Just set up a static page on your web server which redirects there, and give that URL. As an added bonus, more people would click http://yourserver.com/greatstuff/funny.html than http://tinyurl.com/randomcharactershere.
And if you mis-type, with shortened URLs you are a lot more likely to get to another, completely unrelated, and especially completely unpredictable web site, while mis-typing the true URL will likely give you a simple 404. As an added bonus, the real URL will still be in your address bar, ready to be corrected.
Because you have the choice whom you let resolve the domains for you. You don't have the choice whom you let resolve the shortened url for you..If shortened URLs were distributed like domain names, there would be no problem.
That's the nice thing about freedom of choice. You can use the ones you would like to use.
That's only half-true: As creator of the shortened link you have the choice. However, as the user of that link you only have two options: Use the service the creator has chosen, or simply don't follow the link.
Well, maybe it would be a good idea to create "shortener proxies" which you could use for URL shortening services. You'd direct your browser to use that proxy for any shortening site (e.g. with the help of FoxyProxy, or with a dedicated extension for shortening service proxies), and that proxy would then access the real shortening service, while removing any data from your request which is not needed for getting the true URL (note that it wouldn't affect the data sent to the ultimate destination, because that access wouldn't go through the proxy). Since the proxy itself wouldn't need access to the URL data base, any number of providers could set up their own proxies. You could even decide to randomly chose a different one every time (that would probably need a dedicated extension, though). The shortening service would only know which URL was accessed and which proxy was used to access the URL, and nothing else.
Why not simply create a new static redirection page for each shortened URL? After all, the redirection shouldn't actually change afterwards anyway. Handling of non-existent redirects would be done by the normal 404 mechanism. Race conditions could be avoided by first writing the file with a special name, and renaming it to the destination afterwards (I think file renaming is an atomic process, as far as applications are concerned).
Install Firefox 2 and see how often you get nagged to upgrade.
I used it for quite some time after FF3 was out, without getting nagged a single time. But then, I didn't have the corresponding check box set...
Then there's the fact that security fixes are only released for the latest browser,
OK, I'll give you that one.
extensions don't support the old version
That's the fault of the extension writers. Also note that I got the opposite problem after switching FF3: Extensions I liked, but which are not updated to run on the new version.
France fought brave and well in WW2 but still lost.
No, France had very powerful military and opportunity to win but they failed to take initiative while German was invading Poland. Later on, they just crapped their pants, especially Gamelin.
Where was the U.S. when Germany was invading Poland? Indeed, the U.S. didn't enter the war before being attacked either. GB did, but then, they were under contractual obligation to help Poland; no one can tell for sure if they would have entered the war otherwise. At least they didn't earlier when Germany invaded Czechia, a fact that massively increased the faith German generals had in Hitlers strategic abilities. Maybe if GB had already engaged in the war at that time, the German generals would have opposed the invasion of Poland, because they wouldn't have thought they could win (besides the fact that also the tactic situation would have been worse for Germany without having the possibility to send the soldiers through Czechia to Poland).
They can all be wikid (not sure I like that word)...
I'm sure I don't like the word. A wiki is a general web site technology. Saying "to wiki" for looking up things at Wikipedia is like saying "to slashcode" for reading about things on Slashdot, because Slashdot runs on Slashcode.
Well, you can always tell your company that the computers you plan to buy utilize quantum mechanics to do their calculation. And you'll not even be lying: The transistor, base element of any digital electronics, indeed is based on quantum mechanics.
you can all get over yourselves, nobody gives a shit about you or the "private" details of your life.
Well, nobody except the advertisers (targeted advertising), your insurance providers, the bank you are trying to get a credit from, your (potential) employer,...
More importantly, what is a good alternative for Google News for searching old usenet postings? Apart from privacy, their interface is just shitty (and them mixing Usenet with their own proprietary service doesn't make things better).
Apart from using "Afghanistan" as your home country, you should also use user names like "Taliban" or "Osama Bin Laden". That way you'll make sure to never get into the focus of the CIA or NSA.
Blocking Flash should be the default for anyone concerned about privacy, anyway. And with the BetterPrivacy Firefox add-on can in addition clear your Flash cookies between browser sessions, so even for things like YouTube where you absolutely need Flash the tracking ability is at least reduced (of course you'll have to regularly close the browser for it to be effective).
The same principal could be applied to a space vehicle if it had a big scoop on the front to catch dust, and then accelerated it and shot it out the back.
The same principle should apply for energy. Use this phenomena with Lorentz force to generate an electrical current and viola...electrical energy from a quantum vacuum.
Unless it increases the gravitational mass together with the inertia, it not only makes your satellite resist stronger against the air drag forces, but also against the gravitational forces. In other words, your satellite will no longer orbit the planet, but just go straight away to space.
Thinking again about it, this would be the perfect space launch mechanism. Just accelerate the object to moderate speed, and then switch on the anti-acceleration device.
