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I've never quite understood the URL shortener business model. Why would Twitter buy bit.ly when they could have an intern write their own URL shortening servic
by ryandvm 17y ago
I've never quite understood the URL shortener business model.
Why would Twitter buy bit.ly when they could have an intern write their own URL shortening service in an afternoon?
URL shorteners are the "Hello World" of webapp programming.
- lrm242 17y agoAn intern? The entire bit.ly team doesn't even amount to one single intern, because they clearly needed more than that to build this service at scale. Cmon, seriously? Besides, why would Twitter want bit.ly's thousands of corporate clients who have custom shortened domains. You know, like the one Amazon announced today? Bit.ly has enormous traction--that's why Twitter would want to buy them. Now, why they didn't buy them is anyone's guess, but it certainly isn't because they could "have an intern write their own URL shortening service in an afternoon."