It's a certain level of control which Twitter gets. If a spammy
application gets to Twitter, they can simply block those URLs via their
URL shortener. This is a level of spam control they don't get with
bit.ly, etc.
I'd like to point out that the API returns full URLs and all official
Twitter applications (and a lot of 3rd party ones) will display these
URLs as well. If you shorten a bit.ly URL you'll still see that bit.ly
URL, not a t.co URL.
As long as Twitter doesn't start "abusing" this t.co thing, and as long
as it's not down, it's fine with me.
Tom
On 6/10/11 10:09 PM, Kosso wrote:
Agreed : further absolutely unnecessary obfuscation of links.
The whole reason for the use of shorteners and even the 140 character
limit was in place due to the character restrictions on SMS. SO: Why
not JUST shorten these links for SMS messages they send out?? I'm
sure SMS only users are in a vast minority compared to mobile client
and web/desktop clients.
Unfortunately it seems to be the way things are going with Twitter.
I have no idea why they just don't acquire bit.ly <http://bit.ly> (and
apply it to t.co <http://t.co> urls) with all it's great features for
those who simply must shorten urls.
FYI: The data API does provide the actual url (and character
positions) of any original urls
This is obviously only useful if you're creating your own client / ui
to tweets.
On 10 June 2011 21:00, Mo <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
How do I register my domain as a URL shortener (like bit.ly
<http://bit.ly> or ow.ly <http://ow.ly>)
so that the links I post do not get shortened with a T.CO
<http://T.CO> domain when
I use intents?
I just looked through some old tweets and apparently even those URLs
have been replaced with T.CO <http://T.CO>.
When someone looks at my tweet stream they should see the domains I
post, not T.CO <http://T.CO>. If I want to talk about a friend or
partners site,
they should see that URL, not T.CO <http://T.CO>. If I want to
help promote a non-
profit like the Red Cross, Oil Spill Relief, Joplin, Missouri Tornado
Relief, etc., they should see their URLs not T.CO <http://T.CO>.
There was a time when developers were really rooting for Twitter.
Moves like this only benefit Twitter AND are detrimental to everyone
else. Not only is changing links to past tweets bad for developers,
but for marketers as well. Not to mention that it borders on being
unethical.
Can you imagine Google, Facebook, Yahoo, or Bing replacing URLs with
their shorteners? Of course, they could do it, if they chose to, but
they won't.
I realize it's your company, you have a great product, and you can do
what you want. But, Twitter's success came on the backs of many
dedicated developers, who also have the choice of putting their time
elsewhere.
If only there were an open source microblogging solution.
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