<html><head><style> body {height: 100%; color:#000000; font-size:12pt; font-family:Times New Roman;}</style></head><body>I wonder why no one has made a way to take any URL and automatically shorten it. Consider an MD5 hash...you can take virtually any text, no matter how long, and the MD5 algorithm will return a 32-digit hex number. How hard is it to make something similar, that can take a URL of any length and return an 8-character string that can then be decoded back to the original URL? Make that algorithm public open-source, and you've got a tinyURL mechanism that isn't dependent upon any vendor, can be checked against a blacklist, and yet is short enough for mere humans to handle.<br><br>----- Original Message -----<br>From: Adam Shannon <adam@ashannon.us><br>To: Central Iowa Linux Users Group <cialug@cialug.org><br>Sent: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:54:01 -0500 (CDT)<br>Subject: Re: [Cialug] TinyURL<br><br>Having a service (or services) to shorten a url that breaks in use<br>(email, webpages...) is perfectly fine, but that service should only<br>be giving the user the actual link, not directing them to the link<br>they wanted.<br><br>What happens when that short link provider goes out of business or is<br>hacked, then I lose the ability to control where I will end up<br>(negating anything on the link I'm trying to reach does) because I<br>can't see where I'm going. If the service is hacked and spreads<br>malware than anyone with javascript or cookies allowed on that domain<br>will be infected or tracked.<br><br>In my view, short url providers should only be presenting a page for<br>the user as to what the short link represents, the short link is not<br>the same link and therefore shouldn't act the same. It's a<br>representation for another url.<br><br>Thoughts?<br><br>On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 17:26, Scott Prader <sprader@iastate.edu> wrote:<br>> Sometimes a URL that takes up multiple lines can get cut off with a carriage<br>> return inserted by some program, at some point. When I see a link, I like<br>> to think that I can click on it and not get a 404. TinyURL fixed this.<br>> What they don't do is auto-forward a 404 to archive.org, which tends to<br>> cover what a downed URL can't, whether it's complete or not.<br>><br>> -Scott<br>><br>> On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 4:58 PM, Barry Von Ahsen <strongarry@vonahsen.com> wrote:<br>>><br>>> 7 ff addons tagged 'unshort url', probably more under other tags<br>>><br>>> https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/tag/unshort%20url<br>>><br>>> -barry<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> Nathan C. Smith wrote:<br>>> > Seems to me there could be a whole industry for a technology for<br>>> > converting the various short-URLs back to long ones, particularly if the<br>>> > tools and technology provide a means to mitigate potential risks.<br>>> ><br>>> > Don't bit.ly and others use a hash that stays the same for each<br>>> > shortening of a reference? So that if you shorten cialug.org and send it to<br>>> > me I will get the same shortened url if I do it?<br>>> ><br>>> > -Nate<br>>> ><br>>> >> -----Original Message-----<br>>> >> From: cialug-bounces@cialug.org<br>>> >> [mailto:cialug-bounces@cialug.org] On Behalf Of Ed Meacham (@work)<br>>> >> Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 3:12 PM<br>>> >> To: 'Central Iowa Linux Users Group'<br>>> >> Subject: Re: [Cialug] TinyURL<br>>> >><br>>> >> I love the idea of URL shortening services. Though, they<br>>> >> definitely have instances where the use of one is more<br>>> >> appropriate than others... I don't see the need to shorten a<br>>> >> URL in an email, unless you're spreading "infectious-love."<br>>> >><br>>> >> Rather than write off TinyURL/Bit.ly, I would blame improper<br>>> >> organization and/or the sender not qualifying the details of<br>>> >> the URL in the message.<br>>> >><br>>> >> I see there is a plug-in for Thunderbird for converting a URL<br>>> >> into a TinyURL... wonder if it has a reversal option? (I<br>>> >> don't have Thunderbird installed on this machine to check) If<br>>> >> not, a lookup plug-in might be a good project for someone. :P<br>>> >><br>>> >> -emeacham (@work)<br>>> >><br>>> >> -----Original Message-----<br>>> >> From: cialug-bounces@cialug.org<br>>> >> [mailto:cialug-bounces@cialug.org] On Behalf Of Todd Walton<br>>> >> Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 6:27 AM<br>>> >> To: Central Iowa Linux Users Group<br>>> >> Subject: [Cialug] TinyURL<br>>> >><br>>> >> And another reason I hate this tinyurl thing... I know<br>>><br>>><br>>> _______________________________________________<br>>> Cialug mailing list<br>>> Cialug@cialug.org<br>>> http://cialug.org/mailman/listinfo/cialug<br>><br>><br>> _______________________________________________<br>> Cialug mailing list<br>> Cialug@cialug.org<br>> http://cialug.org/mailman/listinfo/cialug<br>><br>><br><br><br><br>-- <br>Adam Shannon<br> Web Developer<br> http://ashannon.us<br>_______________________________________________<br>Cialug mailing list<br>Cialug@cialug.org<br>http://cialug.org/mailman/listinfo/cialug<br><br></barry@vonahsen.com></sprader@iastate.edu></cialug@cialug.org></adam@ashannon.us></body></html>