Gilbertson has stated that he wasn’t out to cash in, but simply was looking to solve a problem (such as the fact that in emails, URLs that couldn’t fit on a single line would often have an automatic break inserted into them, resulting in an error message when clicked).
and voila! TinyURL gives you just what it promises-a tiny URL-directing you to the exact same page (feel free to check the links!): Creator Kevin Gilberston’s idea was simple: plug in a long URL, such as the Google Maps address for the Empire State Building. History of the Shortened URLĬreated in 2002, TinyURL was the first URL shortener. But proceed with caution when clicking a shortened URL phishing scams can be lurking within the link. Now, it’s not uncommon to find a “shortened URL” in place of the longer links of yesteryear. URL shorteners were created to solve this problem. But today, we like our links to be neat and tidy. Back in the day, no one thought much of long URL links it’s just the way things were. If you are suspicious of a shortened URL, don't click it.Uniform Resource Locators-URLs to you and me-are of course nothing more than web addresses, and they’re a valuable content sharing tool.
Initiate download of malicious software, such as ransomware, to your device.
Direct people to phishing websites-sites that ask you to log in or fill in a form and then steal your password and/or personal information.It is helpful to let people know where the short URL will take them. On social media platforms, such as Twitter, you may need to use a shortened URL to stay within a character limit. Be clear about the destination when you must use short URLs.
If you are directing people to a page that requires login, let them see the full URL and tell them login will be required.Įxample: Access your My LINC assigned training at (U-M login required).
URLs that begin with myumi.ch/ are created with a URL shortener maintained by the U-M Office of the Vice President for Communications and used primarily by UMSocial and other official U-M social media accounts. These are just a few of the sites that let you enter a short URL and then see the full URL:Ī number of university units use URL shorteners for official university use. Between the " and the "tinyurl," type preview.
Type the shortened URL in the address bar of your web browser and add the characters described below to see a preview of the full URL: