[Cialug] TinyURL

Thu Jul 15 17:09:15 CDT 2010

One word: noscript.

http://noscript.net

-Scott

On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 3:09 PM, <j.bengtson at mchsi.com> wrote:

> You would want it to be reversible...the intent isn't to secure the URL,
> it's to shorten the URL.  You would want anyone to be able to "de-shorten"
> the URL to compare it against blacklists, etc.  And of course you want the
> browser to be able to de-shorten it.
>
> The problem with the URL shortener is that it has to be something that
> anyone can use to decode any URL, anywhere.  Requiring access to a database
> prevents that.
>
> How about something like Base64, but which converts the string into a
> 12-character encoded string?  For example, take the URL
> http://www.ameslug.org/node/1
>
> Using Base64 you get "aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hbWVzbHVnLm9yZy9ub2RlLzE=", which is
> not an improvement.  But if you got instead "aHR0cDovL3d3", that would be
> much more manageable (if only it would decode back to the original URL
> string).
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Josh More
> To: Central Iowa Linux Users Group
> Sent: Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:42:43 -0500 (CDT)
> Subject: Re: [Cialug] TinyURL
>
> Making proper hashing algorithms is actually really hard to do.  You have
> to worry about collisions and reversing (in most cases).
>
>
> For URL shorteners,  it's often more efficient to implement an incrementer
> and just keep a database around.
>
> -Josh More, CISSP, GIAC-GSLC, GIAC-GCIH, RHCE, NCLP
> morej at alliancetechnologies.net
>
> 515-245-7701
> ------------------------------
> *From:* cialug-bounces at cialug.org [cialug-bounces at cialug.org] on behalf of
> j.bengtson at mchsi.com [j.bengtson at mchsi.com]
> *Sent:* Thursday, July 15, 2010 14:41
> *To:* Central Iowa Linux Users Group
> *Subject:* Re: [Cialug] TinyURL
>
> 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.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Adam Shannon
>
> To: Central Iowa Linux Users Group
>
> Sent: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:54:01 -0500 (CDT)
>
> Subject: Re: [Cialug] TinyURL
>
>
> Having a service (or services) to shorten a url that breaks in use
>
> (email, webpages...) is perfectly fine, but that service should only
>
> be giving the user the actual link, not directing them to the link
>
> they wanted.
>
>
> What happens when that short link provider goes out of business or is
>
> hacked, then I lose the ability to control where I will end up
>
> (negating anything on the link I'm trying to reach does) because I
>
> can't see where I'm going.  If the service is hacked and spreads
>
> malware than anyone with javascript or cookies allowed on that domain
>
> will be infected or tracked.
>
>
> In my view, short url providers should only be presenting a page for
>
> the user as to what the short link represents, the short link is not
>
> the same link and therefore shouldn't act the same.  It's a
>
> representation for another url.
>
>
> Thoughts?
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 17:26, Scott Prader wrote:
>
> > Sometimes a URL that takes up multiple lines can get cut off with a
> carriage
>
> > return inserted by some program, at some point.  When I see a link, I
> like
>
> > to think that I can click on it and not get a 404.  TinyURL fixed this.
>
> > What they don't do is auto-forward a 404 to archive.org, which tends to
>
> > cover what a downed URL can't, whether it's complete or not.
>
> >
>
> > -Scott
>
> >
>
> > On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 4:58 PM, Barry Von Ahsen wrote:
>
> >>
>
> >> 7 ff addons tagged 'unshort url', probably more under other tags
>
> >>
>
> >> https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/tag/unshort%20url
>
> >>
>
> >> -barry
>
> >>
>
> >>
>
> >>
>
> >> Nathan C. Smith wrote:
>
> >> > Seems to me there could be a whole industry for a technology for
>
> >> > converting the various short-URLs back to long ones, particularly if
> the
>
> >> > tools and technology provide a means to mitigate potential risks.
>
> >> >
>
> >> > Don't bit.ly and others use a hash that stays the same for each
>
> >> > shortening of a reference?  So that if you shorten cialug.org and
> send it to
>
> >> > me I will get the same shortened url if I do it?
>
> >> >
>
> >> > -Nate
>
> >> >
>
> >> >> -----Original Message-----
>
> >> >> From: cialug-bounces at cialug.org
>
> >> >> [mailto:cialug-bounces at cialug.org] On Behalf Of Ed Meacham (@work)
>
> >> >> Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 3:12 PM
>
> >> >> To: 'Central Iowa Linux Users Group'
>
> >> >> Subject: Re: [Cialug] TinyURL
>
> >> >>
>
> >> >> I love the idea of URL shortening services. Though, they
>
> >> >> definitely have instances where the use of one is more
>
> >> >> appropriate than others... I don't see the need to shorten a
>
> >> >> URL in an email, unless you're spreading "infectious-love."
>
> >> >>
>
> >> >> Rather than write off TinyURL/Bit.ly, I would blame improper
>
> >> >> organization and/or the sender not qualifying the details of
>
> >> >> the URL in the message.
>
> >> >>
>
> >> >> I see there is a plug-in for Thunderbird for converting a URL
>
> >> >> into a TinyURL... wonder if it has a reversal option? (I
>
> >> >> don't have Thunderbird installed on this machine to check) If
>
> >> >> not, a lookup plug-in might be a good project for someone. :P
>
> >> >>
>
> >> >> -emeacham (@work)
>
> >> >>
>
> >> >> -----Original Message-----
>
> >> >> From: cialug-bounces at cialug.org
>
> >> >> [mailto:cialug-bounces at cialug.org] On Behalf Of Todd Walton
>
> >> >> Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 6:27 AM
>
> >> >> To: Central Iowa Linux Users Group
>
> >> >> Subject: [Cialug] TinyURL
>
> >> >>
>
> >> >> And another reason I hate this tinyurl thing... I know
>
> >>
>
> >>
>
> >> _______________________________________________
>
> >> Cialug mailing list
>
> >> Cialug at cialug.org
>
> >> http://cialug.org/mailman/listinfo/cialug
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > _______________________________________________
>
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>
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>
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>
> >
>
> >
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Adam Shannon
>
> Web Developer
>
> http://ashannon.us
>
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