use Perl

• This xrl.us business just doesn't have a future (Score:1)

  by qu1j0t3 (6286)

  Hmm, link shortening services. Let me count the ways they weaken the web:
  * will eventually break (see xrl.us TOS)
  * are another point of failure anyway
  * are a privacy liability
  * give no hint at destination (ph1sh, much?)
  * contain no identifying information, so when they do expire, you're totally hosed
  * are not a permanent, unique identifier
  
  Besides, there's no actual rationale for using them here. URLs can be as long as you wish in this medium.
  • Re:This xrl.us business just doesn't have a future (Score:1)

    by audreyt (6654) on 2006.07.10 2:24 (#48683) Journal

    All agreed (and indeed that was just following previous summaries's examples). However, hough 123-characters URLs is a bit too long.

    After some discussion on #p5p, there seem to be a middle path: Link to the full URL, but display the xrl.us address as textual content between anchor tags. Does that sound plausible, or even more insane? :-)

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    Parent

    • Re:This xrl.us business just doesn't have a future (Score:1)

      by audreyt (6654)

      Or, alternately, make the headings themselves links, and remove explicit links-as-texts altogether. Saner? :)
      • Yay! :-) (Score:1)

        by hummassa (6137)

        Now _that_ is saner.
      • Re:This xrl.us business just doesn't have a future (Score:1)

        by chromatic (983)

        My heart would sing a little more if explicit links as texts went away everywhere for good.