Tiny URL

[Yampa Bob]

Members posting those looooooooooooooooong URLs are driving me nuts. Well, more than I already am. 

Those ridiculously long URLs that won't break in Internet Explorer causes the post to expand in width to accomodate the 225 characters or more. This is compounded by the fact that I have to use Larger or Largest text size in "view" options. If I change text size to "smaller", then can't read anything.

Since only half the width of the post is visible, I have to scroll back and forth with the horizontal scroll bar.  Needless to say it's a literal pain in the neck.  Please do us old geezers using IE a favor and shorten the URL with this utility.

http://tinyurl.com/

You can place the above link in your links toolbar for instant access. PLEASE no rhetoric about other browsers, have been using IE too many years to change now.

Thank you very much.  (I notice Jim and Rick use the utility, greatly appreciated)

[Jim Banner]

Adding an icon to your links bar is quick and easy.  Then all you have to do is click on the icon to have Tiny URL return the tiny url of whatever page you are looking at.  Easy and free.

Tiny URLs take slightly longer to load than regular urls but is rarely a problem.  My main concern with them is how long they stay valid.  Does anybody know?  A month may or may not be long enough for some postings.  A year would seem adequate.  A year is the minimum length of time I leave photos on my website when I link to them from here.

Jim

[Yampa Bob]

The Tiny Urls load just as fast as the original for me, even on my dialup. The site says "Never expires". I think it's a great free service.

[rustyrails]

I'm running IE8.  I'm not a big guy for lots of tool bars in IE...soooo...I wasn't surprised to not see a links toolbar.  BUT...when I go to tools>toolbars, I see that I do not have a links toolbar.  I'm willing to try to use tiny URL, and currently have it stuck in my favorites.  I guess it'll work as long as I have it running concurrently with IE.
Rusty

[Jim Banner]

Thanks, Bob.  I looked for the expiry time but did not find it.  I seem to remember that when it first started, it was only a month, but I won't swear to that.  But "never expires" is good news.  The increased loading time is mostly a bit of a delay between clicking on the Tiny URL and the start of downloading.  Maybe it is noticeable only on cable, and I suspect it is time of day sensitive.

Although it is free, and they have no limit on the number of free Tiny URLs you generate, the site does run by donation.  It and FireFTP are two such sites/programs that I use regularly and send a few bucks to once in a while.

Rusty, I am not sure how the tool bar thing works in Internet Explorer.  I use Firefox exclusively and don't even have IE on my computer.

Jim