8.04?

[Derek Broughton]

Dotan Cohen wrote:

> On 05/04/2008, Derek Broughton <news at pointerstop.ca> wrote:
>>  > Don't use tinyurl. How do I know it's not pointing to malware? Do you
>>  > trust that tinyurl will stay in business for as long as that link is
>>  > valid?
>>
>> Huh?  I'll continue to use tinyurls.  They're more useful than
>>  longer-than-one-line urls.  I don't care if they don't stay in use as
>>  long as the link is valid - though the odds are that they will actually
>>  stay in business _longer_ than most referenced links.
> 
> Does the fact that the URL spans more than one line really bother you?

In fact it doesn't bother _me_ at all, but some people use less capable mail
and news readers, that don't handle them well, so I want to play nice with
them.
> 
>>  > Do you trust them not to deliberately or accidentally try to
>>  > pass on some malware en route to the site?
>>
>> Do I care?  I don't believe they can infect me.  More to the point, I
>> don't
>>  believe they can infect most of the people reading this group.
> 
> It is true that they cannot infect your computer for the time being.
> You should research browser-based attacks, though.
> 
>>  > Do you want them tracking you?
>>
>> They won't be tracking _me_ if I post a tinyurl...
> 
> Oh, I see, and what they do to those who follow your link doesn't
> concern you. 

If I had concerns at all, then it would, but I was really pointing out that
you were misdirecting your fears.

> Then why do you care that they will see a long url, if it 
> doesn't concern you?

If it were just a matter of _seeing_ long urls, it would be unnecessary, but
the problem is that so many programs butcher the long urls.
> 
>>  > Do you want the link to be unaccessible when tinyurl is
>>  > performing updates or down for other reasons?
>>
>> Again, do I care?  Nobody uses tinyurl to point to their own sites, they
>> use
>>  them to reference citations.
> 
> So the reference citation is only valid when tinyurl is not performing
> maintanance?

I just don't see the problem.  If there are downtimes at all, they're
negligible.

>>  > There are fifty more reasons not to use tinyurl. I will never click
>>  > them. Post the url and be done with it.
>>
>> Your loss.  There are fifty reasons not to do anything, but the arguments
>>  against tinyurl and similar software are specious.
> 
> You can be argumentive, 

pot=kettle.

> I'm trying to help you and those with whom you communicate. 

Sorry, I don't see telling people not to post tinyurls as being at all
helpful.
-- 
derek