Zepfanman.com (Stylesheets Off Version)

Shorten links with SnipURL or Metamark

Ever get one of those long mapquest links in your email that gets split into multiple lines? This is one of the many reasons to use a short URL service. I'll also use them in linking to hard-to-remember stuff sometimes, like a message board post (snurl.com/jjext). TinyURL.com and SnipURL.com (or snurl.com) are probably the most popular, but there are a lot of alternatives; I'm most impressed with the technology of Metamark, which uses xlr.us, admittedly the hardest to remember, though. PURL.org (Persisten URL) goes even further by allowing you to register and change the redirect when you want (thanks to Foghlú for pointing out PURL).

While SnipURL is probably the best popular option (I use this when I can), xrl.us (Metamark) is the shortest in length and probably best developed alternative. It's advertised as accelerate us (xrl.us), but you have to invert the R and L if you try to remember it that way. Metamark's developer has been on the cutting edge of the technology, like being the first to use SURBL to block spammer domains. He says that Metamark was created because he was afraid the other URL redirect services would go out of business, so maybe Metamark has the longest staying power. He has some other good comments in his About section.

Here are a few other short url tidbits (pun unintended):

• Web Sites that Shorten Long URLs contains a useful comparison chart, created by notlong.com, yet another short URL service. This chart compares seven major sites, but lists 19 others! Actually, looking at this chart, I might just start using notlong!
• TinyURL Creator extension for Firefox and Mozilla, 2004 November. Some have mentioned it crashing their browser; I haven't tested it.
• Favorite slogan: To make a long story short: Shorl makes long URLs short.
• SnipURL features letter, straight from a SnURL Site Admin, 2002 July.
• Keep it short and snip those looooong URLs... - An article comparing TinyURL, MakeAShorterLink, and SnipURL (their preference), 2003 August.

By rockofvictory | Tue 2005Mar08 10:58 CST | Links | Last edited Wed 2005Mar09 10:31 CST
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