Recently I composed
a post about how to see whats concealed behind a Bitly shortened URL without in fact clicking on the link. The trick is to add “+” to the end of the Bitly URL to see whats behind it without clicking on it. A few individuals emailed me to ask if the that dealt with other URL reducing services. The response is it deals with
TinyURLs..

Applications for EducationAs I composed last week, building great digital citizenship and cyber security abilities is something that everyone must be helping our trainees do. Showing them little tips like this one to avoid clicking suspicious links is one of the methods that we can assist our students build their digital citizenship and cyber security skills.

Heres a video introduction of how to see whats behind a TinyURL without in fact clicking the link.

The technique is to include a “+” to the end of any TinyURL address in order to arrive on a safe TinyURL page that exposes what the original link was that got shortened. If you want to click through to the location or not, you can then decide.
If you want to try this with a TinyURL, tinyurl.com/emkns9a8 will lead you to the page for the Practical Ed Tech Virtual Summer Camp, but adding a “+” at the end of that TinyURL will take you to the page where you can see the initial link without clicking on it.

The trick is to add “+” to the end of the Bitly URL to see whats behind it without clicking on it. A few people emailed me to ask if the that worked with other URL reducing services. If you see it somewhere else, it has actually been utilized without consent.

Ive attempted the “+” technique with a lot of other URL shortening tools and TinyURL is the only one besides Bitly that Ive discovered it to work with..
Whats the technique?

This post initially appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. If you see it in other places, it has actually been utilized without approval. Sites that routinely take my (Richard Byrnes) work include CloudComputin, TodayHeadline, and 711Web.