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Why you shouldn't fear TINY URL!
Yes, people hide links in Tiny URL don't they. Then you click it and are taken somewhere completely different.

But did you know there are a couple of tricks you can do to protect yourself?

This is how I survive. Firstly, I have the Gaia Warning turned on. Why? Because that way I can click a link and know no matter what, I'll stay on Gaia (No accidental loading a bad page, I always have to load the warning image first).

User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.

Next, I copy the Tiny URL from the warning box. With a little modification we can find out where this links without actually visiting it.

http://tinyurl.com/2nroup <- That's the URL we're being sent to

We can modify it:

http://
preview.tinyurl.com/2nroup

Now that link is safe. Instead of being redirected to the website, instead you are sent to TinyURL itself, and it will give you the full URL you can choose to redirect to.

User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.

See? Now you can tell if the link is not where you expected.

Now, this may be a pain, but there is a simple way around. Scroll down the page slightly, and you'll see a link to enable the preview feature. When you've got that enabled, it will place a small cookie on your computer. So while it is enabled, whenever you click a TinyURL, instead of going to the website you will be sent to that preview page, and can preview the URL first.

User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.

So then when you click it you get...

User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.

You just have to be sure of where you're clicking, and with TinyURL you do have the ability.


Note: There is a price to pay for doing the little TinyURL trick. You wont be able to see image that people have shortened with TinyURL. So its up to you really.






User Comments: [4] [add]
Eye In Me Soup
Community Member
avatar
commentCommented on: Fri Jan 11, 2008 @ 10:53am
Oh I did not know that. Neat :D


commentCommented on: Fri Jan 11, 2008 @ 12:24pm
-Pokes Leo-

Safety first mrgreen



Darien S.
Global Moderator
Bommilicious
Community Member
avatar
commentCommented on: Fri Jan 11, 2008 @ 03:13pm
Ack! This should be sticky-ed somewhere where everyone can see this!! ._. Im so happy i managed to chance into one of your replies in the forum thread.


commentCommented on: Fri Jan 25, 2008 @ 02:36am
Nifty way to secure yourself! o.o



Cyanotic
Community Member
User Comments: [4] [add]
 
 
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