OutsourcedMath Social Network

Adrian Roselli 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

Folks, you don’t need URL shorteners here like buff•ly, bit•ly, etc.

In fact, I am *far* less likely to click a link using a shortener. It’s a signal that you are tracking clicks, that the content is just marketing chaff.

Share it because you see value, not for the engagement farming.

AlexTECPlayz 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

It would be helpful to see this tip in the actual compose UI on Mastodon, because URLs take the same amount of characters, regardless of length, regardless if using the full URL or a shortener.

Mastodon by default uses 23 characters for URLs, as per these two lines of code:
https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/blob/0ac43700d8a88c08e6f8f854e8bb85838df5fc51/app/validators/status_length_validator.rb#L5-L6
Admins can modify this code to whatever they want, I use 1 character as the length of a URL (https://github.com/VantaInteractive/Social/blob/223f253e918b8d5b2a4ea0da5087fb497596a49d/app/validators/status_length_validator.rb#L5).

mastodon/app/validators/status_length_validator.rb at 0ac43700d8a88c08e6f8f854e8bb85838df5fc51 · mastodon/mastodon

Your self-hosted, globally interconnected microblogging community - mastodon/mastodon

^GitHub

This entry was edited (4 weeks ago)

Adrian Roselli 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

@alextecplayz You mean in the UI for users about to post? If so, I am sure you can file an issue. After my own interactions with the Benevolent Dictator for Life, I am unlikely to try contributing again.

@AlexTECPlayz

Badly-optimised primate 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

this, and the fact you have no idea what the link is for when it's proxied. I don't want to be rickrolled or sent to some fake bank site.

Adrian Roselli 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

@moopet Yeah, the security risk is real.

@Badly-optimised primate

Mayank 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

been seeing a lot of buff.ly links lately. 10/10 times i keep scrolling

Adrian Roselli 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

@mayank If you use the web front-end, this might be useful?
https://toot.cafe/@aardrian/113680130182964831

Adrian Roselli

2024-12-19 15:12:07

I have Stylus running in Firefox and surf Masto using the, er, toot-deck view?

```
article:has(a[href^="https://buff.ly"]),
article:has(a[href^="https://bit.ly"]) {
opacity: .2;
}
```

Not suggesting that covers all shorteners nor that the styles are right for you. But a starting point.

#css

Bitly Connections Platform | Short URLs, QR Codes, and More
Bitly’s Connections Platform is more than a free URL shortener, with robust link management software, advanced QR Code features, and a landing page solution.
^{Bitly, Inc.}

@Mayank

Karel P Kerezman 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

I remember running my own copy of URL shortening software so I could promote my webcomic on then-Twitter, especially back in the 140 days.

But now? Nah. No point.

Adrian Roselli 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

@greyduck Same. I had rosel.li (still do) but I also had a naming convention so that the date was the shortened address. There was always a staleness signal if nothing else.

But today? Nope.

@Karel P Kerezman

Adrian Roselli 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

I have Stylus running in Firefox and surf Masto using the, er, toot-deck view?

```
article:has(a[href^="https://buff.ly"]),
article:has(a[href^="https://bit.ly"]) {
opacity: .2;
}
```

Not suggesting that covers all shorteners nor that the styles are right for you. But a starting point.

#css

Bitly Connections Platform | Short URLs, QR Codes, and More

Bitly’s Connections Platform is more than a free URL shortener, with robust link management software, advanced QR Code features, and a landing page solution.

^{Bitly, Inc.}

#css

Jakob Rosin 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

also, bit.ly Also, Bit.ly is using userway. Even less reason to use it.

Adrian Roselli 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

@jakobrosin Yup, included them in the first post and this set of styles to make those posts less visible to me:
https://toot.cafe/@aardrian/113680130182964831

Adrian Roselli

2024-12-19 15:12:07

I have Stylus running in Firefox and surf Masto using the, er, toot-deck view?

```
article:has(a[href^="https://buff.ly"]),
article:has(a[href^="https://bit.ly"]) {
opacity: .2;
}
```

Not suggesting that covers all shorteners nor that the styles are right for you. But a starting point.

#css

Bitly Connections Platform | Short URLs, QR Codes, and More
Bitly’s Connections Platform is more than a free URL shortener, with robust link management software, advanced QR Code features, and a landing page solution.
^{Bitly, Inc.}

@Jakob Rosin

Graham Perrin 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

@FreeBSDFoundation please, if you must use buff.ly then please also:

– provide the title of what's linked.

As an example, <https://mastodon.social/@FreeBSDFoundation/113630446270853126> lacked a title due to URL shortening. Seeking 'FreeBSD growth' fails to find the original post. I added the title in a reply.

Thank you

Cc @aardrian @aslakr

FreeBSD Foundation

2024-12-10 20:36:50

2024 was a landmark year for the FreeBSD Foundation—expanding advocacy, strengthening community ties, and showcasing new WiFi, security, and container capabilities. Here’s to building on our open-source legacy and inspiring innovation in the years ahead. #FreeBSD
https://buff.ly/3D8WWOq

@Adrian Roselli @Aslak Raanes @FreeBSD Foundation

Tamas G 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

yep have seen that attitude on Masto before, and I don't think people are wrong to be cautious especially with the amount of & tags now that URLS also get attached at the end for source tracking purposes. The big advantage of them for me would be mainly friendly short links, where giving that to a person for a file download is just much easier than expanding a full URL. Beyond that though, I don't see a use for ever wrapping a link with one, and what you expressed is why I haven't done it as people may think I'm tracking their clicks. (in reality I can get file access logs / stats from my Cpanel anyway, but whatevs.)

Adrian Roselli 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

@Tamasg Yeah, person-to-person sharing makes sense for shorteners in some contexts (such as shouting them at a conference).

@Tamas G

Oliver Geer 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

And also I can't be sure a shortened link won't lead me to somewhere dodgy/malicious.

Adrian Roselli 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

@WebCoder49 Yeah, the security risk is real.

@Oliver Geer

Adrian Roselli 4 weeks ago • mastodon (AP)

@josh
No idea.

But as a reader, I also don’t care. I’m still unlikely to follow the link.

@mayank

@Josh “Yoshi” Vickerson @Mayank

BlindHedgehogStew 4 weeks ago • hometown (AP)

I do one better: Via Brave, I only offer 'clean' links.

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