Better short URLs with BURL | The Coffeehouse

fergbrain

A couple days ago, lifehacker had an article on TinyURL etiquette. Mostly as a proof-of-concept (but now something more), I created BURL: a Better Universal Resorce Locator.

The issue with TinyURL and just about any other site similar to it is that all context is lost. If I post a link to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=fad44098-8b73-4e06-96d4-d1eb70eacb44&displaylang=en, you can take one glance at it and know that it has something to do with Microsoft. However, if I post a link to http://tinyurl.com/4gdju, you have nothing. There is zero context to what is being linked to and you have to trust the sender of the link to provide that context. What I tried to do is maintain some of the context of the original link. A BURL link looks like this: http://burl.fergcorp.com/microsoft/6e1c1. Yes, it is longer but you now have context. And the best part is, all you still have to do is enter just the URL in. BURL automatically takes the domain name and makes that the context word.

This is just a proof-of-concept. I wrote the code in just a few hours and while I’ve done quite a bit of testing, I’ve not done enough to consider it final, so I would appreciate any feedback Channel Niners have.

BURL: a Better Universal Resorce Locator

DevilsRejection
addicted to rss

i never understood the need for these things... i mean seriously just edit the damn html tag to say something relevant, and then link to something else.

i don't get what is so difficult about it, creating intriqute systems just to save you all of 5 seconds!

Microsoft Windows Journal Viewer 1.5

was that so hard lol? it's relevant, you can hover over it and see where it goes... idk call me crazy but i think both of your systems are just a waste of developemnt that could be going somewhere else.

AdamKinney
Agent of Change

Cool, I like BURLs twist by adding the domain name. I'll use it next time I need a shortened url.

As for Devil's Rejection's rejection, tiny urls are more useful in areas other than forums, mainly any area you don't have rich-editing capabilties. I'm thinking of newsgroups. text-based email, you know all that old school stuff Smiley

lethalbyte

Looks great Smiley

Maurits
AKA Matthew van Eerde

I think a better solution would be to have the shortened URL not redirect immediately, but instead render a page that shows the long URL in clickable form... and, perhaps, a comment entered by the person that put in the URL.

This gives more control to the user.

lethalbyte

Maurits wrote:
I think a better solution would be to have the shortened URL not redirect immediately, but instead render a page that shows the long URL in clickable form... and, perhaps, a comment entered by the person that put in the URL.

This gives more control to the user.

Maybe. Good in some cases, irritating in others. Perhaps the person making the url should get to choose characteristics of how you redirect.

irascian
Irascible Ian

DevilsRejection wrote:
i never understood the need for these things... i mean seriously just edit the damn html tag to say something relevant, and then link to something else.

i

They are essential for podcasts and broadcasting. .Net Rocks makes extensive use of them and it would be a nightmare following some of the more obscure URLs without them. Admittedly if they planned ahead of time they could just put them on their web site (which they do) but for people surfing while listening they really come into their own.

Other than that I agree with you - unless of course you want to disguise the original source URL.

Maurits
AKA Matthew van Eerde

lethalbyte wrote:
Perhaps the person making the url should get to choose characteristics of how you redirect.

Maybe a RedirectBehavio[u]r cookie would work

fergbrain

lethalbyte wrote:

Perhaps the person making the url should get to choose characteristics of how you redirect.

When I want to make a short URL, I want it to be quick. I don't want to take time to chose how I want the link to be displayed. Sure, you could create a system where people could login and their settings would be remember, but I think that would be even worse.

lethalbyte

ferg, I meant the person who wants the URL to be shorter, not the person who's following the URL. Agreed that the person typing in the URL shouldn't have to do anything, but the person creating the URL could put a little more work in, right?

Just ideas anyway Smiley

fergbrain

lethalbyte wrote:
ferg, I meant the person who wants the URL to be shorter, not the person who's following the URL. Agreed that the person typing in the URL shouldn't have to do anything, but the person creating the URL could put a little more work in, right?

Just ideas anyway

I meant the person who wants the URL to be shorter, too. I guess this is the hard part of creating something for the masses: what I want may not be what you want. I would think that more people would use BURL if they didn't have to specify settings. Just a thought though Cool