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

Bitly is a convenient URL shortener that Ive utilized for lots of years. As a signed up user I can create custom, reduced URLs that people can in fact spell. I utilize these whenever I need to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides presentation due to the fact that the default URLs provided by those services are incoherent and constantly long..

Bitly is a helpful URL shortener that Ive used for numerous years. There is a simple way to quickly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without in fact clicking on the link. When you add the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly rather of to whatever the original URL was.

Unfortunately, not all Bitly users are using them for good factors. Some people use them to hide wicked links. There is a simple way to quickly determine whats behind a Bitly URL without actually clicking on the link. The technique is to simply include 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 show you the Bitly page on which the reduced URL is hosted and will reveal you what the initial link was..
You can attempt this trick with a URL that I recently shortened. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you directly to a copy of the slides that I utilized my current Intro to Teaching History With Technology webinar. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL+ will lead you to the Bitly page where you can see my original presentation URL and see when I developed the shortened URL..
See this short video to see how you can utilize the “+” trick to learn whats concealed behind a Bitly link..

Applications for Education.
Building good digital citizenship and cyber security abilities is something that everybody must be assisting our students do. Revealing them little pointers like this one to prevent clicking suspicious links is among the methods that we can help our students develop their digital citizenship and cyber safety abilities.