This post originally appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. If you see it elsewhere, it has been used without consent. Websites that regularly steal my (Richard Byrnes) work include CloudComputin, TodayHeadline, and 711Web.

Recently I composed
a blog post about how to see whats concealed behind a Bitly shortened URL without actually clicking the link. The technique is to include “+” to the end of the Bitly URL to see whats behind it without clicking it. If the that worked with other URL shortening services, a couple of people emailed me to ask. The response is it works with
TinyURLs..

Applications for EducationAs I composed last week, building good digital citizenship and cyber safety skills is something that all of us should be helping our trainees do. Showing them little ideas like this one to avoid clicking on suspicious links is among the methods that we can assist our students construct their digital citizenship and cyber security abilities.

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

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

The technique is to add “+” to the end of the Bitly URL to see whats behind it without clicking on it. A couple of individuals emailed me to ask if the that worked with other URL reducing services. If you see it in other places, it has actually been utilized without consent.

Heres a video summary of how to see whats behind a TinyURL without really clicking on the link.