[thelist] Re: news.com article on browsers and mainstream sites etc..

Tim Luoma luomat at peak.org
Tue Jul 16 14:01:01 CDT 2002


Chris W. Parker wrote:

> <rant>shouldn't those small urls be considered a negative thing when it
> comes to usability? i understand this is not a website, but c'mon. what
> if it leads to a website i have no desire to go to?

1) I remember reading somewhere that if you put < > around a long URL it
will remain 'clickable' in some mail clients.  I guess I'll test it here

<http://www.tntluoma.com/pics?dir=pictures/beagles&pic=9&othereallylong&useless&nothelpful&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more>

or


<URL:http://www.tntluoma.com/pics?dir=pictures/beagles&pic=9&othereallylong&useless&nothelpful&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more&more>

2) www.makeashorterlink.com will show you the URL before redirecting you
to it:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?D1A465741

(will show you the link for 5 seconds before redirecting you .... to the
previous overly long URL)


<tip type="URLs and wrapping" author="TjL>

If you have a long URL to share, you may want to also include a
shortened version, however it is preferable to not exclude the original
URL, even if it might wrap, for archiving purposes and so people will
know where they are being sent.  http://makeashorterlink.com/ will show
destination URL for 5 seconds before refreshing your browser, giving you
time to close the browser window if you decide you do not want to go there.

</tip>





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