Given the popularity of social media and affiliate links, it is very important to turn a long URL into a short one. Even when Twitter bumped up the character count to 280, space was in short supply and brevity mattered. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to shorten links.
But short URLs also have a dark side: you don’t know where they are going. When you click on a short URL, you blindly trust the person not to send you to a phishing site or download a virus.
If it’s the New York Times or the BBC, that’s okay. You can trust big brands. But if this is Mr. MysteryMan from MysteryTown, then who knows which rabbit hole they kill you?
TinyURL
If you have a link to TinyURL, just replace “www†with “preview†after “https: //â€, for example:
https: //preview.tinyugl.com/oxnc3gr8
You will then be taken to the TinyURL site, where you will be given a long URL.
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A link is provided to go to the site if you think it is safe.
A little bit
If you find that you have a Bitly link and you don’t know where it goes, just add a “+” to the end of the URL, for example:
https: // be. or/2X5XBub+
You will then be taken to the Bitly website, where it will display a long URL.
Everything is good? Then click on the “Copy” link which gives you a short URL without the “+” sign. Copy and paste into your browser and off you go.
Using an Online Service
If you like, you can use an online service to traverse all the short urls. However, there are so many URL extension options in this area that it can be difficult to know which one to use.
I especially like CheckShortURL After entering a short url, a long url will be returned, along with a thumbnail of the page and other useful links such as checking if the page is safe.
After all, the golden rule should always be “when in doubt, don’t click on this link.” There is nothing worth risking a virus or hacking your account information with a phisher. But these tips help to pull back the curtain and show you where the link is taking you.
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