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18 comments

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nodata
Not going to work: is that an L (Lima), an I (India) or a 1 (one)?
dools
Urr how often do you read out shortened URLs? The entire genesis of link shortening is sending them in txt communications to be clicked on (emails initially when tinyurl.com was invented and later bit.ly when twitter placed even tighter constraints on character count).
nodata
How often do I see shortened URLs printed? All the time.

If I'm going to read a URL, it should be readable.

lokedhs
If you don't read/type them, what's the point of a URL shortener in the first place? It's not harder to click on a long link than it is to click on a short one.
Altfel
That's an L
nodata
I know it's an L :) I'm asking the question everyone will ask when they see the domain.
dools
I think it's tying for shortest - bit.ly will allow you to create j.mp URLs via their API (not sure if you can do it without the API)
Tichy
Although j.mp frequently doesn't work. Clicking the j.mp links often fails, at least on my computer.
sjs382
You can just replace any "bit.ly" with "j.mp" and the url should work.
webreac
url shortener are bad: they are obfuscating the real link. I delete all the mails containing shortened url. The only exception I can see is for twitter.
delan
URL shorteners have a purpose, and while they may be misused, there is no reason to say that they are just simply "bad".
kamjam
Yes, exactly. I regularly use them for Google Maps for example, which incidentally has an option right there on the interface now (I used to shorten via bit.ly). Why? Because it is easier to send to someone when I need to send them driving directions rather than some obscure 1000 character long URL. I can also slip that URL into a conversation without breaking up my flow of text. Also much easier when someone opens up their email on their phone or I need to SMS it to someone.

I agree that if it was from someone I did not know then I would be more reluctant to click the link. You shouldn't be clicking on links in spam anyways...

You can see what the actual URL of a bit.ly link is by adding a + to the end of the URL, e.g. https://bitly.com/A4zgFf+

Assume you can do something similar with the other services.

Toshio
How do you get the entire text automatically selected afterwards? A code snippet would be helpful.
keymone
[0-9a-z] - base 36 is far from shortest shortener

縮.jp - this one uses utf8 characters and that means their urls won't break 6 characters length for a long long time

samarudge
Are URL shorteners still relevant? I think the only real usage for them was Twitter, and since t.co all links take up 20 characters regardless of the length of the original link (Even if it's shorter).

The other use would be advertising, but doing sensible on-domain links like ourcompany.com/product are much better and easier to remember than bit.ly/aZq14