in the tinyURL.
Interestingly the links are generated serially so that if tinyURL gives you http://tinyurl.com/6pdse for a replacement link then http://tinyurl.com/6pdsd exists but http://tinyurl.com/6pdsf doesn't. Which means a person could create a page similar to that livejournal most recent image thing.
posted by Mitheral at 10:22 AM on December 1, 2004
However they point out another way tinyURLs are objectionable for MetaFilter. You can hide affiliate information in the tinyURL.
Interestingly the links are generated serially so that if tinyURL gives you http://tinyurl.com/6pdse for a replacement link then http://tinyurl.com/6pdsd exists but http://tinyurl.com/6pdsf doesn't. Which means a person could create a page similar to that livejournal most recent image thing.
posted by Mitheral at 10:22 AM on December 1, 2004
Tinyurl breaks the web.
I've lost track of the number of times I've been googling for something, finally found a link to it on a forum somewhere, and ended up clicking a broken tinyurl that goes nowhere. It's very very very annoying.
In my opinion posts containing the string "http://tinyurl.com" should be disallowed. Call me an extremist.
posted by cell at 4:50 AM on December 2, 2004
I've lost track of the number of times I've been googling for something, finally found a link to it on a forum somewhere, and ended up clicking a broken tinyurl that goes nowhere. It's very very very annoying.
In my opinion posts containing the string "http://tinyurl.com" should be disallowed. Call me an extremist.
posted by cell at 4:50 AM on December 2, 2004
Point taken. Although I wasn't responsible for the ones Mitheral linked to, I have used tinyurl's here recently. You may consider me reformed.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:08 AM on December 2, 2004
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:08 AM on December 2, 2004
This wasn't really a call out (which is why I dug that FPP from last year up) but I'm glad to see you've changed your ways.
posted by Mitheral at 7:02 AM on December 3, 2004
posted by Mitheral at 7:02 AM on December 3, 2004
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
What is wrong with 'comments' and 'posts'? And why do I get so upset by the use of 'post' and 'FPP'? ;-)
posted by jack_mo at 9:07 AM on December 1, 2004