URL shortening

URL shortening

Converting a long URL name into a short one. Also called "URL redirecting," there are many free URL shortening services on the Web that take a long URL, convert it to a short name and perform the redirection for the user when the short URL is clicked. URL shortening can be used when sending extremely long URLs in e-mail messages or chat rooms, because the URL is often broken up by the time it reaches its destination. The single string of characters is turned into multiple lines and no longer serves as a clickable link.

Although the recipient can patch the URL back together by copying and pasting the lines into the browser's address field, a short URL eliminates the problem in the first place. Following is a list of URL shortening sites on the Web:

   Site Name            URL

   Metamark Shorten     www.metamark.net
   Not Long             www.notlong.com
   Quick URL            www.qurl.com
   Shorlify             www.shorl.com
   Snip URL             www.snipurl.com
   Tiny Link            www.tinylink.com
   Tiny URL             www.tinyurl.com
   URL Cut              www.urlcut.com