From the earliest days of the Web to the present, there’s been a fundamental split between people who get the value of “human-readable URLs” and people who don’t. A human-readable URL is a Web address that tells you a lot of useful information about the page it represents. For instance, Salon URLs always tell you the date an article was posted, the section of the site the article appeared in, and a few words describing the subject matter of the article. By comparison, the typical URL at, say, CNET, looks like this: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10895_7-6782817-1.html. It is, essentially, human-unreadable.
In the old days, writers and editors who actually knew and used HTML always appreciated a good human-readable URL; and typically, for the ugly gibberish URLs, we had to thank (some) software architects and (some) publication managers who’d never hand-coded a link themselves. At Salon, we editors knew we’d be typing (and proofing) a zillion of those URLs ourselves; we insisted on something we could work with. (Our developers “got it” too.)
The cause of human-readable URLs got a great shot in the arm when sites began trying to optimize themselves for Google, because Google gives a little extra weight to text hints in URLs. So a lot of sites (like the New York Times) that had a history of human-unfriendly page addresses began to do better.
Today, though, we’re taking a step backwards, or at least sideways, in the cause of human readability, thanks to the growing popularity of the “tinyurl.”
When the tinyurl first crossed my radar I understood it to be a convenient way to tame unmanageably long Web addresses. (The Tinyurl site focuses in particular on how long Web addresses break in email messages.)
That’s all fine. But the tinyurl giveth and the tinyurl taketh away. When you encode a Web address as a tinyurl you’re hiding its target. Normally, when I read an article on the Web that has a link, I’ll hover my cursor over the link to see where it points. Even on a site with human-unfriendly URLs like CNETs, at least I can see that the link points to CNET.
With a tinyurl, I know nothing about the link except what the author chose to say about it. I can’t tell if it’s a reference to an article I’ve already read. If I want to find out, I have no choice but to click.
My sense is that tinyurls have grown in popularity with the rise of Twitter (where the strict character limit of messages means you don’t want to fill up a whole message with an URL), as well as the growing use of mobile devices for Web-posting activities. These are perfectly understandable reasons. But still, each time I see a tinyurl I think, there goes another tiny piece of the Web’s transparency.
[tags]tinyurl, urls, human-readable urls, web usability[/tags]
Post Revisions:
There are no revisions for this post.
I use tinyurl for twitter and for sending links that are too long. My only issue about using sites such as these is that one day I’ll click on a cloaked malicious link of some sort. Hopefully my antivirus, antispyware, firewall, and patched system will protect me.
Just in case you didn’t know about it: http://tinyurl.com/preview.php
Ironically, I got here via a tinyurl in a Twitter post ;)
Tin Foil Hat (http://fivethreenine.blogspot.com/2006/03/tin-foil-hat.html) is a priceless extension to help alleviate a bit of the TinyPain of TinyURL.
I found that TinyURL works well in the paper and pencil world. Collaborating with a small group of people I’d rather write a TinyURL on the whiteboard instead of some 100 character “readable” URL. They’re also useful for holding a URL ‘in your head’ temporarily.
TinyURL lets you give up the expressiveness of a URL for brevity, which is a good trade off sometimes.
TinyURL does have a preview setting that you can enable so that when you click a TinyURL link you are shown the address and can then choose to continue to that page…
Thanks for the pointers to the preview feature.
Only, I’m one of those eccentrics who uses Opera, and it doesn’t seem to work with Opera. Which is too bad, because, you know, I’m not going to switch browsers for tinyurl’s sake…
Couldn’t agree more — especially given that I have an infection of “friends” who find tinyurl to be a great vehicle for disseminating psychologically malicious links (to gross-out pictures and sites).
I’d like to hereby nominate Amazon as the creator of the world’s worst and most useless URLs. I never know what the heck I’m pointing at, whether I’m encoding some session information that I shouldn’t, plus they’re like 7000 characters long.
