I write a computer tips column for my local paper. Often I want to
cite a particular web page as a source for more info on a subject I've
written about. The page I want to cite is not the homepage of the site
containing the info, but is usually five or six clicks into the bowels
of the site, which means that the URL can be terribly long. In dealing
with this, I have two choices: I can either copy and paste that
lengthy URL into the text of my column, which makes for an awkward
looking and hard to read reference in the published version, or I can
take my readers through the series of steps that result in their
eventual arrival at the page I have in mind. The problem with the
latter approach is that it requires a lot of words that eat up my
700-word maximum per column. My question is this: is there a third
way?

Hello Nautico,

The solution would be to use Tiny URL.


Tiny URL
http://tinyurl.com/

This fast and free web site allows you to enter in one of those
amazingly long URLs that you find at places like Amazon.com, or
Mapquest and spits out a small, manageable URL that will take you to
the same page and that never expires.

?By entering in a URL in the text field, they will create a tiny URL
that will not break in email postings and never expires.?
http://tinyurl.com/


I hope this helps!


Best regards,
Bobbie7

Search Criteria:
Personal bookmarks

What a find! I never dreamed such a service existed on the web. Many thanks.

There are many, you could also look at http://www.6url.com, as they
give you an option to select your own alias for forwarding :)

Also try www.surl.co.uk a new kid on the block.

Thank you Nautico for the five stars and tip!
--Bobbie7

Doesn't your local paper have a web site? It would be easy to put
week-by-week and themed links on a page dedicated to your column. As
well as saving your readers the work of typing (or mistyping) in
links, it would help attract readers to the paper's web site - which
will usually have advertising on it anyway.

Our local paper does indeed have a web site, and all my past columns
are obtainable on it by searching its archives using my last name.
Every once in a while, though, I have occasion to send someone a
message in which I'd like to include a link to a particular column.

I do appreciate all the follow-on comments, but am now very happy with tinyurl.com.