Is yourls.org an alternative? Requires some work though
URL shorteners set ad tracking cookies
191–200 of 213 posts
Re: URL shorteners set ad tracking cookies
#192Why do url shorteners even exist? They literally add no benefit whatsoever.
Malicious links can have warning pages instead of redirects, malicious url shorteners can change URLs after they were promoted.
Re: URL shorteners set ad tracking cookies
#193Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is a shame that T.LY displays only the footer without JavaScript enabled instead of degrading gracefully. Surely a plain HTML form that POSTs should suffice? I'm not sure how much work it would require for you to support this, but it would help cement your place as a good web actor if you're so inclined!
Sorry about that. I honestly didn't think anyone browsed the web without javascript enabled. How common is that? We do offer a simple to use api that you could build on top of to shorten link. Also an extension that offers the ability to shorten a url in one click. API Docs: https://t.ly/docs/ Extension: https://t.ly/extension
You can actually sanity check how common it is for T.ly by triggering an analytics hit within a tag. Looks like you're using GTM/GA on your site, so this[1] should put you on the right track.
You'll still be blind to individuals that are blocking GTM/GA itself since you're not using the newer server-side GTM option, hence only a sanity check. But it's a fairly low-effort tweak to be able to get a read on how common it is for your site specifically.
[1] https://www.simoahava.com/analytics/track-non-javascript-vis...
Re: URL shorteners set ad tracking cookies
#194I use to run into a sci usenet poster who usually provided 10-30 shortened links with his postings pointing at books, papers and previous postings (google groups). Arguing over a topic he one time explained he had a clear analytics picture of what references other posters did and didn't read, who [silently] participated in the discussions, how much people read before and after writing a response, etc.
I do this for teaching. But I don't use a public url shortener because I trust none of them. I have a shortener built into my teaching site.
Re: URL shorteners set ad tracking cookies
#195Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you instead use the meta refresh tag?
samb1729 isn't talking about viewing shortened URLs. That works fine with javascript disabled. samb1729 is talking about viewing the the homepage of t.ly and creating shortened URLs. Side note, I think a 301/302/303/307/308 redirect is better than meta refresh (t.ly happens to use a 301 redirect + meta refresh).
Yes T.LY uses a 301 redirect which is better for SEO for the long url domain.
Re: URL shorteners set ad tracking cookies
#196Earlier quoted context omitted.
My company uses them in its print assets like billboards, posters, and transit ads. I see them all the time in commercial text messages, like from things I've subscribed to, or delivery alerts so I can track the pizza guy.
Do they use QR codes in addition to the shortened URLs? I’ve always wondered why QR code’s haven’t caught on more. Especially for things where the objective to access information more convenient than fat-fingering.
T.LY generates QR codes for all short links generated. We also have a simple tool for creating QR codes from any URL https://t.ly/qr-code-generator
Re: URL shorteners set ad tracking cookies
#197Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is a shame that T.LY displays only the footer without JavaScript enabled instead of degrading gracefully. Surely a plain HTML form that POSTs should suffice? I'm not sure how much work it would require for you to support this, but it would help cement your place as a good web actor if you're so inclined!
Sorry about that. I honestly didn't think anyone browsed the web without javascript enabled. How common is that? We do offer a simple to use api that you could build on top of to shorten link. Also an extension that offers the ability to shorten a url in one click. API Docs: https://t.ly/docs/ Extension: https://t.ly/extension
> I honestly didn't think anyone browsed the web without javascript enabled.
I know a bunch of folks have replied, but I'm another one. I remember back before JavaScript; I remember when Flash was the bane of those who cared about privacy or security; I remember when 'DHTML' was the buzzword of the day.
I actually have a lot more appreciation for what JavaScript enables now than I used to. It really is neat that we have this platform-independent mostly-not-completely-insecure app runtime. Pity that it is built atop what should have been a hypertext system, though.
Re: URL shorteners set ad tracking cookies
#198Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Then ended up regretting it and shutting it down. Care to elaborate?
I assume because it creates/introduces an arguably unnecessary point of potential future failure.
Also possibly because URL shorteners are frequently abused, e.g. to obfuscate links in spam. Operating one responsibly is a considerable amount of work.
Re: URL shorteners set ad tracking cookies
#199Earlier quoted context omitted.
+1 to the second suggestion as a low-effort way to make some headway in staying off blocklists. A place to start might be this large, very popular list that combines a bunch of other lists: https://oisd.nl/ Actual text file is here (large file warning): https://hosts.oisd.nl/ Just prevent your service from shortening links to any of those domains.
You might want to consider checking for hosts listed in https://github.com/notracking/hosts-blocklists This is an excellent merged blocklist, with public whitelist (oisd is fully closed, no insight in what is whitelisted and why, also causing more false positives..)
No longer the case: https://oisd.nl/excludes.php
Re: URL shorteners set ad tracking cookies
#200Earlier quoted context omitted.
> This is one of the thousand reasons that I don't think capitalism will be viable beyond 10-20 years from now. Hmm. You posted this from your phone or computer that was created by capitalism, from an OS created by capitalism, using a browser created by capitalism, to a message board for an organization who literally specializes in capitalism. While the original incarnation of the internet wasn’t created by capitalis…
Ah yes, “you dislike Society yet you contribute to it in someway, I am so smart”. The classical Sciences and Arts were all founded and developed under “divinely ordained” Monarchies. I suppose that would’ve been a fantastic case for conserving that system for you? Have you thought that maybe all those material accomplishments made under capitalism have less to do with the system itself and more to do with the fact it…
> “you dislike Society yet you contribute to it in someway, I am so smart”.
Not even close to what I said. I didn’t suggest that he contributes anything to society.
> Have you thought that maybe all those material accomplishments made under capitalism have less to do with the system itself and more to do with the fact it’s the only one around? Pretty sure many of today’s tech is founded as much on innovation that came out of Soviet labs as anybody else’s.
It’s (mostly) the only one around because the others all failed spectacularly every other time. Not only did states collapse, but about 100 million people died. It’s amazing that you’d use the Soviet union as an example, considering where they ended up.
> Also, incidentally, current day capitalism is at the beck and call of one of the last remaining communist countries. Just a curiosity
China is the least communist of the remaining communist countries. And do you happen to know what major change allowed their GDP to explode and make them soon-to-be the biggest economy in the world?
Even ignoring that, do you really want to live somewhere like China? If you think poverty and working conditions are bad in the US, just you wait!
Unless you meant one of the other examples, like Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam or Laos. I’m guessing not.