I tried to blog something recently about their new MP3 store and had a devil of a time finding any way to link to it (as did almost every other article about it I saw). That’s stupid and hurts their business.
The other problem with the tinyurl preview is that it a) necessitates an additional click and b) is useless for judging a url based on the status bar preview of the destination. Not to mention the fact that it steals Google Juice.
Don’t get me wrong – I love tinyurl and its brethren (dwarfurl.com is also nice), but I agree that it’s useful in some contexts, and not so much in others.
You could always use http://www.hugeurl.com to get back at them :)
The real value of link anonymizing like TinyURL is found in the corporate email environs where sending an otherwise innocent URL to a colleague can get you in real trouble with the fascist email filter. Yes I know, keep it off the corporate network. For those who don’t, TinyURL can be pretty useful.
The only ISP available to us in the boondocks uses a SPAM filter that will not allow mail that includes a tinyurl link to pass through it.
A Firefox addon that will copy text from websites and also the link also automatically includes a tinyurl link as well. That was what got my outgoing mail blocked for a week or so.
What the tinyurl giveth, it can also taketh away.
What you describe, Scott, is exactly the reason why I recommend people to check out Snipr. It has these advantages:
– Shortened URLS can be aliased. Two real-life examples: http://snipr.com/apml_basics (blog post about APML on my blog CleverClogs)
http://snipr.com/twitter_grazr_themed (my Twitter Tools reading list)
If an alias hasn’t been taken yet, you can take it.
– Snipr comes with a bookmarklet.
– URLs shortened with Snipr are left intact by Twitter.
– The original, underlying URL can be edited at all times. This is useful if a page changes its location or when you need to cut off session id details.
– You can open up a history page with all the page URLs you ever shortened. You can then sort them, edit them, copy to the clipboard or delete them.
– You can track how often a page URL has been clicked.
– Snipr offers RSS feeds of all of your shortened URLs and of your most popular ones.
I have no shares, stocks or stakes in Snipr. I just happen to like what its developer, Shashank Tripathi, has been doing very much.
For those who use Firefox and access Twitter from the web, I kindly advise to install the Power Twitter extension by Narendra from 30 Boxes. Power Twitter turns TinyURL and unaliased Snipr URLs into friendly URLS, it can display Flickr images inline and it displays a play-back control for YouTube videos. Highly recommended. You can install it from http://30boxes.com/blog/index.php/2007/04/09/power-twitter-by-30-boxes/
The other day I wrote that Power Twitter converts TinyURL and *unaliased* Snipr URLs into friendly URLs.
I don’t recall why I used *unaliased*, but it seems incorrect to me now. Power Twitter substitutes any Snipr URL, aliased or not, with its original page title.
Please forgive the mistake.
You may want to have a look at http://traceurl.com. The shortened URL can be aliased at traceurl.com and you get some stats to your URL. The origin of the accesses to your URLs can displayed on a Google Map.
I agree with you. It’s a huge step backward.
More so:
1. Tiny urls defeat the distributed architecture of the WWW
2. Single point of failure. Imaging the service going down — billions of links would be unreachable
3. Creates headaches for text mining community. Can’t rely on the url any more (something has to be done when there are billions of them!)
4. What if a smart service starts sending a pop-up along with the redirected target. Someone can make a truck load of online adv. money with that.
More on that here.
There’s good and bad. I like the service because you could hide an affiliate ID in your links but I hate it because you could end up at a malicious site since it’s masked.
Btw, I ended up here from http://www.tiny9.com
I like a site called http://www.qpyn.com it uses a navigator to punch in the “pyn” numbers. Due to that feature you are able to see the real url on your browser. This has many other cool features check it out if you get a chance.
I think you’re making one fundamental flawed assumption about normal urls. As the poster said about amazon, urls don’t have to be human readable; that’s something that has emerged mainly because of google and Search Engine Optiomisation.
