Try using Decode t.co to find out the real longer, bigger and not always better url behind the short sexy url you were going to click!
A new tool I discovered Decode t.co (http://decodet.co) isn’t the perfect solution, but what it does offer is a simple way for people to check short url’s before blindly clicking. The overall issue is quite simple, but the solution isn’t so cut and dried. Not everyone is an expert coder or hacker, but this site does address a fundamental issue that everyone seems to ignore. While done simply in WordPress (not everyone is an expert coder and hacker!), it does get the job done.
We I believe that short URL’s are pretty damn sexy, but more and more people are discovering is that they can also pretty dangerous. So many short url’s sent via Twitter and Facebook that you find are quite safe as most are from people you know and trust. There are however many times when you can receive rogue url’s and you don’t even know it particularly when someone has their account hacked.
Let’s set up a basic phishing scenario:
You receive a strange email with a few strange links from a trusted friend. Most likely their email was phished, and you didn’t even know it and they don’t know they sent it. The problem now is most of you will blindly click that short url without thinking twice. It’s too late to save some of you from that error. The creator of the app has even been the victim of a scam such as the one described.
Bottom Line:
There are many things that can be improved on the site, but it’s nice to find a WordPress site being used for something other than for just another blog. The app creator even asks for feedback – Decode t.co – Google Form (Google Form) and asks for a real coder to step up and help. This is a step in the right direction as there are just too many unchecked and dangerous (not sexy!) short url’s floating around. One thing to keep in mind, this site is evolving, so if you reach it and something is broke or not working, it’s likely it’s in the middle of some on the fly code changes!
In closing you can click blindly, or try using Decode t.co to find out the real longer, bigger and not always better url behind the short sexy url you were going to click!