Link-shrinking attracts spammers and scammers
On the short-messaging service Twitter, space is at a premium: You've got 140 characters to make your point, and you probably don't want to waste half of it on a super-sized link to your latest YouTube obsession.
There's an increasingly popular quick fix: a free URL shortener. On one of these websites, you can plug in a long internet address, known as a URL, and it will assign you a much shorter one that is easier to post in emails, on Twitter, Facebook or anywhere else.
Some link-shrinkers let you personalise the new address with a unique phrase such as your name, or show you how many people click the link after you've posted it. This convenience may come at a cost, though. The tools add another layer to the process of navigating the web, potentially leaving a trail of broken links if a service suddenly closes shop. They can also make it harder to tell what you're really clicking on, which may make these Lilliputian links attractive to spammers and scammers.
