URL shorteners: annoyance, not menace

I've several times seen the complaint that URL shortening services (tinyurl.com, bit.ly, etc etc) eliminate the ability to see where you're going by viewing the “real” URL and that this is dangerous.

In my opinion, if it is unsafe (except in the “seeing something you'd rather not” sense) to not know what the destination site is, then there's something wrong with the system. After all, you visit unknown sites all the time whenever you're learning about some new-to-you topic; it shouldn't be necessary to trust them.

The info visible from the URL is useful as a time-saving hint — “oh, that info is being presented as a video on YouTube — I don't have time to watch that now” or “I've seen that already” or “that site requires an account to do anything useful with”, but if it's neccessary to check it, then something needs fixing. I'm not saying you need fixing — it might be “the design/defaults of current web browsers” (e.g. that any web page is permitted to play sound by default) or “such-and-such protocol or plugin” — but something needs fixing.

That said, I don't actually approve of URL shorteners — because they do remove that helpful hint, and they create opportunities for links to break in the future.