Normally, when you use Twitter’s search service, you can avoid clicking shortened URLs blindly – which is a security risk – by expanding them and taking a look at where they’ll be taking you exactly. I use it all the time, and I’ve even gotten accustomed to using Brizzly for Twitter on the web partly because it automatically expands any shortened URL.
I’d recommend anyone never to click short URLs without knowing where it goes, even when it comes from people you know and trust, because that’s not a guarantee for safe links either. In that regard, it doesn’t help that Twitter Search now no longer appears to expand Bit.ly URLs, which is the default web address shortener used by Twitter.
Update: and poof, it works again.
We’re not sure when this problem started occurring, but Twitter app developer Mallikarjun Reddy noticed it earlier today and adds that it is not an issue on Bit.ly’s side since its API for URL expansion seems to work just fine. Fortunately, the expansion for most other URL shorteners still functions, but since bit.ly is the most widely used tool of its kind on the social network, this is not something to simply brush off. Even if bit.ly is doing its own part to warn users of malicious links, Twitter has a responsibility to its users to protect them as good as they possibly can.
One more item to add to the ever-expanding to-do list of Twitter’s engineers.
Update: yes we use bit.ly when we push content to our Twitter stream. No, that has absolutely nothing to do with what I wrote above.
strange, at this moment bit.ly API works. We just add bit.ly processing to http://tlink.linkstore.ru
Yes, it is definitely a security risk. But now expand works well for bit.ly URL in Twitter search results.
“I’d recommend anyone never to click short URLs without knowing where it goes, even when it comes from people you know and trust, because that’s not a guarantee for safe links either.”
Ironically you posted a bit.ly-link to this post on Twitter.
How’s that ironic? I’d still recommend it regardless.
Alanis, is that you
I think almost url shortness services suck. They should stop their service
Another good reason to use TweetDeck for searches too…
Ironically… You used bit.ly to post this to twitter. SAD
Sigh.
Robin, what happened to Aweso.me? Weren’t you guys using that for your URL Shortening?
Where have you been, that’s so not cool anymore. We’re on the 20th iteration of the same stupid service, with a different domain name.
Ignore them Robin.
Mais uma vez estou aqui, nesse que é o mair e melhor blog de tecnologia do mundo, saiba que muitos sites do Brasil retira ionformaçõe daqui para levar ao publico do meu paÃs, continui sempre assim cara, falam que você é um dos melhores do mundo, parabéns.
One more time I am here, in that it is the better greater and blog of technology of the world, knows that many sites of Brazil remove information daqui to lead to publish it of my country, always continue thus expensive, speak that you he is one of the best ones of the world, congratulations
its working for me on twitter search.
Another tool you can use to verify a shortened url:
http://sucuri.n...title=check-url
What is nice is that in addition to showing the real URL, it will test it against google safe browsing, site advisor, letting you know if the URL is safe or not to visit.
I am use bit.ly in my blog
Never click on short URL in twitter?!?
Don’t trust people u know?!?
Another great TECHCRUNCH article
What a moron.
“Never click on short URL in twitter?!?” – He said do not click on shortened URLs IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY LEAD.
“Don’t trust people u know?!?” – Notice how he cleverly linked to: http://www.info...r-passwords-057
Try reading next time. (BTW, sorry about the capitals – I used them for emphasis since you can’t exactly make text bold in a TC comment.)
Actually you can make text bold or even underline, or italicize text using simple HTML.
I usually use http://unshort.me when someone send me something in email. Especially if I am at work.
Unless I missed someone else pointing this out already – you can figure out where bit.ly links redirect to by adding a + to the end of any bit.ly url. Yeah, it’s an extra step, but I use that method when all else fails.
Example: http://bit.ly/c9HF6+
When did TC stop using their own shortener for post URLs? Bit.ly greesing some palms?
Why did tc drop using awe.sm btw? Their service not very good?
Instead use Sitecite.com as a custom URL shortener. It has a preview built in. You can trust links from there.
as asked by others, why did techcrunch do away with its own custom shortener?
as for the search page, most users these days don’t use search.twitter.com anymore anyway. that url hasn’t been linked to anywhere on twitter’s site for at least a month now. the integrated search is what most people are using nowadays, which does not have short url expansion.
I agree. TechCrunch’s URL shortener acted as an extra degree of security. You knew that TC’s account didn’t get hijacked and that the links are legitimate since only TechCrunch has the ability to produce the short TC links.