Un-shortening a URL

[lexipixel]

In case anyone else needs this...

I was emailed a URL that I didn't quite trust, but was wondering where the actual URL would end up, so I went looking for a decoder and found a site that would un-shorten and give me the full long URL --

[longurl.org...]

The "Services" page lists 340 different URL shorteners it works with. They also have plugins for FF, jQuery and other uses (under "Tools").

[mack]

Thats quite useful. I hate receiving emails with shortened URLs

I don't understand the point in using them within emails. It would be far better and instill a lot more trust to display the full address as opposed to one provided by a url shortening service.

Mack.

[lexipixel]

It kind of gives me an idea.. (Since I have too many, and not enough time for most -- I'll share it).

They have URL shorteners....

Now we have a URL expander....

Maybe there's a need for something in-between: A shortener that leaves the domain name intact and only compact everything after the first slash, e.g.-

www.example.com/dir_full_of_stuff/dir2/other/my-very-very-very-long-filename.html

becomes:

www.example.com/AbjzCc123

...that way you send a identifiable but shortened URL that people can trust.

It would likely need to be a site hosted add-on that hooks a database of generated unique codes that translate the request via ReWrite in .htaccess (maybe it exists already?)

[mack]

Makes sence if you are mailing your site users and want to link to a deep page. Would be quote easy with a redirect.
I think a lot of companies already do something similar when they use tv ads. example.com/win leads to something like example.com/web/content/en/competition/december

Mack