Slashdot Mirror
Just set up a static page on your web server which redirects there, and give that URL. As an added bonus, more people would click http://yourserver.com/greatstuff/funny.html than http://tinyurl.com/randomcharactershere.
And if you mis-type, with shortened URLs you are a lot more likely to get to another, completely unrelated, and especially completely unpredictable web site, while mis-typing the true URL will likely give you a simple 404. As an added bonus, the real URL will still be in your address bar, ready to be corrected.
Since it's not a link, nothing will happen if you click it. :-)
Unless you use the QuietUrl extension, of course.
Because you have the choice whom you let resolve the domains for you. You don't have the choice whom you let resolve the shortened url for you..If shortened URLs were distributed like domain names, there would be no problem.
That's only half-true: As creator of the shortened link you have the choice. However, as the user of that link you only have two options: Use the service the creator has chosen, or simply don't follow the link.
Well, maybe it would be a good idea to create "shortener proxies" which you could use for URL shortening services. You'd direct your browser to use that proxy for any shortening site (e.g. with the help of FoxyProxy, or with a dedicated extension for shortening service proxies), and that proxy would then access the real shortening service, while removing any data from your request which is not needed for getting the true URL (note that it wouldn't affect the data sent to the ultimate destination, because that access wouldn't go through the proxy). Since the proxy itself wouldn't need access to the URL data base, any number of providers could set up their own proxies. You could even decide to randomly chose a different one every time (that would probably need a dedicated extension, though). The shortening service would only know which URL was accessed and which proxy was used to access the URL, and nothing else.
Why not simply create a new static redirection page for each shortened URL? After all, the redirection shouldn't actually change afterwards anyway. Handling of non-existent redirects would be done by the normal 404 mechanism. Race conditions could be avoided by first writing the file with a special name, and renaming it to the destination afterwards (I think file renaming is an atomic process, as far as applications are concerned).
I used it for quite some time after FF3 was out, without getting nagged a single time. But then, I didn't have the corresponding check box set ...
OK, I'll give you that one.
That's the fault of the extension writers. Also note that I got the opposite problem after switching FF3: Extensions I liked, but which are not updated to run on the new version.
France fought brave and well in WW2 but still lost.
No, France had very powerful military and opportunity to win but they failed to take initiative while German was invading Poland. Later on, they just crapped their pants, especially Gamelin.
Where was the U.S. when Germany was invading Poland? Indeed, the U.S. didn't enter the war before being attacked either. GB did, but then, they were under contractual obligation to help Poland; no one can tell for sure if they would have entered the war otherwise. At least they didn't earlier when Germany invaded Czechia, a fact that massively increased the faith German generals had in Hitlers strategic abilities. Maybe if GB had already engaged in the war at that time, the German generals would have opposed the invasion of Poland, because they wouldn't have thought they could win (besides the fact that also the tactic situation would have been worse for Germany without having the possibility to send the soldiers through Czechia to Poland).
That's assuming the first working commercial superconducting QC appears before their patents expire.
I'm sure I don't like the word. A wiki is a general web site technology. Saying "to wiki" for looking up things at Wikipedia is like saying "to slashcode" for reading about things on Slashdot, because Slashdot runs on Slashcode.
Well, you can always tell your company that the computers you plan to buy utilize quantum mechanics to do their calculation. And you'll not even be lying: The transistor, base element of any digital electronics, indeed is based on quantum mechanics.
Yes and no.
No RequestPolicy?
Well, nobody except the advertisers (targeted advertising), your insurance providers, the bank you are trying to get a credit from, your (potential) employer, ...
More importantly, what is a good alternative for Google News for searching old usenet postings? Apart from privacy, their interface is just shitty (and them mixing Usenet with their own proprietary service doesn't make things better).
Apart from using "Afghanistan" as your home country, you should also use user names like "Taliban" or "Osama Bin Laden". That way you'll make sure to never get into the focus of the CIA or NSA.
How else should it contact the moon to find out its phase? :-)
People bad at aiming with a mouse.
I think that's increasing the risk that he'll break confidentiality about anything he already knows.
Blocking Flash should be the default for anyone concerned about privacy, anyway. And with the BetterPrivacy Firefox add-on can in addition clear your Flash cookies between browser sessions, so even for things like YouTube where you absolutely need Flash the tracking ability is at least reduced (of course you'll have to regularly close the browser for it to be effective).
Well, strictly speaking, for 100%, because without quantum mechanics there would be no planet and no people, and therefore no economy.
You mean like this?
The same principle should apply for energy. Use this phenomena with Lorentz force to generate an electrical current and viola...electrical energy from a quantum vacuum.
Can't you generate a cello instead?
Unless it increases the gravitational mass together with the inertia, it not only makes your satellite resist stronger against the air drag forces, but also against the gravitational forces. In other words, your satellite will no longer orbit the planet, but just go straight away to space.
Thinking again about it, this would be the perfect space launch mechanism. Just accelerate the object to moderate speed, and then switch on the anti-acceleration device.
I guess you never bought your hard disks from a certain company. :-)