So if you see a link like http://example.com/something-worth-viewing.html you are automatically assuming that it doesn’t link to malware whereas it just so easily might. The implication is that because it sounds nice it is, and nasty tinyurl links don’t sound nice so aren’t. Hmmmm
Actually I was advocating human-readable URLs back in the mid-late 90s, long before Google and SEO. I think it’s a basic usability practice. Many users won’t care, but experienced users are grateful for the transparency in site structure. This was always a principle we tried to follow at Salon. (Once we figured it out!)
As for the phishing issue, transaprent URLs don’t solve it or make it go away, but opaque URLs like tinyURLs exacerbate it, I think. If I bank at wellsfargo.com then I can see if a URL is really wellsfargo.com or if someone has tried to send me to wellsfargo.com.info. (Of course if it’s my bank I should only use my own bookmarked URL anyway since the phishers can mask it, etc.)
You should take a look at http://www.linkasa.com, IMHO :p
This is the shortest tiny url service I’ve ever seen:
http://3b8.cc/
try this one , It has a default preview feature.
I am more focused on commercial sites which we definitely will not recommend url shortening process. However, i personally agree with you that it is important no to hide your url because they contain important info which might tell the user what page he will be encountering.
There is a better alternative….
ZenAddress
They don’t hide the real URL so you know where you are really going. I only use ZenAddress and works fine on Twitter. ZenAddress is less cluttered and seems to work a lot faster too.
http://zenaddress.com//225f
Well, the preview feature of the tinyurl more or less helped some users.
@P.baker Hovering over your zenaddress does not show the real destination. Is that what you are suggesting? btw, zenaddress seems to be down…if a hover over preview is not possible then maybe the customize option at http://linkasa.com is the best. Does anyone know what the life of tinyurl, etc, urls are?
I see that Zone Alarm (personal version) will jump in and stop access to the tinyurl website on the basis that “ZoneAlarm has found that http://tinyurl.com may be unsafe.This website has been known to distribute spyware.” I presume that this is because of the points raised by Scott – trouble is I would like to be able to access addresses using it when the address comes from a trusted and knowledgeable friend – but the free version of Zone Alarm does not allow changes to access to be changed – unless anyone here knows better!!
If you use Firefox or Greasemonkey, there is an extension called LongURL (http://longurl.org/tools) that shows you the url of the page your tinyurl would redirect you to, just by putting your mouse over the link. Works with other services like bit.ly, etc.
Eliminates the need for an extra click, gives you all the information of a human readable url, and still provides all the space saving attributes of a shortened url.
What we need is an ALT tag for tinyURLs!
I am more focused on commercial sites which we definitely will not recommend url shortening process. However, i personally agree with you that it is important no to hide your url because they contain important info which might tell the user what page he will be encountering.
Hey would you mind letting me know which hosting company you’re using?
I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different web browsers and I
must say this blog loads a lot faster then most.
Can you recommend a good internet hosting provider at a fair price?
Kudos, I appreciate it!
For anyone who like to play gambling and when you usually are looking for partners within gambling activities,
Mabosbet will be the right choice. Mabosbetransfer You can contact our customer care and make purchases with us.
Mabosbet livechat is available 24 several hours nonstop and is prepared to serve you that help you online with betting.
Mabosbet. com as the responsible gambling agent, all of us always provide an alternative link to
mabosbet to ensure members feel comfortable. You no longer require to have trouble getting an alternative solution Jababbet link for access, it is currently available for you.
All of us also always give top priority to the safety regarding our members, very
strict protecting all of the privacy associated with members of Jababbet.
Trusted Mabosbet From 2010
With good praise, the services from the Headquarters is no doubt.
Friendly, quick response, under 3 mins.
Mabosbet is highly appreciated by gambling bettors coming from Indonesia because
whatever triumph you get will probably be approved by mabosvip.
We usually want to provide the great for members with highest service.
