Love my new Class 108 !

:Jerry: said the following on 31/01/2007 15:47:

Like I said - you didn't even see the point, never mind it getting across.

The only point that needs getting across is that no one needs shortened URL's and no one should mask were a URL is going. It's you who isn't seeing the 'point'.

Correct, you haven't.

With the recent increases in Royal Mail overseas charges for small packets, I doubt that is true any more, unless it's a lightweight high value item. A few years ago, I bought a set of four EFE Tube carriages on which the postage was less than the VAT, and I didn't get charged this end. It ended up costing me less than buying it over the counter in UK.

So I guess you never click links in web pages, unless they display the full URL? The fact is when you visit a strange place you can never be completely sure where you're going until you arrive.

Martin.

If the URL is not shown in the status bar I am very weary of following the link and have often decided not to follow certain URL's, if more people used their brains when a line of text says 'Click Here' than just blindly trusting fate there might well be less viruses etc. around. Web sites that take over *my* status bar tend not to get returned to and I don't normally see more than the index page either - briefly.

Can you cite a reference for that?

Err no, all it proves is that the database queries the input URL - basically asking the db if

already exist in it's redirect table, if it does then it outputs the existing short URL. Why generate another short URL if one already exists?

Presumably you haven't heard of the Google archive then?!

On 31/01/2007 21:56, :Jerry: said,

How incredibly naive.

Oh f*ck off you trolling moron.

There's no algorithm involved, it's simply a sequential sexatrigesimal[1] number. The system doesn't decode the tinyurls, it just looks them up in a database. There is a

- the first ever created!

However, the database doesn't expire old links, so once created a tinyurl will always point to the same expanded URL. The only exception to this is that a tinyurl used for spamming will be disabled (see the Ts&Cs of the TinyURL website).

You can have a certain amount of amusement by picking normal words (or names) of five or fewer characters and useing them as tinyurls, to see what you end up with. For example,

redirects to a news site, albeit to a destination page that's now non-existent.

[1] That is, Base 36 (consisting of 26 letters and 10 numerals).

Mark

Another thoughtful leader from The Feudal Times & Reactionary Herald

Can you cite a reference to back up that assertion?

MBQ

It's you that needs one.

That's two points. The real point is that your assertion that started this argument, quote...

...was about short URLs and their expiry. Only when you were shown to be wrong did you introduce URL masking. Why not show some humility and just admit that your original assertion was wrong?

MBQ

Yes, his contribution to this thread!

I'm not the one who has to use Hotmail and Google groups...

A classic sign of someome who has lost the argument is resorting to personal attacks or impuning someones ability.

I CHOOSE to use google groups as I am behind a firewall which doesn't allow me access to newsgroups. I CHOOSE to use a hotmail nom de plume to avoid all the spam that invariably results from a Usenet posting.

So what if I do?

MBQ

Yes, and that is why you are trolling...

So you admit to stealing your employers time and recourses to abuse others then, or is it more (likely) a case of an idiot who can't configure their own firewall?...

You know nothing of my employment arrangements.

My own firewall works perfectly, thank you, but even when connecting through that I still choose to use Google for the odd occasion I want to access newsgroups.

MBQ