TINYURL.COM is neat.

[Dark Jaguar]

http://tinyurl.com/

It shrinks ridiculously long URLs to something you can actually have a prayer of memorizing.

[etoven]

All routed threw their proxy. No thank you...

[A Black Falcon]

It is nice, to make posting really long links in forums nicer looking and easier to use.

[Weltall]

I have to agree with etoven on this one. It's nice to shorten the URL, but it masks the true address, so you have no idea just what you're really clicking.

[Dark Jaguar]

Once you get to the site, it shows the correct address. It is basically just a forwarding thing. By the way, I really don't see a problem using someone else's proxy address.

[Weltall]

I don't know about you, but if a masked link is going to forward me to www.grandmarapeshorses.com/heresavirus.html, it'd be nice to know that without having to load the webpage first.

[EdenMaster]

I'm also a little unclear on the whole point of it. If you want to link, most forums have an option like we do, to turn the link into a shorter word like this. Even without the option, a basic HTML script can serve the same purpose. If you need to remember the link yourslf, that's why there are bookmarks, as well as copy/paste in Notepad or whatever.

This has no reason to exist.

[etoven]

This company is atempting to have the worlds links routed threw their servers then forwarded. Having to make a trip to there server first opens up many security issues.

In short it's nothing but a marketing ploy, an attempt to see what sites are being visted on the web.

[A Black Falcon]

I'm also a little unclear on the whole point of it. If you want to link, most forums have an option like we do, to turn the link into a shorter word like this. Even without the option, a basic HTML script can serve the same purpose. If you need to remember the link yourslf, that's why there are bookmarks, as well as copy/paste in Notepad or whatever.

This has no reason to exist.

Not all sites allow those shortened links in forums and stuff you know, and long URLs can stretch threads and stuff like that, not fun... this has plenty of reasons to exist.

[Dark Jaguar]

So you think they are doing something evil eh? Oh well. As far as a reason to exist, I just thought it was neat because there are times when I'm not near a computer and I want something quick to remember. Further, there are times I'm calling someone and want to give them a link and it is a lot easier to give them one of these than something a mile long.

It's a neat little thing I've used a few times. I have no intention of using it for everything, and I am NOT going to be using it to link to something like a secure shopping site, so no worries.

[EdenMaster]

Not all sites allow those shortened links in forums and stuff you know, and long URLs can stretch threads and stuff like that, not fun... this has plenty of reasons to exist.

Even without the option, a basic HTML script can serve the same purpose.

:shakeit:

[A Black Falcon]

So all message boards support HTML now? Ah... no. Trying to prove your point by repeating what I had just refuted won't work... :)

[EdenMaster]

Any forum so restrictive/ancient so as not allow HTML isn't worth visiting :D. Even crap-tastic EZBoard allows HTML.

The only boards I've ever encountered that don't allow HTML are ones run by admins with over-inflated egos who rule over the place like Nazi's, and CHOOSE to not allow it. I know, I used to visit a board like that, further empahasizing the "not with visiting" point.

[A Black Falcon]

Any forum so restrictive/ancient so as not allow HTML isn't worth visiting . Even crap-tastic EZBoard allows HTML.

The only boards I've ever encountered that don't allow HTML are ones run by admins with over-inflated egos who rule over the place like Nazi's, and CHOOSE to not allow it. I know, I used to visit a board like that, further empahasizing the "not with visiting" point.

GameFAQs is a good example of a huge, popular, and sometimes worth visiting board which doesn't allow HTML (or images, for that matter...)... tinyurl and other sites like it are useful for forums like that one. :)

[Weltall]

GameFAQs boards are horrible. I used to go to the Silent Hill boards, and it was like discussing philosophy with kindergartners.

[EdenMaster]

Ryan is right. I spent some time in the GameFAQs Boards during one of their Character Battes and I swear I'll never go back. They are disorganized, so over-populated that half of what is said gets lost in the shuffle, and the average mental age of those people is 6.

Even still, Ryan's point of hiding the location of what could be a truly malicious link is valid.

[Great Rumbler]

Any forum so restrictive/ancient so as not allow HTML isn't worth visiting

GameFAQs is a good example

Yes, yes it is.

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, the average age is low, the people are stupid, there is a lot of repetitious inanity (If I have to see one more 'rate my game collection' thread... people, it's YOUR collection! Get the games you want, not ones other people tell you to get!), and you forgot what is my biggest problem with the site -- that threads get deleted after a month or two if you don't continually post in them to keep them on the top (horrible, horrible, horrible!), but just because of the sheer volume some posts are actually worth reading... though this does not apply to all areas. Sections like Gamecube General... the stupidity... keep it away...