The site mabosmail. com can also be very simple to access, as you only need internet access and alternate links mabosvip, no want to use proxies, news letters,
or troublesome applications.
That will is why many men and women join mabosbola and
make deposits, then, win the match. The best in addition to quality alternative mabosbola
alternative site.
Come join mabosbet. com the trusted on-line gambling agent in Philippines.
Contact livechat mabosbet now in the lower right corner to get a user
ID. Welcome to be able to the club.
MABOSBET will be a Trusted Online Wagering Site that has recently been established
for more than 9 years with the particular greatest amount of online wagering players.
This gambling internet site also provides the most satisfactory
online gambling game along with the most popular wagering providers in Indonesia.
Online Gambling Games that may be played at MABOSBET
are Sportsbook Soccer Betting, Live Casino, Internet poker Credit card Gambling,
Online Slot Gambling and Online Togel. Mabosbet itself has provided a
variety of excellent facilities for internet
gambling players in Indonesia which range from 24-hour Live Chat Support, Bonuses with the easiest
conditions, additional wins with regard to True Gambling
Players.
This particular MABOSBET Gambling Site likewise proves to
be very trusted, while this Gambling Site can also pay with regard to any winning player with no deductions.
So you will certainly play gambling comfortably in addition to safely
without fear of spending. In addition to a definite win at MABOSBET, you
will also supply additional bonuses to supply a different experience playing online gambling.
JOBI BASKETBALL OFFICIAL SBOBET ONLINE INSIDE INDONESIA
Online Soccer Betting has become a very popular internet gambling game within Indonesia where every sport has a market
for betting. MABOSBET is now an official partner of SBOBET Indonesia, where more as compared to 7 years has provided sports gambling games for betting players in Indonesia.
This SBOBET Soccer Gambling Market allows a reasonable where participants will actually be
provided a new live market from the established match directly.
Therefore you will certainly be very lucky to
play SBOBET in this specific MABOSBET.
RELIABLE ONLINE SLOT MACHINE GAME SITE SITE
WITH MANY EARNINGS
Online slot gambling is currently popular in Philippines, where
online slots are incredibly successful with huge jackpots
and freespins that are usually straightforward to win. Because
associated with that this MABOSBET 1st provided Online Slot Video games from 2012 for wagering players in Indonesia.
Wherever Jackpot is provided even more than USD $ one, 000, 000 for slot players who register
from MABOSBET. The Slot Game machine at MABOSBET won’t just use your Stability, the Slot Game has been built with
the FREESPIN Bonus that comes out more often, so an individual will
probably be Fortunately.
I believe that is one of the most vital information for me.
And i am happy studying your article. However want to
statement on some general issues, The site style is wonderful,
the articles is in point of fact great : D. Just right job, cheers
Do you have any video of that? I’d like to find out some additional information.
You ought to take part in a contest for one of the greatest websites on the net.
I most certainly will recommend this blog!
of course like your web-site but you have to
check the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very bothersome to tell the reality however I’ll certainly come again again.
Wonderful web site. A lot of useful information here.
I am sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious.
And of course, thank you in your effort!
For anyone who like to perform gambling and when you are usually looking
for partners within gambling activities, Mabosbet will be the right choice.
Mabosbetransfer You can contact our own customer service and make
transactions with us. Mabosbet livechat is available 24 several hours nonstop and is
all set to serve you that help you online
with wagering.
Mabosbet. com as a new responsible gambling agent, we all always provide an option link to mabosbet to
ensure members feel comfortable. You no longer need
to have trouble obtaining an alternative Jababbet link regarding
access, it is currently available for you.
We also always give priority to the safety of our members, very strict
protecting all the privacy associated with members of Jababbet.
Reliable Mabosbet From 2010
Along with good praise, the services from the Headquarters is
usually no doubt. Friendly, quick response, under
3 moments.
Mabosbet is highly highly valued by gambling bettors through Indonesia because whatever victory you get is going to be recognized by mabosvip.
