No sooner do we brag up TinyURL (http://tinyurl.com/) and SnipURL (http://www.snipurl.com) as good ways to shorten lengthy URLs (web addresses) than this article appears over the weekend on CNNMoney.com: "Why You Shouldn't Rely On URL Shorteners" by Dan Frommer.
Speaking more toward business users, Frommer asserts that URL shortening services "should not become a critical part of your company's infrastructure.
Frommer is referring to a service called tr.im, which was discontinued this past weekend by its owner, The Nambu Network. As Frommer points out, that means that any tr.im URLs on the web will no longer work. Ouch!
For most of us, who are more likely to use a TinyURL or SnipURL address in an e-mail or website announcement, the effect would be far less severe if one of those services should disappear. But it's work keeping an eye on any shortened URLs we may be using -- especially in a semi-permanent way, such as a website's Links page, for instance -- in case the need arises to go in and re-edit them to their original long versions.
You may read Dan Frommer's article here: http://tinyurl.com/l76xtu. (If you're already nervous about disappearing short links, here's the "real" address: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/siliconalley/start_ups/why_you_shouldnt_rely_on_url_shorteners_2009_8.html.)
Speaking more toward business users, Frommer asserts that URL shortening services "should not become a critical part of your company's infrastructure.
"Why not? Because there's no guaranteeing they're going to work. Most of today's short URL services are run by small, modestly funded startups that could easily shut them down -- or change the way they work. Both have recently happened."
Frommer is referring to a service called tr.im, which was discontinued this past weekend by its owner, The Nambu Network. As Frommer points out, that means that any tr.im URLs on the web will no longer work. Ouch!
For most of us, who are more likely to use a TinyURL or SnipURL address in an e-mail or website announcement, the effect would be far less severe if one of those services should disappear. But it's work keeping an eye on any shortened URLs we may be using -- especially in a semi-permanent way, such as a website's Links page, for instance -- in case the need arises to go in and re-edit them to their original long versions.
You may read Dan Frommer's article here: http://tinyurl.com/l76xtu. (If you're already nervous about disappearing short links, here's the "real" address: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/siliconalley/start_ups/why_you_shouldnt_rely_on_url_shorteners_2009_8.html.)
