Have you ever found a great website and wanted to share the link with someone via email? If the website’s address (URL) is long, it is often difficult to successfully share the link. The recipient often has to cut and paste portions of the URL to make it work.
For example, suppose you use MapQuest to provide directions to your home for an out-of-towner. After MapQuest finds your home, you can send the URL to your visitor which looks like this:
Your visitor then tries to click on the link, but this is often unsuccessful because the URL is just too long. This is where TinyURL.com comes in very handy. Simply enter a long URL into their system and click on the Make TinyURL! button. The resulting URL looks like this:
http://tinyurl.com/22j6wd
Clicking on it takes you to the exact same place as the really long URL. Which link would you rather type, or cut and paste into your browser? Give it a try at www.tinyurl.com.
There is also http://snipurl.com, which does the same thing. Both are incredibly useful.