urlTea for short, descriptive URL's Apr10 '07

Screenshot of urlTea logo

I noticed many folks on Twitter are using urlTea for compressing long URL's.

I like urlTea because:

It has a more "Web 2.0" feel.
It's not cluttered with ads.
It allows alternate ways to use the application, ie: instant message.
The phrase "url tea" (pronounced "earl tea") has a nice, soft connotation.

urlTea's tag line is: "smooth sips of decanted web addresses".

I had to look up the word "decant." A quick Google search turns up: To draw off the upper layer of liquid after the heaviest material (a solid or another liquid) has settled.

Interesting choice of words.

TinyURL has been the most popular "URL compression" service to date, but the interface is "blocky," covered with ads, and generally ugly to look at. It also doesn't allow instant messages to be used to access the application.

I also use Sidepath, which connects to your own custom domain, making your compressed URL's intuitive and descriptive. I talked about Sidepath on Pain in the Tech.

I'd like to start using urlTea more often.

Which application should you use?

Sharing URL's has become a way of life, these days, and it's important to make your URL's as short and intuitive as possible.

Depending on who you're sending the URL to, you should decide which application is best for you.

If you're sharing the link with close friends and family, you may try using Sidepath, since your personal domain would be visible in the URL:

matthom.com/go/really-cool-link-on-amazon

However, with other people you don't know that well, you might not want them to see your personal domain, so it's better to use urlTea or TinyURL.

Descriptive text using urlTea

urlTea has one great benefit over TinyURL (and makes it more like Sidepath): the ability to add descriptive text to your compressed URL.

Let's say your compressed URL (using urlTea) comes out like this:

http://urltea.com/45

This is a nice, short link that's easy to share anywhere.

However, it doesn't help others decipher where the URL is going. For that, we need to add descriptive text:

http://urltea.com/45?really-cool-link-on-amazon

This makes the URL slightly longer (probably defeating the purpose), but it's still a great feature.

You can add any text you want, to help make the URL more intuitive and descriptive.

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matthom is published and produced by Matt Thommes - an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from a suburb of Chicago. Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.