LINK rot afflicts the connective tissue of the internet. If sites rejig their content carelessly, useful web addresses (technically known as URLs) may bring up only an error message. Shortening services turn long web addresses into handy short ones: That is particularly handy for those constrained by Twitter’s 140-character message limit. But short links are useful anywhere on the internet where concision is valued.
Convenience has its cost. Manufactured short links are particularly prone to link rot. They contain no clue about the ultimate destination. If the providers vanish, so do all the vital signposts they have created and stored.
Of around 1,000 link shorteners launched since 2001, 600-odd had folded by May 2012 according to yi.tl (a new service). Many were used as disguise by spammers and scammers. But bona fide services have failed, too.
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