Bit.ly is an Internet web site that you can use to create a "shortened" link for your long URL address. For example, the full link to this article is: http://nonstopportals.com/blog/143-bitly-links.
I can go to Bit.ly, type in this long link and get Bit.ly to create a shortened link for me. The shortened link that I just created is http://bit.ly/25oIRH.
Shortened links are popular on Twitter and other blogs. They save space. Twitter micro blogs are limited to 140 characters. So Bit.ly was developed to help save space.
Bit.ly also provides statistics about the number of times your shortened link is clicked on. That means that you can measure the effectiveness of your blog posts.
There is a lot of concern that someone could create a shortened link that will install something bad on your computer. The prevailing wisdom is that you should never click on a link from someone you don't know. So, be careful when clicking on strange links.
The following excerpt is from the Bit.ly web site.
How can I be sure a bit.ly link is safe to click on?
Bit.ly filters all links through several independent services to check for spam, suspected phishing scams, malware, and other objectionable content. We currently includeGoogle Safe Browsing, SURBL, and SpamCop in our operations. For Firefox browser users, we also have a Preview Plugin that allows you to view more information about a link before clicking. If you are a Twitter user, similar preview features are offered byTweetdeck (we’ve got a writeup of how it works here).
