bit.ly

bit.ly (that’s the whole URL) is a new URL shortening service. What may set it apart from the current faves, such as TinyURL, or any of the nearly 70 alternatives, are some special features such as your ability to use your own keywords, the fact that they show you your latest 15 shortened URLs when you visit their site, and the (promised) fact that they will save every page you shorten, and not just the URL, forever.

The URLs here at Slaw aren’t too bad: they’re typical WordPress links. But from time to time you may want to shrink one into a still-intelligible form. Thus, for example, a recent post by Simon Chester, which has the URL https://www.slaw.ca/2008/07/08/justice-minister-highlights-critical-role-of-law-librarians/ can become something like. The “mirrored” URL for that page is http://swabsob.s3.amazonaws.com/bitly/rUOZs/2008/07/08/justice-minister-highlights-critical-role-of-law-librarians/index.html, which shows you that bit.ly is using Amazon’s S3 servers to store the copied page.

And in case you’re interested, the domain “ly” is the country domain extension for Libya.