Do you trust "shortened" URLs?

I would only click on one if I trust the person who posted it. Mostly, I ignore them.

In general, no, I don’t trust them. Primarily because there is no way to recognize where they are going and if there are known spam targets.

The only ones that I use are ones that come from trusted sources.

I do not trust them unless the person specifically mentions shortening the URL to protect their privacy. I want to see where I am going before I click.

A short URL takes just as long to click as a long URL, no reason for it, never click them.

I don’t click.

Well, I think there was one time, but it was George Takei who posted it, and I trust him not to infect my computer with cooties. ^_^

Depends who posts it and where. In twitter, I can understand their use because a full url may not fit within the 140 characters limit. But elsewhere, no.

I don’t worry about them much at all. If I’m directed to a spammy or virus-ridden site, which occasionally happens, then my virus checkers kick in, alert me to the fact, and I can exit. No harm done at all.

The compelling reason for short URLs over some of the ridiculously long ones that some sites can generate is the performance and handling of spaces in path names, hash tags and other characters that can make the “long URL” fail when pasted.

http://5z8.info/open.exe_rylo

I only use them if I trust the person that is giving them to me. Otherwise, I ignore them.

@johnpowell You’re tempting me.

@johnpowell whatever that links to, my anti-virus doesn’t want me to visit it.

How much do you trust me?

http://tinyurl.com/y8ufsnp

@downtide I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Wow, @downtide (this really isn’t my “down on @downtide day”, I promise), you have a sensitive virus checker, all right. When you come here each day, your checker says nothing? Too sensitive, then.

Maybe my virus checker didn’t like the ”.exe” in the link?