We constantly want to provide the best for members with highest service.
The site mabosmail. com is additionally very
simple to access, since you only need internet access and option links mabosvip, no want to use proxies,
newsletters, or troublesome applications.
That will is why many men and women join mabosbola and help to make deposits, then, win the match.
The best plus quality alternative mabosbola alternative site.
Come join mabosbet. com the trusted on-line gambling agent in Indonesia.
Contact livechat mabosbet today in the lower right corner to
get the user ID. Welcome in order to the club.
MABOSBET is a Trusted Online Gambling Site that has been established for more as
compared to 9 years with typically the biggest quantity
of online wagering players. This gambling site also provides
the most satisfactory online gambling game with the most popular betting providers in Indonesia.
On the internet Gambling Games that may be played at MABOSBET are Sportsbook Soccer Betting, Live Casino, Online Poker Credit card Gambling, Online Slot Gambling and Online
Togel. Mabosbet itself has provided a number of excellent facilities
for internet gambling players in Indonesia starting from
24-hour Live Chat Assistance, Bonuses with the
least difficult conditions, additional wins with regard to True Gambling Players.
This MABOSBET Gambling Site likewise proves to get very trusted, while this Gambling Web site can also pay for any winning player without
deductions. So you will play gambling comfortably plus safely without anxiety about spending.
In addition to a new definite win at MABOSBET, you will also supply additional bonuses to supply a different experience playing
online gambling.
JOBI GOLF BALL OFFICIAL SBOBET ONLINE IN INDONESIA
Online Soccer Wagering has become a really popular online gambling game inside Indonesia where
every online game has a market regarding betting.
MABOSBET is becoming a great official partner of SGD777 Indonesia,
where more compared to six years has provided soccer gambling games
for gambling players in Indonesia. This specific SBOBET Soccer Gambling Market allows a
reasonable where participants will actually be provided with the live
market from your recognized match directly. So you will be very lucky
in order to play SBOBET in this particular MABOSBET.
RELIABLE ONLINE SLOT MACHINE SITE SITE WITH MANY PROFITS
Online slot gambling is currently popular in Indonesia, where online slots are extremely successful with huge jackpots and freespins that are simple to win. Because
associated with that this MABOSBET very first provided Online Slot Video games from 2012
for betting players in Indonesia. Where Jackpot is provided a lot more than USD $ one, 000, 000 for slot players who register at
MABOSBET. The Slot Online game machine at MABOSBET won’t just use your Stability,
the Slot Game has been designed with the FREESPIN Bonus that comes away more often, so an individual will probably
be Fortunately.
agent sbobet indonesia
To be a professional online wagering player ensures that you have to realize the site where an individual play from
the outside to the deepest. Of which also means you
need to get to know Sbobet, the best and biggest online gambling site in the particular
archipelago. Established since 2004, Sbobet Indonesia agents have become gambling partners regarding millions
of bettor through across Indonesia.
There usually are millions of men and women registered
because official members and lots of thousands of players are connected every day for one reason: to enjoy
on the internet gambling games of the highest quality in its course.
Including those who usually are fond of online gambling in Indonesia.
As a new country with a majority of men and women who love soccer, of course this site has
come to be a desert oasis.
In the following paragraphs we will present a new lot of information which needs to be known about Sbobet established
such as types associated with games, interesting facts about Sbobet agents, towards
the finest features that will offer many advantages in typically
the gambling business.
Sbobet Philippines Type of Online game
Because mentioned earlier, odds regarding Sbobet Indonesia are amongst the best in the
online sporting activities betting industry. Even whenever in comparison to other online sports dealers in Europe this kind of as Unibet or Ladbrokes.
So to suit your needs football wagering fans in Indonesia,
associated with course this is great news.
In addition, this site also lets you change the odds format as preferred, whether you want to use European or
Hard anodized cookware odds formats. The software system with
several choices also makes changing these types of odds simpler
to do actually for those of you who are not accustomed to playing on-line betting.
