If you’re unfamiliar with URL shortening services, what they do is to make URLs such as https://nw.sumobaby.net/2010/09/15/twitter-announces-new-media-rich-features/ to https://bit.ly/de7RyN by redirecting the shortened URL to the original. URL shortening is not a new development having seen Yahoo! in 2000 utilise redirects for many internal links to lower page size and increase download speed of the portal for those using the standard 28-56KB modem connection (approx 30-100 slower than today’s standard in the UK).
With the usage of Twitter increasing and the need to cram as much content into the 140 characters it allows if you wish to link to sites in your tweet you simply can’t live without a URL shortening service.
Google announced Thursday, September 30th 2010 that it is releasing their URL shortening service for the public to utilise https://goo.gl/. Since December 2009 it has been using this shortening method within many of it’s products, such as the toolbar, maps, Feedburner. Similar to Twitter’s url shortening service they’re both designed to “better protect users from malicious sites that engage in spreading malware, phishing attacks, and other harmful activity” as well as useful click based metrics.
Twitter’s https://t.co/ is currently automatically applied to all Direct Message notification emails as well as all links shared on Twitter.com or third-party apps will be wrapped with a t.co URL. This is not a publicly accessible tool but without a doubt we will a public tool available within the next 12 months.
Other Popular URL shortening services