Tip: Long URLs and broken links

I received an email this morning which contained a very long web site address. Due to the way the email was formatted, the address had been split across two lines and, because of that, the link itself was broken. If I had clicked it, instead of going to the appropriate web site, I’d end up with an incomplete address in the web browser and, most likely, an error page displayed.

If you ever have this problem, you could do some multiple copying and pasting to recreate the link. There is, however, a simpler way to make the link functional once more: click Reply and then use the backspace key to close up the space within the address. Doing so will make the link clickable.

Another way to deal with long addresses is to use an address convertor such as Tiny. Tiny converts very long URLs into much, much smaller ones. For example, the following link displays a Google map of a central Sydney location:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&q=12+Park+St,+Sydney+NSW+2000,+Australia&sll=30.004768,-90.
116288&sspn=0.00642,0.009999&ie=UTF8&cd=4&geocode=0,-33.872864,151.207543&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1

Here’s the Tiny version:

http://tinyurl.com/26x9a2

I use Tiny a lot when I’m writing articles for print magazines, as it makes it easier for readers to type in those addresses without making a mistake. It’s also useful for creating short addresses to place in emails in order to avoid URL breakage. Once you create a Tiny URL, it’s available for good - I still use Tiny URLs I created years ago.

You can use Tiny interactively, by going to the Tiny web site, pasting a URL into the box and clicking the Make TinyURL button. Alternatively, you can add a Tiny button to your browser’s links toolbar. Once you do so, you can create a TinyURL by going to the desired page (the one with the long address) and then clicking the Tiny button on your links bar. Tiny creates the shortened URL and automatically copies it to your clipboard.

If you use Tiny, give them a donation. It’s certainly worth it, and your donation will help ensure the service is around for the long haul.