4 ms·

Perhaps it's because I'm not a twitter hipster, but what's with all the bitly links? They really detract from an otherwise great post. I personally really pre

by Sukotto 17y ago

Perhaps it's because I'm not a twitter hipster, but what's with all the bitly links? They really detract from an otherwise great post. I personally really prefer to know where I'm going before I click a link. Save bitly for posts that restrict your character count please

steveklabnik 17y ago
Just add a plus to the end of the URL.
- jpd 17y ago
  Oddly, copy/pasting the link into the address bar and manually adding a plus to the end of the URL seems to take far more effort then just clicking on the link. If only there were a usability trick to actually see the link directly in the post somehow...
  - steveklabnik 17y ago
    Personally, I prefer the shorter links. Since HN makes you put the full link text, it ends up really cluttering up comments. Also, I'm surprised by your passive-aggressiveness. I almost made a comment about how you must be new here, but you've been here longer than me!
  - sundarurfriend 17y ago
    I use Long URL Please (http://www.longurlplease.com/ http://www.longurlplease.com/), and most of the time don't even realize something was posted as a bit.ly or some other shortened URL until I look carefully. It replaces shortened URLs from most services with the actual URLs that they lead to.
    - jpd 17y ago
      Thanks for the heads up about this, just 'installed' the bookmarklet. Seems to work well.
Sukotto 17y ago
Anyone who downvoted me care to explain why? I don't twitter (which appears to be the primary audience of bit.ly users) and my experience with url shorteners starts and ends with tinyurl (and all the abuses I encountered with that service). What, specifically, was unworthy about my question and rational?
- Semiapies 17y ago
  Compare what you wrote with something like this response: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1136775 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1136775
- jodrellblank 17y ago
  I downvoted you because... ugh, whining about something I don't care about. I don't care so why do you? It's not even important, it's not even the sort of thing there can be a definitive answer to, it's just preference on both sides so there wont be a resolution. Besides, you're wrong ;), the shortened links are no real hindrance because you can tell by the context that they'll only go to a shop or a picture, there's no chance here that they'll be surprise shock sites, PDFs, etc, and unlikely they'll even be videos. So stop cluttering up with your bikeshed colour whinging and post something about clothing fashion. Even if it's a short personal anecdote with which I can't identify and don't care about, that's still a better quality comment.
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
msg 17y ago
Use this Greasemonkey. http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/46822 http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/46822
tsally 17y ago
Sorry about that. :-/ The long links were making it really difficult to compose my post. I too get annoyed at URL shorteners, but I thought the annoyance would be offset by the convenience of having the short links inline (as opposed to placing the long links at the bottom via footnotes). In retrospect I wish I could edit my original post and just put the long links inline.

by Sukotto 17y ago

steveklabnik 17y ago

Just add a plus to the end of the URL.

jpd 17y ago
Oddly, copy/pasting the link into the address bar and manually adding a plus to the end of the URL seems to take far more effort then just clicking on the link. If only there were a usability trick to actually see the link directly in the post somehow...
- steveklabnik 17y ago
  Personally, I prefer the shorter links. Since HN makes you put the full link text, it ends up really cluttering up comments. Also, I'm surprised by your passive-aggressiveness. I almost made a comment about how you must be new here, but you've been here longer than me!
- sundarurfriend 17y ago
  I use Long URL Please (http://www.longurlplease.com/ http://www.longurlplease.com/), and most of the time don't even realize something was posted as a bit.ly or some other shortened URL until I look carefully. It replaces shortened URLs from most services with the actual URLs that they lead to.
  - jpd 17y ago
    Thanks for the heads up about this, just 'installed' the bookmarklet. Seems to work well.

Sukotto 17y ago

Anyone who downvoted me care to explain why? I don't twitter (which appears to be the primary audience of bit.ly users) and my experience with url shorteners starts and ends with tinyurl (and all the abuses I encountered with that service). What, specifically, was unworthy about my question and rational?

Semiapies 17y ago
Compare what you wrote with something like this response: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1136775 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1136775
jodrellblank 17y ago
I downvoted you because... ugh, whining about something I don't care about. I don't care so why do you? It's not even important, it's not even the sort of thing there can be a definitive answer to, it's just preference on both sides so there wont be a resolution. Besides, you're wrong ;), the shortened links are no real hindrance because you can tell by the context that they'll only go to a shop or a picture, there's no chance here that they'll be surprise shock sites, PDFs, etc, and unlikely they'll even be videos. So stop cluttering up with your bikeshed colour whinging and post something about clothing fashion. Even if it's a short personal anecdote with which I can't identify and don't care about, that's still a better quality comment.

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

msg 17y ago

Use this Greasemonkey. http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/46822 http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/46822

tsally 17y ago

Sorry about that. :-/ The long links were making it really difficult to compose my post. I too get annoyed at URL shorteners, but I thought the annoyance would be offset by the convenience of having the short links inline (as opposed to placing the long links at the bottom via footnotes). In retrospect I wish I could edit my original post and just put the long links inline.