26 February 2014

Tip of the Week! Link Expanders

Can this fit in a tweet?
Even though I'm not on Twitter, I do check certain Twitter feeds for relevant references.  However, since so many URLs are condensed to accommodate a tweet's character limits, it's not always obvious where they will lead you.  I'm pretty cautious about clicking on random links, even though I have anti-virus software and I keep my browsers up-to-date. I spend so much time online, the odds are ever in my favor of getting stung by something malicious!

So one way to decode shortened URLs is to use a link expander. This is a service that reveals the actual links that tiny URLs direct you to. There are many such services, but I've found both URL Uncover and LongURL to be useful.  Give them a try!

[Image credit: Wikipedia]

Tagged Tips.

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