For fans regarding gambling betting in Philippines, this site could possibly be a lot more synonymous with
sports wagering, especially soccer gambling. But actually, more than that,
this internet site offers other gambling games to accommodate online gambling fans from various markets.
Listed here are some of typically the gambling betting game categories that are available:
Sports activities
In case you have been in the particular online betting business regarding a long time,
this specific category is familiar. This is the Sbobet Indonesia mainstay gambling category especially for their customers in Indonesia.
The gambling markets offered are also very different ranging from correct scores, odd / even activities, over
/ under, Asian handicaps, to the group of gambling with the biggest prize,
Parlay gambling.
Sbobet Casino
You are not too fond of football gambling? Or perhaps you are
not really a sports fan? No problem, there are still additional games offered.
One that is never devoid of enthusiasts may be the
casino. You can select from many games, these
kinds of as roulette, baccarat, black jack, and sic bo on-line dice.
Not an ordinary casino because all typically the casino
games here an individual can play live! Indeed, you will play together with genuine dealers who will certainly serve you throughout the online game with
a real-time program. This will give a sensation as if you
are playing directly in luxury gambling houses and never have to leave
your own comfort at home.
Online Slots
This one gambling game can be said to be able
to be the simplest in addition to easy-to-understand
game proposed by the best sites in Dalam negri to its customers.
No need to think too much or even prepare complicated strategies such as you play in poker or soccer gambling.
All you need to do is push some control or perhaps push a lever, hold out until you get a new payline pattern and enjoy the biggest jackpot that could make you rich in just one night!
Games
Sbobet Games is a kind of computer animation game with various types
associated with gambling from sports, cards, keno balls, toto keno, guess numbers and other people.
With features and gambling options pretty much make
this game category one associated with the favorites too.
A single of the most popular varieties of Sbobet Indonesia games is Football Strike,
where players are asked in order to predict the
outcome regarding a penalty kick. Regardless of whether it’s a goal
or perhaps not, the direction of the kick from your gamer.
good enough and thank you for visiting online casino agents for
Indonesia. Here we are here to manage to pay for entrance for fans
of sbobet casino who desire to partner the international agent site Promosbobet.
The products offered are unconditionally diverse and are unconditionally the
best choice. Derived from providers that have credibility and have been proven to have the best predicate in serving their customers.
Providers bearing in mind Sbobet, Maxbet and many more.
As the best online casino and soccer gambling site in Indonesia.
We present maximum support with customer withhold that works online 24
full hours every day. suitably members can fake whenever and wherever without fearing to twist the possibility of difficulties or confusion.
I’m gone to say to my little brother, that he should also pay a quick
visit this blog on regular basis to obtain updated from most up-to-date reports.
pleasing and thank you for visiting online casino agents for Indonesia.
Here we are here to offer right of entry for fans of sbobet casino who want to colleague
the international agent site Promosbobet.
The products offered are certainly diverse and are extremely the best choice.
Derived from providers that have credibility and have been proven to have the best
predicate in serving their customers. Providers gone
Sbobet, Maxbet and many more.
As the best online casino and soccer gambling site in Indonesia.
We have the funds for maximum further behind customer withhold that works online
24 full hours all day. thus members can put on an act whenever and wherever without fearing to viewpoint the possibility of difficulties or
confusion.
I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the
structure of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so
people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one
or 2 images. Maybe you could space it out better?
Helpful info. Fortunate me I discovered your website accidentally, and I am
shocked why this twist of fate did not happened in advance!
I bookmarked it.
Everything is very open with a precise explanation of the challenges.
It was really informative. Your website is
very helpful. Many thanks for sharing!
I believe that is one of the such a lot vital info for me.
And i’m glad reading your article. However should observation on few normal things, The website taste is
wonderful, the articles is in point of fact great : D.
Excellent activity, cheers