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

Bitly is a handy URL shortener that Ive utilized for many years. As a signed up user I can produce customized, reduced URLs that individuals can in fact spell. I utilize these whenever I require to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides presentation since the default URLs supplied by those services are constantly long and incoherent..

Regrettably, not all Bitly users are utilizing them for great reasons. Some individuals utilize them to hide wicked links. There is a simple method to rapidly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without really clicking on the link. The technique is to merely add a “+” to the end of any Bitly URL. When you add the “+” the URL will redirect to Bitly instead of to whatever the original URL was. That will then reveal you the Bitly page on which the reduced URL is hosted and will reveal you what the initial link was..
You can try this technique with a URL that I recently reduced. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you straight to a copy of the slides that I used in my current Intro to Teaching History With Technology webinar. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL+ will lead you to the Bitly page where you can see my initial presentation URL and see when I created the shortened URL..
Enjoy this brief video to see how you can utilize the “+” trick to discover whats concealed behind a Bitly link..

Bitly is an useful URL shortener that Ive utilized for numerous years. There is an easy way to rapidly determine whats behind a Bitly URL without really clicking on the link. When you add the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly instead of to whatever the original URL was.

Applications for Education.
Structure excellent digital citizenship and cyber safety skills is something that everybody must be assisting our trainees do. Revealing them little ideas like this one to prevent clicking suspicious links is one of the manner ins which we can assist our students construct their digital citizenship and cyber security abilities.